Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories
by scififan599
Summary: 10 years ago, 8 children were kidnapped. One of them was Yasutake Narahiko, who today works as Morningstar, a bounty hunter in LINK VRAINS hunting criminals and hackers for companies like SOL Technologies. One day, he fights the Knights of Hanoi and encounters Playmaker, who was involved in the same incident. Follow him as he must decide whether to be Playmaker's ally, or his enemy
1. Chapter 1: Morningstar

**Announcements**

Hello everyone, and welcome to Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories! This is my second fanfiction, and my first VRAINS story. For those of you who read my Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V fanfiction, I hope you like this story. It will follow the same format as Academy of Chaos, except the name orders will be Western instead of Japanese, and a new feature in a summary of the duels at the end of the chapter, like the wiki does.

This story follows Yasutake Narahiko, an OC-insert to VRAINS. He works as a cyber bounty hunter, hunting down criminals and hackers that companies like SOL Technologies pay him to find and bring in. He lives with Cameron Junpei, or Cam, and his sister Sachi, who like Yasutake, was involved in the Lost Incident ten years ago.

That said, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories!

* * *

 **Update**

I've changed the number of children from 6 to 8 as of Chapter 14. This will take a while to implement, so please be patient while I update the previous chapters.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Morningstar**

"You lose!"

Yasutake Narahiko screamed as the shocks overcame him. It was at that moment he awoke, drenched in sweat, in his own bed. He was breathing heavily, his nightmare still etched in his mind.

 _Calm down_ , he thought, trying to steady his breathing. _Three. Think of three things. Three things to live. Three things to go home. Three things to defeat the enemy. By thinking, you can still live._

He closed his eyes. _One: I'm not in that place anymore. I'm in my bedroom at Cam's house in Den City. No one can hurt me while I'm here._

He opened his eyes and looked around his bedroom. Aside from his bed and a desk, it was empty. _Two: it has been over ten years since the incident. Even if it takes ten more years, or even fifty, these nightmares will eventually fade._

He closed his eyes again, his breathing steadier but still ragged. _Three: I am not alone. What I am doing now, I do for Cam and his sister Sachi. Even if there is no hope for me, there is hope for her._

He opened his eyes, his heart rate finally slowing down. He got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. After splashing water in his face, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. It showed a 16-year-old teenager with hazel eyes. He had spiky black hair with red bangs that zigzagged across the right side of his face. There were bags under his eyes, his exhaustion evident.

Yasutake had been having these nightmares for the last ten years. Sometimes he'd have them for a straight week, other times he'd sleep peacefully for a month. One thing was always for certain: he'd have them again, no matter how hard he tried to forget the incident.

He thought about telling Cam about his nightmare, but dismissed it. He'd just recommend seeing the therapist again. He'd been seeing them on-and-off for ten years. He doubted there was anything more they could do for him.

He turned off the lights in the bathroom and returned to his bed. There was no chance he'd get any sleep now, but he might as well rest until school in the morning. Better that than falling asleep in class again.

* * *

Yasutake stared out the classroom window, trying to focus. The teacher had just given the class their calculus homework for the day. He found staring off into space helped him focus. At the very least, it also gave him a reason not to interact with people.

"Hey, you're a duelist, aren't you?"

But some people were determined to interact with him anyways. Yasutake turned and looked at the student who'd said that. It was a slightly overweight boy with tiny eyes, a large mouth, and green hair. He wore the student uniform of Den Academy, same as Yasutake. The students were mingling with each other, working together on their homework. Which Yasutake had no intention of participating in. He wasn't the only who felt that way; he saw a boy in the back row with his head on his arms, taking a nap.

"I mean," the boy said, drawing Yasutake's attention back to him. "you are wearing a Duel Disk. Though it is an older model. Guess that means you're an amateur."

Yasutake looked at the Duel Disk on his left arm. It was circular in shape, with a black base and blue top circling a black screen. A section on the side facing away from him was colored silver. Yasutake looked from the Duel Disk to the boy.

"Who are you again?" he asked. He genuinely had no idea who the guy was.

"Hey!" the boy said, annoyed now. "It's been a month since school started! You still don't know your classmate's name?" He leaned in, a slight smirk on his face. "I know your name, though. Narahiko, right? You probably don't have many friends," he assumed.

"Not really," Yasutake said, returning his gaze to the window. The calculus problem he was working on was based on sets. If A was a subset of B, but B was a subset of C, then…

"Hey!" the boy said again, interrupting Yasutake's thoughts again. "Don't ignore someone when they're talking to you! That's rude. I'm Naoki Shima, by the way." He gave a smug smile and lifted his arm, which had a blue contraption attached to his wrist. "Anything you want to say to me?"

Yasutake looked at him, then back to the window. "Not particularly," he said. This annoyed Naoki even more, who then shoved his arm even closer to Yasutake's face and loudly said, "Even about this?"

"Oh, that," Yasutake commented, a bored expression on his face. "SOL Technologies' new Duel Disk."

"Oh, you noticed?" Naoki said, his smile bigger and his eyes shining. _Of course I noticed,_ Yasutake thought. _It's impossible not to notice with you shoving it in my face._

"That Duel Disk you're wearing is one of the card-insert kinds, right?" Naoki said, either not getting Yasutake's hints that he wanted to be left alone, or ignoring them. "The new Duel Disk has an AI installed that helps during duels."

"Hello," the Duel Disk on his arm said.

"Hello," Yasutake said back, this time turning to his tablet instead of the window. Maybe if he looked like he was working on a problem instead of spacing out, Naoki would go away.

No such luck. "This AI is connected to SOL Technologies' cloud," he said. "So I can use cards in data form." He held up his right hand as he continued, "I also have priority access to the VR network, LINK VRAINS." He pointed his Duel Disk at Yasutake's tablet and pushed a button. Several screens popped up on it, all of them showing Duelists in LINK VRAINS, the cyberspace dueling community. "See? Like this."

"Fascinating," Yasutake said deadpan, closing the windows Naoki opened so he could see his homework again. "Ever go to LINK VRAINS?"

"Don't be stupid!" Naoki suddenly shouted, drawing the attention of nearby students.

"'Stupid' is a forbidden word," Naoki's AI said. Yasutake idly wondered why SOL Technologies saw it necessarily to have a grammar censor in their AI. The cleaning robot at Cam's place had the same programming.

"It's a special gathering place for long-time duelists!" Naoki said, quieter this time, not wanting to disturb his classmates. "Charisma Duelists go there too! You can't go there as easy as you think!"

"I see," Yasutake said, still bored. He was familiar with Charisma Duelists; they were essentially idols with stage names who put on a show through dueling.

"But if I do go," Naoki continued, looking hopeful for a second, "maybe I'll meet Charisma Duelists. Maybe even Playmaker!"

"Playmaker?" Yasutake said, frowning. He'd heard the alias before, but he couldn't remember where from.

"He's the hottest duelist right now," Naoki explained. "He secretly fights the Knights of Hanoi, hackers who commit crimes in LINK VRAINS."

 _Stopping crimes in LINK VRAINS?_ Yasutake thought. _I thought that was my job…_

Out loud, he said, "Do you have a picture of Playmaker?" An image wouldn't help him find the guy's identity, but it would be a starting point.

"Of course not," Naoki said, not noticing Yasutake's slight disappointment. "He's cool because no one knows his identity. I want to become a duelist of justice, like Playmaker!" Unfortunately, that last statement was louder than the rest, which got Naoki reprimanded by the teacher.

"Sorry, ma'am," he said, turning back to Yasutake and talking quieter. "Though, if I can't meet Playmaker, I would love to meet Morningstar."

"Morningstar?" Yasutake asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is that someone else fighting the Knights of Hanoi?"

"He fights more than them!" Naoki said, looking excited. "He hunts down criminals, malcontents, anyone who wants to hurt people in LINK VRAINS! He's just as big a hero as Playmaker! Sadly, no one knows his face or identity, either." Suddenly, a thought occurred to Naoki. "Say, you want to join Duel Club?"

"Duel Club?" Yasutake asked, not expecting that.

"Yes, it's an extracurricular group where we discuss tactics and strategies," Naoki explained. "If you're interested in becoming a better duelist, we can help you improve your skills. We always need new members."

"No, thank you," Yasutake said, turning back to his computer again. "I'm not looking for extracurricular work."

"Don't think of it as work, think of it as making friends."

"I'm not looking for those, either."

"Oh, everyone can use friends," Naoki said, then turned to the person behind them. "Zaizen, help me out here. I'm trying to get this guy to join Duel Club, but he won't do it."

"Then leave him alone, Shima," the student said. Yasutake glanced back. The speaker was a girl, with light brown hair in a bob-cut and yellow eyes, typing on her own tablet. "Not everyone wants to join Duel Club."

"The president said we need new members, and he has a Duel Disk," Naoki said. "Even if it's an older model, I think he'd still be a good addition."

The girl, Zaizen apparently, sighed and turned from her tablet to Yasutake. "I'm Aoi Zaizen," she said. "Do you want to join Duel Club?"

"No," he said, not bothering to look at her. Zaizen, huh? There was a SOL executive named Zaizen. Was she related to him?

"There you go, Shima," Aoi said to Naoki. "He's not interested." She turned back to her tablet. Yasutake had to admit he liked her attitude.

"Am I the only one who takes Duel Club seriously?" Naoki idly wondered. "Look, you don't have to join. Just consider it, alright? I don't think people should spend their time alone."

 _But spending time alone is one of my favorite hobbies,_ Yasutake thought. "Thanks, but-."

 _You should make friends, Yasu_. Yasutake internally grimaced at the memory of Cam. _Friends can help you get over what happened. If you actually opened up to people, maybe the nightmares would stop._ Yasutake couldn't see what friends and nightmares had to do with each other, but he trusted Cam.

"I'll… think about it," Yasutake finally said. Apparently, that was enough to mollify Naoki, as he returned to his seat. Yasutake returned to his homework, looking over it. Calculus was certainly not his favorite subject, but at least it wasn't geometry.

"Sorry about that." Yasutake glanced behind him. This time, it was Aoi who spoke to him, but her eyes remained on her tablet. "Shima means well, he just speaks without thinking."

"I can tell he is a good person," Yasutake said. "But he is also a bad duelist. I doubt there is anything I'd learn from joining Duel Club."

Aoi looked from her tablet to Yasutake. "What makes you think he's a bad duelist?"

Yasutake held up his hand. "There are three things that tell me he is a bad duelist. One," he held up one finger, "he bragged about his Duel Disk. A focus on its technology implies he doesn't care about his deck. Two," he held up another finger, "he hasn't gone to LINK VRAINS. This in turn suggests he doesn't trust his skills. Three," he held up a third finger, "he judges a person's dueling skills by appearances, so he can't be a good duelist."

Aoi raised an eyebrow at Yasutake's points, but he continued talking. "At the same time, there are three reasons I can tell he is a good person. One, even if it's about an object, he wants to talk about dueling because he loves Duel Monsters. Two, being able to acquire the new Duel Disk quickly means he's well-informed. Three, since he's willing to talk to a loner like myself, that means he is willing to make friends. He might be a bad duelist, but he is also a good person."

Aoi stared at Yasutake, not expecting him to speak so much. "Do you always categorize things into groups of three?"

"It helps me think," he said, turning back to his tablet. Unlike Naoki, Aoi took the hint and turned back to her own tablet.

* * *

Yasutake walked into Cam's store. It was mostly empty; the afternoon rush had ended an hour ago. Cam was standing behind the counter, handing a woman the muffin she'd purchased.

"Ah, Yasu!" he said when he saw Yasutake. "About time you show up." Cameron Junpei was taller than Yasutake, with short dark green hair and light green bangs. His eyes were blue and he was well-built. He was dressed casually in blue jeans and a purple shirt with an apron over it. Yasutake sometimes thought Cam could become a wrestler if he wanted. Instead, he'd opened a bakery. "I was worried I'd have to work the evening shift without you."

"As if I have anything better to do," Yasutake said, going behind the counter and putting on his own apron. This was his job, helping Cam run his bakery. Or at least it was one of his jobs.

When he got close to Cam, he asked, "How's Sachi?"

Cam looked downcast as he said, "Same as always." He then perked up as a customer came in. While he did that, Yasutake changed the subject.

"Has there been any updates?" he asked.

"Yeah," Cam said, his expression neutral and his voice low as he went over to the oven. "Den City's network security has been strengthened. Most likely, SOL Technologies is performing a scan of LINK VRAINS, trying to find something."

"Something?" Yasutake said, raising an eyebrow. Cam looked at him seriously as he answered.

"I heard it's an AI program. Fleeing from something."

Yasutake frowned. "I didn't know an AI could run away. It's not like they have free will, like humans." Then he thought of something. "If SOL is performing a scan, there will be weaknesses in the network. Weaknesses others might exploit."

"Like the Knights of Hanoi?" Cam said, narrowing his eyes. "I thought you went after all criminals, not just them."

"SOL has a bounty on any Knights I can capture," Yasutake said. "And I can't just let them rampage freely."

"You could leave it to Playmaker," Cam suggested as he pulled fresh rolls out of the oven. "He's been hunting Hanoi for quite some time. If they do appear, he'll handle them."

"I don't trust Playmaker, and SOL's usual security drones aren't enough to stop them," Yasutake said. "Look at it this way: I stop the Knights, SOL pays me, and you get more money for Sachi's treatment."

"She does need it," Cam said. "But I worry about you, Yasu. It doesn't matter how skilled you are; eventually you'll face an opponent you can't beat. And working for SOL won't make the nightmares go away."

Yasutake, who'd been putting fresh pastries inside the display case, stopped at that. Cam looked at him seriously.

"You had another one, didn't you?"

"They never go away, Cam," he said, resuming his work. "It's been ten years and they still happen. After this much time, no therapist is going to be able to help me."

"Then get out there and make friends," Cam said, leaning on the counter. "At least you have that option. I'm lucky if I can get Sachi to leave her room. Maybe making friends will help you move on."

"I want to move on, Cam," Yasutake said, turning from the case to his friend. "I've tried. But the nightmares never stop. Not for long. Right now, I can just continue doing my job and earning money to help you and Sachi. It's the least I can do after everything you've done for me."

Ever since the incident ten years ago, Yasutake had been living with Cam and his sister Sachi, who had also been involved in it. Cam had put up with Yasutake, helped pay for his therapy alongside his sister's, even put the money together so Yasutake could go to Den Academy. Working at his bakery for free was one of the ways Yasutake could repay him. The other way was taking contracts from SOL Technologies on cybercriminals and hackers. Once he dealt with them, SOL paid him for it. That money in turn went towards Cam's bakery and Sachi's treatments.

Noting that the last customer had left the bakery, Yasutake ran to the front and turned on the "CLOSED" sign.

"Hey!" Cam protested. "There's a big event going on later tonight. Go Onizuka and Blue Angel are both dueling. I make a lot of money at events like that."

"This is more important," Yasutake said, taking his apron off and heading for the back room. "When SOL performs the scan, Hanoi will likely attack. I can't let them do too much damage."

"Fine," Cam said, taking his own apron off. "But when this is over, we're going to talk about your therapy."

* * *

"Everyone! Are you fired up?" In the central plaza of Den City, a large crowd had gathered, watching several television screens. The screens showed two duelists – one was a well-built young man with dark hair, a chin beard and a gold hat. He wore a large jacket that exposed his chest with dark pants and a golden belt as well as large boots with gold plated buckles and gold plates on his arms over black finger-less gloves.

The second duelist was a teenage girl with long blue hair tied into two long strands by heart-shaped ribbons. Her eyes were also blue, and she wore a white sleeveless shirt with a blue necktie over a blue and pink dress with wing-shaped frills, and dark blue thigh-high socks. Her most noticeable accessory was the pair of white wings on her back with pink hearts and lavender clovers on them.

Their names were Go Onizuka and Blue Angel, and they were the top two Charisma Duelists in LINK VRAINS.

"Many Charisma Duelists are about to duel in LINK VRAINS!" This was said by an MC wearing glasses and an orange suit holding a microphone. "Dueling in Area #1 is LINK VRAINS's #1 hooligan who uses the Gouki deck, Go Onizuka!" The screens shifted to show Go standing in an area that resembled the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.

"Dueling in Area #2 is LINK VRAINS's poster girl who uses a Trickstar deck, Blue Angel!" The screens shifted again to a place that resembled Florence, Italy, with Blue Angel and her opponent standing on a rooftop. Blue Angel waved and smiled at the camera as the MC said, "To all who have access, come to LINK VRAINS! And for those already here, pay attention to the screen!"

"SOL picked a good time to perform a scan," Yasutake commented. He and Cam were sitting in the back of the bakery, typing on computers. One of the monitors they had showed the LINK VRAINS events. If Yasutake was right and Hanoi did attack, the live recordings would show it first. "If Hanoi takes advantage of the weaknesses in the network, a lot of people will get hurt."

"SOL cares about their customers," Cam said. "If they're doing a scan now, it's probably because they don't have a choice. That, or they have more faith in their security than you do."

"While we're waiting," Yasutake said, turning from the monitor to Cam. "Have you found anything on Playmaker?"

Playmaker had appeared some months ago. Yasutake had initially assumed he was a freelance contractor working for SOL like him, but he'd been proven wrong soon enough. It became apparent that Playmaker only ever did battle with the Knights of Hanoi. If he was one of SOL's contractors, he'd be sent against other kinds of cybercriminals like Yasutake was. No, Playmaker was independent. Though why he was fighting the Knights of Hanoi, Yasutake couldn't guess. If it was to protect LINK VRAINS, that was fine, but Yasutake was certain there was more to it than that.

"No," Cam said, shaking his head. "Whenever he shows up, he deletes his activity logs soon after. There's no trail to follow, no eyewitnesses to provide a description. He's practically a ghost."

"So he's not just a good duelist, but also a master hacker," Yasutake mused. "Fascinating."

Cam was about to respond, but then one of the monitors started beeping. He narrowed his eyes at it. "They've started the scan. It's the MSD Version 99671. They must really want that AI program bad."

Suddenly the screen showing the scan turned red. "That's not good," Cam said. That was an understatement. The color indicated someone was breaking into LINK VRAINS. "Someone's breaching SOL's firewall."

"Can you identify who?" Yasutake asked him. Before Cam could answer, the screen showing Blue Angel and Go suddenly started glitching. The two friends turned to watch the screen. There was suddenly a hole in Go's arena, through which two massive black and green mechanical dragons appeared. Each dragon was ridden by a man in a white coat with the hood up. They both also had grey and yellow masks covering their faces, with one red eye and one green eye.

"Hanoi!" Cam said unnecessarily. Yasutake stood up from his chair. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"They've broken into LINK VRAINS," Yasutake answered, putting his Duel Disk on. "And I can't let them rampage."

"Be careful, Yasu," Cam said, turning back to the screen. "And look out for that AI. If you capture it, we can sell it to SOL."

Yasutake headed to another room in the bakery. This was a closed off space where he could enter LINK VRAINS quickly and quietly. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his Deck. After the door closed, he placed his Deck into his Duel Disk and said, "Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

Yasutake was surrounded by a sphere of light as he spread his arms. His appearance changed to that of his digital avatar. He wore a dark blue and maroon jumpsuit with black boots. A silver line ran from his legs all the way up his right arm. A black belt appeared around his waist. His hair changed so that it parted in half, with the left half being blue and the right half being black. His bangs remained, except they turned silver. The last part to change was his eyes, changing from hazel to blood red. He was propelled into LINK VRAINS, entering through a digital portal. He landed in the ruins of Area #2. He was no longer Yasutake Narahiko. Now he was Morningstar.

He ran around, looking for the Knights of Hanoi, when he found one. He was still riding the mechanical dragon, but he was chasing a figure that Morningstar recognized as Blue Angel.

"Vanish!" the Knight shouted. His dragon breathed fire at Blue Angel, but before Morningstar could intervene, someone else did. They grabbed Blue Angel and pulled her out of the way of the fire.

"Gee, I'm really back," someone said. Was it Blue Angel's savior? He had spiky yellow, pink, and orange hair and wore a black and dark green jumpsuit with a gold line running up his left arm.

"Who are you?" the Knight asked the man.

"My name is Playmaker!" he declared. Morningstar, who was watching from around a corner, raised an eyebrow. That was Playmaker? He had impeccable timing. "I have what you're looking for." He held up his left arm, showing a red, white, and blue Duel Disk. "Stop attacking LINK VRAINS. If you don't, I'll erase it right now!"

"Hey hey hey!" Morningstar realized the voice from before was coming from Playmaker's Duel Disk. Did he have an AI? "Don't treat your savior as a hostage!"

Playmaker ignored this and continued, "I converted this program into a duel program. If you want it, you have to defeat me in a duel."

 _So that's the AI SOL was scanning for_ , Morningstar thought. It was a basic deduction – Playmaker had possession of an AI program, and SOL had been scanning for an AI. Probability wise, it was likely the program they'd been looking for. At the same time, this told Morningstar that Hanoi had attacked because they were looking for the program as well. Playmaker had gotten to it before SOL or Hanoi, so now he was using it as a bargaining chip to make Hanoi cease their attack.

 _Very clever, Playmaker,_ he thought. _You just might be worth watching after all._

"Fine," the Knight said, smirking. "You'll learn what happens when you oppose the Hanoi!"

"I'm looking forward to it," Playmaker said. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the Knight opened a channel and called his partner.

"I've located the Ignis," he whispered. "Playmaker has it. Come to me so we can overwhelm him with numbers!"

* * *

They moved locations to the LINK VRAINS central city location. The Knight and Playmaker stood opposite each other, while Morningstar held back around the corner. He was curious to see what kind of duelist Playmaker was – and what weapon Hanoi would use.

What happened next was completely unexpected. Playmaker appeared to be talking to his Duel Disk when it released a purple light that headed towards the sky.

"What's happening?" Morningstar wondered, watching with surprise. The light opened a tunnel that released a massive stream of blue, purple, and white data. He was even more surprised when he felt a gust of wind.

"This can't be-!" Morningstar said. He watched as a black and white board with blue fins suddenly appeared, which Playmaker jumped on to. The board in turn leapt onto the data stream, and Morningstar watched as Playmaker went racing away.

"A Data Storm?" Morningstar said, his eyes wide. Impossible! Data Storms hadn't appeared in years. More importantly…

He pressed a button on his Duel Disk, releasing a small gray drone. "Follow Playmaker and record his duel," he commanded it. It flew away, following the stream of data. If his intuition was right, Playmaker was about to have a Speed Duel with the Knight of Hanoi. He also noticed that Blue Angel and Go Onizuka were following the duel as well.

As much as Morningstar wanted to follow after Playmaker, he realized he had other problems. There was something out there in the distance. He ran towards it, and soon realized what it was. It was the other Knight of Hanoi, racing towards the duel on his own dragon. Morningstar understood what he was planning immediately: make it a two-on-one duel and overwhelm Playmaker. While Morningstar was indifferent to Playmaker, he wasn't about to let Hanoi cheat.

The Knight was heading towards the data stream when he suddenly felt something on his wrist. He looked down and saw a red cord wrapped around it. He was unceremoniously yanked off his dragon and screamed as he fell to the pavement, hitting it face-first.

He growled as he stood up, shouting, "Who dares attack Hanoi!?"

"I dare." The Knight turned and looked at the voice. It was Morningstar, the red cord coming out of his Duel Disk and still holding onto the Knight's wrist. "This is a Data Anchor," Morningstar told him. "It prevents both of us from logging out until we have a duel."

"You…" the Knight grumbled. "Who are you!?"

"I am Morningstar," he said, making the Knight gasp.

"SOL Technologies' top hunter?" he said, his surprise evident even if his face was hidden. "What business do you have with Hanoi?"

"I am no servant of SOL. And you're attacking LINK VRAINS," Morningstar said evenly. "That's all the reason I need." He activated his Duel Disk, revealing a black and silver blade with a red outline. "If you wish to leave, you must defeat me!"

"Very well," the Knight grumbled, activating his own Duel Disk. It was a version of SOL's new Duel Disk, looking like a white wrist band with green lines and a blue sphere on top.

* * *

In a hidden corner of the virtual world, two people were observing the duel between Playmaker and the first Knight of Hanoi. The one up front had tanned skill, yellow eyes, and black hair highlighted with orange and red. He wore a mask made of yellow glass and a white casing with four white dots centered on his forehead. His clothes were simpler: a white jumpsuit, a white trench coat, white gloves, and black boots. The second person had gray hair and light blue eyes and wore a white suit and white shoes.

"Master Revolver!" the second person said. "We have a report from the second Knight!"

"Yes?" Revolver said. "Is he going to aid his comrade, Specter?"

"He can't, sir," Specter said. "He's engaging a duelist who has identified themselves as Morningstar."

"Morningstar?" Revolver said, surprised initially, then he smiled. "Good. We'd likely have to engage him eventually. This will give us an estimation of his strength."

A second screen appeared in front of the two men, this one showing Morningstar and his opponent standing in an open square.

 _As cool as it would be to have a Speed Duel,_ Morningstar thought, _Playmaker is hogging the stream. I'll have to settle for a Master Duel._

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4000 LP**

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

"I'll be taking the first turn!" the Knight said. "My turn!" He waved his hand in front of him, where five cards materialized in front of him. Seeing what was in his hand, he smirked. _I'll end this quickly and finish my mission for Master Revolver!_

"I Special Summon Hack Dog!" A grey mechanical Rottweiler appeared on his field. It had a golden muzzle, two black horns sticking out either side of its head, and green lines running across its body and down its legs.

 **Hack Dog ATK 1600 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

"I can Special Summon this card from my hand when my opponent doesn't control any monsters," the Knight explained.

"1600 attack points…" Morningstar muttered. "Since that was a Special Summon, he still has his Normal Summon to perform." Louder he said, "You're planning to summon a high-level monster, aren't you?"

"That's right!" the Knight said, impressed. It seemed his prey was more intelligent than the usual bunch. "If I Tribute Hack Dog to summon a Machine-Type monster, it counts as two Tributes!"

"Two Tributes," Morningstar commented, narrowing his eyes. "That means…"

 _It's time to bring it out,_ the Knight thought. _The most powerful monster given to me by Master Revolver!_

"Morningstar," he said. "With this, your act as a hero ends! I release my Hack Dog treated as two Tributes, and Tribute Summon! Come forth! Cracking Dragon!"

The mechanical dragon that he'd been riding earlier appeared on his field. It was black and dark green, with six bladed wings attached by six glowing green lights.

 **Cracking Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 8**

"I Set one card, and end my turn there," the Knight said.

"So that's his ace monster," Morningstar muttered, looking at his cards. _3000 attack points on the first turn. What should I do in this situation…_ The cards in his hand wouldn't be enough to destroy that monster. _The only way out of this situation…is betting on this single draw!_ He scowled at that. He hated gambling.

He placed his hand on his Deck, and the silver line on his jumpsuit lit up. "My turn!" he declared. "Draw!" He drew, looked at his card, and thought, _Good! This'll do it…!_

"I summon Cyspirit Lancer!" The monster that appeared was a grey skeleton warrior. It wore a white chest piece and white leg guards. Its arms were mechanical and grey, as were the lance and shield it carried. Its skull was also metal, with its right eye glowing red.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

Specter gasped. "That monster is of the Cyberse type? Where did he get that?"

Revolver ignored him and said, "To think that in one day we'd see two people who possess the Cyberse cards that we've spent years trying to eliminate."

"To think he uses the Cyberse type," the Knight said quietly. "This is unexpected."

"I don't use just any Cyberse monsters, Hanoi," Morningstar said. "I use the Cyspirit archetype."

"You are surprising, Morningstar," the Knight admitted. "But your Cyberse monster is powerless before the Cracking Dragon! I activate its monster effect! Since you Normal or Special Summoned exactly one monster, its attack points are decreased by 200 times its Level, and that damage is dealt to my opponent! Crack Fall!"

The orbs around Cracking Dragon glowed as a wind hit Morningstar and Cyspirit Lancer, hurting both of them. Lancer's Level was 4, so Morningstar took 800 points of damage.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→1000**

 **Morningstar: 4000→3200 LP**

"So that is the effect of Cracking Dragon," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes at the monster. "Interesting. But it will still fall. I activate Cyspirit Lancer's effect! So long as this monster is in face-up Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control gain 300 attack points! Digital Charge!" Lancer glowed white as its attack points increased.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1000→1300**

"Ha! Like that will make a difference," the Knight sneered.

"I activate the second effect of Cyspirit Lancer!" Morningstar declared. "I discard one 'Cyspirit' monster, and then until the end of this turn, Cyspirit Lancer can inflict piercing damage! I send the Cyspirit Changer in my hand to the Graveyard." He sent the card to the Graveyard as Cyspirit Lancer glowed white again.

"And why would you want to do that?" the Knight asked.

"Because," Morningstar said. "By banishing the Cyspirit Changer in my Graveyard, all monsters on the field that are not 'Cyspirit' monsters are switched to Defense Position! Digital Inversion!"

A new monster appeared briefly on Morningstar's field. It was a dwarf sized skeleton warrior dressed in a white cloak with a metal skull and a red right eye, carrying a digital sign, with "A" on one side and "D" on the other. It showed the "D" side, which glowed blue as Cracking Dragon changed battle position from Attack to Defense Position.

"With this, I can inflict 1300 points of damage to you and destroy your dragon," Morningstar told the Knight. "Battle! Cyspirit Lancer, attack Cracking Dragon! Digital Lance!" Cyspirit Lancer charged at Cracking Dragon, but the Knight was prepared.

"Trap Card, open!" he declared. "Cracking Barrier!" The card showed Cracking Dragon, Hack Dog, and a monster similar to Hack Dog except shaped like a worm, with a bolt of lightning hitting a shield in front of them. "Cracking Barrier reduces the damage I would take from this attack to 0!"

"But your monster will still be destroyed!" Morningstar pointed out. Cyspirit Lancer hit Cracking Dragon with its lance, but to Morningstar's surprise, the dragon remained.

The Knight laughed at Morningstar's failure. "Too bad," he said, "but Cracking Dragon cannot be destroyed by monsters with a Level equal to or less than itself!"

 _Cracking Dragon's Level is 8_ , Morningstar thought. _That means I need either a Level 9 monster or a Link Monster._ He looked at the cards in his hand then back at the Knight. _This at least explains why he didn't seem too troubled when I used Changer's effect. He even had a way to negate the damage._

"Since the battle ended," the Knight suddenly said. "Cracking Barrier's second effect activates! It allows me to Special Summon one Machine-Type monster from my Graveyard, so long as its defense points are less than the damage I would have taken."

The Knight smirked. "I would have taken 1300 points of damage, so I summon the 400-defense point Hack Dog!" The mechanical dog reappeared on the field.

 **Hack Dog ATK 1600 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

 _Hack Dog can be used as two Tributes for a Machine monster,_ Morningstar thought, narrowing his eyes. _Is he planning on summoning a second Cracking Dragon?_

"I Set two cards," Morningstar said. "I end my turn here! And since it is the end of the turn, your Cracking Dragon's effect ends and Cyspirit Lancer's attack points return to normal."

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1300→2100**

"My turn!" the Knight said. "Draw!" He looked at his card, then at the cards in his hand, and smirked. He could end this quickly, but he wanted to toy with his opponent first. Let him experience absolute defeat.

"With this, my strategy is perfect!" he declared. "I activate the Spell Card: Hack Movement!" The card showed the same worm-like creature from Cracking Barrier tunneling into the earth while Hack Dog stood over it, howling to the sky. "I reduce the attack points of one Machine monster on my field to 0, then I add one Level 8 or below Machine monster from my Deck to my hand!"

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised. Though the only sign of that surprise was the widening of his eyes.

"I reduce Hack Dog's attack points to 0 to add another Cracking Dragon to my hand!" the Knight said, drawing the card from his Deck while Hack Dog was surrounded in a green light.

 **Hack Dog ATK 1600→0**

"And as I'm sure you remember; Hack Dog can be used as two Tributes for the summoning of a Machine monster!" the Knight said. "I Tribute Hack Dog to summon my second Cracking Dragon!"

The first dragon on his field was joined by one identical to it. This one roared as it appeared, shattering several windows in the nearby buildings.

 **Cracking Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 8**

"Then, I activate the Spell Card: DDoS Attack!" the Knight said. "With this effect, I send two more copies of DDoS Attack from my Deck to the Graveyard, and you're dealt 100 points of damage for each card sent to the Graveyard times the Level of a Machine monster I control!"

 _That isn't good,_ Morningstar noted. He also noted that the first Cracking Dragon could destroy his Lancer which would let the second one attack him directly. Apparently, the Knight wasn't taking any chances.

"The first Cracking Dragon is a Level 8 monster," the Knight said. "Take 1600 points of damage!" A red laser blasted out of the card towards Morningstar, but he has ready for it.

"Trap Activate! Cyspirit Defense!" It showed Cyspirit Lancer in front of a duelist, blocking a blast of white energy with its shield. "Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, or have one in the Graveyard, I can halve the effect damage of your Spell!" A barrier appeared in front of Morningstar, and while it stopped part of the beam, it didn't stop all of it. He winced as the blast hit him.

 **Morningstar: 3200→2400 LP**

"So you had a card ready for effect damage," the Knight commented. "I expected as much. Even so, you will lose this turn."

"No I won't," Morningstar said. "Cyspirit Defense has a second effect. It allows me to return a banished card to its controller's Graveyard. I return Cyspirit Changer to my Graveyard!" He placed the card back in his Graveyard.

"So, you'll use that card with your Lancer and try to repeat your combo," the Knight mused. "I won't allow that! I change my first Cracking Dragon to Attack Position!" The monster in question roared as its position switched. "Next, I activate the Equip Spell: Fire Cracking Storm, equipping it to Cracking Dragon!"

Four red and gold missiles appeared around Cracking Dragon with their centers glowing green.

"When the equipped monster destroys another monster in battle," the Knight explained, "my opponent will take damage equal to the destroyed monster's original attack points!"

"What?" Morningstar said. His Lancer's original attack points were 1800. He'd take 900 points of damage from Cracking Dragon's attack, then lose from Fire Cracking Storm's effect. Even if he negated its effect, the second Cracking Dragon would finish him off. His opponent was definitely going all out.

"With Cracking Dragon under my control, I am the strongest duelist!" the Knight boasted. "Battle! Traffic Blast!"

"Trap Activate!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Illusion!" The card showed three monsters, one being Cyspirit Lancer, another skeleton warrior with blue armor and futuristic swords, and the third being a black skeleton in grey armor holding a baton. All three monsters were turning transparent. "Since you declared an attack against a 'Cyspirit' monster, I look at the top card of my Deck, and if it is a 'Cyspirit' monster, I send it to the Graveyard, and 'Cyspirit' monsters I control cannot be destroyed in battle this turn! If it is not, then the card is placed on the bottom of my Deck."

"So you are gambling?" the Knight said, scorn evident.

"No," Morningstar said, placing his hand on his Deck. "My Deck and I have been through too much for it to end now. My Deck will respond to my feelings!" He drew, and revealed his card. "I drew Cyspirit Teleporter! Now, I send Teleporter to the Graveyard, and my Lancer cannot be destroyed in battle this turn!"

Cracking Dragon sent a stream of blue fire at Lancer, but a blue barrier appeared around Morningstar's monster, protecting it from destruction.

"But you'll take the damage!" the Knight pointed out. The blue fire went around the barrier and struck Morningstar, making him wince and grimace from the attack.

 **Morningstar: 2400→1500 LP**

"You may last this turn," the Knight said. "But I can still inflict damage! My second Cracking Dragon will attack your Lancer! Traffic Blast!" Another stream of blue fire hit Lancer. Like before, a blue barrier protected Lancer, but the fire went around and hit Morningstar, who screamed as he was sent flying backwards.

 **Morningstar: 1500→600 LP**

"At this time, I activate the effect of my Hack Movement in the Graveyard," the Knight said. "I banish it and my Hack Dog to draw two cards. Then, I'll Set both those cards. And during the End Phase, the effect of Fire Cracking Storm destroys itself." The four missiles around the first Cracking Dragon disintegrated.

"It looks like this match is over," the Knight commented as Morningstar stood up.

"No! I still have some Life Points remaining!" Morningstar said, a determined look on his face.

The Knight laughed. "You don't get it, do you? The true meaning of my words!"

Morningstar wondered what he meant, then turned around at a loud noise. His eyes widened at what he saw. A large tornado of data was heading their way, destroying every building in its path.

"You'll get swallowed up by that Data Storm," the Knight sneered. "And meet your end." He laughed at Morningstar's increasing panic.

Morningstar shot out his Data Anchor at one of the buildings, hoping to latch onto it and use it as an anchor to hold him, when suddenly the Data Storm burst.

"What?" he and the Knight said simultaneously. The Data Storm broke apart as someone shot out of it. Morningstar got a good look at him. It was Playmaker, and he was holding a card.

Playmaker shot out of the Data Storm and landed on a nearby data stream, continuing his duel, not realizing that he had just saved Morningstar from certain death.

 _Thank you, Playmaker,_ Morningstar thought, turning back to his opponent. "It looks like your prediction was false."

The Knight growled and spat out, "Maybe. But I have two Cracking Dragons on my field, and you have 600 Life Points left. The moment you summon a Level 3 or above monster, you lose!"

"I wonder about that," Morningstar said, his eyes narrowing.

"What?" the Knight said.

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew his card and gave a small smile. He had what he needed to win now.

 _I have three reasons to win this duel,_ he thought. _One: in order to protect LINK VRAINS from people like him. Two: in order to save Cam's sister Sachi from the darkness we both fell into. Three: To pay back Playmaker for saving my life!_

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Changer in my Graveyard!" he declared. "I banish it, then all non-'Cyspirit' monsters on the field switch to Defense Position!" The little skeleton appeared on his field again, and the "D" flashed as both Cracking Dragons switched to Defense Position.

"You don't know when to give up!" the Knight shouted. "It's no use! Trap Activate: Pulse Mines! All of my opponent's monsters are switched to Defense Position." Four balls covered in electrodes appeared around Cyspirit Lancer and produced an electric field around it, switching Lancer to Defense Position.

"Don't get so flustered," Morningstar told the Knight with a straight face. "Since Lancer is no longer in Attack Position, its effect ends, and its attack points return to normal."

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→1800**

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Call! This card adds one Level 4 or below Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand." The card showed a man in a green coat with blue shoulder pads holding a shining wand above his head. "I add Cyspirit Saver to my hand. Then, I activate the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard! Since I control a face-up 'Cyspirit' monster, by discarding 1 card, I can Special Summon this card in Attack Position! However, I cannot Normal Summon the turn I activate this effect."

His new monster was a black skeleton warrior in grey armor with a grey skull that had a red right eye, holding a baton.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"No matter what monster you summon," the Knight said, "Pulse Mines will change it to Defense Position!" Sure enough, the electric field reappeared as Teleporter was switched to Defense Position.

"You fool!" the Knight said. "Since you summoned a Level 3 monster, Cracking Dragon's effect reduces its attack points by 600, and inflicts 600 points of damage to you! You only have 600 Life Points. Crack Fall!" Cracking Dragon let loose another wind as the Knight said, "With this, it's over."

The wind hit Morningstar and Teleporter, reducing their Life Points and attack points respectively, but he did not lose.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500→0**

 **Morningstar: 600→100 LP**

"He's still alive!?" the Knight said, surprised. "Impossible!"

"What's wrong?" Morningstar asked him, a small smirk on his face. "It seems you don't understand your own monster's effect. Cracking Dragon's effect only lowers my Life Points equal to the amount my monster's attack points decrease. But Teleporter's attack points were originally 500! So it's attack points can only be lowered by 500, so I only take 500 points of damage!"

"Even so," the Knight said through gritted teeth, "you only have 100 Life Points left. The moment you summon another monster, it's over!"

"No, it isn't," Morningstar said, taking another card from his hand. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Saver in my hand! Since I took effect damage, I can Special Summon this monster!"

Cyspirit Saver was dwarf sized like Cyspirit Changer, except its bones were black, its armor was white, and its left eye was blue. It carried a small shield on its mechanical right arm.

 **Cyspirit Saver ATK 0 DEF 1300 LVL: 2**

"And now, thanks to Cyspirit Saver's effect, all effect damage that I would take for the rest of the turn is negated!" Morningstar declared.

The Knight grit his teeth again at this development. Now he couldn't defeat him with Cracking Dragon's effect.

"I'm not done!" Morningstar said. "Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Linker from my hand!"

Cyspirit Linker was a white skeleton warrior wearing black armor. It had a black cape and wore gauntlets that had red arrow markings on them. Its arms and skull were made of metal, with its right eye glowing red.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"No matter how much trash you gather up, they won't stand a chance against my Cracking Dragons!" the Knight told Morningstar.

"Is that so?" Morningstar said. "I'm about to call out my trump card!"

"Trump card?" the Knight sneered. "Don't make me laugh! No matter what you play, as long as I have my Cracking Dragons and Pulse Mines…" Suddenly he realized what Morningstar was planning. "It can't be-!"

"Come forth!" Morningstar shouted, pointing to the sky above him. "The circuit that exists between light and darkness!" A bolt of lightning came out of his hand and hit the sky, creating a square portal with eights arrows around it.

"Arrowheads confirmed!" Morningstar chanted. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Lancer, Cyspirit Saver, and Cyspirit Teleporter in the Link Markers!"

The three monsters he named flew up to the portal, each heading towards one arrow. Lancer entered the arrow on the top, turning it red. Saver entered the arrow on the bottom, turning it red as well. Finally, Teleporter entered the arrow on the bottom-left, turning it red. The portal glowed and released its energy as Morningstar continued the summon chant.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!"

The monster that appeared was another skeleton warrior, but it wore a blue metallic trench coat over a black waistcoat, pants, and knee-high boots. It carried two black futuristic pistols in its metal hands and wore a silver tricorne hat. It raised its head, revealing a silver metal skull with its right eye glowing red and the left eye glowing blue. It's most striking feature, however, were the grey and silver metallic wings that emerged from its back.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Monsters from the Extra Deck are Special Summoned into the Extra Monster Zone!" Morningstar told the Knight, which he already knew.

"Your trump card is a Link Monster?" the Knight said, surprised. First it was Cyberse monsters, now it was a Cyberse Link Monster.

"Link Monsters do not possess Levels!" Morningstar reminded the Knight. "And they cannot be in Defense Position! Therefore, the effects of your Cracking Dragons and Pulse Mines won't work on Rapid Revolutionary!"

Morningstar pointed to his field as he continued, "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard! With this, I Special Summon Cyspirit Saver in Defense Position!"

 **Cyspirit Saver ATK 0 DEF 1300 LVL: 2**

The card zones appeared on the field briefly. They showed that Rapid Revolutionary's Link Arrows pointed to both Cyspirit Linker and Cyspirit Saver on Morningstar's field, and one of the Knight's Cracking Dragons.

"Rapid Revolutionary's monster effect! When it points to at least one monster, it gains 500 attack points when battling a non-Link Monster! Furthermore, when it points to at least two monsters, if it attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage to you!"

"What did you say?" the Knight said, surprised.

"I'm far from done!" Morningstar said. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Multiplier in my Graveyard! By banishing my Cyspirit Lancer, I can equip this card to Rapid Revolutionary!" His Equip Spell showed a green stream of data with Rapid Revolutionary splitting into two above it. Rapid Revolutionary glowed green when the card was equipped.

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Rapid Revolutionary attacks the Cracking Dragon that it is not linked to!" Rapid Revolutionary raised its pistols, but the Knight was ready.

"Too bad!" the Knight said, sneering. "Trap Activate: Sakuretsu Armor! This card destroys the attacking monster!" The Trap released a blast of energy at Rapid Revolutionary, but Linker jumped in front of it and shielded Rapid Revolutionary with its gauntlets, the arrows on them glowing red. "What? What happened?"

"Thanks to Cyspirit Linker's effect, Link Monsters that are linked to it cannot be destroyed by card effects!" Morningstar explained, which made the Knight grit his teeth again. "The battle continues! Rapid Revolutionary, attack Cracking Dragon! And since your dragon is not a Link Monster, Rapid Revolutionary gains 500 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2700**

"Go, Rapid Revolutionary! Revolution Shot!" Revolutionary lifted the pistol in its right hand and aimed it at the first Cracking Dragon. The pistol started to glow with yellow light. It fired the blast at the dragon as the Knight spoke.

"But Cracking Dragon cannot be destroyed by monsters with lower Levels than-," then it hit him. "L-Link Monsters don't have Levels!"

The blast hit Cracking Dragon, destroying it and sending the Knight flying.

"And remember, since Rapid Revolutionary is linked to at least two monsters, it inflicts piercing battle damage!"

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4000→1300**

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2700→2200**

The Knight stood up painfully. "I still have Life Points. This duel isn't over!"

"Yes, it is," Morningstar told him. "The monster equipped with Cyspirit Multiplier can declare two attacks during the Battle Phase!"

"What?" the Knight said, panicking.

"Go, Rapid Revolutionary! Final Revolution Shot!" Revolutionary lifted both its pistols above its head, where they glowed and merged into one elongated rifle. It pointed the rifle at the second Cracking Dragon, and fired its attack.

* * *

"I found you, Playmaker!" Go shouted as he vaulted over the fences onto the roof Playmaker was standing on. "Duel me!"

"Your actions were quite flashy!" This was said by Blue Angel who jumped onto the other side of the roof. "Get ready!"

"Sorry," Playmaker said, "but I'm not interested." He ran forward and teleported onto his board which he rode as he logged out.

Go placed his fist in his other hand and growled, "He fled." Suddenly, there was a massive explosion a few blocks away, causing him and Blue Angel to turn in surprise. "What was that?"

* * *

The Knight screamed as his Cracking Dragon was destroyed and he was sent flying, this time hitting the wall of a skyscraper and making a crater in it as he slid down.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 1300→0**

"Your skills are better than I anticipated," Morningstar said, his Duel Disk disengaging and his monsters fading. "But you were still too weak."

"Hey, you!"

Morningstar turned and looked at the voice. It was Go Onizuka, who was standing on a rooftop looking down at Morningstar. Blue Angel stood alongside him.

"Who are you?" Go asked him. "Are you an ally of Playmaker?"

"My name is Morningstar," he answered. Blue Angel gasped in shock at hearing that. "And no."

He turned back to the Knight and pressed a button on his Duel Disk. A gold digital net shot out of it and pinned the Knight to the wall.

"What is this?" the Knight asked, trying to escape.

"This security net is designed to keep you from logging out," Morningstar explained. "The encryption on it is heavy enough that it should take your fellow Knights about two hours to break through, at which point SOL Technologies will have collected you."

He then noticed the grey drone he'd dispatched to follow Playmaker approach. It dissolved into his Duel Disk, and showed him the result of Playmaker's duel. _Playmaker won, huh? Good for him._

"Don't ignore me!" Morningstar turned and looked back. Go and Blue Angel had both jumped down, with Go glaring at Morningstar. "Even if you aren't Playmaker, I'm itching for a duel. Duel me!"

"Sorry, Mr. Onizuka," Morningstar said. "But I have no interest in you." He turned and walked away, logging out as he did so.

"Damn him!" Go said. "Who does he think he is?"

"Morningstar," Blue Angel said, drawing Go's attention. "He's a cyber bounty hunter, hunting down hackers and criminals for companies like SOL Technologies. He works mostly for SOL, but he's technically independent."

"Then what is a bounty hunter doing with the Knights of Hanoi?" Go asked her, which Blue Angel had no answer for.

* * *

"Playmaker," Revolver muttered. "Who would have guessed he'd be such a dark horse..."

"Master Revolver," Specter spoke up. "You made some wrong decisions here. But there's a silver lining. SOL Technologies didn't get Ignis."

"It won't take long to uncover Playmaker's identity," Revolver said. "One: he hates us – the Knights of Hanoi. Two: not many people have Cyberse cards. Three: he'll come to me because he wants to battle me."

"You're correct," Specter said, bowing low.

Revolver smiled. "Let's start preparing for that fight."

"What about Morningstar, Master Revolver?" Specter asked. "He interfered this time, and he may do so again. He may even ally with Playmaker."

"Morningstar is a lap dog to SOL Technologies," Revolver said, dismissing him. "He won't work with Playmaker. And if he gets in our way, we'll deal with him."

* * *

Yasutake opened his eyes. He was back in the sealed room in the back of Cam's bakery. He leaned against the wall, his duel with the Knight having taken its toll. _Damn_ , he thought. _If I'm going to start fighting Hanoi, I'm going to have to request a bonus for their dragon._

He walked out of the room, and saw Cam at the computers. "Is LINK VRAINS alright?" he asked him.

"They're repairing the damage now," Cam said, not taking his eyes off the screens. "It should be done by tomorrow. Nice work by the way. Your duel gave us a lot of information on Hanoi's strategies."

"I sent the drone to record Playmaker's duel," Yasutake said, taking his Duel Disk off and plugging it into a port. "Should provide some interesting data."

"No need for that," Cam said. "His Speed Duel with Hanoi was broadcasted across the country. Everyone knows about him now, and that he has Cyberse monsters."

"Cyberse?" Yasutake said, genuinely surprised. He'd thought he was the only one who still had Cyberse cards. Looks like he was wrong. "Sounds like Playmaker is a very interesting person."

"That's what the Internet thinks," Cam said, opening a few windows on the screen. "All the dueling forums are abuzz with tales about Playmaker. None about you defeating that Knight though."

"Good," Yasutake said. "I don't want to draw attention to myself. Playmaker can have as much of it as he wants."

Cam was about to answer when a call came in over one of the screens. "Looks like it's our boss," he said, answering the call. There was no visual, only audio.

"Morningstar, I assume you saw the news," the person on the other end said. It was Bishop, the executive at SOL Technologies who usually hired him.

"About Playmaker and Hanoi, yes," Yasutake said. "I assume you got my present."

"The Knight of Hanoi, yes. We sent a bonus to your account for dealing with him," Bishop said. And that was all he said on the matter. Yasutake didn't ask about what they were doing to him and he didn't care. "I have a new job for you. Twice your usual rate."

Yasutake's eyes widened with surprise as he glanced at Cam. Cam shared his surprise, only his mouth had opened as well. Bishop wouldn't offer that amount unless it was serious.

"Who do you want me to hunt?" Yasutake asked him.

"Playmaker," Bishop said. "He is in possession of an AI that belongs to SOL Technologies. We would like you to retrieve it from him."

Yasutake frowned. He remembered when he first saw Playmaker, claiming that he captured an AI and converted it into a duel program. He assumed that was the AI Bishop was talking about. It also meant the only way to retrieve it would be to defeat Playmaker in a duel.

He smiled to himself. "Send the contract over," he said. "I'll find Playmaker. Then I'll defeat him."

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Knight of Hanoi**

 **Turn 1: Knight of Hanoi**

As Morningstar controls no monsters, KoH Special Summons Hack Dog (1600/400/4) from his hand in Attack Position via its own effect. Hack Dog can be treated as two Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a Machine-Type monster. He Tributes Hack Dog to Tribute Summon Cracking Dragon (3000/0/8). KoH Sets one card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). As his opponent Normal or Special Summoned exactly 1 monster, KoH activates the effect of Cracking Dragon, reducing that monster's ATK by 200 times its Level until the end of the turn and inflicting damage equal to that value to the opponent (Cyspirit Lancer: 1800→1000, Morningstar: 4000→3200 LP). Since Cyspirit Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Cyspirit Lancer: 1000→1300). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Lancer, discarding the Cyspirit Changer in his hand so that Cyspirit Lancer can inflict piercing battle damage. He activates the effect of Cyspirit Changer in his Graveyard, banishing it and switching all face-up non-Cyberse Type monsters to Defense Position. Cyspirit Lancer attacks Cracking Dragon, but KoH activates his face-down Trap Card Cracking Barrier, negating the damage from Morningstar's attack. In addition, the effect of Cracking Dragon prevents its destruction by battle by monsters with a Level equal to or lower than its own. At the end of the battle, Cracking Barrier's second effect activates, letting KoH Special Summon a Machine-Type monster from his Graveyard whose DEF is less than the damage he would have taken. He Special Summons Hack Dog (1600/400/4). Morningstar Sets two cards. At the end of the turn, Cracking Dragon's effect wears off, and the ATK of Cyspirit Lancer returns to normal (1300→2100).

 **Turn 3: Knight of Hanoi**

KoH draws. He activates the Spell Card Hack Movement, reducing the ATK of 1 Machine-Type monster on his field to 0 to add 1 Level 8 or below Machine-Type monster from his Deck to his hand. He reduces Hack Dog's ATK (Hack Dog: 1600→0) and adds another copy of Cracking Dragon to his hand. He Tributes Hack Dog to Tribute Summon Cracking Dragon (3000/0/8). KoH activates the Spell Card DDoS Attack, letting him target a Machine-Type monster he controls and send any number of "DDoS Attack" from his Deck to his Graveyard to inflict damage to the opponent equal to the number of sent "DDoS Attack" times the Level of the targeted monster times 100. He sends two DDoS Attack and targets the first Cracking Dragon, intending to inflict 1600 points of damage. Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Defense. Since he has a "Cyspirit" monster on his field or in his Graveyard, he can halve one instance of effect damage (Morningstar: 3200→2400 LP), then return 1 banished card to its controller's Graveyard. He returns Cyspirit Changer to his Graveyard. KoH switches the Defense Position Cracking Dragon to Attack Position. He then activates the Equip Spell Fire Cracking Storm, and equips it to the first Cracking Dragon. When the equipped monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle, the opponent will take damage equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK, but Fire Cracking Storm will be destroyed during the End Phase. The equipped Cracking Dragon attacks Cyspirit Lancer. Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Illusion, letting him excavate the top card of his Deck, and if it's a "Cyspirit" monster, it is sent to the Graveyard, and "Cyspirit" monsters he controls cannot be destroyed in battle this turn. If not, he places the card on the bottom of his Deck. He draws Cyspirit Teleporter, so he sends it to the Graveyard and Cyspirit Lancer cannot be destroyed in battle this turn. The attack continues (Morningstar: 2400→1500 LP). KoH attacks with the second Cracking Dragon (Morningstar: 1500→600 LP). KoH activates the effect of Hack Movement in his Graveyard, banishing it and Hack Dog to draw 2 cards. He Sets two cards. During the End Phase, the effect of Fire Cracking Storm destroys itself.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the effect of Cyspirit Changer in his Graveyard, banishing it to switch both Cracking Dragons to Defense Position. As he controls a Machine-Type monster, KoH activates his face-down Trap Card Pulse Mines, changing Cyspirit Lancer to Defense Position and changing all Attack Position monsters his opponent Normal or Special Summons this turn to Defense Position as well. Since it is no longer in Attack Position, Cyspirit Lancer's effect ends (Cyspirit Lancer: 2100→1800). Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call, which lets him add 1 Level 4 or below Cyberse-Type monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Saver to his hand. Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Teleporter in his Graveyard. Since he controls a face-up "Cyspirit" monster, he discards Cyspirit Multiplier, and Special Summons it (500/1500/3) from the Graveyard, but he cannot Normal Summon this turn, and it is switched to Defense Position by Pulse Mines' effect. As his opponent Normal or Special Summoned a monster, KoH activates the effect of Cracking Dragon, reducing that monster's ATK by 200 times its Level and inflicting the same value as damage to the opponent. However, Cyspirit Teleporter had only 500 ATK, so only 500 damage is inflicted (Cyspirit Teleporter: 500→0, Morningstar: 600→100). Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Saver in his hand, Special Summoning it (0/1300/2) in Defense Position as he took effect damage. Due to the effect of Cyspirit Saver, all effect damage he would take for the remainder of the turn is negated. Since he controls another "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700/800/4) from his hand in Defense Position via its own effect.

Morningstar uses Cyspirit Lancer, Cyspirit Teleporter, and Cyspirit Saver to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200/ LINK-3/ ↙↑↓) in the Right Extra Monster Zone. As Link Monsters cannot exist in Defense Position, the effect of Pulse Mines does not apply. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in his Graveyard, banishing it and Special Summoning Cyspirit Saver to the zone beneath Rapid Revolutionary. Rapid Revolutionary is now linked to Cyspirit Linker, Cyspirit Saver, and 1 Cracking Dragon. Since Rapid Revolutionary is linked to at least one monster, it gains 500 ATK when it battles a non-Link Monster once per turn, and since it is linked to at least two monsters, if it attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Multiplier in his Graveyard, banishing Cyspirit Lancer to equip it to Rapid Revolutionary. Now Rapid Revolutionary can make two attacks per turn. Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary attacks Cracking Dragon. KoH activates his face-down Sakuretsu Armor, which destroys the attacking monster, but the effect of Cyspirit Linker prevents Link Monsters linked to it from being destroyed by card effects. The attack continues, with Rapid Revolutionary's effect granting it 500 ATK (Rapid Revolutionary: 2200→2700). As Link Monsters do not have Levels, the effect of Cracking Dragon that prevents it from being destroyed by battle with a monster with a Level lower than or equal to Cracking Dragon does not apply, so Cracking Dragon is destroyed. Due to the effect of Rapid Revolutionary, it inflicts piercing battle damage (KoH: 40001300 LP) (Rapid Revolutionary: 27002200). The effect of Cyspirit Multiplier allows Rapid Revolutionary to attack twice. Rapid Revolutionary attacks the second Cracking Dragon, destroying it and inflicting piercing battle damage (KoH: 13000 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Hack Dog**  
_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Machine/Effect] ATK 1600 DEF 400 Level: 4  
_ _If your opponent controls no monsters, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). This card can be treated as 2 Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a Machine monster._

 _ **Cyspirit Changer**  
_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 200 DEF 100 Level: 1  
_ _During your Main Phase, if you control a "Cyspirit" monster: You can banish this card from your GY; change the battle position of all face-up non-"Cyspirit" monsters on the field to Defense Position. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Changer" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Lancer**  
_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1800 DEF 0 Level: 4  
_ _So long as this card is in Attack Position: All "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK. Once per turn: You can discard 1 "Cyspirit" monster; during this turn's Battle Phase, if this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent._

 _ **Cyspirit Teleporter**  
_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 500 DEF 1500 Level: 3_

 _If you control a "Cyspirit" monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your GY) in Attack Position by discarding 1 card. You cannot Normal Summon the turn you activate this effect. You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from your GY. You can only activate each effect of "Cyspirit Teleporter" once per turn._

 ** _Cyspirit Saver  
_** _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 0 DEF 1300 Level: 2  
_ _If you take effect damage; you can Special Summon this card from your hand in Defense Position. If Summoned this way: You take no effect damage this turn. You can only activate this effect of Cyspirit Saver once per Duel._

 ** _Cyspirit Linker  
_** _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1700 DEF 800 Level: 4  
_ _If you control a "Cyspirit" monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only Special Summon "Cyspirit Linker" once per turn this way. Link Monsters linked to this card cannot be destroyed by card effects._

 ** _Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary  
_** _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2200 LINK-3_ ↙↑↓ _  
_ _2+ "Cyspirit" monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: Once per turn: This card gains 500 ATK during the Damage Step when battling a non-Link Monster.  
_ _-2 or more: If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.  
_ _-3: The first time monsters you control that are linked to this card would be destroyed by battle, they are not destroyed, and any battle damage you take from battles involving those monsters is also inflicted to your opponent._

 ** _Cracking Barrier Normal Trap Card  
_** _If your opponent attacks a Machine-Type monster: reduce the battle damage from that battle to 0. After damage calculation; you can Special Summon 1 Machine-Type monster from the GY whose DEF is equal to or less than the damage you would have taken. The Summoned monster cannot declare an attack or change its battle position._

 ** _Hack Movement Normal Spell Card  
_** _Reduce the ATK of 1 face-up Machine-Type monster you control to 0; add 1 Level 8 or lower Machine-Type monster from your Deck to your hand. You can banish this card and 1 Level 4 or lower Machine-Type monster from your GY: draw 2 cards._

 ** _Cyspirit Defense Counter Trap Card  
_** _If you would take damage from a card effect while you control a "Cyspirit" monster or have at least 1 "Cyspirit" monster in your GY: Halve that damage, then you can return 1 banished card to its controller's GY._

 ** _Fire Cracking Storm Equip Spell Card  
_** _Equip only to a Machine monster. When that attacking monster destroys your opponent's monster by battle: You can activate this effect; inflict damage to your opponent equal to that destroyed monster's original ATK. During your End Phase, destroy this card._

 ** _Cyspirit Illusion Normal Trap Card  
_** _If your opponent attacks a "Cyspirit" monster: excavate the top card of your Deck; if the card is a "Cyspirit" monster: Send it to the GY, and "Cyspirit" monsters you control cannot be destroyed in battle this turn. If not, place it on the bottom of your Deck._

 ** _Cyberse Call Normal Spell Card  
_** _Add 1 Level 4 or below Cyberse monster from your Deck to your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster from your GY._

 ** _Cyspirit Multiplier Equip Spell Card  
_** _Equip only to a "Cyspirit" monster. That monster can make two attacks against your opponent's monsters during the Battle Phase. Once per Duel, if this card is in your GY, you can activate the above effect by banishing 1 "Cyspirit" monster in your GY._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 2 - Go Onizuka_

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

The first chapter of Hidden Memories is complete. The OC here uses a "Cyspirit" deck, which I view as technological ghosts or zombies. Since this archetype does not exist in the game, all of them will be my own creations. If anyone has suggestions for "Cyspirit" cards or Link Monsters, they are welcome to give them, but all Link Monsters must have alliterative names. Unlike Academy of Chaos, which sometimes has real life or anime effects, all cards in this fanfic will have their anime effects.

Because I am still working on Academy of Chaos, I will alternate between the two, meaning the next chapter of Academy of Chaos will come out before Chapter 2 of Hidden Memories.

Please read and review my work, as feedback is very important for my work going forward. All constructive criticism is welcome, as I still seek to improve.


	2. Chapter 2: Go Onizuka

**Chapter 2: Go Onizuka**

"Are you sure that was a good idea, Bishop?" The question was asked by a giant knight chess piece. It was on a massive virtual reality chessboard, talking to two other pieces in the shapes of a rook and a bishop. "He is an outsider to the company."

"It was a precaution, Knight," Bishop said. "There is a chance Security Chief Zaizen will fail in retrieving Ignis from Playmaker. Morningstar's success rate is above 95%. If Zaizen cannot succeed, then he will."

"Morningstar has no more loyalty to us than Ghost Girl," Rook said. "The only reason he does what we say is because we pay him more than our competitors."

"Isn't that why most of our employees work for us?" Bishop countered. "Morningstar is a wild card, but he is thorough and efficient. I have no doubt that right now, he is working on a plan to find and defeat Playmaker."

* * *

Yasutake groaned as he pressed the buttons on the screen. "Damn it," he muttered. "Why did Cam give me this? He knows I hate these kinds of games."

Yasutake was walking through the hallways of Den Academy glaring at his tablet. He didn't have class for a couple hours, so he'd decided to try out this game Cam had recommended. To his horror, he'd found out it was a bishojo, a dating sim game. Yasutake wasn't sure if Cam suggested the game as a joke, because it was good, or as a hint about Yasutake's social life.

Despite his distaste for it, he'd resolved to play through a little of it. He discovered to his annoyance that he was right to be dismayed. The game was an utter waste of time and ability. The characters were flat, the dialogue was cheesier than animated movies coming out of America, and the interactive options were far too limited. His hatred of the game had absolutely nothing to do with the fact he couldn't get past the first interactions and his score was stuck at zero. He was not that petty. He found himself wondering why exactly he listened to Cam on matters of entertainment. The man could make the best damn pastry Yasutake would ever taste, but his taste in movies, television, and video games was atrocious.

Yasutake closed the game in annoyance, vowing never to open it again. Instead, he opened a video about Playmaker. He narrowed his eyes as he watched Playmaker's Decode Talker destroy the Knight of Hanoi's Cracking Dragon. It was certainly an incredible display of power, but Yasutake wasn't impressed.

He'd been watching these videos since last night when he'd left LINK VRAINS and got hired by Bishop from SOL Technologies to hunt Playmaker. It was simple tactics to learn as much about one's target before engaging in the hunt. Normally Yasutake wanted to provide as even a playing field as possible – there was no honor in the hunt if the prey didn't put up a good fight. But while Yasutake wasn't impressed with Decode Talker, he could tell he'd need every advantage he could get against Playmaker.

Essentially, his recording of Playmaker's duel had taught him three things. One: Playmaker was an analytical and logical duelist, as well as a proficient hacker. He had proven his dueling skills when he summoned Stack Reviver, and Cracking Dragon's effect backfired similar to the other Knight's Cracking Dragon against Yasutake's Cyspirit Teleporter. He was also very calculating in his moves. He had Cyberse Wizard on his field at the beginning of his turn, so he could have used Effect Cowl to prevent damage, but instead he summoned Stack Reviver to take damage so he could use Cyberse Beacon. Yasutake couldn't have done better himself. The hacker part shown through in the fact that his activity logs were erased and no videos of him were on the web. Someone, likely Playmaker themselves or a possible ally, was deleting any videos of Playmaker they could find. The only reason Yasutake's video was safe was because he'd downloaded it personally.

Two: Playmaker definitely made use of Cyberse monsters, like Yasutake did. This was surprising to him. As he understood, almost all Cyberse cards had been destroyed, or their data deleted from LINK VRAINS. Yasutake had always believed he had the last Cyberse cards. The fact that Playmaker also possessed them was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. Yasutake had always believed that Cyberse monsters were unique, so they deserved to exist. If what he understood about Playmaker's Skill, Storm Access, was accurate, then that meant there would soon be more Cyberse monsters out there. Whether they remained with only him and Playmaker, Yasutake couldn't guess.

Three: The AI that Playmaker was in possession of was no ordinary AI. Yasutake's theory was that the Data Storm had been called, or perhaps even created, by that AI. It was supported by the light emitted from Playmaker's Duel Disk, which housed the AI. It also seemed to have something to do with Playmaker's Skill. Yasutake had done research on Speed Duels and Skills, and Storm Access was not one of the known Skills. It was therefore highly likely a Skill that the AI had created special for Playmaker. With such a weapon in his arsenal, taking down Playmaker and retrieving the AI would be incredibly challenging.

It also told Yasutake something about why SOL wanted it; a specialized AI that could create Data Storms and new cards would definitely be valuable to a company like SOL. What he couldn't see was what Hanoi wanted with it. There were rumors that they were responsible for the destruction of the Cyberse cards; perhaps the AI had something to do with that?

All these thoughts went through Yasutake's mind when he heard someone shout at him, "Hey! Look out!" He looked to his left, out an open window in the hallway, and promptly got beaned by a soccer ball. He yelled out in pain as he was sent flying to the other side of the hallway, his tablet flying out of his hands and his bag breaking open and its contents scattering.

"Sorry!" someone from outside yelled. Yasutake, rubbing his face with one hand, sat up and started picking his things up while muttering to himself.

"Why is there an open window here? And who kicks a soccer ball through one? I didn't even know Den Academy had a soccer team…"

"Are you okay?"

He looked up at the voice. It was a girl with a light brown bob-cut and yellow eyes. She looked familiar. Oh wait, she was in his calculus class. What was her name? Raiden? No, Zaichen? Oh, right! Zaizen! Aoi Zaizen!

"Yes," Yasutake groaned, standing up. "Though I could do without the soccer ball." He picked the ball up and threw it out the window. He thought he heard someone say "OW!" but he was sure he imagined it. It wasn't like he would try to get revenge for being hit in the face.

"You dropped this," Aoi said, picking up his tablet. When she saw what was on the screen, her eyes widened. "This-."

Yasutake snatched it away from her. "Everyone's watching Playmaker," he said evenly. "I find his tactics inspiring."

Aoi watched him, then turned to his wrist. "Your Duel Disk," she said. "It's a card-insert type, right? Just like Playmaker's."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. Was she accusing him of being Playmaker? He wondered what she would do if he told her he was.

"Narahiko! Zaizen!" Yasutake and Aoi turned to the voice. It was a chubby boy with small eyes, a large mouth, and green hair. He looked familiar too.

"Who are you again?" Yasutake asked him, certain he'd seen him somewhere before. Apparently, he had, because the boy looked downcast.

"What? We just talked yesterday! Shima! Naoki Shima!" he shouted at him.

"Oh right!" Yasutake said, remembering the boy now. "The bad duelist who's a good person."

"B-bad duelist?" Naoki stammered, glaring at Yasutake. "Have you been talking to Fujiki? What did he say about me this time?"

 _Fujiki?_ Yasutake wondered. Before he could ask who Fujiki was, the door to the nearby classroom opened.

"What's the ruckus, Shima?" the boy in the doorway asked. He had glasses and black hair swept to the right. "I can hear you from inside."

"President, I'm sorry," Naoki said, gesturing to Yasutake. "It's his fault-."

"It's fine," the President said. "New applicants are always welcome."

"Applicant?" Yasutake repeated. "To what?"

"Duel Club!" Naoki said. "Isn't that why you're here with that Duel Disk of yours?"

"What?" Yasutake said, surprised. He looked at the door of the classroom. It said, "Duel Club" on it. Damn it.

"Please, come on in," the President said, walking back into the room.

"N-No, wait," Yasutake stammered, only for Naoki to grab his arm. Yasutake gave him a panicked look as Naoki smirked and said, "Don't worry. Everyone here's very friendly."

 _Naoki Shima, I will bury you for this,_ Yasutake internally seethed as Naoki dragged him into the room. Aoi followed the two, keeping a suspicious eye on Yasutake.

Yasutake found himself standing at the front of the classroom with Naoki and the President on either side of him. The President had a friendly smile on his face while Naoki was smirking at Yasutake's obvious discomfort.

"I'm freshman Yasutake Narahiko," Yasutake said, grinding his teeth as he bowed. How the hell had he been roped into this?

"I'm Hosoda, Club President," the President said.

"I'm Tanaka, second-year," a short boy with red hair pulled back into a ponytail said.

"I'm also second year. Sato," a boy even fatter than Naoki with slicked back teal hair and spectacles said.

"I'm freshman Suzuki," a tall boy with brown hair in a bowl cut said.

"I'm freshman Zaizen," Aoi said. Yasutake wondered why she was introducing herself. Did she think he'd forgotten her name like he'd forgotten Naoki's? To be fair to her, he had.

"Do you want to see the new Duel Disk?" Sato asked Yasutake.

"Oh!" Yasutake said, feigning interest. "The version with an AI that supports you during a duel."

"He already knows about it," Aoi told Sato. "Shima told him about it during calculus yesterday."

"You could probably get one, too!" Naoki said. "Zaizen's brother is a big shot at SOL Technologies. So they gave it to our club first!"

Aoi glared at Naoki, who got a panicked look and glanced to the right.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Yasutake said. "I prefer this one."

"What?" Naoki said, losing his fear of Aoi in shock. "That Duel Disk is last-gen! A real duelist keeps up with the times! Why would you use that one?"

 _There are three reasons I prefer my Duel Disk,_ Yasutake thought, trying to order his thoughts to calm his anxiety. _One: since it uses physical cards instead of data, they cannot be tracked through the cloud, nor can they be destroyed as easily as the videos of Playmaker that were deleted._

 _Two: People like Naoki who look down on old tech tend to make assumptions about the skills of the person using them. Using this Duel Disk thus causes my opponents to underestimate me, which they usually wind up regretting._

 _Three: this Duel Disk is the only remainder of my past before the incident. Replacing it would be like ripping out my own heart and stomping on it repeatedly._

Out loud, he said, "I dislike the grammar censor in AIs. A friend of mine has one to clean his house, and all it does is say, '"damn" is a forbidden word.'"

"'Damn' is a forbidden word," the AIs in Aoi's, Naoki's, and Sato's Duel Disks said.

"This one doesn't have it," Yautake said, trying to suppress a smirk. "And it works perfectly, so I see no reason to replace it."

"May I have a look at your Deck?" Aoi suddenly asked.

"Eh?" Yasutake asked, caught off guard.

"That's rude, Zaizen," Hosoda said. "A Deck is a duelist's life!"

"It's fine," Yasutake said, taking his Deck out. "Take a look." He handed the cards over to Aoi, who fanned them and looked at them. She gave the cards back to Yasutake.

"Thank you," she said. Yasutake smirked internally. She'd asked about his Duel Disk earlier, mentioning it was just like Playmaker's. He assumed she'd asked to see his Deck because she suspected he was Playmaker. He wasn't, which was sad, since if he was, he could give the AI to SOL and fulfill his contract easily.

As it was, the Deck he'd shown her was a decoy Deck. He couldn't go around carrying a Deck full of Cyberse monsters. If anyone suspected his identity as Morningstar, him having Cyspirit monsters would prove it beyond a doubt.

"Let's start the meeting," Hosoda said. Everyone was sitting at desks, with Yasutake sitting in the corner, as far away from Aoi and Naoki as he could get.

"First, let's check the Speed Duel rules. The first difference between Master Duels and Speed Duels: there are only three Main Monster Zones and Spell & Trap Zones. What are the other differences? Narahiko, want to provide an answer?"

Yasutake sighed internally. It was bad enough he'd gotten roped into this. Now he had to answer obvious questions. "You start with four cards in your hand," he said, trying to keep the boredom out of his voice. "There is no Main Phase 2. And each player has access to a Skill they can use once during the duel." He'd reviewed all the rules about Speed Duels last night while watching the footage of Playmaker.

"Yes!" Hosoda said, looking impressed. "You know a great deal. Have you gone to LINK VRAINS before?"

"No," Yasutake lied. "There is no reason for me to go."

* * *

Yasutake walked down the street towards Cam's bakery. He was running over what happened in his head. Somehow, he'd ended up joining the school's Duel Club, which was something he'd never wanted. He wasn't sure if this would be a problem or not; if they asked him to hang out with them, there was a possibility they would interfere with his work, or even find out who he was.

Yasutake sighed. Still, Cam would insist he stay in Duel Club. He did want him to make friends, dangerous as that was to his work as Morningstar. He would say it would be worth the risk.

There was, however, the matter of Aoi Zaizen. He could tell she was suspicious of him, asking about his Duel Disk and asking to see his Deck. He was certain she was looking for Playmaker, but if she found out he was Morningstar, that would be very bad. Worse, avoiding her was the only thing he could do. When Naoki had mentioned her brother being a big shot, Yasutake remembered Akira Zaizen, SOL's security chief. He used to come to Cam's place and get muffins, but he didn't do so anymore. Yasutake was certain Akira was Aoi's big brother. If she shared her suspicions with Akira and he investigated, it would expose him to the world, and not in a fun way.

"Ah, Yasu!" Cam said as Yasutake entered Café Junpei. It wasn't too busy, only a few people sitting at tables and no line at the counter. "How was school?"

"Horrible," Yasutake answered, walking behind the counter. When he reached for his apron, Cam stopped him.

"I don't need your help today, Yasu," Cam said, smiling at him. "I don't expect things to get too busy. Please, head to the back and work on your schoolwork."

Yasutake understood what Cam meant. He was telling him he'd found something that he wanted to show him, but it would have to wait. Yasutake nodded and headed to the back room. While Cam was working, he could work on his homework.

* * *

After an hour or so, Cam walked into the back room. Yasutake was watching the videos of Playmaker they'd downloaded.

"It's just like last night," Yasutake said, not turning to Cam. "There's no videos of Playmaker on the cloud. I posted a copy of one of ours, and it was deleted. Someone's trying to keep as much information about Playmaker off the web as possible."

"Smart move for a hacker," Cam said, sitting in his own chair. "If enough information about him got out, even an idiot could deduce his identity."

"Speaking of which, do we have any suspects?" Yasutake asked. Bishop had asked exclusively for the AI, not Playmaker's identity, but he figured finding out who Playmaker was would make his job easier. Besides, he was curious.

"Nope," Cam said, sighing. "After he left, several people showed up with his avatar, but it was obvious none of them were Playmaker. One talked too much, one had too many muscles, and the last had connectivity issues."

Yasutake scoffed. "Seriously? How stupid can these people be? After his duel with Hanoi, they must be gunning for him, and we know SOL is. If either group mistakes those idiots for the real one…"

"Hopefully, that won't happen," Cam said. "But Playmaker isn't what I wanted to talk to you about." He opened a window on their screens. Yasutake looked at the images and raised an eyebrow.

"Go Onizuka and Blue Angel?" he said. "What about them?"

"The two of them confronted Playmaker before they met you," Cam said. "Go in particular seemed very intent on dueling Playmaker. I thought it best to learn as much about them as possible so if they get in the way, you'd be able to deal with them effectively."

"Playmaker has only ever dueled the Knights of Hanoi," Yasutake said. "And the drone recorded his interactions with these two. He won't duel them just because they want to duel him."

"Even so, better to be prepared," Cam said. "To start: Go Onizuka. Also known as the 'king of LINK VRAINS.' Unlike Blue Angel, Playmaker, or you, he uses his actual name and appearance when he goes into LINK VRAINS. What does that tell you?"

"That he has nothing to hide," Yasutake said simply. "He wants to be recognized. He wants fame. In other words, he's a glory hound."

"I thought that too," Cam said. "Then I found this." He opened another window that showed an orphanage. "This is where he grew up. He volunteers there every now and then. In fact, most of his winnings go to supporting this orphanage. The man himself lives in a gym near the waterfront."

"You're saying he's paying back a debt," Yasutake said, understanding. "He grew up there, so he gives money to it so the children can live good lives. I take back what I said. He's a good person."

"He's also an entertainer," Cam said. "He uses an old-fashioned style of dueling called Entertainment Style. He makes his enemies seem stronger, and then crushes them with overwhelming might. He duels in a way that's meant to bring excitement, to himself, the audience, and his opponent."

"Hmm," was all Yasutake said. While he did admit Go was a good person, he still had no interest in him. For that to happen, he'd have to have a price on his head.

"And Blue Angel?"

"She's also an entertainer, but unlike Go, she focuses on flashy moves and tricks. Her monsters, the Trickstars, exemplify this, focusing on effect damage. Her identity isn't public knowledge, but I was able to find this."

Cam opened another window, this one showing a girl with a light brown bob-cut and yellow eyes. Wait a minute…

"This is Blue Angel's identity," Cam said, sounding proud with himself. "Her name is-."

"Aoi Zaizen!" Yasutake said, his eyes wide with surprise. He hadn't seen that coming, but in hindsight it made sense. Given Blue Angel's interest in Playmaker, Aoi would be curious about a card-insert Duel Disk and the Deck of the person using it.

"You know her?" Cam said, surprised, either that Yasutake knew Blue Angel's real-world identity, or that Yasutake knew a girl.

"She's in my calculus class," Yasutake said. "And we're both in Duel Club."

"You joined a club?" Cam said, so shocked he momentarily forgot about Blue Angel. "I thought you hated interacting with people!"

"I do, but somehow I got roped into joining," Yasutake said, scowling at the memory. He was going to bury Naoki one day. "You're the one who said I should try and make friends."

"Yes, but, and no offense, you're terrible at social interactions," Cam said. "I've seen AIs more sociable than you."

"No, you haven't," Yasutake said, turning back to the screen. "One of the club members said Zaizen's big brother was a big shot at SOL Technologies. I was wondering if you remember Akira Zaizen?"

"The guy in the suit who always bought a box of blueberry muffins?" Cam said, raising an eyebrow. "Of course I remember him. Even if he doesn't stop by anymore, I still get pickup orders for a box of blueberry muffins from a woman named Hayami who works at SOL. Pretty sure she picks them up for him. Why?"

"Zaizen is SOL's security chief now, isn't he?" Yasutake said. When Cam nodded, he turned to the screen. "If he oversees security, that means he was also responsible for the scan SOL performed to find their AI. He likely saw Playmaker's duel against Hanoi and knows he has it. Meaning…"

"He is likely attempting to retrieve it as well," Cam finished, seeing Yasutake's train of thought. "But didn't Bishop hire you to retrieve it?"

"Bishop has a tendency not to put his eggs in one basket," Yasutake said. "He likely contracted me as a contingency in case Zaizen fails. He did it before when he hired me for the Mercury job." He scowled at the memory of Mercury. Damn that woman…

"We know why Go duels," Yasutake said, abruptly changing the subject. "Aoi Zaizen's identity is hidden. Is it attention that she duels for?" He scowled at that. Dueling for such a stupid reason… if that was why Blue Angel dueled, then she was worth even less of his attention than Go.

"Maybe," Cam said, musing. "What is Zaizen like at school?"

"Quiet, suspicious," Yasutake said. "She's almost as emotionless as Sachi." He looked at Cam when he said that. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

"Don't worry about it, Yasu," Cam said, despite the pain in his eyes. "In LINK VRAINS, Blue Angel is very energetic and talkative. I wonder what she duels for…"

"Does it matter?" Yasutake asked. "I have no intention of dueling her or Go. At least not without sufficient reason."

* * *

Yasutake sat in the back row of computer science class, trying to deal with his boredom. The teacher was talking about Edouard Lucas, the man who invented the Tower of Hanoi puzzle, and how it related to binary language. _It could be worse,_ Yasutake thought. Naoki could be bothering him. Thankfully, the boy was currently talking to another kid in the back row with blue and pink hair. From the boy's expression, he clearly didn't want to be talking to Naoki either.

Suddenly, Naoki stood up and shouted, "It's Hanoi!" Yasutake started and stared.

"What about it?" the teacher asked, confused. "I was just explaining it…"

"Hanoi!" Naoki said. "The Knights of Hanoi!" He held up his tablet, showing a Knight of Hanoi riding a D-Board.

Yasutake immediately got up and left the room, not noticing that the boy Naoki was sitting next to had also left. He ran up to the roof, thinking to himself.

 _There are three reasons I am going to LINK VRAINS,_ he thought. _One: if there is a Knight of Hanoi, Playmaker will inevitably show up. After dealing with the Knight, that will be my chance to challenge him and retrieve his AI. Two: I will be able to observe another duel with Playmaker, which will show off more of his skills and give me a better idea of what I am facing. Three: if Playmaker does not show up, Hanoi will rampage across LINK VRAINS. I cannot let that happen._

Once he reached the roof, he headed to an isolated corner. The probability of anyone finding him up here was incredibly remote. No one, not even the custodians, came up here. He took his Duel Disk out of his bag and placed it on his wrist. He pulled his Deck out and inserted it into his Duel Disk. "Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

The blue sphere appeared around him as Yasutake's appearance changed to that of Morningstar. He emerged from a portal into LINK VRAINS, landing on a rooftop. He looked around. The Knight of Hanoi was standing on a nearby rooftop, waiting for someone.

"Mm," Morningstar gasped. Something was wrong. The Knight… something was different about this one.

A portal suddenly opened in the sky. Playmaker shot out of it and landed in front of the Knight. Morningstar jumped to a nearby rooftop, close enough to hear what they were saying, but out of their eyesight.

"You're finally here, Playmaker," the Knight said. That voice… something about it was familiar.

Playmaker didn't answer. Instead, another voice said, "Did you sense that something is off, Playmaker?" Morningstar recognized it as the voice that came from Playmaker's Duel Disk. In other words, it was the AI SOL wanted.

"He's not a Knight of Hanoi," Playmaker said, surprising Morningstar. What? Was that what that feeling was? Morningstar leaned out of his hiding spot, getting a better look at the Knight.

The Knight laughed as his avatar peeled away to reveal a certain Charisma Duelist. "I used the Knight of Hanoi disguise to lure you out! I am Go Onizuka! I'm a real hero, and I'm gonna expose you for the wannabe hero that you are!"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. A real hero? What was that about? Unlike him, Playmaker evidently didn't care, as he turned to leave. Before he could though, a giant cage appeared, closing off a portion of the city.

 _What is this?_ Morningstar wondered. _This program is designed to keep people from logging out?_ In other words, it was like his Data Anchor, only it was indiscriminate. He listened as Go said the program would only deactivate if Playmaker defeated him. Apparently, Playmaker considered that sufficient reason to duel him, because the two of them started a Speed Duel.

 _Damn it,_ Morningstar thought as he launched his drone again. He couldn't run after them at their speed, and if he used the D-Board program he'd made, they'd notice him. He didn't want Playmaker to notice him. Not yet, anyway.

 _Who's doing this?_ Morningstar wondered while he watched the duel from the drone's recorder. _There are only two groups that could make a program like this, and Go would never willingly work with Hanoi, meaning this must be SOL Technologies' doing. That means…_ he narrowed his eyes… _Go's fighting for them. Damn it, Bishop! I hate it when you pull stuff like this!_

He calmed himself down. He didn't know that Bishop was behind Go. Bishop was more the behind-the-scenes type. Akira Zaizen was a more likely suspect. Still, Morningstar resolved to have a talk with Go once his duel with Playmaker was over. He needed to know exactly who at SOL was hunting the same contract.

Watching the duel, he couldn't deny Playmaker's skill. He summoned two Cyberse monsters, each with high attack points, and cut Go's Life Points in half. He was meticulous, that was certain.

He was even more impressed with Go's turn, where he turned the situation around and summoned Gouki the Great Ogre and set himself up to win in one hit.

 _He makes his enemies seem stronger, and then crushes them with overwhelming might._ That was what Cam had said about Go. He understood what Cam meant now. By putting himself in a pinch, Go made his victories seem more impressive. Such a strategy left the audience, himself, and the opponent enjoying the duel. Morningstar found himself smiling. He had been wrong. His strategy, in addition to his reason for dueling, made Go an interesting person. If he won against Playmaker, Morningstar couldn't begrudge him his victory.

Of course, he didn't win. Playmaker activated a Trap Card that reduced Gouki the Great Ogre's attack points, which confused Morningstar. Go had increased his monster's attack twice, but Playmaker had negated the lower increase. Why? Playmaker was too intelligent to make a misplay like that.

What happened next surprised Morningstar even more. Someone opened a backdoor program through which Playmaker could escape, but he ignored it. Why would he do that? Morningstar smiled again, realizing why. It was because Playmaker had honor. Once he started a duel, he would see it through to the end. Apparently Go realized it as well, because he smiled as well.

Morningstar soon got an answer to his other question. A Data Storm tornado appeared suddenly, which Playmaker went into. Morningstar remembered the Skill Playmaker had, which could only be used when he had 1000 or less Life Points. So it wasn't a misplay, but to make his Skill possible. Indeed, Playmaker was a very capable duelist.

His impression of Playmaker improved even more when he performed four Link Summons during his turn. Not an easy thing to do. Neither was his finishing move. By using three Link Monsters and an Equip Spell Card, he destroyed Gouki the Great Ogre and then inflicted its attack to Go as damage. Go was sent flying from his board, but laughed as he stood up. Apparently, he had enjoyed his duel with Playmaker after all.

Morningstar scowled a bit as Playmaker logged out. That meant he couldn't duel him. Oh well. He had other concerns right now.

* * *

Yasutake ran into the bakery, which was closed for the day. He went into the back room and found Cam sitting at the computers.

"Not bad," Cam said, looking at the screens with a smile. "Playmaker defeated Go Onizuka. Not an easy task."

"Do you know who created that program?"

"The cage program, or the backdoor program?"

"Both," Yasutake said. "I need to know which SOL executive allied with Go and who Playmaker's ally was."

Cam sighed. "I'm afraid not. I did manage to get a sample of the code from the backdoor, though, so if you want, we could probably contact Playmaker."

"Not yet," Yasutake said. "I want to send a message to Go Onizuka."

"Why?"

"I want to duel him."

"What?" Cam said, surprised. "Didn't you say he was of no interest to you?"

"I learned three things watching the duel between Go and Playmaker," Yasutake said. "One: Playmaker's dueling style makes use of multiple Link Summons to bring his more powerful monsters out. Two: just like Go, he places himself at a disadvantage intentionally so that he can use his Skill, Storm Access. Three," Yasutake narrowed his eyes at this one, "someone from SOL Technologies aided Go in this fight. I need to know who, because if Bishop hired someone else…"

"He would have hired _her_ ," Cam said, scowling at the memory of that woman. He disliked her even more than Yasutake did. "You know Bishop wouldn't do something this overt."

"Maybe," Yasutake said, "but there are also three reasons I want to duel Go. One: I want to know who from SOL provided him the cage program. Two: I want to get Playmaker's attention, so that he knows I'm out here and that I also have Cyberse cards. Three," this time he smiled, "Go's dueling style is very interesting to me. I want to experience it first-hand."

"Are you… happy about the idea of dueling?" Cam said, smiling a little. "I didn't think I'd ever see the day."

"His dueling style is interesting," Yasutake said. "That's the only reason. Please, send Go a message that I want to meet him tonight."

* * *

After logging out, Go was surprised by the kids from the orphanage coming by to cheer him up. He played with them a while and promised he'd go to see them tomorrow. After they left, his manager approached him.

"I'm glad to see you're doing better, Go," he said. "But I'm afraid there's something else that has to be done." He handed a tablet to Go. Go looked at it and started in surprise.

"Morningstar wants to meet me?" Go said. He remembered Morningstar. He'd pinned a Knight of Hanoi to a wall and dismissed Go just like Playmaker had. "What does he want with me?"

"It doesn't say," his manager said. "But I imagine it has something to do with your duel against Playmaker. Are you going?"

Go thought about it, then smiled. "The champion cannot deny a challenge. Tell Morningstar I'll meet him in LINK VRAINS!"

* * *

Go met Morningstar on a rooftop. "So, what does a bounty hunter want with me?" Go asked. He didn't bother to hide his contempt for Morningstar.

"The SOL executive who provided you the cage program," Morningstar said. "I want to know who it was."

"What business is that of yours?"

"Not your business," Morningstar said, keeping a straight face.

"I thought I was of no interest to you."

"You were, and now you are of interest to me. Please, tell me who aided you in your duel with Playmaker."

Go growled. "I don't see why I should help someone who duels only for profit!"

"I duel for more than profit," Morningstar. "Like you, I have people I need to support. A debt that must be paid." Go's eyes widened at that. "But if you need convincing…" Morningstar shot a red energy whip out of his Duel Disk, ensnaring Go's wrist.

"What the-?" Go said. "What is this!?"

"A Data Anchor," Morningstar said. "It's like that cage program you used, but it affects only us. Essentially, neither one of us can log out unless we have a duel."

"So you did call me here to duel me," Go said, glaring at him.

"I was always planning to duel you," Morningstar said. "Your duel against Playmaker was very impressive. But if you need additional stimuli, how about this? If I win, you tell me which SOL executive provided you with the cage program. If you win, I make a sizable donation in your name to Den City's orphanage."

Go's eyes widened with surprise at that. "You'd do that?"

"If you win," Morningstar said. "Shall we?"

Go smiled at that. He still didn't like Morningstar, but he had to admire his attitude.

* * *

The two of them rode the data stream, with Go riding up front with his board, and Morningstar riding his, a black model with silver fins on the back sides.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Go Onizuka: 4000 LP**

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

"I shall take the first turn!" Go declared, waving his hand in front of him to see his cards. "I summon Gouki Suprex!" A blue ogre with claws on his hands and a long blue tail appeared on his field.

 **Gouki Suprex ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"When Suprex is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one 'Gouki' monster from my hand!" Go said. "I summon Gouki Riscorpio!" This ogre was red with a scorpion claws for hands and a scorpion tail.

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

"I end my turn," Go said, smiling at Morningstar. "Go ahead! Show me how a bounty hunter duels!"

"Oh, what is this?" the MC said. "Go Onizuka has started another duel! This time with someone who identifies themselves as the famous Morningstar!"

At a hotdog cart near Den City's main square, a boy with dark blue hair and light blue bangs with pink accents, looked up at the television screen. It showed Go and his opponent, a duelist in a dark blue and maroon jumpsuit with parted blue and black hair with silver bangs and red eyes.

"Who is Go dueling?" the boy, Yusaku Fujiki asked. The person working in the hotdog cart, an older man with purple hair, a small goatee, and grey eyes, answered him.

"Morningstar," he said. "He's supposedly a famous bounty hunter. He usually works for SOL, hunting criminals and hackers down."

"Then why is he dueling Go, Kusanagi?" Yusaku asked him.

Back at the duel, Morningstar said, "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his cards and thought, _You better be watching, Playmaker._

"I Set one card," he said. "Since I control no monsters and you do, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" His monster was a white skeleton warrior in blue armor carrying futuristic swords. Its left eye was blue in its metal skull.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"What?" Go said, surprised. "Cyspirit? That monster is a Cyberse! Where did you get that? Are you allied with Playmaker?"

"As I told you last time, Playmaker is no ally of mine," Morningstar said. Back at the hotdog stand, Yusaku, who was really Playmaker, narrowed his eyes.

"He is in possession of Cyberse monsters? How is that possible?"

"Since Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar said. "I add Cyspirit Navigator to my hand. And then I activate Navigator's effect! If I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Navigator!" This monster was a grey skeleton in a pirate's outfit, with a black metal skull and right red eye topped by a black tricorne hat.

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300 DEF 1100 LVL: 3**

"Next, I Normal Summon Cyspirit Lancer!" The monster he first used against Hanoi appeared and grinned at Go. Or maybe it didn't. It was hard to tell with a skull.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

Go laughed. "You summoned three monsters at once? Not bad. But you will have to do better than that!"

"I will," Morningstar said. "Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control gain 300 attack points! Digital Charge!" His three monsters glowed white as their attack points increased.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300→1600**

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1500**

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Gathering!" This card had Swordsman and Lancer together, crossing their weapons. "Battle! Cyspirit Swordsman, attack Gouki Riscorpio! Cyberse Strike!"

"What?" Go said, surprised. "But Riscorpio has more attack points!"

Swordsman's swords glowed blue as he charged at Riscorpio. Riscorpio struck Swordsman with its tail, driving it back, but not destroying it.

"What?" Go said again. "Why wasn't your Swordsman destroyed? And why didn't you take damage?"

"Because of Cyspirit Gathering," Morningstar said. "The turn this card is activated, if a 'Cyspirit' monster attacks a monster with greater attack, it is not destroyed and I take no damage from that battle. Then, the monster I attacked loses attack points equal to my monster's attack!" Riscorpio glowed white as its attack points decreased by Swordsman's attack points.

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300→800**

"What?" Go said for a third time. "Such an effect…"

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Lancer attacks Gouki Suprex! Digital Lance!" Lancer charged Suprex, its lance piercing it and destroying it. Go winced from the damage.

 **Go: 4000→3700 LP**

"Since Suprex was sent from the field to the Graveyard," Go said through clenched teeth, "I can add a 'Gouki' card besides itself from my Deck to my hand. I add Gouki Twistcobra!"

"For a third time, battle!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Navigator, attack Gouki Riscorpio! Digital Shot!" Navigator pulled a pistol out of its holster and shot a blast of red energy at Riscorpio, destroying it. Go yelled as he fell to his knees on his D-Board.

 **Go: 4000→2900 LP**

"Oh, looks like Go Onizuka is in a pinch!" the MC commented. "His opponent attacked him three times and dealt over 1000 points of damage to him! This Morningstar is definitely worth watching." Yusaku just watched, his face blank.

Morningstar watched Go. He knew what he was doing. It was the same show he'd done against Playmaker. He idly wondered how long he would milk this moment.

"Go Onizuka is down for the count!" the MC said. "Let's give him a three count! One! Two! Thr-!" On the three, Go stood up again shakily and laughed. "H-He's up! Go's still in this!"

 _Of course he is,_ Morningstar thought, smiling to himself. _Let's see how your counterattack goes._

"The effect of Riscorpio activates!" Go declared. "Since it was sent to the Graveyard, I can add a 'Gouki' card besides itself from my Deck to my hand. I add Gouki Headbatt!"

Go raised his right hand and said, "Power… I can feel power surging through my hand! All right! I'm all fired up!" He raised his fist in the air as the gold outlines on his coat glowed and said, "I activate my Skill! Fighting Spirit! Fighting Spirit Special Summons all 'Gouki' monsters that were destroyed in battle this turn!" Riscorpio and Suprex reappeared on his field.

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

 **Gouki Suprex ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

 _He's making the same moves he made against Playmaker_ , Morningstar thought. _Is this his only strategy, or merely his default one? Either way…_

"My turn isn't over yet!" Morningstar said, taking a card from his hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Cyspirit Sacrifice!" This card showed a dark circle which Rapid Revolutionary fell into. "I Tribute one or more 'Cyspirit' monsters, and then I draw one card for each Tributed monster. I Tribute all three of my monsters!" His three monsters disappeared as he drew three cards.

"What?" Go said again. "Why would you leave your field empty?"

"It was going to be empty anyway," Morningstar told him. "The last effect of Cyspirit Gathering destroys every 'Cyspirit' monster that battled this turn. This way, I get to refill my hand. I end my turn."

"Oh, what a turnaround!" the MC said. "It looked like Go was losing, but now the situation is reversed, with Morningstar having no monsters on his field! All Go has to do is attack directly and he'll win!"

"Ha!" Go said. "Like I would end it this quickly. Or fall for such an obvious setup! My turn! Draw! I summon Gouki Twistcobra!" This monster was a green ogre with four limbs, two ending with hands and the other two ending in sharp points, with two snake tails trailing from its head.

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

 _Three Gouki monsters,_ Morningstar thought, narrowing his eyes. _Here it comes…_

"Come forth! My circuit!" Go said. He shot a burst of energy from his hand into the sky, which formed a portal that he traveled through. Morningstar raised an eyebrow at that. Was Link Summoning during a Speed Duel that different?

"Arrowheads confirmed!" Go said. "The summoning condition is two or more 'Gouki' monsters! I'm setting Suprex, Twistcobra, and Riscorpio into three Link Markers!" His monsters traveled to the circuit he was facing and entered the top center, bottom left, and bottom right Link Markers.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Show yourself! Link 3! Gouki Thunder Ogre!"

His newest Link Monster was a giant red and grey ogre with a black cape. It had two electrical blasters on its arms.

 **Gouki Thunder Ogre ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised. "Thunder Ogre? Not the Great Ogre?"

Go laughed. "Did you think I'd try the same strategy I used on Playmaker against you? No, I'm going even further against you!" He smiled as he said, "But what did you think? Are you as hyped up as I am?"

"Not yet," Morningstar answered. "But I'm curious to see what you'll do next."

"I activate the effects of the 'Gouki' cards that were sent from the field to the Graveyard!" Go said. "I can add 'Gouki' cards besides themselves from the Deck to my hand." He added a second Suprex, a second Riscorpio, and Gouki Re-Match. "I'm not even done yet. I activate the effect of Thunder Ogre! Once per turn, the turn player can perform a second Normal Summon to a zone Thunder Ogre points to! I summon another Gouki Suprex to Thunder Ogre's Link Marker, and its effect lets me Special Summon my second Riscorpio!"

 **Gouki Suprex ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

"Then, I activate Monster Reborn!" Go said. "With this, I Special Summon the Twistcobra in my Graveyard!"

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

 _Is he going to summon the Great Ogre now?_ Morningstar wondered. _Or is he going for something else?_

"Now, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Link Unit!" Go declared. The card showed Gouki Suprex glowing with light. "I equip this card to Riscorpio! Now, if I use Riscorpio to Link Summon, it counts as two materials!"

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised at such an effect. He wasn't the only one. Yusaku's eyes widened on seeing that card. He wondered why Go hadn't used it against him.

"Come forth once again! My circuit!" Go said, sending another burst of energy at the sky, creating the portal that he flew through.

"Arrowheads confirmed!" Go said. "The summoning condition is two or more 'Gouki' monsters! I'm setting Twistcobra, Suprex, and the Riscorpio treated as 2 materials into four Link Markers!" His monsters, with Riscorpio splitting in half, entered the arrowheads around the portal. They entered the center left, bottom left, center right, and bottom right Link Markers.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Show yourself! Link 4! Gouki Destroy Ogre!"

His next Link Monster was even larger than Thunder Ogre. It was blue and grey in coloring with shields on its wrists and a white cape. It had spikes on its shoulders, thighs, and knees and wore a red and white mask over its face. It was summoned to Thunder Ogre's Link Marker.

 **Gouki Destroy Ogre ATK 2800 LINK-4** ←↙→↘

"2800 attack points?" Morningstar said. "Is this your strongest monster?"

Go laughed. "Yes, it is, and you'll enjoy it! From my hand, I activate the Spell Card: Gouki Re-Match! I can Special Summon two 'Gouki' monsters with different Levels from my Graveyard in Defense Position!" Riscorpio and Twistcobra reappeared on his field, with Destroy Ogre pointing to both.

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"I activate Twistcobra's effect!" Go declared. "I release Riscorpio, allowing Destroy Ogre to gain its attack points until the end of the turn!" Riscorpio disintegrated as Destroy Ogre glowed red.

 **Gouki Destroy Ogre ATK 2800→5100**

"Oh my!" the MC commented. "Go's Destroy Ogre has 5100 attack points! Talk about overkill!"

"Not overkill," Yusaku commented. "Morningstar has shown himself to be clever in how he uses his monsters. He likely has a way to lower the damage, so Go is taking precautions."

"Then," Go said, "by sending Twistcobra from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Gouki Headbatt from my hand in Defense Position!" This ogre was shorter than the others, with a purple, blue, and red jumpsuit.

 **Gouki Headbatt ATK 800 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

"Due to Headbatt's effect, Destroy Ogre will gain 800 attack points until the end of the turn!" Destroy Ogre glowed red again.

 **Gouki Destroy Ogre 5100→5900**

Go laughed as he turned to face Morningstar. "This is my Finishing Hold! Unlike Playmaker, this will end you! Battle! Gouki Destroy Ogre, attack Morningstar directly!" Destroy Ogre moved to attack Morningstar, but like Go and Yusaku had predicted, Morningstar was prepared.

"Trap activate!" he declared. "Cyspirit Lineage!" The card showed a skeleton warrior in a leotard bowing low as it dissolved. "This card Special Summons one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position! I summon Cyspirit Lancer!" His Lancer reappeared on the field.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"And due to Lancer's effect, it gains 300 attack points from being in Attack Position! Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

"Due to his Trap Card," the AI in Go's Duel Disk said, "even if you attack, he'll have 200 Life Points left."

"Silence!" Go said. "200 Life Points is like a candle in the wind! And even so, I can still attack with Thunder Ogre! Destroy Ogre, annihilate Cyspirit Lancer! Take this! Ogre Slam!" Destroy Ogre tackled Lancer, and made it explode. Morningstar fought back against the wind and steadied his D-Board.

 **Morningstar: 4000→200 LP**

"Since the monster Summoned by Cyspirit Lineage was destroyed," Morningstar said. "Lineage destroys itself, then lets me add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Linker to my hand."

"It doesn't matter what you add," Go said. "Once Thunder Ogre attacks-."

"It won't get the chance," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes.

"What?" Go said.

"You are not the only one with a Skill," Morningstar said, the silver stripe on his jumpsuit and his silver bangs glowing. "I activate my Skill! Cyberse Revolution! Since a Cyberse monster on my field was destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon one Cyberse monster from my Deck whose Level is less than the Level of the destroyed monster! I summon Cyspirit Teleporter in Defense Position!" The black skeleton with a red right eye holding a baton appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

Go smiled. He expected the Trap Card, but not this. "Very well, then. Gouki Thunder Ogre, attack Cyspirit Teleporter! Ogre Blast!" Thunder Ogre charged its blasters then fired a blue blast at Teleporter, destroying it.

"I end my turn," Go said. And since it was the end of his turn, Destroy Ogre's attack returned to normal.

 **Gouki Destroy Ogre ATK 5900→2800**

"You only have 200 Life Points left, Yasu," Cam said, speaking into an earpiece Morningstar had. "Are you sure you can win this?"

Morningstar looked at the cards in his hand and smiled. "Yes," he said. "After all, I have 100% more Life Points than Playmaker did." Cam laughed at that. It wasn't often that Yasutake made jokes, but when he did, it usually meant he was happy.

"Whoa!" the MC commentated. "Go Onizuka summoned two powerful Gouki Link Monsters and used his mighty Ogre Slam and Ogre Blast! Morningstar, LINK VRAINS' renowned hunter, is hanging on by the skin of his teeth!"

"That MC makes a lot of the same comments," Kusanagi noted. "Do you think Morningstar can win, Yusaku?"

"It depends on his cards," Yusaku said. "And on Destroy Ogre and Thunder Ogre. Go hasn't used any of Destroy Ogre's effects, and I suspect Thunder Ogre still hasn't shown everything it can do."

"My turn!" Morningstar said. "Draw!" He looked at his cards and smiled. "Your dueling is first-rate, Go Onizuka. It makes me want to go all out. So that is what I'll do! I activate the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon one Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard! I summon Cyspirit Swordsman!"

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Next, I activate the Spell Card Cyberse Call! This card adds one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Dancer to my hand. Then, I'll summon Cyspirit Dancer!" His newest monster was a white skeleton in a pink leotard with pink dancing shoes. It would have been cute if its ribs weren't showing and if it didn't have a grey metal skull with its left eye glowing blue.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Since Cyspirit Dancer was Normal Summoned while I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand or Deck with its effects negated." Morningstar took another card from his hand. "I summon Cyspirit Changer from my hand!" A dwarf skeleton with a red right eye and a digital sign appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Changer ATK 200 DEF 100 LVL: 1**

"Three monsters?" Yusaku said, narrowing his eyes. "Is he-?"

"Appear!" Morningstar declared, pointing to the sky. "The circuit between light and darkness!" He sent a burst of energy at the sky, which created the Link portal that he flew through. He hovered above it with Cyspirit Changer.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Cyspirit Changer in the Link Marker!" Changer went into the bottom left marker, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!"

His Link 1 monster was a skeleton that wore a pair of overalls and a plaid shirt with metallic boots. It wore a yellow safety hat over its black skull with a red right eye and a blue left eye and had small grey and silver metal wings. It carried an electrical power box and was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600 LINK-1** ↙

"Egregious?" Yusaku's Duel Disk said. "What does that mean?"

"It means bad," Yusaku answered him.

"Oh! So that monster is evil? Go better destroy it!"

"Not evil," Kusanagi said. "It means bad at your job, at what you do. Though why would he summon a horrible electrician?"

Go laughed. "You Link Summoned a weakling? It is no match for Destroy Ogre or Thunder Ogre!"

"Egregious Electrician's monster effect!" Morningstar said. "I can move one monster from a zone it points at to another zone, then Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to that zone! I move Cyspirit Dancer to the left Main Monster Zone, and summon Cyspirit Wanderer to its Link Marker!" Wanderer was a black skeleton that wore a brown poncho and trousers. Its skull had one blue eye.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 5**

"Cyspirit Wanderer's effect!" Morningstar said. "When this monster is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, one monster on my opponent's field loses 800 attack points!"

"What?" Go said, surprised.

"I lower Destroy Ogre's attack points! Digital Drain!" Wanderer glowed white, as did Destroy Ogre.

 **Gouki Destroy Ogre 2800→2000 ATK**

"Appear!" Morningstar said again. "The circuit between light and darkness!" He sent another burst of energy at the sky, creating the Link portal again and flying through it.

"Arrowheads confirmed!" he said. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Egregious Electrician, Swordsman, and Wanderer in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the bottom left, top, and left arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!"

His Link Monster was a grey skeleton warrior wearing a tattered medieval guardsman's uniform with a red and blue grid design. There were bits of binary code in some of its clothes. It wore a tattered bearskin hat over its metal skull, which had a blue left eye and a red right eye. It carried a long spear with a serrated point and a small dagger at the base of the shaft and had grey and silver metallic wings emerging from its back.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"Whoa!" the AI said. "He summoned a powerful Link Monster!"

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cyspirit Link-Up!" The card showed Cyspirit Linker, with both arrowheads on its gauntlets glowing. "Now, all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control can attack twice this Battle Phase, but all damage you take is halved."

"That isn't enough to defeat me!" Go said.

"I know," Morningstar said. "I activate Pied Pikeman's monster effect! Since it points to at least one monster, I can change that monster's battle position to destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field!"

"What?" Go said, surprised. "But the only Spell Card on the field is-."

"I switch your Twistcobra to Attack Position and destroy my Cyspirit Link-Up!"

"What was the point of that?" the AI asked Yusaku. "Why would he destroy his own card?"

"To win," Yusaku answered.

"Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Linker from my hand!" The white skeleton warrior with red arrow gauntlets appeared on Morningstar's field, to one of Pied Pikeman's Link Markers.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"Then, I banish Cyberse Call in my Graveyard," Morningstar said. "And activate its effect! I Special Summon the Cyspirit Navigator in my Graveyard to my right Main Monster Zone!"

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300 DEF 1100 LVL: 3**

Morningstar smiled at Go. "Go Onizuka, you did me the honor of summoning your strongest monster. It is only right that I respond in kind. Appear for the final time! The circuit between light and darkness!"

"What?" Go said. "A third Link Summon? This guy's dueling style reminds me of Playmaker's."

The portal appeared again, which Morningstar, Pied Pikeman, and Cyspirit Dancer broke through. He looked down on the portal as he spoke.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' Effect Monsters! When I use a Link Monster to Link Summon, its Link Markers count as Link Materials! I set Link 3 Cyspirit Pied Pikeman and Cyspirit Dancer in the Link Markers!"

Pied Pikeman broke into three and entered the bottom left, bottom center, and bottom right Link Markers while Dancer entered the top center Link Marker.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!"

His new monster was larger than every monster on the field. At first it appeared to be a white skeleton dragon, but skin grew over it. It had grey metallic skin, red and silver metal wings, a long tail that ended with a red arrow, and its legs and arms had black lines running over them. Just like all the Cyspirit Link Monsters, it had a blue left eye and a red right eye. It roared as it was summoned in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"D-Datastorm Dragon?" Go said, his eyes wide with surprise at such a monster.

Yusaku narrowed his eyes at Morningstar's Dragon. He'd never heard of this monster, nor any of the Cyspirits. Where did Morningstar get them?

"Since I used Cyspirit Dancer to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster, Datastorm Dragon gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800→3400**

"Like all Cyspirit Link Monsters, Datastorm Dragon's effects depend on how many monsters it points to," Morningstar told Go. "Datastorm Dragon points to your Twistcobra, my Cyspirit Linker, and my Cyspirit Navigator. Since it points to at least one monster, only Link Monsters can declare an attack. Since it points to at least two monsters, all battle damage Datastorm Dragon inflicts is halved."

"What?" Go said, shocked. "Why would you summon a monster with such a disadvantageous effect to yourself?"

"Because," Morningstar said, "when Datastorm Dragon points to at least three monsters, if it attacks a monster, and that monster is not destroyed by battle, I can destroy that monster!" Go grit his teeth at that. Morningstar had looked up Destroy Ogre's effect and conceived a counter for it.

"So that's their pattern," Yusaku said.

"Eh?" the AI asked. "What do you mean?"

"The Cyspirits," he said. "The monsters from the Deck focus on a combination of swarming and field manipulation, while the Extra Deck Link Monsters gain effects depending on how many monsters they point to. It's a highly dangerous archetype, and makes Morningstar a very strong duelist."

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Link-Up in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "By banishing it, I can target one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster I control. That monster can attack every monster my opponent controls once each, but if it battles a non-Link Monster, the damage is reduced to 0."

"So that's why you destroyed your own Spell Card?" Go asked. "To use its other effect?"

"Yes," Morningstar said. "You have shown me your dueling, so I will show you mine! Battle! Datastorm Dragon, attack Gouki Headbatt! Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon sent a blast of blue energy at Headbatt, but Go was prepared.

"I activate Destroy Ogre's effect! The first time a monster it points to would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed! Ogre Protection!" Destroy Ogre jumped in front of Headbatt, preventing its destruction.

"Ha!" Go said. "You should have attacked Destroy Ogre first!"

"No," Morningstar said. "This is more fun. I activate Datastorm Dragon's effect! Since it failed to destroy a monster in battle, I can destroy that monster! Data Break!" Datastorm Dragon sent a blast of green energy at Headbatt, and this time Go couldn't prevent his monster's destruction.

"Headbatt's effect!" Go declared. "I can add one 'Gouki' card to my hand. I add Gouki Re-Match!"

"A-Amazing!" the MC said. "What a back and forth of blows! Go protects his monsters, but Morningstar destroys them regardless!"

"And now it's Twistcobra's turn!" Morningstar said. "Datastorm Dragon, attack Twistcobra! Data Flare!"

"Destroy Ogre prevents Twistcobra's destruction! Ogre Protection!" Go said.

"And then Datastorm Dragon's effect destroys Twistcobra! Data Break!" Morningstar reminded him. "Since it points to one less monster, Datastorm Dragon loses one of its effects, but that doesn't matter."

"Twistcobra's effect activates!" Go reminded him in turn. "Since it left the field, I add Gouki Suprex from my Deck to my hand."

"That doesn't matter either," Morningstar said, smiling. "It's time for the final act! Datastorm Dragon, attack Gouki Destroy Ogre! Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon sent a blast of blue energy at Destroy Ogre, but Destroy Ogre could not negate its destruction as it exploded.

"Since Datastorm Dragon points to at least two monsters, all battle damage you take is halved."

 **Go: 2900→2200 LP**

"Since a monster Thunder Ogre points to was destroyed by battle," Go said. "Thunder Ogre gains 400 attack points!" Thunder Ogre glowed red.

 **Gouki Thunder Ogre: 2200→2600**

"That isn't enough," Morningstar said. "Battle! Datastorm Dragon, attack Gouki Thunder Ogre! Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon sent a final blast of blue energy, this time vaporizing Thunder Ogre, leaving Go defenseless.

 **Go: 2200→1800 LP**

"And now I activate Datastorm Dragon's final effect!" Morningstar said. "Since it points to at least two monsters, at the end of the Battle Phase, I can inflict 500 points of damage to my opponent for each monster that it destroyed, either by its effect or through battle!"

"What?" Go said, his eyes widening. Now he understood why Morningstar attacked all his monsters.

"Datastorm Dragon destroyed four monsters this Battle Phase," Morningstar said. "That mean you take 2000 points of damage! Go, Datastorm Dragon! Digital Deletion!"

Datastorm Dragon gathered red energy in its mouth that it fired at Go. Go shouted as he fell off his D-Board.

 **Go: 1800→0 LP**

"T-The match is over!" the MC commented. "A nigh impossible comeback in Charisma Duelist Go Onizuka vs. Morningstar's match! The rookie Morningstar defeated Go Onizuka! Just like Playmaker before him! What match is next? Morningstar vs. Playmaker?"

"No," Yusaku said. "He has skill, and I'm curious about his Cyberse monsters, but there is no reason for us to duel."

Go had landed on a nearby rooftop, relatively unharmed. He stood up and laughed. "I lost!" he said and smiled. This duel had been almost as fun as his duel with Playmaker.

Morningstar landed on the same rooftop and smiled. "I have to admit, I enjoyed that more than I expected," he said. "I liked your duel with Playmaker. The continuing back and forth, it was impressive."

"As are you, Morningstar," Go said, then narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure there is no relation between you and Playmaker? Both of you use Cyberse monsters, and your strategies are very similar to each other."

"I've never met Playmaker," Morningstar said. "Or at least, I've never met him in LINK VRAINS. For all I know, I might know his real self and not know it. As for our monsters and strategies, I think those go hand in hand: Cyberse monsters focus on Link Summoning. I can't say more than that."

Go nodded, thoughtful, then he remembered something. "Oh right! The ante! If you win, I tell you who provided me the cage program."

"Yes, please, tell me." Though Morningstar had his suspicions about who it was.

"Akira Zaizen, SOL's security chief," Go said. Morningstar had thought so, but this confirmed it. Oh well, at least he got a great duel out of it.

"Go," Morningstar said, raising his Duel Disk. He pressed a few buttons and said, "This is my end of the bargain."

"Eh?" Go asked. "What did you just do?"

"I made a donation to your orphanage," Morningstar said, surprising Go. "Even if I won, I enjoyed it a great deal. I consider that worth something more than thanks."

Go smiled. "You want to duel Playmaker as well, don't you?"

"Yes," Morningstar said. "I've been hired to retrieve his AI, and I intend to do so."

"Good luck," Go said. "You'll need it." He turned around and logged out, Morningstar doing the same thing.

* * *

Cam turned to Yasutake as he exited the sealed room. "The money you donated, where'd you get it?"

"It was the reward Bishop gave me for dealing with that Knight of Hanoi," Yasutake said. "They won't be able to trace the account back to me. SOL already tried and failed."

Cam smirked. "I overheard what Go said. Akira Zaizen. You already knew, didn't you?"

"He was my top suspect, yes," Yasutake said. "But I needed confirmation."

"Uh huh," Cam said, his smirk getting wider. "You wouldn't use that as an excuse just to get a duel out of Go, would you?"

"Me?" Yasutake said, his eyes wide and innocent. "Never. I am the image of a consummate professional."

"Uh huh," Cam said, then he reached into Cam's bag and pulled out his tablet. He unlocked it and opened the last thing looked at: a certain dating sim game.

"I thought you hated these things," Cam said, trying to hold in a laugh.

Yasutake growled and snatched the tablet away. "Give me that! I can't help it! This game is infuriating! I refuse to quit until I've managed to get at least one girl in this game!"

"And what's your score so far?"

Yasutake remained silent before admitting, "Zero."

Cam laughed at the humiliated look on Yasutake's face. He was going to enjoy teasing Yasu about this.

* * *

 **Go Onizuka vs. Morningstar**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Go Onizuka**

Go Normal Summons Gouki Suprex (1800/0/4). As Suprex was Normal Summoned, Go activates its effect, allowing him to Special Summon a "Gouki" monster from his hand. He Special Summons Gouki Riscorpio (2300/0/5) in Attack Position. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Sets one card. Since he controls no monsters and Go does, he Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) from his hand. Since Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, Morningstar adds Cyspirit Navigator to his hand. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Navigator (1300/1100/3) from his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Cyspirit Swordsman: 1200→1500) (Cyspirit Navigator: 1300→1600) (Cyspirit Lancer: 1800→2100). Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Gathering. This turn, when a "Cyspirit" monster battles a monster with more ATK than it, the attacking monster isn't destroyed, Morningstar takes no battle damage, and the attacked monster loses ATK equal to the attacking monster's ATK. He attacks Riscorpio with Cyspirit Swordsman, and due to the effect of Cyspirit Gathering, Swordsman isn't destroyed and Riscorpio loses 1500 ATK (Gouki Riscorpio: 2300→800). Morningstar attacks Gouki Suprex with Cyspirit Lancer, destroying it (Go: 4000→3700 LP). As Suprex was sent from the field to the Graveyard, Go activates its effect, letting him add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Gouki Twistcobra. Morningstar attacks Gouki Riscorpio with Cyspirit Navigator, destroying it (Go: 3700→2900 LP). As Riscorpio was sent from the field to the Graveyard, Go activates its effect, letting him add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Gouki Headbatt. Go activates his Skill, Fighting Spirit, letting him Special Summon all "Gouki" monsters that were destroyed by battle this turn to his field. He Special Summons Suprex (1800/0/4) and Riscorpio (2300/0/5). Morningstar activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cypspirit Sacrifice, Tributing his 3 "Cyspirit" monsters to draw 3 cards. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Go Onizuka**

Go draws. He Normal Summons Gouki Twistcobra (1600/0/3). Go uses Riscorpio, Suprex, and Twistcobra to Link Summon Gouki Thunder Ogre (2200/3/↙↑↘) in the Extra Monster Zone. As Riscorpio, Suprex, and Twistcobra were sent to the Graveyard, their effects activate, which each allow Go to add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds a second Suprex, Gouki Re-Match, and a second Riscorpio. He activates the effect of Gouki Thunder Ogre, which lets the turn player Normal Summon 1 monster to a zone it points to in addition to their Normal Summon/Set. Go Normal Summons his second Gouki Suprex (1800/0/4), whose effect lets Go Special Summon his second Gouki Riscorpio (2300/0/5).

Go activates Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Gouki Twistcobra from his Graveyard. He activates the Equip Spell Link Unit, and equips it to Gouki Riscorpio. If Riscorpio is used to Link Summon, it counts as 2 Link Materials. Go uses Gouki Twistcobra, Gouki Suprex, and the Gouki Riscorpio treated as 2 materials to Link Summon Gouki Destroy Ogre (2800/4/←↙→↘) to the zone Thunder Ogre points to.

Go activates Gouki Re-Match, allowing him to Special Summon two "Gouki" monsters from his Graveyard in Defense Position. Go Special Summons Riscorpio (2300/0/5) and Twistcobra (1600/0/3) in Defense Position. Go activates the effect of Twistcobra, allowing him to Tribute a "Gouki" monster to increase the ATK of another "Gouki" monster he controls by the Tributed monster's ATK. Go Tributes "Riscorpio" and targets Destroy Ogre (2800→5100). Go activates the effect of the Headbatt in his hand, letting him send another "Gouki" monster from his hand to the Graveyard, Special Summon Headbatt and target another Gouki monster he controls, increasing its ATK by 800. He sends a second Twistcobra to the Graveyard, Special Summons Headbatt (800/0/2) in Defense Position and targets Destroy Ogre (5100→5900).

Gouki Destroy Ogre attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Cyspirit Lineage, Special Summoning Cyspirit Lancer from his Graveyard in Attack Position (1800/0/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (1800→2100). Destroy Ogre attacks and destroys Cyspirit Lancer (Morningstar: 4000→200 LP). Since the Summoned monster left the field, Cyspirit Lineage destroys itself and lets Morningstar add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Linker. Morningstar activates his Skill, Cyberse Revolution, letting him Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster from his Deck whose Level is less than the Level of the destroyed monster. He Special Summons Cyspirit Teleporter (500/1500/3) in Defense Position. Thunder Ogre attacks and destroys Cyspirit Teleporter. Go ends his turn, and the ATK of Destroy Ogre returns to normal (Destroy Ogre: 5900→2800).

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in his Graveyard, banishing it to Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Graveyard. He Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3). Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call, adding Cyspirit Dancer to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2). Since it was Normal Summoned, Dancer lets Morningstar Special Summon 1 Level 2 or below "Cyspirit" monster from his hand or Deck. He Special Summons Cyspirit Changer from his hand (200/100/1).

Morningstar uses Cyspirit Changer to Link Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600/1/↙) to the Extra Monster Zone. He activates the effect of Egregious Electrician, moving the Cyspirit Dancer it points at to another Monster Zone and Special Summoning Cyspirit Wanderer (1900/200/5) from his hand to the zone Egregious Electrician points to. Since Cyspirit Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, it can lower the ATK of 1 of Go's monsters by 800. Morningstar targets Destroy Ogre (Destroy Ogre: 2800→2000). Morningstar uses the Link 1 Cyspirit Egregious Electrician, Cyspirit Swordsman, and Cyspirit Wanderer to Link Summon Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400/3/↙↑→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the Continuous Spell Card Cyspirit Link-Up, which allows all "Cyspirit" Link Monsters to attack twice per turn, but all battle damage Go takes is halved. Morningstar activates Pied Pikeman's effect, changing the battle position of the Twistcobra it points to and destroying Cyspirit Link-Up. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700/800/4) from his hand to the zone Pied Pikeman points to. Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyberse Call in his Graveyard, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Navigator (1300/1100/3) from his Graveyard. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Dancer and the Link 3 Pied Pikeman to Link Summon Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone.

Since Cyspirit Dancer was used for the Link Summon of a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Datastorm Dragon gains 600 ATK (Datastorm Dragon: 2800→3400). Since Datastorm Dragon points to at least 1 monster, only Link Monsters can declare an attack. Since it points to at least 3 monsters, if it attacks a non-Link Monster and that monster isn't destroyed by battle, that monster is destroyed, but since it points to at least 2 monsters, all battle damage it inflicts is halved. Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Link-Up in his Graveyard, banishing it and targeting his Datastorm Dragon for its effect. Datastorm Dragon can now attack every monster Go controls once each, but if it attacks a non-Link Monster, the battle damage will be negated. Datastorm Dragon attacks Headbatt, but the effect of Destroy Ogre prevents its destruction. Datastorm Dragon's effect activates, and Headbatt is destroyed. The effect of Headbatt activates as it was sent from the field to the GY, allowing Go to add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. Go adds Gouki Re-Match. Datastorm Dragon attacks Twistcobra, but the effect of Destroy Ogre prevents its destruction and Cyspirit Link-Up's effect prevents Go from taking battle damage. Datastorm Dragon's effect activates, and Datastorm Dragon destroys Twistcobra. The effect of Twistcobra activates as it was sent from the field to the GY, allowing Go to add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. Go adds Gouki Suprex. Datastorm Dragon attacks Gouki Destroy Ogre, destroying it, but inflicting half damage because of its effect (Go: 2900→2200 LP). Since a monster it points to was destroyed, Thunder Ogre gains 400 ATK (Thunder Ogre: 2200→2600). Datastorm Dragon attacks Gouki Thunder Ogre, destroying it (Go: 2200→1800 LP). Morningstar activates the effect of Datastorm Dragon. Since it points to at least 2 monsters, at the end of the Battle Phase, it inflicts 500 damage to Go for every monster it destroyed this turn. Datastorm Dragon destroyed 4 monsters, so Go takes 2000 damage (Go: 1800→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Swordsman  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1200 DEF 900 Level: 3  
_ _If you control no monsters and your opponent does, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). If this monster is Special Summoned by its own effect: you can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Swordsman" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Navigator  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1300 DEF 1100 Level: 3  
_ _If you control a "Cyspirit" monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only Special Summon "Cyspirit Navigator" once per turn this way._

 _ **Cyspirit Dancer  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1000 DEF 200 Level: 2  
_ _When this card is Normal Summoned while you control a 'Cyspirit' monster: You can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from your hand or Deck in Attack Position with its effects negated. If this card is used as material for the Link Summon of a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: The Summoned monster gains 600 ATK._

 _ **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 600 LINK-1_ ↙  
 _1 Level 2 or lower "Cyspirit" monster  
_ _Once per turn: You can target 1 "Cyspirit" monster this card points to; move that monster you control to another of your Main Monster Zones and Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your hand to the zone this card points to._

 _ **Cyspirit Wanderer  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1900 DEF 200 Level: 5  
_ _If this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card: lower the ATK of 1 of your opponent's monsters by 800. You can shuffle this card in your GY back into your Deck: Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your GY, but it cannot declare an attack this turn. You can only activate each effect of "Cyspirit" Wanderer once per turn, and only 1 effect per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2400 LINK-3_ ↙↑→  
 _2+ "Cyspirit" monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: Once per turn: you can change the battle position of a monster this card points to; destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field.  
_ _-2 or more: If this card destroys a monster in battle; you gain LP equal to half the destroyed monster's ATK.  
_ _-3: Once per turn: You can Tribute 1 monster this card points to: increase this card's ATK by the Tributed monster's ATK._

 _ **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2800 LINK-4_ ↙↑↓↘  
 _2+ "Cyspirit" Effect Monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: Only Link Monsters can declare an attack.  
_ _-2 or more: At the end of the Battle Phase: you can inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each monster this card destroyed, either by battle or its own effect. All battle damage this card inflicts is halved.  
_ _-3 or more: If this card attacks a monster, and that monster is not destroyed by battle: you can destroy that monster.  
_ _-4: You can Tribute 1 monster this card points to: shuffle 1 card on the field back into the owner's Deck._

 _ **Cyspirit Gathering Normal Spell Card  
**_ _During this turn, if a "Cyspirit" monster you control attacks an opponent's monster whose ATK is greater than your attacking monster, you take no battle damage, and the attacking monster is not destroyed. After damage calculation: reduce the ATK of the attacked monster by the ATK of the attacking monster. "Cyspirit" monsters must attack your opponent's monster with the highest ATK. Destroy all "Cyspirit" monsters you control that battled this turn during the End Phase._

 _ **Cyspirit Sacrifice Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _Tribute 1 or more "Cyspirit" monster(s) you control. Draw 1 card for each Tributed monster._

 _ **Link Unit Equip Spell Card  
**_ _Cannot be equipped to a Link Monster. If the equipped monster is used as Material for a Link Summon: it counts as 2 Link Materials._

 _ **Cyspirit Lineage Continuous Trap Card  
**_ _Activate this card by targeting 1 "Cyspirit" monster in your GY; Special Summon that target in Attack Position. You cannot target a Link Monster with this effect. When this card leaves the field, destroy that target. When that target is destroyed, destroy this card, then add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your Deck to your hand._

 _ **Cyspirit Link-Up Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _All "Cyspirit" Link Monsters you control can declare two attacks per Battle Phase. All damage your opponent takes is halved. You can banish this card in your GY and target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control: that monster can attack every monster your opponent controls, once each, but if that monster attacks a non-Link Monster, your opponent takes no battle damage from that battle. You cannot attack your opponent directly this turn._

* * *

 ** _Chap_ _ter_ _Preview_**

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 3 - Unhealed Scars_

* * *

 **Response to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thanks to sanedimentio, KettouRyuujin, and HunterHQ for reviewing the first chapter of Hidden Memories. Credit to sanedimentio for the creation of Cyspirit Pied Pikeman.

In response to KettouRyuujin's question about the Cyspirit's "shtick," the Main Monsters focus on swarming, attack manipulation, and other effects, while the Link 2 and above Link Monsters gain effects depending on how many monsters they point to. Might make them a bit overpowered, but really, what isn't in this game?

I hope you enjoyed Chapter 2 of Hidden Memories. Please post a review, as feedback is essential to the improvement of Hidden Memories.


	3. Chapter 3: Unhealed Scars

**Chapter 3: Unhealed Scars**

"You lose!"

Yasutake screamed and woke up. He was in his bed, and like every time he had this nightmare, he was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

 _Damn it_ , he thought, putting his hand to his face. _After only three days without the nightmares? Maybe I should take Cam up on that offer of sleeping pills. Maybe then I'll get some actual sleep._

As his breathing steadied, he heard a noise from the kitchen. It sounded like glasses clinking. He got out of bed and headed downstairs. Cam's house had four main levels: the bottom was Café Junpei, the second was the living room and dining room; Yasutake shared the fourth floor with Cam, and the third floor was the kitchen and Sachi's room.

Yasutake walked out into the kitchen. Cam was there, pouring a glass of water. He looked over at Yasutake as he walked over.

"Hey, Yasu," he said. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, Cam," Yasutake answered. "It was the nightmares. Always the nightmares. Why are you up?"

"Sachi," Cam said, putting the glass of water on the counter. "She has the same nightmares you do; she just has them when she's awake too." He sighed and leaned against the counter. "I don't know how much longer I can do this."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Cam was silent for a while, then said, "I'm not sure. Some part of me wants to pack up and just leave, get away from all this. But then I think of you and Sachi, and I know I can't leave. I just… I want to believe that there's something I can do for Sachi, something that can make her smile again."

Yasutake looked out the kitchen's window at the night life of Den City. "I want that too," he said. "After all this time, I want the same things for her that you want. I want her to smile, I want her to attend school with me, I want her to make friends and laugh with them. But…" his eyes narrowed in sadness. "…It's not going to happen."

"When I think of what happened to you and Sachi," Cam said, his voice low and angry. "I want nothing more than to find out who would do that to children. Who the _hell_ would take you from your lives and use you in some twisted experiment. I want to find out why they would do such a thing, and then…"

"Would you kill them?" Yasutake asked him. Cam started and stared at Yasutake with shock. Yasutake just stared back, his face blank.

"I genuinely don't know," Cam said. "That's scary, isn't it? Though, it would feel good to punch that bastard's face in." He took the glass of water and walked towards Sachi's room.

"Wait." Cam turned and looked at Yasutake, who walked over and reached out. "Let me bring it to her. You work tomorrow, and I'm not going to get more sleep anyways."

"Are you sure? Seeing her like this…"

"I see it every time I look in the mirror." Cam hesitated, then gave the glass to Yasutake. Before Yasutake could walk into Sachi's room, though, Cam asked him a question.

"You ever think about finding out more about who was behind the incident? About looking for them?"

"Yes," Yasutake said. "But what good would that do? All it would do is cause more pain. And what you said about what you'd do to them… I feel the same way. I don't want to find out what I'd do if I was in that situation.

"No," he said, determination evident in his face. "It's best to try and move on. Even if it takes my whole life… I will not let these nightmares ruin my future. Not anymore." He walked towards Sachi's room as Cam headed back to his.

Yasutake knocked on the door, then opened it and walked in. He knew Sachi wouldn't answer his knock, but it was an old habit. Her room was even emptier than his. There was only a bed, a nightstand, and a rocking chair, with a door in the side of the room leading to a bathroom.

Sachi was sitting on the bed, legs drawn up with her arms wrapped around them. She was about a head shorter than Yasutake and thinner than him. Her long hair, the same dark green as her brother's, was hanging loosely around her head, contrasting the pigtails they were up in during the day; while her bangs, a lighter green than the rest of her hair, were spread to either side of her face so she could see.

Sachi was shaking and breathing heavily, staring off into space. Yasutake hated seeing her like this. It wasn't fair in any way. He wondered why he could function, albeit poorly, in the outside world while she could only leave this room to use the bathroom.

"Sachi," he said softly. She didn't respond to his voice. She just kept rocking back and forth, her breath ragged. He looked at her eyes. They were wavering, their bright blue color complementing her pale skin and thin face. "It's me. It's Yasu."

She didn't respond to him. She never responded to anyone. Every time the therapists came by, they'd talk to her, and she'd just stare off into space. The medical tests she'd taken were the only reason Yasutake knew she wasn't deaf. She just couldn't hear anyone over the nightmares in her head.

"I brought you water," he said, placing the glass on the nightstand by her bed. "Was it the same again? The same dream?"

Sachi didn't answer or acknowledge him in any way. He was used to this. Whenever she woke up in the middle of the night, he and Cam would stay by her side, talking to her until she fell back asleep. Yasutake didn't know if she actually understood him, or if she remembered what he said. He just knew that it calmed him down.

"I had a fun duel in LINK VRAINS yesterday," he told her. He'd told her before about his work as Morningstar. She never left the house and no one save the therapists ever saw her, so it was safe to tell her about that. "I dueled Go Onizuka, LINK VRAINS's #1 duelist. And I defeated him, too. It was a Speed Duel. I've always wanted to have one of those. It was exhilarating."

He paused, then continued. "I have a new contract. SOL hired me to retrieve an AI from a duelist called Playmaker. I think you'd like him. He's really serious, and his dueling style is similar to mine. He even uses Cyberse monsters like I do."

He stopped and looked at Sachi. Was it his imagination or had her eyes shown a little light at the mention of Cyberse? Something like this happened every now and then; when Yasutake would talk about his Cyspirit monsters, sometimes it almost seemed like Sachi was paying attention. Then her eyes would dim and Yasutake knew nothing had happened.

"I'm excited to duel Playmaker," he said. "He's a strong opponent, but he only fights the Knights of Hanoi. I don't know how I'm going to lure him out. Maybe I'll try what Go did and use a Knight of Hanoi avatar on him. But I can't be certain he'll fall for the same trick twice. I could send him a message… Cam got his hands on some code that might let me contact him, but that's risky too."

He sighed and looked at Sachi sadly. She was breathing regularly now, but her eyes were the same as before. "I don't know why," he said softly. "But ever since Playmaker showed up, I feel like… something has changed. I'm not sure just what, but something has. And nothing will be the same anymore."

* * *

Yasutake walked down the sidewalk to Den Academy, stifling a yawn. He'd stayed with Sachi till she'd fallen asleep again, then he'd gone back to his bed. He hadn't gotten any sleep, but he was used to that. So long as he didn't fall asleep in class again, he'd be alright. He groaned at the thought of dealing with Aoi Zaizen and Naoki Shima again. There was a Duel Club meeting before classes started, and he had to attend. Otherwise, they'd call him and talk to him. Hopefully, he'd be able to hide out in the corner and they would ignore him.

He stopped at the traffic signal and closed his eyes. He wasn't cut out for this. If not for Cam wanting him to make friends, he'd quit. Well, that and not wanting to upset Aoi. Something about her… she reminded Yasutake somewhat of Sachi. That in turn gave him an instinct to protect her.

"Yasutake Narahiko, right?"

He opened his eyes and looked to the left at the sound of the voice. It was Aoi Zaizen, wearing her Duel Disk. Her face was expressionless as she said, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Yasutake eventually said, then turned back to the crossing as the light changed. He walked across, as did Aoi. Apparently, she was taking the same path to school as him, so she'd decided to walk to school with him. He cursed his luck. She was the last person he wanted to talk to today. Granted, he didn't want to talk to anyone, save Cam, at any time, but she was near the bottom of the list, right above Naoki.

"Why did you want to join Duel Club?" she asked him. He raised an eyebrow. Did she talk to everyone like that, or just him? And if it was just him, should he be offended or flattered?

"I didn't," he said simply. He didn't notice, but she was surprised by his bluntness. "Shima essentially forced me to. And I'm staying because a friend wants me to get out more."

"Hmm," she said. "That… wasn't the answer I was expecting."

"What were you expecting? For me to say I love dueling? I don't."

"No, I wasn't expecting you to say that. It's obvious from your face that you don't enjoy it."

He stopped walking and turned to her. Her face was as blank as his. "And what do you mean by that?" he asked.

"You know exactly what I mean," she said, resuming walking to school. He did too, with his longer legs making it easy to catch up. "I was expecting you to bring up my brother."

"Akira Zaizen, SOL's security chief," he said in a bored tone. "What does he have to do with your expectation of my answer to your question?" He frowned a little at that, wondering if his sentence made sense.

Apparently it did, because she said, "That's why all the others approach me. 'Can I have the new Duel Disk?' 'Can I get a job at SOL when I graduate?'" She looked down as she stopped walking. "I'm used to fake friends. They just want to use me to advance themselves. But it's pointless. My brother doesn't trust me."

She looked up and started with surprise. Yasutake hadn't stopped when she had and was still walking to school. "O-Oi!" she said, running to catch up. "Weren't you listening to me?"

"Yes," he said, still in a bored voice. "You think I'm attempting to befriend you so I can get new tech or a high-paying job, but I shouldn't bother because your brother doesn't pay attention to you."

"Y-Yes," she said, somewhat flustered. His reactions were completely different from what she was used to. "Aren't you?"

"No," he said, holding up his left hand. "There are three reasons your premise is flawed. One: as I said when I joined Duel Club, I already have a Duel Disk, and I am perfectly content with it. I have no need, nor desire, for a new one."

"That's-."

"Two," he continued, ignoring her attempted interruption, "I already have a job. One I enjoy because I get to work with one of the few people in this world I consider a friend. Leaving that job for another one is nonsensical and unnecessary. Three-."

 _I'm not actually trying to befriend you._ That was what he was about to say, but he stopped himself. He thought she might take it the wrong way and feel upset. He changed track right away, pausing only for a microsecond.

"I don't need you to introduce me to Akira Zaizen," he said. "I've already met him."

"What?" Aoi said, her eyes wide. "You… you've met my brother?"

"I work at a café," he said. "He used to stop by and get a box of blueberry muffins before he got promoted."

 _Blueberry muffins,_ Aoi thought, narrowing her eyes. Every Sunday, when she'd wake up, she'd find a box of blueberry muffins that her brother left her. He was allergic to blueberries.

"How do you know he was promoted?" she asked, trying to buy time to order her thoughts.

"He stopped coming by and we got pickup orders for a box of blueberry muffins every Saturday night," Yasutake answered, not noticing her expression. "It's my understanding that when a person reaches a certain level of the corporate ladder, they delegate menial tasks to others."

Aoi was silent for a few blocks, at which point they'd reached the school. "You really don't want anything from me?" she asked, her voice uncertain.

He looked her in the eyes. "No," he said. "I don't want anything from anyone." He turned from her and promptly got hit in the face with a football.

"Ahhh!" he screamed as he fell on the ground. Thankfully the contents of his bag didn't spill this time.

"I'm so sorry," someone said as they ran to him and picked up the football. "My friend and I were playing catch. He threw too far." They ran away before Yasutake could yell at them.

"Here," Aoi said, offering him her hand. He accepted and stood up, annoyed as he brushed himself off.

"First it was a soccer ball, now it's a football," he muttered. "What's next, a baseball? A basketball? A-," his eyes widened in horror. "A bowling ball? Please don't let it be a bowling ball."

"Hey, you alright, Narahiko?"

Yasutake looked up at the voice. It was Naoki Shima, who looked concerned. Yasutake arranged his face into a mask of confusion.

"Who are you again?"

"W-What?" Naoki said, the concern vanishing as his eyes blazed with anger. "Again!? I've told you my name twice now! It's Shima! Naoki Shima!"

"Quiet, Shima," Aoi told him. "You're making a scene."

Naoki looked like he wanted to keep yelling at Yasutake, but he listened to Aoi and stalked off. Aoi watched him leave, then turned back to Yasutake.

"You mentioned Shima on the way to school," she said. "You did that on purpose."

"I don't get many opportunities for humor," Yasutake said as he walked away. "I'll take what I can get."

As he walked away, he scowled to himself. _My brother doesn't trust me._ When he'd first heard that Aoi was Blue Angel, he'd wondered why she dueled. He thought she dueled for attention, for the roar of the crowd. Now he had his answer: she dueled because she wanted her brother to notice her.

What a stupid reason to duel. She didn't think her brother loved her. How could she possible think that? He'd lived with Cam and Sachi for ten years, and not once did he ever get the idea Cam didn't love Sachi. And even if she couldn't show it now, Cam had shown Yasutake videos of when he and Sachi were younger, and it was obvious she'd loved him then. It was the job of the brother to love the sister. No, it was more than the job, it was the duty of the brother. And Aoi thought her brother didn't love her?

 _I'm sorry, Aoi,_ he thought. _You are a good person, and very observant and intelligent. But you duel for a worthless reason. I may not know why Playmaker duels, but I know why Go and I duel. He duels to provide for children, I duel to provide for Cam and Sachi. We duel for more than ourselves, but you duel only for yourself. Until you learn to duel for more, Blue Angel, you are not worth my time._

* * *

Yasutake sat down in Duel Club, his head resting in his palm. The other members, sans Aoi and Naoki, were already there, and they were talking to each other. Yasutake did his best to ignore them. He had nothing to discuss with any of them.

The door opened, and Aoi walked in. "I'm sorry I'm late, President," she said. "I had something to do."

"It's fine, Zaizen," Hosoda said. "We were just starting. Shima hasn't shown up yet either."

 _He's probably avoiding me,_ Yasutake idly thought. Naoki had been angry when he'd left Aoi and Yaustake, so it made sense he wouldn't want to see Yasutake right now. Which was perfectly fine with him.

To his surprise, Aoi sat next to him. What was that about? Did she think he was her friend? Wait… he'd had two conversations with her and neither had ended with her mad at him. Maybe he was her friend. He scowled internally at that. The last thing he needed was Akira Zaizen's younger sister hanging around him. Or a famous Charisma Duelist for that matter.

"Now then," Hosoda said, interrupting Yasutake's thoughts. "There's something I forgot to do last time." He turned to Yasutake. "I'm sorry, Narahiko, but we try to encourage new members to talk about themselves a bit. Would you care to tell us more about yourself?"

 _No_. That was the answer Yasutake wanted to give. But he figured they'd pester him anyways, so he might as well get it over with.

"My name is Yasutake Narahiko," he droned. "I'm 16 years old, my birthday is August 13th, and my favorite food is blackberry scones. Is there anything else you want to know?"

"Eh," Hosoda said, looking slightly uncomfortable. "N-No, that's fine. Thank you for shar-."

"We just talked the other day! Shima! Naoki Shima!"

Everyone looked at the door, with Yasutake raising an eyebrow. Did someone else keep forgetting Naoki's name? If so, he'd have to compliment them on their wonderful sense of humor.

"Oh!" someone said. Whoever it was, they were male and had a deep voice "I didn't realize this room was the Duel Club!" Yasutake fought the urge to snicker. Whoever this guy was, he was a terrible liar.

"Stop acting dumb!" they heard Naoki say as Hosoda headed for the door. "This place isn't for a loser who has no interest in LINK VRAINS!"

Hosoda opened the door, and after a short conversation, two people followed him inside. One was Naoki, who looked particularly annoyed and upset. The second was a tall thin freshman with fair skin, green eyes, and dark blue hair that spiked outwards in the back with light blue bangs that had pink accents.

Yasutake frowned a little. This boy looked familiar. Where had he… Oh right! This was the guy Naoki had been talking to before Go showed up disguised as a Knight of Hanoi. No wonder he looked uncomfortable.

The boy stood between Hosoda and Naoki up front and said, "I'm freshman Yusaku Fujiki." He bowed low. Even though when he'd entered, he'd looked uncomfortable, he looked completely calm now. Yasutake narrowed his eyes. That voice… he felt like he'd heard it before, but he couldn't say where from.

"Narahiko?"

He started and looked around him. The others were staring at him and he realized he had to introduce himself. "Freshman Narahiko," he said to Yusaku. "Welcome." He promptly closed his eyes and put his head in his palm again.

"Sorry about him," Hosoda said to Yusaku. "He's, eh…"

"Don't worry about it," Yusaku said.

Yasutake listened as Sato changed the subject and showed Yusaku his Duel Disk and as Yusaku said Naoki had bragged about it. That didn't surprise Yasutake. Naoki was one of those people who compensated for self-doubt by being loud and showing off.

"A card insertion-type Duel Disk?" Yasutake looked up at that comment of Aoi's. She was looking at Yusaku's wrist, where he had a red, white, and blue Duel Disk. It was the same model as Yasutake's, only a different color. "It's the same as Playmaker's."

Yasutake rolled his eyes at Aoi's comment. She'd said the same thing to him when they'd talked. He wondered whether or not she'd ask to see his Deck.

Sure enough, she did ask, and Yusaku gave it to her. Out of curiosity, Yasutake leaned over enough so that he could see Yusaku's cards. He raised an eyebrow. What the…? Reinforcements? Hoshiningen? _Neo the Magic Swordsman_? This was the Deck of an amateur duelist! If Yasutake didn't know better, he'd say this Deck was intentionally built bad.

Wait a minute… Yasutake looked at Yusaku's Duel Disk again. Now that he thought about it, he'd gotten some close-ups of Playmaker's Duel Disk before, and it had been red, white, and blue. Could it be…?

Yasutake's thoughts were interrupted by an obnoxious laugh. He looked up and saw Naoki holding Yusaku's cards and laughing at how pathetic they were. Yasutake scowled at that. Even if that Deck was poorly built, that was no reason to mock it. If his suspicions were right, that Deck was a decoy Deck like Yasutake's. Except that Yasutake's was actually well-built.

He smirked to himself as Hosoda berated Naoki. Good to know that the President's heart was in the right place.

As the meeting started, Yasutake moved over to a seat in the corner, away from Aoi, Naoki, and Yusaku. He couldn't help but notice that Yusaku sat behind Aoi. Did he have a crush on her? Well, good for Aoi. She was pretty, and she could use some happiness. Yasutake hoped for her sake his suspicions were wrong. If they weren't, then Aoi had the worst luck in the world.

After going through a review of Speed Duels, Hosoda said, "Now then, since the purpose of Duel Club is to improve our skills, I think it is very important to have a practical demonstration."

"A duel?" Naoki said, panicking. "In LINK VRAINS?"

"Are you okay, Shima?" Yasutake asked him, his voice neutral but inside he was enjoying the look of panic on Naoki's face. "You look a tad pale."

Naoki grit his teeth, then said, "I-I just think that LINK VRAINS is a sacred place. Us dueling there would be rude to the Charisma Duelists. Besides, the Knights of Hanoi have been more active lately. What happens if they show up?"

"Then we'll rely on Playmaker to save us," Aoi said calmly. "What exactly are you thinking of, President?"

"I was thinking of a duel," Hosoda said. "Since they spoke up first, how about Shima and Narahiko be the ones who duel?"

Yasutake shrugged. "Fine with me. I've never been to LINK VRAINS before, but it sounds interesting." His Duel Disk had a special function that would let him keep his own appearance in LINK VRAINS if he wanted. He wouldn't give away his identity as Morningstar that easily.

"I don't mean a duel in LINK VRAINS," Hosoda said, confusing Aoi and Yasutake. "Shima is right. With Hanoi's appearance, LINK VRAINS is not entirely safe." He walked over to a shelf and pulled something down from it. "I was thinking the two of you would duel with these."

It was two VR headsets, one blue and one red. "Even without Hanoi, a duel in LINK VRAINS can potentially be dangerous if you take too much damage. These won't hurt at all. So, you want to do it?"

"Sure," Naoki said, smiling in relief. "I haven't used the old VR headsets in a while. This should be nostalgic."

Hosoda smiled and nodded at Naoki, then turned to Yasutake. "Oh," he said, his smile disappearing and his brow furrowing in concern. "Is something wrong, Narahiko?"

Yasutake was staring at the VR headsets, his fists clenched and shaking. Images came back to him. A duel field, a red screen with two words on it.

" _You lose_!"

A blue and purple eye staring down at him.

"Narahiko?"

He started and turned to the voice. It was Aoi, her concern evident. "Is something wrong?"

Yasutake moved his mouth, feeling like he was watching from outside. "No, everything's fine. I'll duel with that." Unknown to him, Yusaku was also looking at the VR headsets with the same expression on his face.

"Good!" Hosoda said, looking relieved. "Let's head somewhere with more room."

* * *

"I didn't know we had a soccer field," Yasutake commented as he looked around. Then he felt stupid for saying that. He'd gotten hit in the head a few days ago with a soccer ball; of course they had a field. He hadn't seen many, having no interest in sports; he assumed this one was a standard field, with white lines and big nets at either end of the field and bleachers wrapped around the other two sides.

He and Naoki stood fairly close to the bleachers. The field was huge, and they didn't need much room. Only enough to move around. Hosoda, Sato, Suzuki, and Tanaka were sitting down near the middle of the bleachers, about equal distance between Naoki and Yasutake. Yusaku sat in the back row, far enough away from the others that they wouldn't hear him if he talked in a low voice. Aoi sat in the front row, close to Yasutake. He found himself wondering why. He got his answer soon enough.

"Are you sure about this, Narahiko?" Aoi asked him. "You're very pale."

Truth be told, Yasutake wasn't sure. He held the VR headset in his hands, looking at it. This thing… even if it wasn't the same one he'd worn back in that place, it was far too similar. He closed his eyes. No, he would not let the incident take this from him. He would overcome this.

"I'm fine," he said to Aoi. "Don't worry."

"Remember, this is a Master Duel, not a Speed Duel," Hosoda said. "And since this is VR, we'll be using our Duel Disks to see the cards on the field. Are you two ready?"

"I'm ready, President," Naoki said. He was already wearing the red headset as he gave a thumbs-up. Yasutake in turn didn't say anything as he put the headset on. The display activated, with the word "DUEL" flashing past as the field appeared.

"Duel!" Naoki and Yasutake shouted.

 **Naoki Shima: 4000 LP**

 **Yasutake Narahiko: 4000 LP**

"I shall take the first turn!" Naoki said, waving his hand in front of him. Cards didn't appear physically, but they did in the VR he was looking at. He looked at his cards, smirked, then played one.

"I activate the Field Spell: World Legacy in Shadow!" The card appeared in the Field Spell Zone. It showed a massive suit of armor being overrun by insects with glowing eyes. "As long as this card is in play, all 'Krawler' monsters on the field gain 300 attack and defense points!"

 _Krawler?_ Yasutake thought. _And World Legacy? Talk about irony…_

"That isn't my Field Spell's only effect," Naoki told Yasutake. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 2 or lower Insect monster from my hand in face-up or face-down Defense Position." He selected another of his cards. "Thanks to its effect, I Special Summon Krawler Receptor in face-down Defense Position!" He then selected two more cards. "I Set one monster and one card. I end my turn." He smirked at Yasutake. "So, how was that, Narahiko? Bet you don't think I'm a bad duelist now!"

Yasutake didn't reply, too busy thinking about his counterattack. Krawler monsters were Flip monsters, with effects that activated when flipped face-up. And they all also had an effect that summoned more of them if they were destroyed by card effects while face-up.

It was Naoki's Field Spell that was the real problem, however. If a Flip monster was destroyed by battle, Naoki could send the monster that destroyed it to the Graveyard. There were ways around that, but…

Yasutake grimaced internally. He didn't want to show off his real skills. If they suspected what he could really do, then his secret would be in jeopardy. No, he had to play amateurishly.

Unlike Naoki's, Yasutake's cards were physical, so he put his hand on his Duel Disk and said, "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his new card, but before he could do anything, Naoki said, "Continuous Trap activate! World Legacy Pawns!" The card showed two monsters facing an insect army while seven lights shone in the background. "Once per turn, I can either change one face-down monster I control to face-up Attack or Defense Position, or I can shuffle one 'Krawler' monster from my Graveyard into my Main Deck and change one face-up monster to face-down Defense Position. I use its effect to change Krawler Receptor to face-up Defense Position!"

One of the insects that was in the picture of Naoki's Field Spell appeared on his field.

 **Krawler Receptor ATK 900 DEF 1200 LVL: 2**

"And thanks to World Legacy in Shadow, Receptor gains 300 attack and defense points!"

 **Krawler Receptor ATK 900** → **1200 DEF 1200** → **1500**

"And now the Flip Effect of Receptor activates! I add one 'Krawler' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Krawler Spine to my hand!"

The cards in Yasutake's hand appeared on the VR screen as he looked through them. Even if he couldn't show his true skills, he would have to show some of them; this Deck was too difficult for a sub-standard duelist to use.

He took a card from his hand and played it. "I activate the Field Spell: World Legacy Scars!" The card appeared in his Field Spell Zone, and it showed two warriors looking down on a massive shield. "Now, all 'Mekk-Knight' monsters gain 300 attack and defense points!"

"Mekk-Knight?" the AI in Yusaku's Duel Disk asked. "What kind of archetype is that?"

"A complicated one," Yusaku answered. The two of them were far away enough from the others that they wouldn't overhear them. "And we're about to see it in action."

"Eh?" Naoki said, surprised. "A 'World Legacy' card? You have those, too?"

"Yes. I activate the second effect of World Legacy Scars!" Yasutake said. "By discarding one 'Mekk-Knight' monster or one 'World Legacy' card, I draw one card. I discard Mekk-Knight Green Horizon." He drew, look at it, then played it. "I Special Summon Mekk-Knight Red Moon!" The monster he summoned was a white mechanical giant with red lines all over it carrying a massive axe.

 **Mekk-Knight Red Moon ATK 2300 DEF 2600 LVL: 7**

"What?" Naoki said, shocked. "You-you can't summon a Level 7 monster without Tributing! That's cheating!"

"No, it isn't," Yasutake said. "All 'Mekk-Knight' monsters have an ability that lets me Special Summon them from the hand. All that is required is two or more cards in the same column."

"Two or more?" Naoki said, looking at the field. Sure enough, Red Moon had been summoned to the same column as Krawler Receptor and World Legacy Pawns.

"And since Red Moon is a 'Mekk-Knight,' my Field Spell increases its attack and defense points by 300."

 **Mekk-Knight Red Moon ATK 2300→2600 DEF 2600→2900**

"Now I activate the effect of Red Moon. By banishing a 'Mekk-Knight' monster from my Graveyard, I can destroy one face-up card in the same column as it. I banish Green Horizon from my Graveyard to destroy your Krawler Receptor!"

The card representing Receptor shattered on the VR field, which made Naoki laugh. "You just activated my Receptor's effect! If it's face-up and left the field because of an opponent's card effect, I can Special Summon two 'Krawler' monsters with different names from my Deck in face-down Defense Position!" He chose two cards, and played both face-down. "I summon Krawler Dendrite and Krawler Ranvier!"

 _Of course you did,_ Yasutake thought. Since the Mekk-Knights required precise control to use effectively, he decided to make an amateurish move to make Naoki think his skills were average. And he was about to do so again.

"Battle! Red Moon, attack the face-down monster on the left!" The card flipped up, revealing another insect monster, but this one was humanoid with large arms and four legs. It was Krawler Dendrite.

 **Krawler Dendrite ATK 1300→1600 DEF 600→900 LVL: 2**

"The Flip Effect of Dendrite activates! I can send one monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Krawler Axon from my Deck to the Graveyard." After that, Red Moon destroyed Dendrite, which made Naoki laugh.

"You haven't faced a Krawler deck before, have you? Since you destroyed a Flip monster, World Legacy in Shadow sends the monster that destroyed mine to the Graveyard! Say goodbye to Red Moon!" The card in Yasutake's Main Monster Zone moved to the Graveyard, leaving his field bare. Yasutake remained calm, however.

"I Set one card," he said. "I end my turn."

"Yes!" Naoki said. "I will win this duel this turn! My turn! Draw!" He looked at his cards, smirked, then said, "I Flip Summon Krawler Ranvier!"

 **Krawler Ranvier ATK 1100→1400 DEF 900→1200 LVL: 2**

"Ranvier's Flip Effect! I can add up to two 'Krawler' monsters from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Axon and Receptor from my Graveyard to my hand." He did so, then said, "I Flip Summon Krawler Glial!"

 **Krawler Glial ATK 700→1000 DEF 1500→1800 LVL: 2**

"Glial's Flip Effect! I can Special Summon one 'Krawler' monster from my hand or Graveyard in face-up Attack Position or face-down Defense Position. I summon Krawler Axon in Attack Position!"

 **Krawler Axon ATK 500→800 DEF 1800→2100 LVL: 2**

"Now I activate World Legacy in Shadow's effect, and Special Summon Krawler Spine!"

 **Krawler Spine ATK 300→600 DEF 2100→2400 LVL: 2**

"Finally, I Normal Summon Krawler Receptor!"

 **Krawler Receptor ATK 900→1200 DEF 1200→1500 LVL: 2**

"Oh!" Ai said. "He has five monsters on his field! The annoying one is actually pretty good!"

"Be quiet," Yusaku said, narrowing his eyes. Naoki had shown some skill, but he had made a basic error. He could have used Glial's effect to summon Spine face-down, then use World Legacy Pawns to flip it face-up, activating its Flip Effect and destroying Yasutake's face-down card. Since he didn't do that, Yasutake might survive this turn.

"Now it's my turn to use this!" Naoki said. "Just like Playmaker! Appear, circuit of darkness!" A Link portal appeared on the VR field. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Krawler' monsters! I set Krawlers Glial and Ranvier in the Link Markers!" The two monsters entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows of the portal, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! X-Krawler Qualiark!" His Link Monster was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone, and it looked like an insect helicopter.

 **X-Krawler Qualiark ATK 2000→2300 LINK-2** ↙↘

"So, how do you like this?" Naoki said, smirking. "This is one of my Link monsters!"

"Fascinating," Yasutake said, not bothering to pretend interest. Apparently, this annoyed Naoki.

"Oi! Don't condescend to me! You have no monsters on your field! If I attack you directly, you'll lose!"

" _You lose!_ "

Yasutake gasped and put his hand up to his head on hearing that. Aoi looked at him with concern, but Naoki couldn't see that his words had an effect on Yasutake.

"I activate Qualiark's effect! Since I control at least two 'Krawler' monsters, all monsters I control gain 300 attack and defense points!"

 **Krawler Axon ATK 800→1100 DEF 2100→2400**

 **Krawler Receptor ATK 1200→1500 DEF 1500→1800**

 **Krawler Spine ATK 600→900 DEF 2400→2700**

 **X-Krawler Qualiark ATK 2300→2600**

"Appear, circuit of darkness!" Another portal appeared again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Krawler' monsters! I set Krawlers Axon and Spine in the Link Markers!" The two insects entered the left and right arrows of the portal, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! X-Krawler Neurogos!" A blue and red scorpion-like monster was summoned to Qualiark's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **X-Krawler Neurogos ATK 1900→2500 LINK-2 ←→**

"Neurogos increases the attack and defense points of all 'Krawler' monsters it points to by 300! It points to Receptor, so Receptor becomes stronger!"

 **Krawler Receptor ATK 1500→1800 DEF 1800→2100**

 _Another error,_ Yusaku thought, mentally rolling his eyes. If Naoki had four or more 'Krawler' monsters, Yasutake couldn't activate any card effects during the Battle Phase due to Qualiark's effect. But since Naoki wanted to show off, Yasutake could fight back.

"Next I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon!" Naoki declared. "This lets me perform a second Normal Summon this turn. I summon another Krawler Receptor to Neurogos's other Link Marker!"

 **Krawler Receptor ATK 900→1800 DEF 1200→2100 LVL: 2**

"Appear, circuit of darkness!" Yusaku raised an eyebrow. A third Link Summon? "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Krawler' monsters! I set both Krawler Receptors in the Link Markers!" His insects entered the left and right Link Markers.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! X-Krawler Synaphysis!" This insect was blue, red and greenish-yellow and was summoned to Neurogos' right Link Marker in the same column as X-Krawler Qualiark.

 **X-Krawler Synaphysis ATK 1800→2400 LINK 2 ←→**

"Due to Synaphysis's effect, all 'Krawler' monsters it points to gain 300 attack and defense points, including Neurogos!"

 **X-Krawler Neurogos ATK 2500→2800**

"Yes!" Naoki cheered. "Three Link Summons in one turn! Just like Playmaker!"

"Stop the duel," Aoi said to Hosoda.

"Huh?" he said, confused. "Why?"

"Look at Narahiko."

Hosoda looked, as did Yusaku. Yasutake was shaking and sweat was pouring down his face.

" _You lose!"_

He couldn't stop the memories. The white room. The VR headset. The little drone that brought the tray. The electric shocks…

"Shima, I think…" Hosoda started, but Naoki interrupted.

"Battle!" he declared, jolting Yasutake out of his memories. "Qualiark, attack Narahiko directly!"

"Continuous Trap activate!" Yasutake said, his voice strained. "World Legacy's Secret! This card targets one Level 5 or higher monster in my Graveyard and Special Summons it!"

"What?" Naoki said, surprised at that card.

"I summon Red Moon to my field in Attack Position!" The card reappeared on the VR field, with its attack and defense boosted by Yasutake's Field Spell.

 **Mekk-Knight Red Moon ATK 2300→2600 DEF 2600→2900 LVL: 7**

 _Attack Position?_ Yusaku wondered. _Its defense points are 2900. Why would he summon it in Attack Position? Unless…_ his eyes narrowed. _He isn't thinking straight. Zaizen is right. Something is wrong._

"I cancel Qualiark's attack," Naoki grumbled. "But that doesn't make you safe! I attack Red Moon with Neurogos!" Crimson Lotus's card shattered to indicate its destruction. Yasutake braced himself instinctively, but no shocks came as he took damage.

 **Yasutake: 4000→3800 LP**

"And now Synaphysis attacks you directly!" Again, Yasutake braced himself again, but there were no shocks this time either.

 **Yasutake: 3800→1400 LP**

Naoki laughed, then said, "I end my turn. So then, I think the result is clear! Guess I'm not a bad duelist like you thought I was, eh?"

"Shima, stop the duel," Aoi said, surprising him.

"Eh? Why? I'm winning!"

"Look at Narahiko."

Naoki lifted up the headset and looked at Yasutake. He was shaking, sweating, and breathing heavily.

 _I can't let it happen,_ he was thinking. _If I lose, I get shocked. I won't get to eat. I have to win. I. Have. To. Win._

"Oi, Narahiko, something wrong?" Naoki asked, only for Yasutake to put his hand on his Duel Disk.

"My turn! Draw!" he said mechanically. Naoki put the headset back on, surprised and confused.

"The effect of World Legacy Scars! I discard Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall to draw one card! Since X-Krawler Qualiark and X-Krawler Synaphysis are in the same column, I Special Summon Mekk-Knight Blue Sky to the same column!" The card was a man in blue and gold armor with a blue cape and two silver swords.

 **Mekk-Knight Blue Sky ATK 2000→2300 DEF 2500→2800 LVL: 5**

"Blue Sky's monster effect! When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add 'Mekk-Knight' monsters with different names from my Deck to my hand except this one equal to the number of my opponent's cards in its column. There are two cards, so I add Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse and Mekk-Knight Yellow Star to my hand."

He did so, not noticing the concerned looks on the audience's faces. He didn't notice anything about his surroundings. All he saw was the duel between him and his opponent. He couldn't even remember his opponent's name. Not that it mattered. His opponent had no name.

"Since there are two cards in the same column, in this case X-Krawler Neurogos and World Legacy Pawns, I Special Summon Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse to the same column!" This monster was a silver metal warrior with blue indents and a silver circle around it.

 **Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse ATK 2400→2700 DEF 2400→2700 LVL: 8**

"L-Level 8? Just like that?" Naoki said, surprised. Yasutake didn't hear him and continued his turn.

"Indigo Eclipse's monster effect! Once per turn, I can target one 'Mekk-Knight' monster I control, and move that monster to another Main Monster Zone! I move Indigo Eclipse itself to the far-left Main Monster Zone."

"Why would he do that?" Ai wondered.

"So he could summon another 'Mekk-Knight,'" Yusaku answered.

"X-Krawler Neurogos and World Legacy Pawns are in the same column. I Special Summon Mekk-Knight Yellow Star to the same column!" This monster was a silver monster with silver and yellow wings.

 **Mekk-Knight Yellow Star ATK 2200→2500 DEF 2800→3100 LVL: 7**

"Yellow Star's monster effect! I banish Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall in my Graveyard to target and destroy one Spell or Trap Card in Yellow Bloom's column. I destroy World Legacy Pawns!"

The card shattered on the VR field as Yusaku narrowed his eyes. Yasutake's first move had been somewhat amateurish, with him making moves that benefited Naoki. Now, however, his moves were professional. Had he been pretending to be weak? Why would he do that?

"Appear, the circuit of illumination!" Yasutake declared. The Link portal appeared on the VR screen. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Mekk-Knight' monsters! I set Blue Sky, Indigo Eclipse, and Yellow Star in the Link Markers!" His three monsters entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right Link Markers, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Descend! Link 3! Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme!" The monster that appeared was an amalgamation of various weapons all put together. The card shone with rainbow light.

 **Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme ATK 3000→3300 LINK 3** ↙↓↘

Aoi's eyes widened as Yusaku's narrowed.

"Oi!" Ai said. "That's-!"

"A Cyberse monster," Yusaku finished. Where did this guy get that? Could it be…?

"A L-Link monster with 3-3300 attack points?" Naoki said, surprised. "S-Still, that doesn't matter. The instant you destroy one of my monsters, World Legacy in Shadow will send it to the Graveyard. And when any of my X-Krawlers are destroyed in battle, I can summon two 'Krawlers' from my Graveyard in face-down Defense Position!"

"Spectrum Supreme's monster effect," Yasutake intoned. "Since it points to no monsters, it cannot be destroyed by card effects, and my opponent cannot target it with card effects."

"What?" Naoki said, surprised at such an effect. Yusaku was too.

 _This monster benefits from being alone. From forming no bonds. Morningstar's monsters gain effects the more they are linked. If this boy is Morningstar, why would he use such a monster?_

"Spectrum Supreme's second effect," Yasutake said in the same tone as before. "By sending one card I control in the same column as Spectrum Supreme to the Graveyard, I Special Summon one 'Mekk-Knight' monster from my Deck in Defense Position. I send World Legacy's Secret to the Graveyard to summon Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset to the same column as X-Krawler Qualiark." This monster was a silver, black and orange warrior carrying two massive shields.

 **Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset ATK 800→1100 DEF 3000→3300 LVL: 6**

"Spell Card: Gift of the Martyr!" Yasutake declared. "By Tributing one monster, I can increase the attack points of another monster by that monster's attack points. I Tribute Orange Sunset to increase Spectrum Supreme's attack points by 1100!"

 **Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme ATK 3300→4400**

"4-4400 attack points?" Naoki said, even more surprised. "I can take 2000 damage from that!"

"Spectrum Supreme's final effect," Yasutake intoned, causing Naoki to have a sense of dread. "While there are no cards in the same column as Spectrum Supreme, it can attack directly."

"WHAT!?" Naoki said, his eyes bugging out. That monster had 4400 attack points! If it could attack directly, that meant…

"Battle!" Yasutake declared. "Spectrum Supreme, attack my opponent directly!" Naoki breathed a sigh of disappointment as his Life Points hit 0.

 **Naoki: 4000→0 LP**

Naoki took the headset off and sighed. "You're not bad, Narahiko. You're probably the best duelist in Duel Club." He looked at Narahiko and frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Yasutake had wrestled the headset off and thrown it on the ground. He was breathing heavily, his entire body shaking. He had won, so that meant he would be fed. Wait…

He blinked. He wasn't in that place. He was at the soccer field. At Den Academy. He remembered. He'd been dueling Naoki…

Someone touched his shoulder, making him start in surprise and turn. It was Aoi, the concern on her face evident.

"Narahiko, what's wrong?" she asked him. "You're shaking. And… you look like you've seen a ghost."

Yasutake stared at her, then turned towards the school. "Excuse me," he said, heading back into the school.

 _You look like you've seen a ghost._

Not a ghost. Something far worse than that.

* * *

Yasutake splashed the water from the sink on his face and looked up at the mirror. His eyes were hollow in his face, with water running down it. If he had to describe his expression, it would be… sadness. Unbearable sadness.

He gasped as the image in the mirror changed. It was the blue and purple eye. It seemed to be mocking him.

 _You will never be free of me._

He wanted to punch that eye. But that would mean punching the mirror, and he didn't want glass in his hand. He sighed and closed his eyes.

 _Three,_ he thought. _Think of three things. Three things to live. Three things to go home. Three things to defeat the enemy. By thinking, you can still live._

 _One: Cam. Two: Sachi. Three…_

He opened his eyes. He didn't have a third person. That was annoying. Unbidden, an image of Aoi came into his mind. He shook his head. What was that? Did he think of her as… a friend? What a pointless thought. She couldn't be his friend. He sighed again.

 _It doesn't matter what I do, doesn't it? No matter how much I try to suppress those memories, they'll stay, won't they? Even so…_ His eyes set with determination. _I have to go on. I have to keep walking forward. I can't get caught up in the past. If I do, then I'll lose my future. A future where Cam and Sachi are smiling together._

He smiled at that thought. That was what he wanted most in the world: to see Cam and Sachi happy together, like they were in the videos from before the incident.

* * *

A few minutes later, he walked out of the bathroom, calmed down. He was surprised to see Aoi on the other side.

"Why are you here?" he asked. He knew it was insensitive, but he didn't care at the moment. Aoi didn't seem to either, as her expression of concern didn't change.

"I was worried," she said. "That look on your face after the duel… it was like you saw something horrible. A memory you hate."

 _She's perceptive,_ Yasutake thought. It didn't matter. There was nothing she could do to help him.

"It was a bad memory," he said. "But I'm fine now."

"No you aren't," Aoi said. "I can see it in your eyes. Whatever happened, you're suppressing it, not fixing it."

He narrowed his eyes and turned serious. "That is all I can do." He moved to walk past her, but she grabbed his arm. He raised an eyebrow.

"Yasutake," she said, using his first name. "Is there anything I can-?"

"No," he said. "This isn't your problem, Zaizen. It's mine." He gently pulled free of her and walked away. Before he could leave though, she spoke again.

"Your Mekk-Knight monsters. Where did you get them? I haven't seen them before."

Yasutake didn't answer at first, then said, "They belonged to a friend of mine. But she can't duel anymore, so I use her Deck to honor her."

 _Can't duel anymore?_ Aoi wondered as Yasutake walked away. _What does that mean?_

Neither of them noticed Yusaku watching from around the corner.

"What was that?" Ai asked him. "People don't act that way after dueling in VR, do they?"

"No," Yusaku said. "Most people don't anyway. In fact," he narrowed his eyes, "there can only be six people in the world who would have that reaction."

"Eh? Why six?"

"It doesn't matter," he said, turning around. _You're one of us, aren't you, Narahiko? You were there with me and Kusanagi's brother. And if you are Morningstar… then I hope you stay away from Hanoi. What I am doing… I do not just for Kusanagi's brother, I do for you and the others. I will have justice for what was done to us!_

* * *

Yasutake entered the bakery and looked around. It was about half-full, but no one was in line.

"Ah, Yasu!" Cam said, smiling at him. "I've got everything up here handled. There's something in the back I need you to look at."

Yasutake understood. They'd gotten another contract. Yasutake normally didn't take two contracts at a time, but he suspected Playmaker would be a long hunt, and he could use a diversion.

"Alright," he said and walked into the back room. He fired up the computers and looked at the message. He raised an eyebrow. It was a minor contract, nothing special. Someone with the alias "Watcher" had attempted to steal files from SOL Technologies. He hadn't taken anything, but he'd escaped and was on the run in LINK VRAINS. SOL wanted Morningstar to find him and retrieve him for their security drones. It was a simple job, and one he could finish before tomorrow. The only hard part would be finding Watcher.

 _There are three things I need to find Watcher_ , Yasutake thought, beginning to type. _One: a small-scale scan program. One that sweeps the area efficiently, but is undetectable. Two: a means of predicting where he is heading once I know his current location, so I can intercept him. Three: a blackberry scone. I'm hungry._

He quickly walked out of the room and grabbed a scone from the display case. Cam let him eat the bakery's products so long as he didn't overdo it. Since Yasutake didn't want to infringe on that, he limited himself to a scone a day. Or at least, he limited himself to not paying for one a day. He usually bought one at the beginning of the day before school.

He returned to the monitors and began working on his scan program. It shouldn't be too hard to find Watcher; SOL had gotten his alias ID, so he just had to search for that.

"Looking for Watcher?" Cam asked, walking into the back. He must have put up the lunch sign. "I already loaded a scan program to find him."

"What?" Yasutake said, shocked and annoyed. "Why didn't you tell me? I've wasted fifteen minutes making my own!"

Cam laughed. "I tried when you grabbed that scone, but you rushed back here before I could." He sat down next to Yasutake and activated the program he'd loaded. Yasutake saved the program he'd started to make. Even if it wasn't needed now, he might need it someday.

"While we wait for the scan to find him," Cam said, turning to Yasutake, "what happened in school today?"

Yasutake was quiet, then he said, "We had another Duel Club meeting. A boy named Yusaku Fujiki joined."

Cam narrowed his eyes. "There's more to it than that. Something happened, didn't it?"

Yasutake hesitated, then told him about his VR duel with Naoki. Cam paled.

"Dear God," he whispered. "Yasu, I'm sorry. Why didn't you turn the challenge down?"

"I couldn't," Yasutake responded. "When I saw the headsets, I just blanked out. I accepted automatically." He looked back at the monitors. "I spend all this time trying to escape my past, then I have one duel, and it all comes crashing back."

"If you want to leave Duel Club, I'd understand-."

"I can't," Yasutake said, turning back to Cam. "Not because of you, or because I want to. It's because of the new kid that joined, Yusaku Fujiki. I think he might be Playmaker."

"What?" Cam said, shocked. "Why would Playmaker join Duel Club?"

"I don't think he wanted to. Hosoda and Shima seemed to force him, like they did me."

"What makes you think he's Playmaker?"

"His Duel Disk is the same model and has the same coloring as Playmaker's," he answered. "But it's more than that. I got a look at his Deck. It was poorly built, and to me, it seemed intentionally so. I carry around a decoy Deck, so it makes sense that Playmaker would to. And it would draw less attention to him if said Deck was amateurish."

Cam thought about it, then said, "I think you're right to suspect him, but let's wait before accusing him. Given the contract, it's best to be certain beyond a doubt."

"Of course," Yasutake said, and would have said more if the scan program hadn't alerted them. They turned to the monitor.

"There," Yasutake said, standing up. "Watcher's on the move. Looks like he's heading for a data stream. He's probably hoping to take it somewhere else."

"Then why don't you go out there and stop him?" Cam suggested. "That bounty of his would more than make up for all the scones you take."

"I pay for some of them," Yasutake protested mildly before entering the sealed room.

* * *

Watcher stuck to the shadows of the skyscraper he was sneaking around. His avatar was a long black trench coat over a black shirt with a black fedora, black sunglasses, and a black mask that covered the lower half of his face.

He looked up at the data stream he was near. If he got on it, he'd be able to escape quickly. Unfortunately, getting on the data stream would mean drawing unwanted attention.

Suddenly, he heard a noise. He swung his head around, looking around him. There was nothing there. But he'd sworn he'd heard something…

He jumped to his left, avoiding the golden net that shot out of the shadows at him. He looked for the source, and beneath his glasses, his eyes widened. The person who'd fired the net had black, blue, and silver hair and wore a dark blue and maroon jumpsuit with a black belt.

"Morningstar," Watcher grumbled. "Isn't this beneath you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Word on the web was that you were joining the Charisma Duelists. That's why you dueled Onizuka."

"Onizuka had something I wanted. And SOL has offered a tidy sum for you." Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "I'm having a bad day so far, so why don't you surrender now?"

"It won't be that easy!" Watcher declared, running for the data stream. He jumped up and attempted to teleport onto it, but Morningstar snagged his ankle with a red cable, making Watcher fall back down to earth.

"What the-?" Watcher said, standing up and looking at the cable around his foot. "A Data Anchor!? Where did you get something like this?"

"I made it," Morningstar answered. "And I'm sure you know what this program means. Now neither of us can log out unless we have a duel."

Watcher growled. Damn it. He was hoping to lose Morningstar somewhere on the data stream, but it looked like he had no choice now.

"Fine," he said. "Let's get to it."

* * *

Morningstar and Watcher rode the data stream, Morningstar in front on his board, and Watcher behind him riding a plain white board with black markings on it.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Watcher: 4000 LP**

"I shall go first," Morningstar said, taking a card from his hand. "I Normal Summon Cyspirit Lancer!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control gains 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Blast!" The card showed Cyspirit Navigator holding a pistol and firing a shot, making another monster explode. "With this card, I negate the effects of one 'Cyspirit' monster I control until the End Phase and inflict damage to you equal to half that monster's attack! I negate Lancer's effects, and deal 900 damage to you!"

"What?" Watcher said, surprised. "You're inflicting damage this early?" With Lancer's effects negated, it lost attack points while a blast of white energy hit Watcher, making him wince.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→1800**

 **Watcher: 4000→3100 LP**

"I Set one card," Morningstar said. "I end my turn. And since it is the End Phase, Lancer's effects return, as does its attack increase."

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

"My turn! Draw!" Watcher said, drawing and waving his hand in front of him, revealing his cards. He smirked beneath his mask. With these cards, he could end this duel this turn. And that was necessary. He'd heard all the stories about Morningstar. If he let him have another turn, he'd lose.

"I summon SPYRAL Tough!" A man with spiky yellow hair wearing a blue suit and carrying a briefcase appeared on Watcher's field.

 **SPYRAL Tough ATK 1900 DEF 1500 LVL: 4**

"Due to Tough's effect, its name becomes SPYRAL Super Agent while it is on the field or in the Graveyard!" Watcher told Morningstar. "SPYRAL Tough's monster effect! Once per turn, I can declare one card type and target one card you control. Then, you reveal the top card of your Deck, and if that card is the declared type, the targeted card is destroyed!"

 _A gamble,_ Morningstar though, keeping his face impassive. _SPYRAL monsters revolve around effects like this. Even if it fails, he could do so again with another monster and guess correctly._

"I declare Monster Cards!" Watcher said, "and target Cyspirit Lancer! Now, reveal the top card of your Deck!" Morningstar picked up the card, then showed it to Watcher.

"My card is Cyberse Call, a Spell Card! So Lancer remains on the field."

"Tch," Watcher said, gritting his teeth. "That doesn't matter! I activate the effect of SPYRAL Super Agent in my hand! I declare a card type, and if the top card of your Deck is the declared type, I can Special Summon Super Agent! I declare Spell Card!"

Once again, Morningstar picked up Cyberse Call and showed it to Watcher.

"The card is the declared type, so I Special Summon SPYRAL Super Agent!" This monster had brown-blonde hair while wearing a brown suit with a red tie and carrying a briefcase.

 **SPYRAL Super Agent ATK 1900 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

"And now Super Agent's second effect! If he is Special Summoned by the effect of a "SPYRAL" card, I can target and destroy one Spell or Trap Card you control! I destroy your face-down card!" The card shattered on Morningstar's field.

"Appear, the secret circuit!" Watcher declared, shooting energy from his hand at the sky. The Link portal appeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'SPYRAL' monsters! I set SPYRAL Tough and SPYRAL Super Agent in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and bottom-center arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Show yourself! Link 2! SPYRAL Double Helix!" Two people, one a younger version of Super Agent, the other a big man with dark skin and braided white hair holding a gun, appeared on Watcher's field in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **SPYRAL Double Helix ATK 1900 LINK-2 ←↓**

 _A Link Summon this early,_ Morningstar thought, narrowing his eyes. Looks like Watcher was trying to end this quickly.

"Double Helix's monster effect! Once per turn, I declare a card type, and if the top card of your Deck is that type, I can take a 'SPYRAL' monster from my Deck or Graveyard, and add it to my hand or summon it to Double Helix's Link Marker! I declare Spell Card, and since the top card of your Deck is a Spell Card, I Special Summon SPYRAL Master Plan from my Deck to Double Helix's Link Marker!"

This monster was a woman with blonde hair piled up on top of her head and wearing a grey suit while carrying a tablet.

 **SPYRAL Master Plan ATK 1200 DEF 2800 LVL: 7**

"Master Plan's monster effect! Once per turn, I can add one 'SPYRAL MISSION' card from my Deck to my hand! I add the Continuous Spell Card SPYRAL MISSION – Assault to my hand, and activate it!" The card showed Super Agent getting into a fight with a guy carrying truncheons.

"Now I activate the effect of SPYRAL GEAR – Last Resort in my hand!" Watcher declared. "I can equip this card from my hand or field to a 'SPYRAL' monster I control! I equip it to Double Helix!" Both members of Double Helix gained green mech suits, though the big guy looked unhappy about it.

"While Last Resort is equipped to a monster by its effect, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects," Watcher told Morningstar. "In addition, you cannot target it with card effects." Morningstar didn't react to that announcement, instead waiting to see what Watcher would do next.

"Last Resort's other monster effect! By sending one other card I control to the Graveyard, the equipped monster can attack directly this turn! I send Master Plan to the Graveyard!" The woman shattered into pieces as he declared that. "Now Master Plan's effect activates! When she is sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can add one SPYRAL Resort and one 'SPYRAL' monster from my Deck to my hand! I add SPYRAL Resort and SPYRAL Sleeper to my hand."

Watcher smirked. He had everything he needed now. "I activate the Field Spell: SPYRAL Resort!" The card showed Master Plan watching a video feed of Super Agent. "Now, you cannot target other 'SPYRAL' cards I control with card effects! I now activate the second effect of SPYRAL Resort! Once per turn, I add one 'SPYRAL' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add SPYRAL Quik-Fix to my hand."

He did so, then said, "I activate the Equip Spell: SPYRAL GEAR – Fully Armed! I equip this card to Double Helix!" Two red and blue futuristic shields appeared on the arms of Double Helix's mech suits. "Normally, I can only equip this card to SPYRAL – Super Agent, but Double Helix's effect treats it as having the same name as Super Agent! The equipped monster gains 1000 attack points, and if it destroys your monster by battle, I can banish that monster and one other card you control."

 **SPYRAL Double Helix ATK 1900→2900**

Watcher smirked again. "Now, it is time to bring out my true ace! The monster that will lead to your destruction! I banish SPYRAL Tough, SPYRAL Super Agent, and SPYRAL Master Plan from my Graveyard to Special Summon SPYRAL Sleeper in Attack Position!" His monster was an older version of the big man in Double Helix, wearing a black bodysuit and wielding two darker versions of SPYRAL Gear – Fully Armed.

 **SPYRAL Sleeper ATK 2800 DEF 1200 LVL: 8**

 _2800 attack points,_ Morningstar thought. _And Double Helix has 2900 attack points. He's trying to finish it this turn and make sure I don't get another one._

"It's time to end this!" Watcher said. "It looks like your reputation has been greatly exaggerated, Morningstar! I activate Sleeper's effect! Once per turn, I can target one 'SPYRAL' card I control and up to two cards you control. I then destroy them! I target my Last Resort and your Cyspirit Lancer! Say goodbye to your last card!" The mech suits that the two members of Double Helix were wearing disintegrated, leaving the younger man looking disappointed. At the same time, Cyspirit Lancer disintegrated, but Morningstar showed no reaction.

"And now the effect of SPYRAL MISSION – Assault activates! Since a card on the field was destroyed by the effect of a 'SPYRAL' monster, I draw one card!" He drew and smirked. If he didn't defeat Morningstar this turn, this card would protect him.

"I activate my Skill!" Morningstar declared, surprising Watcher. "Cyberse Revolution! Since a Cyberse monster on my field was destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon one Cyberse monster from my Deck, so long as it has a lower Level than that of the destroyed monster. I Special Summon Cyspirit Changer to the field in Defense Position!" The dwarf-sized skeleton in a white cloak carrying an electronic sign appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Changer ATK 200 DEF 100 LVL: 1**

Watcher growled. "Do you think I will let you evade me that easily? I activate my Skill! Secret Mission! By discarding a 'SPYRAL' monster, I can destroy one card on your field! I discard SPYRAL Quik-Fix to destroy your Cyspirit Changer!" Changer disintegrated, leaving Morningstar defenseless.

"I Set two cards," Watcher said, doing so. "Battle! SPYRAL Sleeper, attack Morningstar directly! This is the beginning of the end!" Sleeper charged at Morningstar, aiming to punch him, but Morningstar was prepared.

"Trap activate!"

"What?" Watcher said, surprised. "But you don't have any Trap Cards! Or monsters or Spell Cards!"

"I do in my Graveyard," Morningstar said calmly. "Since you declared an attack while I have a 'Cyspirit' monster either on my field or in my Graveyard, I can banish Cyspirit Battle Barrier!" The card that Watcher had destroyed earlier appeared on Morningstar's field. It showed a duelist with a bubble surrounding them and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary preparing to fire at whoever struck the bubble. "Cyspirit Battle Barrier reduces the damage from this battle to 0 and ends the Battle Phase!" A barrier appeared around Morningstar and blocked Sleeper's punch. "And then, since I control no monsters, I draw cards equal to the number of monsters you control. You control two monsters, so I draw two cards!" He drew, looked at the cards, then added them to his hand.

"I end my turn," Watcher said, grinding his teeth. Damn it. He hadn't been able to defeat or even damage Morningstar this turn. "In order to keep SPYRAL Resort in play, I must shuffle one monster in my Graveyard back into my Deck. I shuffle SPYRAL Last Resort back into my Deck."

He looked over at Morningstar with hatred. "Let's see you try to take down my Double Helix and Sleeper! It doesn't matter if you're the devil himself, I will not lose to you!"

 _The devil himself?_ Morningstar thought, allowing himself a smirk. _Interesting choice of words. Let's see if you last the turn._

"My turn. Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card, then played it. "Since you control monsters and I do not, I Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman from my hand!" The skeleton warrior in blue armor carrying futuristic swords appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Since Swordsman was summoned by its own effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Dancer to my hand, then Normal Summon her!" The skeleton in a leotard and dancing shoes appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Dancer's monster effect!" Monster declared. "When she is Normal Summoned and I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand or Deck with its effects negated. I Special Summon Cyspirit Kid from my Deck!" This monster was a small grey skeleton in a t-shirt with a metal right arm and a metal skull with a blue left eye.

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Three monsters at once," Watcher muttered. "He must be…"

"Appear!" Morningstar declared, pointing to the sky. "The circuit between light and darkness!" He sent a bolt of electricity at the sky, which created the Link portal.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Cyspirit Kid in the Link Marker!" Kid entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!"

The Link 1 monster was a normal-sized skeleton wearing a tattered business suit. Its skull was metallic grey and had a blue left eye and a red right eye. It held a cellphone in its left hand and a handheld radio in its other hand, both of which produced a lot of noise. It had two short metallic grey and silver wings on its back and was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1 ↓**

"Cyspirit Kid's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "When this card is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can target and destroy one face-up card on my opponent's field!"

"What?" Watcher said, his eyes widening behind his glasses.

"I destroy SPYRAL Resort!" The Field Spell shattered as Watcher grit his teeth. That meant Morningstar could target his 'SPYRAL' cards with card effects.

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect!" Morningstar continued. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to the zone it points to, but that monster cannot attack and it will be destroyed during the End Phase. I Special Summon Cyspirit Teleporter to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker!" The black skeleton in grey armor with a metal skull and a red right eye carrying a baton appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"Appear!" Morningstar declared for the second time. "The circuit between light and darkness!" Another Link portal appeared in the sky. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Swordsman and Link 1 Cacophonic Caller in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the top and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 2! Cyspirit Mad Mongrel!"

This monster was a massive skeleton dog. It wore silver and grey armor with lines running over it like binary code, and there was a satellite dish at the end of its tail. Its skull had the customary red right eye and blue left eye, and in addition to the grey and silver metallic wings, there were two launchers on its back, one a missile launcher and the other a net launcher. It was summon to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel ATK 2000 LINK-2 ↑↓**

"Another Link Monster?" Watcher said, looking at it. "It doesn't matter what you summon, I will destroy it! I activate SPYRAL Sleeper's effect! I target SPYRAL MISSION – Assault and your Cyspirit Dancer and Cyspirit Mad Mongrel. Now all those cards are destroyed."

"Not happening!" Morningstar told him. "Mad Mongrel's monster effect! Since it points to one monster and it was targeted with a card effect, I send one 'Cyspirit' monster it points at to the Graveyard to negate that effect. I send the Teleporter it points at to the Graveyard to negate your Sleeper's effect!"

"Tch," Watcher said, gritting his teeth. Still, he had gotten rid of one of Morningstar's monsters.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard!" Morningstar said, stunning Watcher. "By banishing Teleporter, I can Special Summon one Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. I Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman from my Graveyard!" The skeleton warrior reappeared, summoned to the zone Mad Mongrel pointed to on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Cyspirit Forced Call!" The card showed a skeleton carrying two massive shields in a zone, as the zone across from it lit up.

"Since I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can Special Summon one monster from your Graveyard to your field in Defense Position with its effects negated!"

"What?" Watcher said, surprised again. "You're summoning a monster to my field?"

"I Special Summon SPYRAL Quik-Fix from your Graveyard to your field!" The monster was a young man with brown hair and glasses carrying a screwdriver. He was summoned to the zone on Watcher's field that Mad Mongrel pointed to.

 **SPYRAL Quik-Fix ATK 500 DEF 400 LVL: 1**

Watcher laughed. "You fool! Continuous Trap activate! SPYRAL MISSION – Recapture!" The Trap Card showed Super Agent, Tough, and a woman with brown hair tying some people up. "Once per turn, when a 'SPYRAL' monster is Special Summoned to my field, I can take control of one of your monsters until the End Phase! I take control of your Mad Mongrel!"

"You won't," Morningstar said. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Forced Call in my Graveyard! If you target a 'Cyspirit' monster with the effect of a Spell or Trap Card, I can banish Forced Call to negate that effect, then shuffle that card back into your Deck."

Watcher grimaced as his card was negated and he shuffled it back into his Deck. If it had gone to his Graveyard instead, he would have been able to banish it to prevent the destruction of one of his "SPYRAL" monsters once. That was twice now that Morningstar had predicted and foiled his moves. What was this guy?

"Spell Card: Cyberse Call!" Morningstar said, playing the card that Super Agent and Double Helix had revealed before. "This card adds one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Linker to my hand." He did so, then gestured to Mad Mongrel. "Mad Mongrel's second monster effect! Since it points to two monsters, and one is a 'Cyspirit' monster, it targets two monsters, one on your field that it points to and one 'Cyspirit' monster in my Graveyard. Then, the monster on your field is treated as having the same name and Type as my monster."

"What?" Watcher asked. "Why would you want to change my monster's name and Type?"

"Because," Morningstar explained. "Immediately after Mad Mongrel changes your monster's name and Type, I can use it and Mad Mongrel to perform a Link Summon!"

"What?" Watcher said, surprised even more. "You're using my monster to perform a Link Summon?"

I target Cyspirit Kid in my Graveyard and SPYRAL Quik-Fix on your field! Now that Quik-Fix is treated as having the same name as Kid, appear! The circuit between light and darkness!"

He sent a jolt of lightning at the sky, creating a third Link portal. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! When I use a Link Monster to Link Summon, its Link Markers count as Link Materials! I set the SPYRAL Quik-Fix treated as Cyspirit Kid and the Link 2 Mad Mongrel in the Link Markers!"

The two monsters, with Mad Mongrel breaking into two, entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom-center arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!"

The monster in the blue metallic trench coat and a black waistcoat and knee-high boots appeared on Morningstar's field. It raised its head, revealing its face underneath the silver tricorne hat, and showing off its silver metal skull with a red right eye and blue left eye. It beat the grey and silver metallic wings that emerged from its back and lifted the two black futuristic pistols it carried. Like Cacophonic Caller and Mad Mongrel, it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Three Link Summons in one turn?" Watcher said, looking at the monster with fear. "What are you?"

"I am Morningstar, and I am far from done!" he declared. "Appear, the circuit between light and darkness!"

"What? A fourth Link Summon?" Watcher said in surprise as Morningstar sent another bolt of lightning at the sky, creating the Link portal.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Dancer and Cyspirit Swordsman in the Link Markers!" The two monsters entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!"

This monster was a black skeleton with a grey metal skull that had a red right eye and a blue left eye. Its mouth was cracked so that it looked like it was grinning. It wore a brown prospector uniform and had two metal arms, with the right one ending in a massive futuristic drill. Two grey and silver metallic wings emerged from its back as it was summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2 ←→**

"Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, that monster gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→2200**

"Now, I activate the effect of Cyspirit Linker in my hand! Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon this card from my hand!" The skeleton in black armor and gauntlets with red arrows appeared on his field, summoned to Tunneler's right Link Marker and Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"I activate the effect of Cyberse Call in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "By banishing it, I Special Summon one Cyberse monster from my Graveyard! I Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer!" His Lancer reappeared, summoned to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points! Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700→2000**

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2500**

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 2200→2500**

"It doesn't matter how many monsters you summon!" Watcher growled, his anger and desperation growing. "None of them are strong enough to defeat mine!"

"We'll see about that," Morningstar said. "Thrilled Tunneler's monster effect! When it points to two monsters, once per turn, I can Tribute one monster it points to and place two Spell or Trap Cards on the field on the bottom of the owner's Deck."

"What?" Watcher said, his eyes widening in realization.

"I Tribute Cyspirit Linker to place SPYRAL GEAR – Fully Armed and your face-down card on the bottom of your Deck!" Linker disappeared as the two cards, with the face-down revealing itself to Watcher as being SPYRAL MISSION – Rescue, were placed on the bottom of Watcher's Deck. "Since Fully Armed is no longer on the field, Double Helix loses 1000 attack points!" The shields the two members of Double Helix were carrying disappeared.

 **SPYRAL Double Helix ATK 2900→1900**

"Next, I activate the effect of Cyspirit Changer in my Graveyard!" Morningstar said. Watcher recognized that monster as the one he'd destroyed with his Skill. "I banish Changer, and then all non-'Cyspirit' monsters are switched to Defense Position! Double Helix is a Link Monster, so it can't change its position, but Sleeper can!" The old large man switched to Defense Position. Watcher grit his teeth. Now both of his monsters were weak enough to be defeated.

"It's time for my final card," Morningstar said, taking the last card in his hand and playing it. "Spell Card: Cyspirit Bypass!" The card showed Pied Pikeman and Rapid Revolutionary leaping past another monster to strike at a prison cell containing a skeleton in a prisoner's uniform. "Since I control two 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters, I can Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck! I Special Summon Cyspirit Wanderer!" The black skeleton in brown poncho and trousers with one blue eye appeared on Morningstar's field, summoned to Thrilled Tunneler's right Link Marker and Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900→2200 DEF 200 LVL: 5**

"Wanderer's monster effect! Since it was Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, one monster on your field loses 800 attack points! I target Double Helix! Digital Drain!" Wanderer and Double Helix both glowed white.

 **SPYRAL Double Helix ATK 1900→1100**

"Damn you!" Watcher said, losing his cool. "What are you!? How could you manipulate my field so completely like this!?"

Morningstar gave a small smirk. "Have you heard the tale of Lucifer?"

"Who?"

"Lucifer was once God's most beloved angel," Morningstar explained. "He dealt God's will and judgment down to those who wronged God. But eventually he rebelled against God and was cast down into Hell, and was given a new name. Satan, the devil. Before that, he was called 'the Lightbringer.' Or 'the Morningstar.'"

"You named yourself after the devil!?" Watcher said, his eyes widening beneath his sunglasses.

"I named myself after what the devil used to be," Morningstar answered. "I bring those who have committed crimes to judgment. I walk the line between light and darkness so that people like you do not get away with your crimes!"

He gestured to Thrilled Tunneler. "Thrilled Tunneler's monster effect! When it points to at least one monster, it can attack my opponent directly! However, its attack points are halved until the End Phase!"

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler 2500** **1250**

"What?"

"Battle! Thrilled Tunneler, attack directly! Cyber Drill!" Tunneler charged past Double Helix and Sleeper and struck Watcher directly, who yelled out at the damage.

 **Watcher: 3100→1850 LP**

"Now, Cyspirit Wanderer, attack SPYRAL Double Helix! Lonesome Blast!" Wanderer pulled a brown futuristic pistol out of a holster underneath its poncho and fired an electrical blast at Double Helix. Both men screamed as they were destroyed, as did Watcher as he took damage.

 **Watcher: 1850→750 LP**

"Stop!" Watcher cried out. "I'll pay you to leave me alone! I can hack into any company you want! I'll give you anything you want!"

"What I want," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes, "is for you to answer for your crime. Rapid Revolutionary, attack SPYRAL Sleeper!" Rapid Revolutionary lifted both its pistols above its head as they glowed and merged into one elongated rifle.

"Rapid Revolutionary's monster effect! When it points to at least one monster, it gains 500 attack points when battling a non-Link Monster. And when it points to at least two monsters, if it attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage! Go, Rapid Revolutionary! Final Revolution Shot!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2500→3000**

Rapid Revolutionary aimed its rifle at SPYRAL Sleeper and fired a massive blast of yellow energy at it as Watcher screamed.

* * *

"Look! It's Blue Angel!" This was said by a giant frog being carried by a pigeon with a camera on its head. "Roll the camera!" The two of them were looking down at the data stream, where Blue Angel was riding on a white and light green D-Board. She noticed them and smiled and waved at their camera.

"Hi! Everyone, I'm here!" She jumped down off the D-Board onto a nearby support beam. "You there! And you over there! Watch! I declare that I, Blue Angel, will duel Playmaker and win!"

"Blue Angel vs. Playmaker!"

"Awesome! When?"

"First Go Onizuka, now Blue Angel!"

This was said by the people in the main square watching the television screens that Blue Angel was on. Among them was Yusaku Fujiki, eating a hot dog.

"Come out, Playmaker!" Blue Angel, still smiling. "C'mon! I know you're watching, Playmaker! Accept my challenge!"

"Why is she so fired up?" Shoichi Kusanagi asked.

"Just duel her," Ai said, moving its eye, which was its only feature, to look at Yusaku.

"I refuse," he said. "One: I only approached Aoi Zaizen to get a lead on my stolen memories. Two: I only fight the Knights of Hanoi. Three: Blue Angel isn't Hanoi."

"People will say that you're a scared coward," Ai pointed out.

"They can say whatever they like," Yusaku said, his face unconcerned.

"There you go!" the MC said, as flamboyant as ever in his orange suit and light blue pants. "Blue Angel made a public challenge! If he doesn't accept, he's not a man! Show up, Playmaker!" Yusaku put his hand on the back of his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Blue Angel looked around then sighed. "I guess Playmaker isn't going to show up," she said, making a pouty face before brightening up. "Ah! If Playmaker is not man enough to face me, then I have another person to challenge! I challenge-!"

"AAAHHHH!" Blue Angel, Frog, and Pigeon turned towards the sound of the scream, followed by a massive explosion a few blocks away.

* * *

Rapid Revolutionary destroyed SPYRAL Sleeper, the backlash of which knocked Watcher off his D-Board as he fell screaming towards the ground.

 **Watcher: 750→0 LP**

Morningstar launched the security net from his Duel Disk, catching Watcher before he hit the ground. He flung the net so that it hit the side of a building, leaving Watcher stuck there.

"Oi! What is this?" Watcher asked. "Let me out of here!"

"That net will keep you from logging out until SOL's security drones find you," Morningstar told him. "I imagine they'll delete your account after finding out who hired you to steal their files. Goodbye." He sped away on his D-Board. Suddenly, he felt something and jumped off, landing on a skyscraper some distance from Watcher.

 _What was that?_ he thought. _That feeling... it's similar to what I felt when Hanoi attacked. Is Hanoi here?_

"Oh, look who's here!"

He turned towards the voice. It was Blue Angel, smiling at him. Frog and Pigeon were nearby, broadcasting the meeting.

"Oh, what's this!" the MC said. "Blue Angel has encountered Morningstar! What is he doing in LINK VRAINS?" Yusaku narrowed his eyes on seeing Morningstar.

"I was hoping to duel Playmaker, but he didn't show up," Blue Angel said. "But, you're here, and a duel between us will excite the crowd just as much as me dueling Playmaker."

She pointed at Morningstar. "Morningstar! I challenge you to a duel!"

The two teenagers glared at each other, Blue Angel smiling and Morningstar's face emotionless.

* * *

 **Naoki Shima vs. Yasutake Narahiko**

 **Turn 1: Naoki**

Naoki activates the Field Spell World Legacy in Shadow. All "Krawler" monsters on the field gain 300 ATK/DEF, and once per turn, Naoki can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Insect monster from his hand in face-up or face-down Defense Position. When a Flip monster Naoki controls is destroyed by battle with an opponent's monster, Naoki can send that opponent's monster to the GY. Naoki activates the effect of World Legacy in Shadow to Special Summon Krawler Receptor in face-down Defense Position. Naoki Sets one monster and one face-down. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Yasutake**

Yasutake draws. Naoki activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card World Legacy Pawns. He targets his face-down Krawler Receptor, changing it to face-up Defense Position (900→1200/1200→1500/2). The Flip Effect of Krawler Receptor activates, letting Naoki add 1 "Krawler" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Krawler Spine to his hand. Yasutake activates the Field Spell Scars Caused by the World Legacy. All "Jack Knight" monsters on the field gain 300 ATK/DEF, and once per turn, Yasutake can discard 1 "Jack Knight" monster or 1 "World Legacy" card and then draw 1 card. Yasutake activates the effect of Scars Caused by the World Legacy, discarding Jack Knight of the Green Heights to draw 1 card. Since there 2 cards in the same column (Krawler Receptor and World Legacy Pawns), Yasutake can Special Summon Jack Knight of the Crimson Lotus (2300→2600/2600→2900/7) to the same column. He activates Crimson Lotus's effect, banishing Green Heights from his GY to destroy Krawler Receptor. Naoki activates the effect of Krawler Receptor. Since it left the field because of an opponent's card effect while face-up, Naoki can Special Summon 2 "Krawler" monsters with different names from his Deck in face-down Defense Position. He Special Summons Krawler Dendrite and Krawler Ranvier in face-down Defense Position.

Yasutake attacks the face-down Krawler Dendrite, flipping it face-up (1300→1600/600→900/2). Dendrite's Flip Effect activates, and Naoki sends Krawler Axon from his Deck to his GY. Naoki activates the effect of World Legacy in Shadow, sending the monster that destroyed a Flip monster he controlled to the GY. He sends Crimson Lotus to the Graveyard. Yasutake Sets one card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Naoki**

Naoki draws. He Flip Summons Krawler Ranvier (1100→1400/900→1200/2) and Krawler Glial (700→1000/1500→1800/2). The Flip Effect of Ranvier activates, and Naoki adds Krawler Axon and Krawler Receptor from his GY to his hand. The Flip Effect of Glial activates, letting Naoki Special Summon 1 "Krawler" monster from his hand or GY in Attack Position or face-down Defense Position. He Special Summons Krawler Axon (500→800/1800→2100/2) in Attack Position. Naoki activates the effect of World Legacy in Shadow, and Special Summons Krawler Spine (300→600/2100→2400/2) from his hand in face-up Defense Position. Naoki Normal Summons Krawler Receptor (900→1200/1200→1500/2). Naoki uses Krawler Ranvier and Krawler Glial to Link Summon X-Krawler Qualiark (2000→2300/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone.

Since Naoki controls 2 or more "Krawler" monsters, Qualiark increases the ATK/DEF of all of Naoki's monsters by 300 (Receptor: 1200→1500/1500→1800) (Axon: 800→1100/2100→2400) (Spine: 600→900/2400→2700) (Qualiark: 2300→2600). Naoki uses Krawler Spine and Krawler Axon to Link Summon X-Krawler Neurogos to Qualiark's bottom-left Link Marker (1900→2500/2/←→). Neurogos's effect increases the ATK/DEF of all "Krawler" monsters it points to by 300. It points to Receptor (Receptor: 1500→1800). Naoki activates Double Summon, letting him perform a second Normal Summon. He Normal Summons a second Krawler Receptor (900→1500/1200→1800/2). Naoki uses both Receptors to Link Summon X-Krawler Synaphysis (1800→2400/2/←→) to Neurogos's right Link Marker. The effect of Synaphysis increases the ATK/DEF of all "Krawler" monsters it points to by 300 (Neurogos: 2500→2800). Naoki attacks directly with X-Krawler Qualiark. Yasutake activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card The True Depths Sleeping Inside the World Legacy, targeting his Crimson Lotus in the Graveyard and Special Summoning it (2300→2600/2600→2900/7) in Attack Position. Naoki cancels his attack with Qualiark, and attacks Crimson Lotus with Neurogos, destroying it (Yasutake: 4000→3800 LP). Naoki attacks directly with Synaphysis (Yasutake: 3800→1400 LP). Naoki ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Yasutake**

Yasutake draws. He activates the effect of Scars Caused by the World Legacy, discarding Jack Knight of the Purple Dusk to draw 1 card. Since there are 2 cards in the same column (X-Krawler Qualiark and X-Krawler Synaphysis), Yasutake Special Summons Jack Knight of the Blue Sky (2000→2300/2500→2800/5) to the same column. Since Blue Sky was Normal or Special Summoned from the hand, Yasutake can add "Jack Knight" monsters with different names from his Deck to his hand, equal to the number of Naoki's cards in the same column as Blue Sky. Yasutake adds Jack Knight of the Azure Blue and Jack Knight of the Yellow Bloom to his hand. Since there are 2 cards in the same column (X-Krawler Neurogos and World Legacy Pawns), Yasutake Special Summons Jack Knight of the Azure Blue (2400→2700/2400→2700/8) to the same column.

Yasutake activates Azure Blue's effect, moving itself to a different Main Monster Zone. Since there are 2 cards in the same column (X-Krawler Neurogos and World Legacy Pawns), Yasutake Special Summons Jack Knight of the Yellow Bloom (2200→2500/2800→3100/7) to the same column. He activates Yellow Bloom's effect, banishing Purple Dusk from his GY to destroy World Legacy Pawns. Yasutake uses Azure Blue, Blue Sky, and Yellow Bloom to Link Summon Jack Knight of the World Scars 3000→3300/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. He activates World Scars' effect, sending The True Depths Sleeping Inside the World Legacy to the GY to Special Summon Jack Knight of the Flickering Flame (800→1100/3000→3300/6) from his Deck in Defense Position. Yasutake activates the Spell Card Gift of the Martyr, Tributing Flickering Flame and increasing World Scars' ATK by Flickering Flame's ATK (3300→4400). Since there are no other cards in the same column as World Scars, it can attack directly. World Scars attacks Naoki directly (Naoki: 4000→0 LP). Yasutake wins.

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Watcher**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Morningstar**

Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100). Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Blast. By negating the effects of 1 "Cyspirit" monster until the End Phase, he can inflict damage equal to half that monster's ATK. He negates Lancer's effect and deals 900 damage to Watcher (Lancer: 2100→1800) (Watcher: 4000→3100 LP). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. Since it is the End Phase, Cyspirit Blast's effect ends, and Lancer's effect resumes (Lancer: 1800→2100).

 **Turn 2: Watcher**

Watcher draws. He Normal Summons SPYRAL Tough (1900/1500/4), whose name becomes "SPYRAL Super Agent" while it is on the field or in the GY. Watcher activates Tough's effect, declaring Monster and targeting Cyspirit Lancer. Morningstar must reveal the top card of his Deck, and if the card is the same type as the declared type, Lancer will be destroyed. Morningstar reveals the Spell Card Cyberse Call, so Lancer is not destroyed. Watcher activates the effect of SPYRAL Super Agent in his hand, declaring Spell. Morningstar must reveal the top card of his Deck, and if the card is the same type as the declared type, Watcher can Special Summon SPYRAL Super Agent. Morningstar reveals Cyberse Call, so Watcher Special Summons SPYRAL Super Agent (1900/1200/4). Watcher activates the effect of Super Agent. Since it was Special Summoned by the effect of a "SPYRAL" card, Watcher can destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on Morningstar's field. He destroys Morningstar's face-down card. Watcher uses SPYRAL Tough and SPYRAL Super Agent to Link Summon SPYRAL Double Helix (1900/2/←↓) to his Extra Monster Zone.

He activates the effect of Double Helix, declaring Spell. Morningstar must reveal the top card of his Deck, and if the card is the same type as the declared type, Watcher can take a "SPYRAL" monster from his Deck or GY, and either add it to his hand or Special Summon it to a zone Double Helix points to. Morningstar reveals Cyberse Call, so Watcher Special Summons SPYRAL Master Plan (1200/2800/7) from his Deck to Double Helix's Link Marker. Watcher activates Master Plan's effect, letting him add 1 "SPYRAL MISSION" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds SPYRAL MISSION – Assault to his hand. He activates the Continuous Spell Card SPYRAL MISSION – Assault. Watcher activates the effect of SPYRAL GEAR – Last Resort in his hand, equipping it to Double Helix. Now Double Helix cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, and it cannot be targeted with card effects. Watcher activates the effect of Last Resort, sending his Master Plan to the GY to let Double Helix attack directly this turn. Since Master Plan was sent from the field to the GY, Watcher adds SPYRAL Resort and SPYRAL Sleeper to his hand. He activates the Field Spell SPYRAL Resort. Now, Morningstar cannot target other "SPYRAL" cards Watcher controls with card effects.

Watcher activates the effect of SPYRAL Resort, letting him add 1 "SPYRAL" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds SPYRAL Quik-Fix to his hand. Watcher activates the Equip Spell SPYRAL GEAR – Fully Armed, and equips it Double Helix, whose effect treats itself as "SPYRAL Super Agent". Double Helix gains 1000 ATK (1900→2900). Watcher banishes SPYRAL Tough, SPYRAL Super Agent, and SPYRAL Master Plan from his GY to Special Summon SPYRAL Sleeper (2800/1200/8) in Attack Position. Watcher activates Sleeper's effect, targeting his Last Resort and Morningstar's Cyspirit Lancer. Both cards are destroyed. Since a card on the field was destroyed by the effect of a "SPYRAL" monster, SPYRAL MISSION – Assault lets Watcher draw 1 card. Morningstar activates his Skill, Cyberse Revolution. Since a Cyberse monster on his field was destroyed by battle or card effect, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster from his Deck with a lower Level than the destroyed monster. He Special Summons Cyspirit Changer (200/100/1) in Defense Position. Watcher activates his Skill, Secret Mission, discarding his SPYRAL Quik-Fix to destroy 1 card on Morningstar's field. He destroys Changer. Watcher Sets two cards. Watcher attacks directly with SPYRAL Sleeper, but Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Battle Barrier in his Graveyard, banishing it to reduce the damage to 0 and end the Battle Phase and, since he controls no monsters, draw 1 card for every monster Watcher controls. Watcher controls 2, so Morningstar draws 2 cards. Watcher ends his turn. Since it is the End Phase, Watcher shuffles Last Resort back into his Deck to keep SPYRAL Resort in play.

 **Turn 3: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. Since Watcher controls monsters and he does not, he Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) from his hand. Since it was Special Summoned via its effect, Swordsman lets Morningstar add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Dancer to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2). Since Dancer was Normal Summoned, its effect lets Morningstar Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower "Cyspirit" monster in Attack Position from his hand or Deck with its effects negated. He Special Summons Cyspirit Kid (300/200/1) from his Deck.

Morningstar uses Cyspirit Kid to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Cyspirit Kid was used to Link summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can target 1 face-up card on his opponent's field and destroy that card. He destroys SPYRAL Resort. Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller, Special Summoning Cyspirit Teleporter (500/1500/3) from his Deck in Attack Position to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Swordsman and Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller to Link Summon Cyspirit Mad Mongrel (2000/2/↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Watcher activates the effect of SPYRAL Sleeper, targeting his SPYRAL MISSION – Assault and Morningstar's Cyspirit Dancer and Mad Mongrel, attempting to destroy them. Morningstar activates the effect of Mad Mongrel; since it points to at least 1 monster and an effect activated that targeted Mad Mongrel, Morningstar can send Teleporter to the GY to negate that effect. Morningstar activates the effect of Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cypspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) from his GY to the zone Mad Mongrel points to. Morningstar activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyspirit Forced Call, which lets him Special Summon a monster from his opponent's GY to their field in Defense Position with its effects negated until the End Phase. He Special Summon SPYRAL Quik-Fix (500/400/1) to a zone Mad Mongrel points to. Watcher activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card SPYRAL MISSION – Recapture. Since a "SPYRAL" monster was Special Summoned to his field, he can target 1 monster his opponent controls and take control of it until the End Phase. He targets Mad Mongrel. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Forced Call in his Graveyard, banishing it since his opponent targeted a "Cyspirit" monster with a Spell/Trap effect and negating that effect and shuffling that card back into its owner's Deck.

Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call, adding Cyspirit Linker from his Deck to his hand. He activates the effect of Mad Mongrel. Since it points to 2 monsters, and 1 is a "Cyspirit" monster, it can target 2 monsters, one on the opponent's field it points to and one "Cyspirit" monster in Morningstar's GY, treat the monster on the field as having the same name and Type as the monster in the GY, then use it and Mad Mongrel to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster. Morningstar targets Cyspirit Kid in his GY and SPYRAL Quik-Fix on Watcher's field. Morningstar uses the Link 2 Mad Mongrel and SPYRAL Quik-Fix treated as "Cyspirit Kid" to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200/3/↙↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Dancer and Cyspirit Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, that monster gains 600 ATK (Thrilled Tunneler: 1600→2200). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Linker in his hand, Special Summoning it to Thrilled Tunneler's right Link Marker in Attack Position (1700/800/4). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyberse Call in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer from his GY to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker in Attack Position (1800/0/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Rapid Revolutionary: 2200→2500) (Thrilled Tunneler: 2200→2500) (Linker: 1700→2000) (Lancer: 1800→2100).

Morningstar activates the effect of Thrilled Tunneler. Since it points to 2 monsters, Mornigstar can Tribute 1 monster it points at to place 2 Spell/Trap Cards on the field on the bottom of the owner's Deck. He Tributes Linker to place SPYRAL GEAR – Fully Armed and Watcher's face-down card (SPYRAL MISSION – Rescue) on the bottom of his Deck. Since Fully Armed left the field, Double Helix's ATK returns to normal (Double Helix: 2900→1900). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Changer in his GY, banishing it since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster to switch all non-Cyberse monsters to Defense Position. SPYRAL Sleeper switches to Defense Position. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Bypass. Since he controls 2 "Cyspirit" Link Monsters, he can Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons Cyspirit Wanderer (1900→2200/200/5) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker. Since Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, 1 monster on Watcher's field loses 800 ATK. Morningstar targets Double Helix (Double Helix: 1900→1100).

Morningstar activates the effect of Thrilled Tunneler. Since it points to at least 1 monster, it can attack his opponent directly, but its ATK is halved until the End Phase (Thrilled Tunneler: 2500→1250) (Watcher: 3100→1850 LP). Morningstar attacks Double Helix with Cyspirit Wanderer, destroying it (Watcher: 1850→750 LP). Rapid Revolutionary attacks SPYRAL Sleeper. Morningstar activates the effect of Rapid Revolutionary. Since it points to at least 1 monster, it gains 500 ATK when battling a non-Link Monster (Rapid Revolutionary: 2500→3000). Rapid Revolutionary destroys SPYRAL Sleeper, and since it points to at least 2 monsters, it inflicts piercing battle damage (Watcher: 750→0) LP. Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Kid  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1  
If this card is used as material for the Link Summon of a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: Target 1 face-up card on your opponent's field; destroy that card. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Kid" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 500 LINK-1_ ↓ _  
1 "Cyspirit" monster  
Once per turn: you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from your Deck to the zone this cards points to. The Summoned monster cannot declare an attack and is destroyed during the End Phase._

 _ **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2000 LINK-2_ ↑↓ _ **  
**_ _2 "Cyspirit" monsters_ _ **  
**_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to._ _ **  
**_ _-1 or more: Once per turn, when an effect that targets this card activates; you can send 1 "Cyspirit" monster this card points to the GY; negate the activation of that effect._ _ **  
**_ _2: If this card points to at least 1 "Cyspirit" monster: you can target one monster on your opponent's field this card points to and 1 "Cyspirit" Cyberse monster in your GY; treat the 1_ _st_ _monster as having the same name and Type as the 2_ _nd_ _monster and, immediately after this effect resolves, Link Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster, using the 1_ _st_ _monster and this card only._

 _ **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 1600 LINK-2_ ←→ _ **  
**_ _2 "Cyspirit" monsters_ _ **  
**_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to._ _ **  
**_ _-1 or more: This monster can attack your opponent directly, but if you do, halve this card's ATK until the End Phase._ _ **  
**_ _2: Once per turn: you can Tribute 1 monster this card points to; place 2 Spell/Trap Cards on the field on the bottom of the owner's Deck._

 _ **Cyspirit Blast Normal Spell Card  
**_ _During your Main Phase 1: Target 1 "Cyspirit" monster you control; negate the targeted monster's effects until the End Phase and inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the targeted monster's original ATK. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this card._

 _ **Cyspirit Battle Barrier Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If your opponent's monster declares an attack while you have a "Cyspirit" monster on your field or in your GY: you take no damage from the battle, then end the Battle Phase. If this card is in your GY when an opponent's monster declares an attack while you have a "Cyspirit" monster on your field or in your GY: you can banish this card; you take no damage from the battle, then end the Battle Phase, and if you control no monsters, draw cards equal to the number of monsters your opponent controls. You can only activate one effect of "Cyspirit Battle Barrier" per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Forced Call Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _During your Main Phase: If you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: Target 1 monster in your opponent's GY; Special Summon that monster to their field in face-up Defense Position with its effects negated. The Summoned monster is destroyed during the End Phase. If your opponent activates a Spell/Trap effect that targets 1 "Cyspirit" monster, you can banish this card from your GY: negate the activation of that effect and shuffle it back into the owner's Deck._

 _ **Cyspirit Bypass Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you control 2 "Cyspirit" Link Monsters: Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your Deck. You can banish this card from your GY: Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your GY with its effects negated. Monsters Summoned by this card's effects are destroyed during the End Phase._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 4 – Three Things_

* * *

 **Response to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thanks to HunterHQ, ClearwingYuta, sanedimentio, and D3lph0xL0v3r for reviewing the last chapter. Credit to sanedimentio for the creation of Cyspirit Mad Mongrel and Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler.

Also, thanks to HunterHQ's questions about the Jack Knights, as that inspired me to write the first part of this chapter. As for other Cyberse monsters, like World Chalice or V-Lan Hydra, I don't want Morningstar to use them, since I suspect Yusaku might use them eventually, and while I'm okay with them using the same Spell/Trap Cards, I don't want them to use the same Link Monsters.

As for Naoki using Krawler monsters, he hasn't dueled yet, so that seemed safe to use. If he duels later in the anime and uses a different Deck, I can say he changed it after losing to Yasutake.

I hope everyone enjoyed Chapter 3 of Hidden Memories. This is the longest chapter for anything I have ever written, and it was exhausting. Please post a review, as your feedback is important to me and essential for the improvement of Hidden Memories.


	4. Chapter 4: Three Things

**Chapter 4: Three Things**

Blue Angel pointed at Morningstar. "Morningstar! I challenge you to a duel!"

She smiled at him as Frog and Pigeon watched behind her. "Oh, a duel between Blue Angel and Morningstar!" Frog said excitedly. "It won't be as interesting as a duel between her and Playmaker, but the ratings will be through the roof!"

"It looks like we may get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here, people!" the MC said in Den City's main square. The television screens behind him showed a smiling Blue Angel and an emotionless Morningstar. "A duel between LINK VRAINS' Duel Idol and its most legendary hunter! This is so exciting!"

Yusaku Fujiki watched from next to Café Nagi. His expression was as emotionless as Morningstar's. A part of him wondered if Morningstar would surprise him. Of course, if he was right about Morningstar's character, he already knew what was going to happen.

Morningstar looked at Blue Angel as he mulled something over in his head. _I sensed something over here. It felt like when Hanoi attacked LINK VRAINS a few days ago. But that presence is gone now. Did it notice me and flee, or did Blue Angel and the reporters scare it away?_

He refocused on Blue Angel and gave his answer.

"No." He turned and walked away.

"Eh?" Blue Angel said, surprised at that. She hadn't expected that. Neither had Frog, Pigeon, the MC, or anyone else except Cam, who was watching from the back room of Café Junpei, and Yusaku.

"O-Oi!" she said, annoyed at him as she placed her hands on her hips. "Didn't you hear me? I challenged you to a duel!"

"I heard you," he said, continuing to walk away. "I just don't care. There's no benefit to us dueling. Besides," he glanced back at her, his eyes narrowed, "I don't accept challenges from those who duel only for self-satisfaction."

Blue Angel growled a little, insulted while confused at what he said. Dueling only for self-satisfaction? What did he mean by that?

"And anyway," he finished, "dueling me won't make _him_ acknowledge you."

Blue Angel gasped as she watched Morningstar log out. Who was he talking about? Did he mean Playmaker? Or did he…

"Well, that was unexpected," Frog said, sighing as he and Pigeon turned to Blue Angel. "Call me if Playmaker shows up. I have another assignment-." That was all he said before Pigeon flew away, carrying Frog with him. Blue Angel watched them leave, then sighed in disappointment.

"Playmaker hasn't shown up." She looked behind her at the voice. It was a man in a white suit, his face hidden in shadow.

"Who are you?" she asked him. "Are you a Knight of Hanoi?"

"Hello," Specter said. "Duel world's idol, Blue Angel." He seemed to walk towards her as the area around them shifted into a purple pattern. Blue Angel braced herself as his image got larger, striking her and breaking into pieces.

"Your passion towards Playmaker…" she turned around and saw him over her shoulder. He had blue eyes and grey hair. She backed away, only to bump into something. She turned around again and faced him. "… has deeply impressed me. I'm a fan of yours. A passionate fan."

"You're obviously lying!" Blue Angel, confused and annoyed.

"I'm not lying." This time he appeared beneath her, his image spread over the floor. His face got larger as he said, "I just want you to defeat Playmaker." He reappeared behind her and threw a card at her. She turned around fast enough for it to strike her chest.

"That card will open a door deep in your heart," Specter said. "A key that frees your hidden desires. Good luck." He faded away as Blue Angel's Duel Disk glowed purple and she returned to the rooftop. She breathed heavily, not remembering what just happened.

"What am I doing up here?"

* * *

Yasutake stretched as he walked down the stairs into the kitchen. Cam was making coffee and pancakes.

"Morning," Cam said, nodding at Yasutake.

"Morning," Yasutake responded, heading over to Cam's other side and getting a plate and fork for himself. He took a few of the pancakes that were already done and sat down at the island in the kitchen. As he ate, Cam kept talking.

"You know, there are a bunch of nasty comments on the net about you declining Blue Angel's challenge," he said, keeping one eye on the frying pan and the other on Yasutake, who shrugged in response.

"I don't care what they say about me. I'm not in this for good publicity."

"Well, I'd prefer that to what they're saying," Cam said, smirking. "I went through a few of them last night. The nicest ones called you a chicken, a coward, and basically said a true duelist accepts all challenges."

"And the worst?"

"Contained language that I'm not comfortable repeating to you," Cam said, then frowned. "You said Blue Angel only duels for self-satisfaction. What did you mean?"

Yasutake finished chewing his piece of pancake before he answered. "Zaizen spoke to me on the way to school yesterday. She said her brother doesn't trust her. From that, I inferred that she duels to prove to her brother that she can take care of herself. In other words, she duels for attention." He scowled at that. "Such a stupid reason to duel. Until she realizes that, Blue Angel isn't worth dueling."

"That's a little harsh, isn't it?"

"Maybe. But it's necessary. She won't grow as a person until she learns to fight for a worthy cause."

"And what to you is a worthy cause?"

"Fighting for others' sake," Yasutake answered. "Like I do for you and Sachi, and Go Onizuka does for the orphanage. That, or fighting for herself."

"…Isn't that contradictory?"

"A little," Yasutake admitted, looking uncomfortable momentarily. "What I mean is fighting not for the sake of the attention or praise of others, but for your own dignity. Because you enjoy it. Dueling like that… is what I wish I could do."

Cam sighed. "I wish you could do that, too, Yasu. Do you think she'll understand what you meant?"

"Probably not," Yasutake said, shrugging as he turned back to his pancakes. "People never seem to understand when someone tries to help them by insulting them."

"I wonder why that is," Cam said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "In any event, you'll see her at school today. Maybe you could do something to make it up to her."

"I'm not going to school today," Yasutake said, not looking up as Cam turned around and stared at him.

"Why?"

Yasutake stopped moving, his eyes on his plate. "If I run into Shima or Zaizen, they'll want to know what happened in the VR duel yesterday."

"Ah," Cam said, understanding. There was no way Yasutake could answer their questions. Nor would he want to. "So you're staying here today? You know you'll have to go back to school eventually."

"By then, I'll have developed a cover story," Yasutake said, cutting into his pancake again. "Besides, there's something I need to look into." _Or someone._

* * *

Yasutake typed into the computer and frowned. He'd looked up as much information as he could on Yusaku Fujiki, but it was annoyingly sparse. He found a picture of him, an address – somewhere downtown – and a phone number. He'd managed to hack into the school's database to check Yusaku's grades and found them to be rather low. He had several absences and reports of falling asleep in class, but his scores were just high enough to keep him from failing. He was also not registered for any clubs – except Duel Club – suggesting that his social life was almost nonexistent.

 _This matches the pattern I suspected when I saw his Deck,_ Yasutake thought, leaning back in his chair. _One: Playmaker does not want to stand out in the real world, so he pretends to be a slacker. Two: Playmaker is a highly skilled duelist, so in the real world he pretends to be an amateur duelist, so he won't be suspected. Three: He maintains a distance from others so that others can't reveal his identity and they can't be used against him in turn._

Of course, it was entirely possible that Yusaku actually was a poor and lazy student and an amateur duelist, but Yasutake was naturally suspicious enough to consider him a prime suspect.

 _I could rat his identity to Bishop or Akira Zaizen, and they could use their resources to investigate him,_ Yasutake thought, then shook his head. _SOL Technologies isn't very subtle. If they investigate him, Hanoi will find out. And if it turns out he isn't Playmaker, then I'll just ruin his life for no reason._

"C'mon, everybody!"

Yasutake looked up at the voice of the MC. Whenever they were back here, he and Cam left the news on so that they would know what was going on in LINK VRAINS.

"Blue Angel vs Playmaker is finally starting! Yeah! The greatest battle in history is here!"

What? Yasutake started at the screen. Sure enough, it showed Blue Angel and Playmaker riding a data stream. Why was Playmaker dueling Blue Angel? He hadn't shown up when she'd challenged him yesterday. Had something changed?

 _I don't like this,_ Yasutake thought as he stood up and walked into the sealed room. Whatever was going on, he needed to see it first-hand. He took out his Deck and inserted it into his Duel Disk. "Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

Morningstar found himself on a rooftop overlooking the data stream. As he looked down, he saw Blue Angel and Playmaker race past him. Seeing they were too fast, he released the drone and programmed it to follow them.

 _Whatever Playmaker is up to, I'll find out,_ Morningstar thought, then frowned as something hit him. _When Fujiki joined Duel Club, he sat behind Zaizen. Did he join because of her? And if he is Playmaker, does he know Zaizen is Blue Angel?_

His thoughts on that were interrupted by the duel. He had to admit that while Blue Angel's reasons for dueling were worthless, her skills were certainly first-rate. She dealt 400 points of damage on her first turn and summoned a Link Monster with 2000 attack points. When Playmaker started his turn, she inflicted more damage and raised her Holly Angel's attack points. Certainly impressive. That said, Morningstar could do without the winking and laughing at the camera. She might be an idol, but did she have to act ridiculous?

Playmaker, on the other hand, was taking it seriously. Morningstar watched as he performed three consecutive Link Summons, but he wasn't impressed. He'd seen him do it before against Go Onizuka. Morningstar himself had done it against Go and Watcher. He was impressed, however, by Blue Angel's strategy to take down Decode Talker. Even though Playmaker prevented its destruction by battle, she destroyed it with a Trap Card. Not bad, Zaizen. Now if only she could duel for a real reason.

"My turn! Draw!" When she drew the card, Morningstar felt something. What the-? What was that?

 _That presence,_ he thought as he narrowed his eyes. _That's the same presence I felt yesterday before Blue Angel appeared. It's Hanoi!_

Blue Angel, for her part, seemed to also notice something, but she brushed it off and refocused on the duel. Morningstar, meanwhile, activated the drone's scanner. If she did have a Hanoi card, it wouldn't pick it up until she played it, but if he got a sample of the code, he could find out what Hanoi wanted with Blue Angel. And why she had a card from them in the first place.

Morningstar watched as Blue Angel's Lilybell attacked Playmaker directly and knocked him off his D-Board. Fortunately for him, he grabbed a ledge and teleported back to his D-Board. Good. Falling from that height could cause damage to his real body.

He watched with increasing concern as Blue Angel's D-Board started wobbling. Hanoi's card was starting to affect her. He looked at the scanner. It was getting a small signal, but it wasn't strong enough to get a sample. She'd have to play it first.

That concern temporarily turned into a smirk as he watched Playmaker dive headfirst into a data tornado. He knew what he was doing. His Life Points were 800, so he was using his Skill to add a random Link Monster to his Extra Deck.

 _I'll have to prevent that when I duel him,_ Morningstar thought. _Either keep his Life Points above 1000. Or just challenge him to a Master Duel. No Skills that way._

He also noticed that Blue Angel was annoyed about Playmaker using his Skill. She hadn't seen that coming. He kept watching as Playmaker Link Summoned Encode Talker. A Light version of Decode Talker? Morningstar narrowed his eyes. There was no way that was random. The AI in Playmaker's Duel Disk must be helping him choose the right Link Monsters somehow.

Even without the AI, Playmaker was covering all his bases. He negated the damage Blue Angel tried to inflict with her Skill and placed a counter on the monster responsible.

"It's not over! I still have one final card!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes again. This was it.

Blue Angel suddenly became very quiet as she used the effect of a card called Dark Angel. Then, her voice dropped an octave as she explained the card's effect, her limbs moving like a rag doll. Morningstar zoomed the drone's camera in on her eyes. He gasped.

They were lifeless. No light shone from them. Just like Sachi's.

He quickly looked at the scanner. Yes, that was it! The code behind Hanoi's card. He quickly copied a portion of it, then started running. He needed to get close. Whatever Hanoi's card was doing, it wasn't going to end well. He kept the drone's camera on, though, so he could see what was happening.

Playmaker countered her use of Dark Angel with Encode Talker's effect. Apparently Blue Angel didn't like that, because she started screaming. Eventually though, she ran out of breath and crumpled on her D-Board.

 _Damn it!_ Morningstar thought, grinding his teeth as he jumped over the rooftops. _If this keeps up, that card will cause her mental damage. You have to end this now, Playmaker!_

Evidently Playmaker agreed with him, because he raised Encode Talker's attack points and lowered Holly Angel's attack points to the point where he could win this with one blow.

As Encode Talker attacked Holly Angel, Morningstar noticed something on Blue Angel's face. He zoomed the camera in. She was… crying.

"Final Encode!"

* * *

Morningstar ran through the park, looking for Blue Angel. She'd fallen off her D-Board around here. Noticing something, he stepped behind a tree and watched. It was Playmaker, kneeling over Blue Angel's unconscious form.

"I will eat Hanoi's program!" Morningstar watched as the AI in Playmaker's Duel Disk become a giant… thing with one eye and absorbed data from Blue Angel before returning to the Duel Disk.

"Wake up, Blue Angel!" Playmaker said, but there was no response. "No good. She's not responding."

"Playmaker, look out!" Playmaker looked behind him, with Morningstar following his gaze. It was the SOL security drones. Playmaker turned back to Blue Angel.

"I'm logging out!" he said, then did so. Morningstar did as well. There was nothing he could do here.

* * *

Yasutake stepped out of the sealed room and ran to the monitors. He quickly hacked into the monitors of the local hospital. If Aoi had gone to school today, and he was right about Playmaker's identity, then…

Sure enough, the hospital soon got a call from Den Academy about a student falling into a coma. Yasutake watched from the cameras as an ambulance left for the school, then returned to the hospital. He watched as Aoi Zaizen was brought out of the ambulance and taken inside. He also noticed from another camera that Yusaku Fujiki had followed the ambulance.

Not long after, a limo pulled up to the hospital and a man with blue and teal hair in a suit ran out of it. Yasutake recognized him as Akira Zaizen. He found Aoi as they took her to the exam room. Akira tried to go with her, but one of the doctors stopped him. As the doctors wheeled Aoi away, Akira turned to Yusaku, who had been watching. Yasutake activated one of the microphones in the hallway so he could hear them.

"You're the one who called me?"

"Yes. I found her unconscious on the roof."

"Thank you," Akira said, then looked uncomfortable. "Umm… I don't know if I should ask this, but are you and Aoi…"

"We're just classmates," Yusaku answered.

"I see." Akira smiled, trying to put on a brave face. "Things are fine now. Go home."

"Okay." Yusaku turned to walk away, but Akira called him back.

"Wait a second. What's your name?" Yusaku turned around.

"Fujiki. Yusaku Fujiki."

Yasutake watched as Yusaku walked away. Well, that settled it. Yusaku would only have known to check the roof if he had known Aoi was Blue Angel. And given Aoi's distrustful and suspicious nature, she likely hadn't told him, meaning he'd learned on his own. Only a skilled hacker would have known that.

 _I found you, Playmaker,_ Yasutake thought. But, Playmaker was not his immediate concern. Doing what he could to help Aoi was. He uploaded the code he scanned with the drone and went through it.

As he parsed it, he couldn't help but wonder; how had Blue Angel gotten a Hanoi card? She wouldn't have approached them on her own. And from what he'd seen, it was like she didn't know about the card in her deck either. Had they tricked her somehow? That seemed the most likely conclusion – Hanoi was notorious for being sneaky and deceitful. But why do something like this? Why put Aoi Zaizen in a coma? What did Hanoi have to gain?

While these thoughts were going through Yasutake's head, Cam walked into the back and looked at what Yasutake was working on.

"You went into LINK VRAINS to watch their duel in person, didn't you?"

"I did," Yasutake said. "And when she went crazy, I got a scan of a Hanoi card."

"Hanoi!?" Cam said, surprised. Then he scowled. "Of course. Who else would do something like that? Do you know what this is yet?"

"No," Yasutake said. "But I'll find out eventually. And when I do… I'm going to do everything I can to fix this."

Cam watched Yasutake for a while then said, "This is more than just someone being hurt. What's up?" Yasutake stopped typing briefly and stared at the screen.

"Before she confronted me yesterday, before I logged out, I sensed a Hanoi presence," he said. "It disappeared when she appeared, so I assumed it had left. But…" he narrowed his eyes with anger. "It didn't leave. That presence just concealed itself. That's when Blue Angel received Hanoi's card, I know it. If I hadn't refused her challenge… If I hadn't left her alone…"

"They would have found a way to her eventually, Yasu," Cam said, a pitying look on his face. "Hanoi is the worst kind of villain: patient and persistent. Even if you'd dueled her then, you likely only would have delayed their plan."

"Or I could have prevented it outright," Yasutake countered. "Whatever Hanoi's reason for this, whatever my own guilt in this happening, I will do everything I can to help Zaizen and her brother."

"Her brother?"

"I saw her eyes briefly when she used the card," Yasutake said quietly. "They were just like Sachi's. I don't want Akira Zaizen to go through what you have." He resumed his typing, with Cam watching him.

"Let me take over," Cam said. When Yasutake protested, he firmly said, "You're not the only one who wants to prevent others from feeling our pain. And besides, you need rest. This is going to take a long time to go through, so you can take a break."

"I-."

"Yasu," Cam said, narrowing his eyes. "It's late. Go to bed." Yasutake wanted to object, but sighed and stood up.

"Tomorrow is Saturday," Yasutake said. "As soon as you have something, let me know."

* * *

Yasutake walked into the back room. It was the afternoon after Playmaker's duel with Blue Angel. He and Cam had been running the bakery in shifts, with the other in the back going through Hanoi's code. Every now and then, Yasutake had hacked into the hospital's cameras and checked on Aoi. There was no change at all. Though, there was cause for celebration now.

"We did it!" Cam said, a relieved look on his face. There were bags under his eyes and he looked exhausted, but he was smiling. "We finally finished parsing this code!"

"So what is it?" Yasutake said, looking at the code. His eyes widened in realization. "This is-."

"A virus," Cam confirmed. "But unlike any I've seen before. This is a virus designed to invade a person's brain and control them."

"Is that even possible?"

"By going through the LINK VRAINS system, yes. Whoever wrote such a program must be incredibly intelligent."

"Can we do anything? Perhaps write a removal program with what we have?"

Cam thought about, then shook his head. "Not with this fragment. We'd need the entire code. Even then, this virus is more complex than anything I've ever seen. It would take both of us months to write it."

Yasutake sighed in irritation. "Then what can we do?"

"Zaizen's best option is a removal program," Cam said. "And the only people with that would be-."

"The Knights of Hanoi," Yasutake finished, frowning at that. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "That's it!"

"What?"

"Why Hanoi targeted Blue Angel! They weren't using her just to duel Playmaker! They've turned her into a hostage!"

"A hostage?" Cam said, then it hit him. "They're going to force Playmaker to duel them with the removal program as the stake."

"Yes," Yasutake said.

"Playmaker! You'll pay for what you did to me!"

The two of them turned from each other to the screen that was tuned in to LINK VRAINS. It showed Blue Angel standing on a skyscraper.

"What the-?" Cam said.

"If you're watching this, come on out! And duel me again!"

"I thought you said she was still in the hospital."

"She is! See?" Cam switched one of the monitors to the hospital camera. Sure enough, it showed Aoi Zaizen unconscious in a hospital bed.

"Then," Yasutake said, his eyes narrowing, "this is a trap for Playmaker. And an obvious one."

"But who's trap is it?" Cam wondered. "Is it Hanoi? Or SOL?"

"If it's SOL, Bishop would have called me in." At least, that was what Yasutake told himself. Bishop often made moves without informing him about them. Those same moves often made his job much harder, and occasionally led him to yell at Bishop. Not in person, of course. It was bad manners to do that.

Yasutake got up from his chair. "I'm going to LINK VRAINS. Playmaker must know this is a trap, but if he wants to help Blue Angel, he'll walk into it anyway."

"What are you going to do? Help him, or duel him?"

"I'm not sure," Yasutake said hesitantly. "But, Zaizen's safety takes priority over Playmaker's AI." He entered the sealed room and put his deck in his Duel Disk. "Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

Morningstar landed on a rooftop some distance from the one the fake Blue Angel was on. As he landed, he noticed someone else enter LINK VRAINS. It was Playmaker, and he landed on the same rooftop as the impostor. Morningstar jumped over to them, getting as close as he could without them noticing him.

"You came, Playmaker," he heard the fake say. He had to admit, whoever it was, they were good. They'd gotten the voice down perfectly.

"Who are you?" Playmaker asked her. "I know you're not Blue Angel." Like Morningstar had thought, Playmaker knew it was a trap.

"Oh, you already found out? Because I talk like an old lady? I'm shocked! Oh well." She pulled a rose out of thin air. "Sorry, but I'm going to capture you. Even though brute force isn't my style!"

She threw the rose at Playmaker. When it landed at his feet, it glowed and created a circle around him. It exerted a pressure on him that forced him to his knees.

Morningstar watched as the light spread from the building to the ones around it. Oh no. He quickly leaped from his rooftop to the next one, trying to get as far away as possible. Once he reached a safe distance, he turned around. The outer buildings had twisted and morphed into spires of rock. The building Playmaker was standing on lowered as a building resembling a church rose out of nowhere.

"What the-?" Cam said, annoyed. All the cameras had gone out. He couldn't see Yasutake, Playmaker, anything. "Yasu, can you hear me?" he asked into the earpiece Yasutake wore in LINK VRAINS. There was no response. Whatever this was, it was jamming communications somehow. Still, there had to be a way to see what was going on. Maybe the SOL's emergency cameras…?

"Ah!" he said as he hacked into them. He still couldn't see Yasutake, but he could see Playmaker. Thankfully, Morningstar could too. After the spires formed, he'd jumped onto one and held onto it. He had a good view of Playmaker, who couldn't see him. He watched as vines of energy reached out from the circle and wrapped themselves around Playmaker.

"I stayed up all night to write this program. I wish you'd congratulate me," the fake Blue Angel said as she snapped her fingers. She'd stopped using Blue Angel's voice and was using her own this time. Wait a minute… Morningstar knew that voice. And the spires… and that desire for flattery… it was her!

Morningstar watched as the building lowered itself more and Playmaker was pulled down. If Morningstar was right, he'd entered the church. He scowled.

"Ghost Girl," he muttered. "Of all the mercenaries SOL could have hired, they had to hire _you._ "

Morningstar jumped down to the ledges on the outside of the church. Finding a window, he looked in. Playmaker was trapped in the embrace of something resembling a ghoul's hand. There was a bed where the altar should be, with Blue Angel lying unconscious on it. Two other people were there. One was Akira Zaizen. The other…

Morningstar scowled again. The woman had long grey hair and grey eyes with a black mask that covered the lower half of her face. She wore a simple skin-tight black and blue jumpsuit that left her forearms and upper legs exposed and black stockings and boots.

 _Ghost Girl… it had to be you. No one else could write a program like this in one night._

Morningstar refocused on the others. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it seemed like Akira was confronting Playmaker. His eyes fell on the unconscious Blue Angel. If he was right, that was her conscious mind, the part that entered LINK VRAINS while her body remained in the real world. So that was what the virus did. It kept her from logging out of LINK VRAINS, but kept her mind in a constant shut-down mode, trapped between two worlds.

His focus was drawn from Blue Angel to Playmaker when he started screaming. Akira's right hand had turned purple and was held in a fist. The bindings on Playmaker were tightening. Morningstar's eyes widened in shock. Akira was torturing Playmaker! Why?

Morningstar growled. Why didn't matter. Even though he often had to hurt his opponents to capture them, he never did anything after that. Once the prey was caught, there was no point in tormenting them! He couldn't let this continue!

Before he could break the window and do… he wasn't entirely sure what… a bolt of lightning broke through the roof. What the hell was that? As the lightning disappeared, someone was shown kneeling where it had struck. It was a tanned man with yellow eyes behind a transparent mask and black hair with orange and red highlights. He wore a white jumpsuit and trench coat. As he stood up, Morningstar moved to the roof, where the lightning bolt had destroyed most of the ceiling.

"Revolver?" he heard Ghost Girl ask.

"A Knight of Hanoi!" Akira answered.

"Let Playmaker go," Revolver said as he faced away from Akira and Ghost Girl.

"What?"

"I'll be the one to face him."

"I can't allow that!"

"I see." Revolver turned around and faced them. "You underestimate my power." He raised his hand towards the sky, and everyone, Morningstar included, looked up. A data cyclone descended on top of him. As he gestured to Akira and Ghost Girl, it spread outward and broke one side of the church.

"He can control the Data Storm?" Morningstar whispered, his eyes wide. "Are you kidding me?" _Also, "you underestimate my power?" Did he just make a Star Wars quote?_

"I can easily destroy LINK VRAINS," Revolver told Akira. "But I don't care about that. I only have one objective. Playmaker's AI."

"You think we'll just give it to you?" Akira said. Morningstar had to give Akira credit. Despite the show Revolver put on, he was still standing his ground.

"You'll give it to me," Revolver said. "We put a computer virus into your sister, Blue Angel."

"What?" Akira said, surprised. Morningstar raised an eyebrow. He didn't know? Had he thought Playmaker responsible for what happened to Blue Angel? Was that why he had tortured him?

"Only we can remove the virus," Revolver said.

"Why my sister?"

"For hostage."

"Hostage!?"

"It could've been anyone. As long as it inflamed Playmaker's sense of justice and drew him out."

Revolver turned to the side. "But a no-name wouldn't be effective. That's why we used Blue Angel."

"Used Aoi? Hand over the removal program!" Akira shouted.

"That'll depend on you," Revolver said, completely calm. "SOL Technologies' Security Manager, Akira Zaizen." He turned back to face Akira. "Your job is to retrieve Ignis. If you retrieve Ignis, you'll fulfill your job for SOL Technologies. But…"

Revolver pointed to Blue Angel. "Your sister won't wake up from the darkness for the rest of her life. If Playmaker defeats me in a duel, I'll give you the removal program."

"No way!" Akira said, his anger not abated. "Entrust my sister's future to people who I don't know?"

"There's only one path," Revolver said. "Now choose your sister's future!" There was a pause as Akira considered.

"No," Morningstar whispered, standing up. "There's two paths." He shot his Data Anchor towards Revolver, drawing the attention of Akira and Ghost Girl. Before it could latch onto Revolver, someone else appeared and wrapped the Anchor around their wrist.

"What!?" Morningstar said, surprised. No one had anticipated his Data Anchor like that before! He jumped down, glaring at the person who had the red cord around their wrist.

The person had fair skin, grey hair, and light blue eyes. He wore a plain white suit with a black stripe over the chest and black shoes. He smirked at Morningstar.

"Too bad, Morningstar," he said. "If Master Revolver hadn't anticipated you, that would have worked."

"Morningstar!?" Akira said, finally getting over his surprise enough to speak. Playmaker was likewise surprised, but he stayed quiet.

Ghost Girl's eyes had widened when she'd seen him, but they returned to normal as she chuckled. "I should have known you'd be here," she said. "You never could stay away from a big score."

Morningstar ignored her as he kept glaring at the second Knight of Hanoi. "Who are you?"

"My name is Specter," he answered, the red cord fading. "I'm familiar with this Data Anchor program of yours. A very potent tool. Keeps the person who fired it and the person who it catches from logging out until they have a duel. Useful to have for a hunter."

Morningstar continued to stare. This feeling… he widened his eyes. "It was you!" he said, angry with Specter and himself. "It was your presence I felt before Blue Angel challenged me! You're the one who put the virus in her!"

Akira and Playmaker gasped and looked at Specter, who laughed softly. "Yes, that was me. I admit, I was surprised to see you stop by. I didn't think anyone would be able to sense me."

"You did this to Aoi!?" Akira said, his anger transferring from Revolver to Specter. "Release her! Now!"

"I can't," Specter said calmly. "Master Revolver is the one with the removal program. He's the only one who can free her." He maintained his gaze with Morningstar. "My mission is to keep you busy while Master Revolver duels Playmaker."

Morningstar growled. He hated to admit it, but he had no choice. Now that it was active, the Data Anchor kept him from logging out. Of course, he could wait for its timer to run down, but that took 24 hours. He didn't have the time, or quite frankly the patience to wait that long.

"Zaizen," Morningstar said, his gaze never leaving Specter. "Let Playmaker go. While I would prefer to duel Revolver myself, I can't. Besides," his gaze shifted to Revolver briefly, "I don't have the AI program you want. Or 'Ignis,' as you called it."

"No you don't," Revolver said, sparing a glance at Morningstar. "You interfered during our hunt for Ignis when you defeated one of our Knights and gave him to SOL. Specter can handle you himself."

"Ho! This guy defeated a Knight of Hanoi?" Ai said. "Does that mean he's an ally?"

"No," Morningstar answered the AI. "I have been contracted by SOL to retrieve you for them." Akira gasped at that. He hadn't hired Morningstar, which meant his superiors had. But why hadn't they told him? "I only dueled Hanoi that time because SOL pays me for each Knight I defeat." He narrowed his eyes at Specter. "I wonder how much they'll pay me for your account?" Specter only smirked in response.

"Well, since Morningstar is occupied, that leaves Playmaker," Revolver said. "As I said before, choose your sister's future!"

Akira stood still for a moment, then unclenched his fist. "My sister's life is irreplaceable," he said as the purple glow dispersed. The program holding Playmaker dispersed along with it, causing him to fall.

"That was horrible," Ai commented. Revolver smirked at that.

"I'll be waiting for you, Playmaker," he said. Another data cyclone engulfed him and carried him out of the church.

"And I'll be waiting for you, Morningstar," Specter said. Unlike Revolver, he walked outside, stepping over the rubble.

"Are you going?" Ai asked Playmaker. "He's a powerful foe."

"I've come this far in order to battle him," Playmaker said before running out.

"Playmaker," Akira said, making Playmaker halt. "I can trust you, right? What I did to you was horrible. But for my sister, you'll still… You'll still fight for me even though you should hate me?"

"I don't hate you," Playmaker said. "I only hate the Knights of Hanoi." He left, heading towards the data stream. Morningstar sighed.

"I was going to intervene when I saw you torturing him," he told Akira. "I understand pain is sometimes necessary, but what you did… well, at least you understand it was awful." He walked out, but Akira stopped him too.

"Morningstar, why are you here?" he asked. "You didn't have to try to challenge Revolver, but you did anyway."

Morningstar thought about it, then said, "I blame myself for what happened to Blue Angel. If I had accepted her challenge, or hadn't left so quickly… perhaps I could have prevented this." He turned to face Akira. "But I didn't. Because I refused her challenge, this happened. This is my repentance." He turned away from Akira, not wanting to see his reaction and ran out. As he did so, he released his drone and set it to record. Cam would be able to watch Playmaker and Revolver's duel that way.

* * *

He called his D-Board and rode the data stream. Specter came alongside him, riding a longer white model with three orange gems at the front, yellow angles on the sides, and a dark green semicircle-shaped piece on the back. Morningstar noticed that the two of them were riding in the opposite direction of Playmaker and Revolver. Evidently, they were to deal with them separately.

"Speed Duel!" Morningstar and Specter shouted.

 **Specter: 4000 LP**

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

Before they could start though, the ground erupted. "What the-?" Morningstar said, glancing down with wide eyes. The streets beneath him had broken apart, and lava spewed forth from them. He looked around the city. Massive swaths of it had been consumed by magma while the sky was covered in black clouds.

"It looks like Master Revolver has set the stage for his duel with Playmaker," Specter commented. What? Revolver had done this? Morningstar narrowed his eyes. _Note to self: do not underestimate Hanoi's leader._

"I'll go first! My turn!" Specter said, sweeping his hand in front of him to reveal his cards. _I'll use one of the cards Master Revolver gave me._ "I pay 1000 Life Points to activate the Continuous Spell: Dragonoid Generator!"

 **Specter: 4000→3000 LP**

"Twice per turn, I can Special Summon a Dragonoid Token in Attack Position," Specter explained. Two small dragons with the lower body of a spike appeared on his field.

 **Dragonoid Token ATK 300 DEF 300 LVL: 1**

 _Two low Level monsters?_ Morningstar thought, narrowing his eyes. _Oh no…_

"I Tribute the two Dragonoid Tokens to Tribute Summon! Appear, Cracking Dragon!" The black armored dragon that Morningstar had fought before appeared on Specter's field and roared.

 **Cracking Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 8**

"Do all Knights of Hanoi use that card?" Morningstar muttered.

"I Set one card," Specter said. "I end my turn. Due to Dragonoid Generator's effect, you must Special Summon Dragonoid Tokens equal to the amount I summoned." Morningstar narrowed his eyes again. He knew what Specter was doing.

"I Special Summon two Dragonoid Tokens on my field," he said, causing the same small dragons to appear on his field.

 **Dragonoid Token ATK 300 DEF 300 LVL: 1**

"Cracking Dragon's effect now activates," Specter said. "When you Normal Summon or Special Summon a monster, its attack points decrease by its Level times 200. And you take that amount as damage! Crack Fall!" Cracking Dragon sent out a blast of wind that made Morningstar wince as his tokens glowed red and he glowed yellow.

 **Dragonoid Token ATK 300→100**

 **Morningstar: 4000→3600 LP**

Morningstar scowled at the tokens on his field. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?" he asked Specter. "You didn't just do this for the damage."

Specter smirked. "You're right. Your duels with Onizuka and Watcher confirmed that your Link Monsters require a certain archetype to summon."

 _Which means I can't use these tokens to Link Summon_ ,Morningstar thought. Then what Specter said struck him. "You know about my duel with Watcher? How-?" His eyes narrowed in understanding. "You were the ones who hired Watcher to steal SOL's files."

"Yes, we did," Specter said. "We knew that even if he failed, his skills were enough to escape into LINK VRAINS. At that point, we knew SOL would contact you to find him. And thereby give us an opportunity to study your moves and monsters."

Morningstar growled. That meant Hanoi had seen three of his duels – against one of their own, against Go, and against Watcher. During those duels, he'd used most of his Link Monsters, which would have confirmed their theory that Specter was now exploiting: all of Morningstar's Link Monsters required "Cyspirit" monsters to Link Summon.

Of course, this move wouldn't stop him. It would only slow him down.

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, looked at his card and smirked. Oh, this was going to be fun. "I activate the Equip Spell: Cyspirit Chain!" The card showed Cyspirit Linker wrapped up in black chains, with Cyspirit Kid pulling on them, trying to get them off. "And I equip this card to one of my Dragonoid Tokens." The Token in question glowed red as Morningstar played his card. "Cyspirit Chain sends one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, then it treats the equipped monster as having the same name as the sent monster."

 _So you figured out a way around it,_ Specter thought, narrowing his eyes. To be honest, he wasn't surprised. In all of Morningstar's duels, he'd shown himself to be incredibly competent and adaptable.

"The Dragonoid Token is now treated as having the same name as Cyspirit Teleporter!" Morningstar said, gesturing to the sky. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The burst of electricity he sent to the sky created the Link portal.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set the Dragonoid Token treated as Cyspirit Teleporter in the Link Marker!" The token entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!"

One of the Link Monsters he had used against Watcher appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' from my Deck to the zone it points to, but that monster cannot attack and it will be destroyed during the End Phase. I Special Summon Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a leotard appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Cracking Dragon's effect now activates!" Specter reminded him. "Crack Fall!" The burst of wind hit Morningstar as Dancer glowed red and he glowed yellow.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000→600**

 **Morningstar: LP 3600→3200 LP**

Morningstar smirked. "That's what I was waiting for."

"Hmm?" Specter said, wondering what he meant.

"Since I took effect damage, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Saver!" The dwarf in white armor carrying a small shield appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Saver ATK 0 DEF 1300 LVL: 2**

"When Cyspirit Saver is Special Summoned using its own effect, I take no effect damage for the rest of the turn!" Specter narrowed his eyes. He remembered this monster from when Morningstar had used it against the Knight of Hanoi. It had kept him from losing then.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar said, sending another bolt of electricity at the sky and creating the Link portal again.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Dancer, Cyspirit Saver, and Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top, bottom, and bottom-left arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!"

The monster that had defeated both the Knight of Hanoi and Watcher appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Since I used Cyspirit Dancer to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, Rapid Revolutionary gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2800**

Morningstar noted that his Dragonoid Token was linked to Rapid Revolutionary. That meant that if Rapid Revolutionary attacked Cracking Dragon, it would gain 500 attack points and destroy it. Of course, there was far more he could do.

"The monster effect of the Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "By banishing it, I Special Summon Cyspirit Dancer from my Graveyard!" The skeleton in a leotard reappeared at Rapid Revolutionary's other Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Chain in my Graveyard! By shuffling a banished 'Cyspirit' monster back into my Deck, I can activate this card from my Graveyard!"

"What?" Specter said, narrowing his eyes. That wasn't something he expected.

"I shuffle Cyspirit Teleporter back into my Deck," Morningstar said. "And equip Cyspirit Chain to my other Dragonoid Token. By doing so, I send Cyspirit Swordsman from my Deck to the Graveyard and treat my token as having the same name as Swordsman." He gestured to the sky.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The lightning bolt created the Link portal for a third time.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Dancer and the Dragonoid Token treated as Cyspirit Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!"

The skeleton in a prospector uniform and a drill for an arm appeared on Morningstar's field, summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"And as before, Dancer's effect increases Thrilled Tunneler's attack points by 600!"

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→2200**

"Three Link Summons in one turn," Specter mused. "As expected of you, Morningstar."

"I set two cards," Morningstar said, then gestured to Cracking Dragon. "Battle! Rapid Revolutionary, attack Cracking Dragon! At this point, Rapid Revolutionary's monster effect activates! Since it points to one monster, it gains 500 attacks points during the Damage Step when battling a non-Link Monster! Final Revolution Shot!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2800→3300**

Rapid Revolutionary merged its pistols into an elongated rifle and fired a blast of yellow energy at Cracking Dragon. The blast hit it and destroyed it, with Specter wincing from the damage.

 **Specter: 3000→2700 LP**

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 3300→2800**

"Not bad," Specter said, smirking. "Master Revolver was right. Cracking Dragon wasn't enough to defeat you."

"Go, Thrilled Tunneler! Attack him directly! Cyber Drill!" Thrilled Tunneler struck Specter with its drill, causing him to yell from the damage.

 **Specter: 2700→500 LP**

"Yes!" Morningstar started a little from the voice over his earpiece. "You managed to knock him down to 500 Life Points! Not bad, Yasu!"

"Cam? Communications are back up?"

"They have been for a while. I just didn't want to distract you from the duel. You should know that Playmaker defeated Revolver's Cracking Dragon as well. And," he paused, "Ghost Girl is following them and observing."

Morningstar heard the anger in Cam's voice. "I don't like her, either, Cam, but right now, she's on our side. I'll try to end this quickly, so I can go after Playmaker and Revolver."

Morningstar turned back to Specter. "I end my turn."

Specter smirked. "You reduced my Life Points to 500. Very impressive. Master Revolver was right to worry about you."

"I'm not sure that's a compliment," Morningstar said.

"It is. Master Revolver makes a point of not underestimating his opponents. That's why," his eyes narrowed, "he had a card made special just to defeat you."

"What?" Morningstar said, his eyes widening. "A card made to defeat me?"

"My turn! Draw!" Specter drew, then said. "I activate the Continuous Spell: Superior Dragonoid Generator! This card can only be activated by sending Dragonoid Generator to the GY!" The card showed a similar portrait to Dragonoid Generator, except it showed two dragons instead of one. "This card has the same effect as Dragonoid Generator, except it allows me to Special Summon from the Extra Deck!"

 _That means he's going for a Link Summon,_ Morningstar thought.

"I activate Superior Dragonoid Generator's effect to Special Summon two Dragonoid Tokens to my field!" Two more tokens appeared on his field.

 **Dragonoid Token ATK 300 DEF 300 LVL: 1**

"I Normal Summon Jack Wyvern!" This monster was a black dragon machine with a green line running down its body.

 **Jack Wyvern ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Jack Wyvern's monster effect! I banish this card and one face-up Machine monster I control to Special Summon one Dark monster in my Graveyard!"

 _There's only one Dark monster in his Graveyard,_ Morningstar thought, narrowing his eyes. _This isn't good._

"I banish Jack Wyvern and one of the Dragonoid Tokens to bring back Cracking Dragon!" The black mechanical dragon reappeared, roaring as it did so.

 **Cracking Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 8**

 _Cracking Dragon is strong enough to destroy my Thrilled Tunneler,_ Morningstar thought. _But he knows that Rapid Revolutionary can destroy it next turn. He must be after something else._

"Trap activate!" Specter declared. "Return from the Different Dimension! I pay half my Life Points, then Special Summon as many banished monsters as I can! Return to me, Jack Wyvern!" His monster reappeared as Specter glowed yellow.

 **Specter: 500→250 LP**

 **Jack Wyvern ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"I activate the Equip Spell: Link Unit!' Specter said. "And equip it to Jack Wyvern. Now, if Jack Wyvern is used to Link Summon, it counts as two Materials!"

"With Jack Wyvern, Cracking Dragon, and the Dragonoid Token on his field…" Morningstar muttered. "This isn't good."

"It's time, Morningstar! You've had a good run, but this is the end! Appear! The future circuit!" This time, he sent the bolt of lightning into the sky that created the Link portal.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three Machine monsters! I set Cracking Dragon, Dragonoid Token, and the Jack Wyvern treated as two materials in the Link Markers!" His monster entered the arrows, with Jack Wyvern splitting in half. His monsters made the top, bottom, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows light up.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Neo Cracking Dragon!"

The monster he summoned was twice as large as Cracking Dragon. Like Cracking Dragon, it was mostly black and made of metal, but it had twelve wings attached to green orbs circling it, three mechanical heads, and its tail split in half at the back. When it appeared, it roared, creating a great blast of wind

 **Neo Cracking Dragon ATK 3000 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"Neo Cracking Dragon?" Morningstar repeated, narrowing his eyes as he fought the wind. "What kind of monster is this?"

Specter chuckled at Morningstar. "This monster was made special just to defeat you, Morningstar. We studied your Link Monsters, and this card is the result of that! Neo Cracking Dragon's monster effect! If I have Cracking Dragon in my Graveyard, and I control no monsters that are linked to Neo Cracking Dragon, it gains 1500 attack points!"

"What?" Neo Cracking Dragon glowed red as its attack points increased.

 **Neo Cracking Dragon ATK 3000→4500**

"4500 attack points," Morningstar muttered. "Cam, is Playmaker fighting a monster like this?"

"No, he's facing a 3000-attack point dragon. Though it seems to have a rather nasty effect."

"So does this one."

"The second effect of Superior Dragonoid Generator activates!" Specter said, drawing Morningstar's attention "Since I Link Summoned a Machine monster, I draw one card!" He did just that.

"It's time to end this duel," Specter said. "Neo Cracking Dragon's second effect! Once per turn, until the end of the turn, all Link Monsters you control lose attack points equal to their Link Ratings times 300."

"What?" Morningstar said, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Rapid Revolutionary is Link-3, and Thrilled Tunneler is Link-2," Specter said. "Meaning they lose 900 and 600 attack points respectively. Not only that, but you take the same amount of damage! Ultimate Crack Fall!" Neo Cracking Dragon let loose a massive green wind that made Morningstar yell with pain as his monsters glowed red and he glowed yellow.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2800→1900**

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 2200→1600**

 **Morningstar: 3200→1700 LP**

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared. "Cyberse Beacon! Since I took damage, I can add one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Gardna from my Deck to my hand!"

 _Cyberse Beacon,_ Specter thought, narrowing his eyes. _That was one of the cards Playmaker used against the Knight he faced. As Master Revolver suspected, these two have some of the same Spell and Trap Cards._

"This is the end!" Specter said. "Battle! Neo Cracking Dragon, attack Thrilled Tunneler! And in case you're thinking of using your other face-down, you should know that you cannot activate any Spell or Trap Cards when Neo Cracking Dragon attacks." Neo Cracking Dragon gathered green light into its three mouths, but Morningstar was prepared.

"I may not be able to use Spell or Trap Cards, but I can use monsters! I activate the effect of Cyspirit Gardna in my hand! If you declare an attack against a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon this monster and redirect your attack to it!" A white skeleton warrior in black armor with a blue left eye carrying two massive shields appeared on his field in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Gardna ATK 1000 DEF 2000 LVL: 4**

"It makes no difference," Specter told him. "Neo Cracking Dragon can inflict piercing battle damage! You will still lose! Go, Neo Cracking Dragon, attack Cyspirit Gardna! Triple Traffic Blast!" The three mouths fired three streams of green energy that merged into one stream that struck Gardna.

"Gardna's monster effect!" Morningstar shouted over the wind from the attack. "The turn it uses its effect, all battle damage is halved, and Gardna cannot be destroyed by this battle!" He yelled as the attack went around Gardna and struck him, even though Gardna remained.

 **Morningstar: 1700→450 LP**

"Impressive," Specter said. "I suppose I'll have to wait till next turn to defeat you." He swiped another card from his hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Download Cure!" The card showed a data card with a syringe crossed over it. "Since you took battle damage from an attack involving a Machine monster, I gain Life Points equal to the damage you took." He glowed yellow as he said this.

 **Specter: 250→1500 LP**

"Then, Download Cure allows me to Set one card from my Deck," Specter said. "I end my turn. At this point, Neo Cracking Dragon's effect ends and the attack points of your Link Monsters return to normal."

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 1900→2800**

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→2200**

"And then, since I used the effect of Superior Dragonoid Generator, it summons a Dragonoid Token to your field. It would summon two, but your monsters take up too much space."

 **Dragonoid Token ATK 300 DEF 300 LVL: 1**

Specter looked back at Morningstar. "You must realize by now it's pointless to resist. Neo Cracking Dragon was made to counter all your Link Monsters. Especially your Datastorm Dragon and Thrilled Tunneler."

 _Especially them?_ Morningstar wondered. He opened the info he had on Neo Cracking Dragon. As he read the card's description, his eyes widened in shock.

"I see," he said. "Neo Cracking Dragon cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, and my monsters can only select it as an attack target. That nullifies both my Datastorm Dragon's destruction effect and Thrilled Tunneler's direct attack."

"And none of your monsters can increase their attack enough to reach Neo Cracking Dragon's attack points," Specter said. "Well, Pied Pikeman potentially could, but it requires pointing to three monsters for that, and in a Speed Duel, that's impossible for it."

"He's done his homework on you, Yasu," Cam said. "Can you defeat that monster?"

"Defeat it? No. But I can defeat Specter." He had one monster that could win this duel for him, but it required getting rid of his Dragonoid Token.

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card and smiled. This would do.

"I Tribute the Dragonoid Token to Tribute Summon Cyspirit Wanderer!" The skeleton in poncho and trousers appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 5**

 _I haven't summoned this monster in a very long time,_ Morningstar thought. _But, I don't have a choice._

"Appear, the circuit between light and darkness!" His bolt of lightning created the Link portal again.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set the Link 2 Thrilled Tunneler, Gardna, and Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left, right, top-left, and top-right Link Markers, turning them red.

Specter raised an eyebrow. _What's this? There are no Link Monsters with that pattern!_

Circuit combine! The galaxy's rage that breaks all limitations! Link Summon! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Neo Nova!"

This monster was larger than his previous ones and about the same size as Datastorm Dragon. At first it appeared to be a black skeleton dragon, but its skin grew over the bones. It had dark silver armor covering its upper torso and most of its legs with midnight black skin underneath it. Its black tail spread behind it and ended in a white star-like point. Its large metallic wings had dark silver spines, and black membranes between them with white dots all over them, making them look like the night sky. Its head was covered in dark silver armor with three black horns pulling backwards from it. Like all the Cyspirits, it had a blue left eye and a red right eye. It roared as it was summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500 LINK-4** ↖←↗→

"What the-?" Specter said, his eyes wide with shock. "We've never seen this card before."

"That is because I rarely use this monster," Morningstar told him. "I only use it when I have no choice."

Specter growled. "You may have surprised me with that monster, but I'm afraid summoning it will be your end! Trap activate! Final Crack Fall!" The card showed Cracking Dragon, Hack Worm, Hack Dog, and Jack Wyvern, all releasing a massive wind. "Since Cracking Dragon is either on my field or in my Graveyard, when you Link Summon a Cyberse Link Monster, you take damage equal to that monster's attack points! Take this! 2500 points of damage!" The Trap Card sent a blast of red energy at Morningstar, but he wasn't worried.

"Counter Trap activate! Cyspirit Break!" The card showed Cyspirit Pied Pikeman emerging from an explosion. "When a Spell, Trap, or monster effect is activated that would inflict damage to me while I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I negate the activation of that effect!" The blast broke apart before it hit Morningstar, making Cam sigh with relief. That was too close. Specter grit his teeth.

"I activate Neo Nova's first monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Since it points to at least one monster, once per turn, I can draw one card for each monster it points to, but during the End Phase, I must send an equal number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard. Neo Nova points to both Rapid Revolutionary and Neo Cracking Dragon. Therefore, I draw two cards! Orbital Gain!" Neo Nova glowed white, as did his hand.

He placed his hand on top of his Deck and closed his eyes. _This is it. If I don't draw the right cards, I will lose._ He opened his eyes as he drew. He looked at his cards and smiled. This was it!

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in my Graveyard!" Morningstar said. "By shuffling it back into my Deck, I Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard, but the summoned monster cannot declare an attack this turn. Return to me, Thrilled Tunneler!" Thrilled Tunneler was summoned to Neo Nova's right Link Marker and Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2 ←→**

"Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I Special Summon Cyspirit Navigator to the field!" The skeleton in a pirate's outfit and a black tricorne hat appeared on his field, summoned to Neo Nova's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300 DEF 1100 LVL: 3**

Specter looked at the field. Neo Nova was now linked to four monsters. That meant it could use all its effects. This wasn't going to be pretty. And it was about to get worse for him.

"I activate the Equip Spell: Cyspirit Multiplier!" Morningstar said. "I equip this card onto Neo Nova. Now, Neo Nova can attack twice during the Battle Phase. And now, I activate Neo Nova's third monster effect! Once per turn, if Neo Nova points to at least three monsters, it gains 800 attack points for each monster it points to until the End Phase!"

"What?" Specter said, his eyes widening in surprise. "It has such an effect?"

"Neo Nova points to four monsters. That means it gains 3200 attack points! Celestial Charge!" Neo Nova roared as it glowed red.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500→5700**

"Of course, the turn I activate this effect, Neo Nova is the only monster that can declare an attack. But that hardly matters. Between Neo Nova's attack points and Cyspirit Multiplier's effect, you will lose."

"I will not," Specter growled. "I activate the effect of Final Crack Fall in the Graveyard! By banishing it, all battle damage I would take this turn is halved!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes at that, but continued. "Battle! Neo Nova, attack Neo Cracking Dragon! Cosmic Cannon!" Neo Nova charged white energy in its mouth, then fired it at Neo Cracking Dragon. The blast hit it and made Specter wince from the damage.

 **Specter: 1500→900 LP**

Once the smoke cleared, Neo Cracking Dragon was revealed. Like its card said, it could not be destroyed by battle or card effects.

"Cyspirit Multiplier allows Neo Nova to perform a second attack!" Morningstar said. "Once again, Neo Nova! Cosmic Cannon!" Neo Nova attacked again and struck Neo Cracking Dragon, making Specter wince again.

 **Specter: 900→300 LP**

"Pretty good attempt," he said. "But in the end, this is the limit of your strength."

"No," Morningstar said, his eyes narrowing. "There are no limits to what I can do. I learned that ten years ago. Besides, I have three reasons to fight, and they give me the strength to go on!"

"What?"

Morningstar held up one finger. "One! I am obtaining vengeance on you for what you did to Blue Angel!" He held up another. "Two! I have people to protect and support, and defeating you will do that!" He held up a third finger. "Three! Playmaker saved my life when I first fought Hanoi. Now, I will return the favor to him!"

"Three reasons," Specter mused, thoughtful. Master Revolver occasionally spoke of three reasons. He had thought it a habit, but Morningstar had the same speech pattern. Could there be some relationship between the two? His thoughts were interrupted by Morningstar.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Pilot in my hand!" Morningstar declared. "Since a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster failed to destroy a monster in battle, I can discard Pilot to let my monster attack again!"

"What!?"

A white skeleton in an aviator's jacket with goggles covering its empty right eye socket and left blue eye appeared on Morningstar's field. It disintegrated, and the light from it made Neo Nova glow.

"For a third time, battle! Neo Nova, attack Neo Cracking Dragon! Cosmic Cannon!" Neo Nova gathered its energy into its mouth and launched its attack at Neo Cracking Dragon. Like the first two times, the blast struck the machine dragon, but this time, Specter yelled from the attack as he was sent flying from his D-Board.

 **Specter: 300→0 LP**

 _Defeating you may not save Blue Angel,_ Morningstar thought as he aimed his Duel Disk at Specter. _But handing you over to SOL should earn a hefty reward._

Before he could fire his net, however, he was distracted by something in the sky. Something that was shining extremely bright. What was that? Unfortunately, he soon had larger worries. As the thing in the sky shined brighter, the data stream starting bending.

"W-What is this!?" Morningstar shouted. As the wind grew even stronger, he couldn't hold onto his D-Board anymore. He was yanked off it, and blacked out.

"Yasu! Yasu!" Cam yelled into the com, but the signal broke up. "YASUTAKE!" he screamed.

* * *

Morningstar opened his eyes slowly. Where was he? He was lying down on rock. He pushed himself up, wincing as he did so. Everything hurt. As he pushed himself to his knees, he looked up and gasped.

He was kneeling on a massive floating green rock on the edge of a field of green rocks. Around the rocks, everything was purple and moving.

"I'm inside the Data Storm?" he whispered. "How did that happen? Did Revolver do this?" He turned to the side and gasped again.

Playmaker and Revolver were each standing on a rock like Morningstar's, facing each other. The two of them were trapped inside a massive cage.

"They're in a Master Duel?" Morningstar whispered. He narrowed his eyes at Revolver. "Was this why Revolver wanted a Speed Duel? To draw Playmaker in?" Whatever the reason, he settled in to watch. His Data Anchor wouldn't work on someone who was already dueling, and he doubted Playmaker would appreciate him butting in.

He watched as Playmaker summoned Decode Talker alongside his Encode Talker. From what he could tell, it was strong enough to break Revolver's defense.

"The Field Spell Fire Prison's effect activates!" What? What was that? The cross emblem at the top of the cage glowed and released lights.

"Cyberses in the field, Graveyard, and hand lose their effects and can't attack!" Revolver explained. "Cyberses also can't be targeted by effects nor attacked! It's as if Cyberses don't exist!" Morningstar watched as Decode Talker and Encode Talker started to glitch.

"Vanish, Cyberse!" The two Link Monsters vanished completely, leaving an empty field.

"What?" Morningstar said, his eyes wide. "What was that? Did he remove them?" He checked his Duel Disk. No, Decode and Encode Talker were still there, but they couldn't attack or be attacked. Meaning… Morningstar looked up. With that Field Spell, Revolver could attack Playmaker directly. This wasn't good.

His attention was drawn by a sound. He glanced to his right and saw Ghost Girl land next to him.

"Morningstar!" she said. She sounded surprised. "I didn't expect to see you in here."

"And I didn't expect to see you," he said tersely. "Someone let you in?"

"Yes. I think it was an ally of Playmaker's on the outside." She turned to the duel and gasped. "Playmaker and Revolver!" She'd had a few drones with her, including the one Morningstar released. Morningstar waved at it. His com was down, so he knew Cam couldn't hear him, but with the drone inside the Data Storm, he could at least see Morningstar was okay.

"Did you defeat Specter?"

"Yes," he answered. She glanced at him.

"You're not still mad about the job back in June, are you? I did send you an apology."

"I'm not still mad about what happened in June," he said.

"Good."

"I'm still mad about the Mercury job."

Ghost Girl didn't answer for a few seconds, then said, "Fair enough. What's happened so far?"

"Revolver has the advantage," he said. "His Field Spell has made it appear as though Playmaker's Cyberse monsters don't exist." He showed her his Duel Disk and the field. She glanced over it, then returned to the duel.

"It seems you don't know what Ignis is." Morningstar glanced down at the duel. Revolver had said that.

"I'll tell you before you lose. Ignis isn't a regular AI. Since long ago, there have been tests to create life within the network. But only regular programs were able to be created. They lacked a certain something to be considered a life form."

"What do you mean?" Playmaker asked. Morningstar wanted to know that too.

"Free will," Revolver answered. "Even in humans, we don't know where free will is located inside our bodies. But someone created it in a program. He accomplished what God did. In ancient mythology, God gave heaven's forbidden fire to humans. This fire quickly evolved mankind. Modeled after the myth, he named the new life form 'Ignis.' Ignis is AI with free will."

"Free will?" Playmaker repeated. "No way! A program can't have free will!"

Revolver scoffed. "I naturally expected that reaction. But it doesn't matter if you believe this story or not. Ignis created the Cyberse and is trying to conquer the network. We'll do whatever it takes to kill Ignis and the Cyberse! Now, I'll continue this duel and end you! Here I go, Playmaker!"

"Have you heard anything about this?" Ghost Girl asked Morningstar. "About AI with free will?"

"Why?" he asked. "Hoping for a cut when I fulfill my contract?"

"Just curious," she said. "I get why you don't like me, but we both want Playmaker to win this. For now, truce?"

Morningstar was silent for a while, then said, "Truce. I can't say I have. When I was contracted, I was only told Playmaker was in possession of a SOL AI. They didn't say any more than that."

"Don't give me that. You're too smart for that to be the limits of your knowledge."

"I know his AI is responsible for creating the Data Storm," he said. "I also know it gave Playmaker his Skill. It's certainly a more advanced AI program than any I've ever seen, but free will? That seems to be stretching it too far."

Before Ghost Girl could respond, Revolver shouted, "Appear! The future circuit that lights up my path!" The two of them looked down on the duel. Seeing the monsters on his field, Morningstar realized what Revolver was doing. He watched as Revolver created the Link portal and set his Sniffer Dragons and Twin Triangle Dragon in the Link Markers.

"Circuit combine! My new wind that pierces through the closed world! Link Summon! Appear, Link 4! Borreload Dragon!"

This dragon was one of the fiercest monsters Morningstar had ever seen. Its body was mostly red and silver with green lines running over it. Its arms resembled gun barrels and its wings glowed green.

"3000 attack points," Morningstar muttered. "This isn't good."

He and Ghost Girl watched as Revolver used Borreload Dragon to attack Playmaker directly. They shielded their eyes from the flash of the blast, with both yelling from the blowback. When the light faded, they looked down at the cloud of dust.

"Playmaker!" Ghost Girl gasped. Playmaker was lying down on the ground, his Life Points reduced to 600.

"Damn it!" Morningstar growled. "He can't survive another blast like that!" He worried for a second that Playmaker had fallen unconscious, but Playmaker stood up soon enough.

"I can still fight!" Playmaker drew, but he wobbled on his feet. Even though he was standing, that attack had done a great deal of damage.

"Playmaker," Morningstar muttered, then gasped. He felt something. A heartbeat from no body. What was that? His eyes widened. The pulse of the Cyberse. He felt it!

He watched with amazement as Playmaker made Decode and Encode Talker visible again and used them to Link Summon a Link 4 monster – Firewall Dragon. With its appearance, the cage surrounding Playmaker and Revolver disintegrated. Evidently with Playmaker's two Link Monsters gone, it destroyed itself.

Morningstar stared at Firewall Dragon. It reminded him of his Neo Nova, only blue and white instead of black and silver, and it had several circles on its body, including the back of its head. It even had the same attack points and Link Rating. Of course, it likely had very different effects. Certainly, its attack against Beltlink Wall Dragon was impressive.

Morningstar smiled. "He may have less Life Points than Revolver, but Playmaker isn't out of this yet."

"I hope so."

The two of them watched Revolver's turn in silence as he drew more cards and used his Borreload Dragon's effect in combination with Autorokket Dragon's effect to destroy Playmaker's Parallel Port Armor, then used Borreload Dragon's effect to take control of Firewall Dragon.

 _Well that's just rude,_ Morningstar thought. _Using his own monster to defeat him? Note to self, if I ever duel Revolver, make sure to have two or more monsters on the field while he has Borreload Dragon out._

Thankfully, Playmaker blocked Firewall Dragon's attack with a Trap Card that then brought it back to him. He was even able to use another Trap Card to bring his Encode Talker back, then used Firewall Dragon's effect to return one of Revolver's cards to his hand. Or he tried to, but Borreload Dragon's effect prevented it from being targeted, meaning he targeted a Magnarokket Dragon, which tried to destroy Firewall in response, but Playmaker used a Trap Card in his Graveyard to prevent it.

"Playmaker managed to destroy Fire Prison, but he's in bad shape." Morningstar glanced at Ghost Girl as she commented that. "The next turn will be the decider." He returned his gaze to the duel. As much as he disliked Ghost Girl, she was right. In all likelihood, this would be the last turn.

They kept watching as Playmaker activated a Continuous Spell Card called Battle Buffer and attacked Borreload Dragon with Firewall, then used Encode Talker to raise Firewall's attack points. The attack in turn activated Playmaker's Spell Card, which raised Encode Talker's attack points higher than Borreload's. Unfortunately, Borreload's own effect reduced Encode Talker's attack enough to destroy it.

"Playmaker has no monsters left than can attack," Ghost Girl commented. "If Revolver uses Magnarokket's effect to remove Firewall next turn, Playmaker has no way to stop Revolver's attack."

"Don't be so sure," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes. "Playmaker is both meticulous and tenacious. He must have another card to play."

He did. By banishing his Recoded Alive from the Graveyard, he brought Decode Talker back and increased its attack points to 4500.

"That Battle Buffer Spell Card is something," Morningstar muttered. "I should get a copy of it."

Decode Talker attacked Borreload, but thanks to a Trap Card and Magnarokket's effect, Revolver destroyed Decode Talker.

Revolver smirked. "It's really over this time, Playmaker. Only Firewall Dragon remains on your field. It's powered up, but it already finished attacking. You have no cards in your hand and only 400 Life Points. You'll lose on my next turn!"

"No, I won't lose! I have three reasons why I must defeat you!"

 _What!?_ Morningstar gasped on hearing that. _Three reasons!? Did he just say…_

"One: I'll defeat you and uncover the truth about what happened ten years ago! Two: I'll regain the time that I lost! Three: I'll save my friend who saved me!"

"Ten years ago…" Revolver muttered, shaken to his core. "Three things… You're the one from that incident ten years ago?"

"That's right. I'm that emissary of revenge!"

"Incident ten years ago?" Ghost Girl wondered. She didn't notice Morningstar stiffen up next to her as he stared at Playmaker in horror.

 _Ten years ago… Three reasons…_ He thought back to the white room, to the VR headset, to the voice that talked to him. _Damn you, Playmaker!_

"You're a fool, Playmaker," Revolver said. "To help SOL Technologies without knowing the truth!"

"Oh my," Ghost Girl said. "The incident ten years ago… SOL Technologies… Did I overhear something very interesting?" She then noticed Morningstar, who had tensed up and was glaring at Playmaker. "Morningstar? What's wrong?"

"Damn you," he muttered. "Damn you, Playmaker. You bastard…"

"There's only one thing I must do," Playmaker said. "I'll crush the Knights of Hanoi and learn everything!" He then used Parallel Port Armor's effect in his Graveyard to banish it, Decode Talker and Encode Talker, and let Firewall attack again. Morningstar could only watch as the blast from Firewall's attack sent Revolver screaming into the rock pillar behind him.

"Playmaker won!" Ghost Girl said, then turned to Morningstar. "Did you see that, Morningstar? Isn't that good?"

Morningstar gasped, brought down to earth. "Y-Yes," he said. He watched as the AI in Playmaker's Duel Disk became that thing it had become when it consumed Hanoi's data after Blue Angel lost and attacked Revolver, biting off his arm.

Suddenly, a bolt of yellow lightning struck down, pinning Ai in place as a green beam of light struck Revolver and lifted him up. Once Ai returned to Playmaker's Duel Disk, Revolver threw a card at Playmaker. The removal program!

"Playmaker! The wind didn't blow for me today. But as long as you have that AI, this duel was only the start. We will meet again." After saying that, Revolver disappeared.

The data tornado, and the rocks inside it, soon broke apart, but not before destroying a few more buildings. Playmaker, Ghost Girl, and Morningstar all teleported back to the church where Akira waited.

"Playmaker!" Akira said, looking relieved.

"This is the removal program," Playmaker said, placing his hand over Blue Angel. "With this, she'll…" His hand glowed green as a stream of data entered Blue Angel's chest. She broke into blue code, but not before smiling.

"Where's Aoi?"

"Seems she was able to log out," Ghost Girl said.

"That means…"

Ghost Girl nodded. "You should go to her."

"Okay!" Akira said, smiling. "Playmaker!" He turned to Playmaker, but he was walking away.

"Oi!" Ghost Girl said. "You're already leaving?" Playmaker didn't answer her as he logged out.

"How cool," she commented. Morningstar rolled his eyes. She _would_ be the one to say that. He turned to leave, but Akira stopped him.

"Morningstar. I understand why you said what you said, but… I don't blame you for what happened to Aoi." Morningstar turned to Akira. He was smiling. "Thank you for helping."

Morningstar didn't respond, instead just turning and leaving.

Ghost Girl sighed. "He never changes."

* * *

Yasutake walked out of the sealed and almost immediately fell over, only to be caught by Cam.

"Easy, Yasu," he said, the relief in his voice evident. "After everything that happened, you're lucky to still be standing."

"How's Aoi Zaizen?" he asked him. "Did she wake up?" Cam helped him to one of the chairs and showed him the hospital's camera feed. Akira was there, and he was crying while Aoi watched him with open eyes.

"She's fine," Cam said, then turned to Yasutake again. "Did you expect your girlfriend not to wake up?"

It took five seconds for what Cam said to register in Yasutake's mind. "WHHHAAAATTTTT!?" he screamed, his eyes bugging out. "G-Girlfriend!? S-She is not my girlfriend! She's not even my friend! Why the hell would I be with a famous Charisma Duelist!? Do you think her taste is that bad!?"

Cam laughed at Yasutake's rant and the look on his face.

* * *

Revolver materialized in Hanoi's digital hideout, his arm still missing.

"Let your guard down?" Revolver turned as an old man with a grey beard in a lab coat appeared. "It's not like you. Or were you shaken when he talked about ten years ago?"

Revolver bowed his head. "I'm sorry, father." His arm reformed itself as he clenched his fist. "But next time, I promise!"

The old man closed his yellow eyes. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." He opened his eyes again. "I was able to get useful data from the duel. But if we can't acquire that Ignis, I must proceed with the final plan. I'll be making preparations."

Revolver bowed. "Understood." His father dematerialized. "Three things," Revolver muttered. "That speech pattern… Playmaker, are you…"

"Master Revolver." Revolver turned around and saw Specter materialize. He bowed to him.

"Forgive me, Master Revolver, but I lost my duel to Morningstar."

"But you managed to avoid capture. That's good. How did Neo Cracking Dragon fare?"

"He defeated it easily," Specter said. "Not once did I get the feeling he was struggling." Revolver scowled at that. It was bad enough having an enemy like Playmaker. With someone like Morningstar against them… This fight was only going to get harder.

"Master Revolver, there's something else." Revolver looked up at that.

"What?"

"Before the duel ended, Morningstar spoke of three reasons he was dueling me." Revolver gasped. "I recognized that as something you did. And then during your duel with Playmaker, he said the same thing."

Revolver didn't respond for a while, then said, "Thank you, Specter. Please, leave me." Specter bowed and dematerialized.

"Morningstar as well…" he mused. "If Morningstar was also involved in the incident ten years ago…" He scowled. "This war just got far more interesting."

* * *

"Wow," Cam said, after listening to Yasutake talk. "A card that makes Cyberse monsters disappear? I can't say I've heard of that before."

"But it's fairly easy to get around," Yasutake said. "You only need to get rid of the two monsters on the field, and its destroyed. But…" He narrowed his eyes. "That's not what concerned me the most about the duel."

"What did, then?"

"Did you hear what Playmaker said, near the end of the duel? He said he had three reasons why he must defeat Revolver."

"Yeah, so? It's the same thing you do."

Yasutake looked at Cam. "And that was taught to me while I was in that place." Cam's eyes widened.

"You mean…"

"Yes," Yasutake said, his voice low. "Playmaker was in that place too. And he knows something about what happened to us."

He narrowed his eyes. _I'm that emissary of revenge!_ That was what Playmaker had said to Revolver.

 _I will find you, Playmaker,_ he thought. _And I will make you tell me everything you know about the incident. You will tell me what you know about who was responsible and why it was done. Then, I will fulfill my contract and hand that AI over to SOL. You may have defeated Revolver, but you will not defeat me!_

* * *

 **Specter vs. Morningstar**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Specter**

Specter pays 1000 LP to activate the Continuous Spell Card Dragonoid Generator (Specter: 4000→3000 LP). Now, up to twice per turn, Specter can Special Summon a Dragonoid Token during his Main Phase though he cannot Special Summon from his Extra Deck for the rest of the turn. Revolver Special Summons 2 Dragonoid Tokens (300/300/1 each). Specter Tributes both Dragonoid Tokens to Tribute Summon Cracking Dragon (3000/0/8). Specter Sets 1 card. During the End Phase, the effect of Dragonoid Generator Special Summons Dragonoid Tokens to Morningstar's field equal to the number of Dragonoid Tokens Summoned by Specter this turn. Two Dragonoid Tokens (300/300/1 each) are Special Summoned to Morningstar's field. The effect of Cracking Dragon activates as a monster was Normal or Special Summoned, decreasing the ATK of the monster by 200 x its Level until the End Phase and inflicting the same amount of damage to Playmaker (Dragonoid Tokens: 300→100) (Morningstar: 4000→3600 LP).

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Equip Spell Cyspirit Chain, and equips it to 1 Dragonoid Token. Due to Cyspirit Chain's effect, he sends Cyspirit Teleporter from his Deck to his GY, and the equipped monster is treated as having the same name as the sent card. Morningstar uses the equipped Dragonoid Token treated as Cyspirit Teleporter to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. He activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller, Special Summoning a Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to the zone it points to, but the Summoned monster cannot declare an attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2) in Attack Position. The effect of Cracking Dragon activates (Dancer: 1000→600) (Morningstar: 3600→3200 LP). Since Morningstar took effect damage, he Special Summons Cyspirit Saver (0/1300/2) from his hand in Attack Position. The effect of Saver prevents Morningstar from taking effect damage for the remainder of the turn. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Dancer, Cyspirit Saver, and Link 1 Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200/3/↙↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Rapid Revolutionary gains 600 ATK (Rapid Revolutionary: 2200→2800).

Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter, banishing it from his GY to Special Summon Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2) to Rapid Revolutionary's Link Marker. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Chain in his GY, shuffling the banished Teleporter back into his Deck to equip it to the other Dragonoid Token. He sends Cyspirit Swordsman from his Deck to the GY and treats the equipped Dragonoid Token as having the same name. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Dancer and the Dragonoid Token treated as Cyspirit Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Thrilled Tunneler gains 600 ATK (Thrilled Tunneler: 1600→2200). Morningstar Sets 2 cards.

Morningstar attacks Cracking Dragon with Rapid Revolutionary, with the effect of Rapid Revolutionary increasing its ATK by 500 since it points to 1 monster and is battling a non-Link Monster (Rapid Revolutionary: 2800→3300). Cracking Dragon is destroyed (Specter: 3000→2700 LP) (Rapid Revolutionary: 3300→2800). Thrilled Tunneler attacks directly (Specter: 2700→500 LP). Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Specter**

Specter draws. He sends Dragonoid Generator to the GY to activate the Continuous Spell Card Superior Dragonoid Generator. Now, twice per turn, he can Special Summon a Dragonoid Token during his Main Phase, but during the End Phase, it will Special Summon the same number of Dragonoid Tokens to Morningstar's field. He Special Summons 2 Dragonoid Tokens (300/300/1 each). He Normal Summons Jack Wyvern (1800/0/4). Specter activates the effect of Jack Wyvern, banishing it and one Dragonoid Token to target the Cracking Dragon in his GY and Special Summon it (3000/0/8). Specter activates his face-down Return from the Different Dimension, paying half his Life Points (Specter: 500→250 LP) to Special Summon the banished Jack Wyvern (1800/0/4). Specter activates the Equip Spell Link Unit, and equips it to Jack Wyvern. If Jack Wyvern is used to Link Summon, it counts as 2 Link Materials. Specter uses Cracking Dragon, Dragonoid Token, and Jack Wyvern treated as 2 materials to Link Summon Neo Cracking Dragon (3000/4/↙↑↓↘) to his Extra Monster Zone. Since Cracking Dragon is in the GY, Neo Cracking Dragon gains 1500 ATK (Neo Cracking Dragon: 3000→4500). Since he Link Summoned a Machine monster, Superior Dragonoid Generator lets Specter draw 1 card.

Specter activates the effect of Neo Cracking Dragon, lowering the ATK of Morningstar's Link Monsters by their Link Ratings x 300 and inflicting damage to Morningstar equal to the lost ATK (Rapid Revolutionary: 2800→1900) (Thrilled Tunneler: 2200→1600) (Morningstar: 3200→1700 LP). Morningstar activates his face-down Cyberse Beacon. Since he took damage, he adds Cyspirit Gardna from his Deck to his hand. Neo Cracking Dragon attacks Thrilled Tunneler, but Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Gardna in his hand, Special Summoning it (1000/2000/4) since his opponent attacked a "Cyspirit" monster, and making it the attack target instead. Neo Cracking Dragon inflicts piercing battle damage, but the effect of Gardna halves all battle damage and prevents its destruction by battle (Morningstar: 1700→450 LP). Specter activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Download Cure. Since his opponent took battle damage, Specter gains the same amount of Life Points (Specter: 250→1500 LP) and Sets 1 card from his Deck in his Spell/Trap Zone. During the End Phase, the effect of Neo Cracking Dragon ends (Rapid Revolutionary: 1900→2800) (Thrilled Tunneler: 1600→2200), and the effect of Superior Dragonoid Generator activates, Special Summoning Dragonoid Tokens to Morningstar's field equal to the number of Dragonoid Tokens Summoned by Specter this turn. 1 Dragonoid Token (300/300/1) is Special Summoned in Attack Position. Specter ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Tributes the Dragonoid Token to Tribute Summon Cyspirit Wanderer (1900/200/5). He uses Wanderer, Gardna, and the Link 2 Thrilled Tunneler to Link Summon Cyspirit Neo Nova (2500/4/↖←↗→) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker. Specter activates his face-down Trap Card Final Crack Fall. Since he has Cracking Dragon on his field or in his GY and his opponent just Link Summoned a Cyberse Link Monster, Morningstar takes damage equal to that monster's ATK. Morningstar activates his face-down Counter Trap Cyspirit Break, negating the activation of Final Crack Fall since he controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster. Morningstar activates the effect of Neo Nova. Since it points to at least 1 monster, Morningstar draws 1 card for each monster it points to. It points to Neo Cracking Dragon and Rapid Revolutionary, so Morningstar draws 2 cards.

Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in his GY, shuffling it into his Deck to Special Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→) from his GY to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker, but it cannot declare an attack this turn. Since Morningstar controls a "Cyspirit" monster, he Special Summons Cyspirit Navigator (1300/1100/3) to Neo Nova's left Link Marker. Morningstar activates the Equip Spell Cyspirit Multiplier, equipping it to Neo Nova. Morningstar activates the effect of Neo Nova. Since it points to at least 3 monsters, it gains 800 ATK for every monster it points to until the End Phase (2500→5700). Specter activates the effect of Final Crack Fall in his GY, banishing it and halving all battle damage he would take this turn. Neo Nova attacks Neo Cracking Dragon, but Neo Cracking Dragon's effect prevents its destruction and the effect of Final Crack Break halves the damage (Specter: 1500→900 LP). The effect of Cyspirit Multiplier lets Neo Nova perform a second attack. Neo Nova attacks Neo Cracking Dragon again (Specter: 900→300 LP). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Pilot in his hand, discarding it to allow a "Cyspirit" Link Monster that battled this turn to declare another attack. Neo Nova attacks Neo Cracking Dragon (Specter: 300→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Neo Cracking Dragon  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Machine/Link/Effect] ATK 3000 LINK-4_ ↙↑↓↘  
 _3+ Machine monsters  
_ _If "Cracking Dragon" is in your GY and you control no monsters in this card's Linked Zones; this card gains 1500 ATK. Cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects. If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. If this card attacks an opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent. Your opponent's monsters can only select this card as an attack target. Once per turn: you can lower the ATK of all Link Monsters your opponent controls equal to their Link Ratings x 300 (until the end of this turn), and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK lost by this effect. The turn you activate this effect, only this card can declare an attack._

 _ **Cyspirit Gardna  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1000 DEF 2000 Level: 4  
_ _When an opponent's monster declares an attack against a "Cyspirit" monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, change the attack target to this card, and proceed to damage calculation. This card cannot be destroyed by that battle. The turn you activate this effect, all battle damage you take is halved. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Gardna" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Neo Nova  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2500 LINK-4_ ↖←↗→  
 _3+ "Cyspirit" monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: You can draw 1 card for every monster this card points to. During the End Phase, send an equal number of cards from the top of your Deck to the GY.  
_ _-2 or more: You can increase the ATK of 1 monster this card points to by 1200. This card cannot declare an attack the turn this effect is activated.  
_ _-3 or more: This card gains 800 ATK for every monster this card points to until the End Phase. This card is the only monster that can declare an attack this Battle Phase.  
_ _-4: If you have less cards in your hand than your opponent; you can destroy as many cards in your opponent's Spell/Trap Zone equal to the difference. Your opponent takes no battle damage the turn you activate this effect.  
_ _You can only activate each effect of "Cyspirit Neo Nova" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Pilot  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1100 DEF 300 Level: 3  
_ _If a "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control attacked an opponent's monster, but the opponent's monster was not destroyed by the batle: you can discard this card and target the attacking monster; it can make a second attack on the same monster in a row. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Pilot" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Chain Equip Spell Card  
**_ _When this card is activated, send 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your Deck to your GY; the equipped monster is treated as having the same name as the sent monster. Once per Duel, if this card is in your GY, you can activate the above effect by shuffling 1 banished "Cyspirit" monster back into your Deck._

 _ **Superior Dragonoid Generator Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _Activate this card by sending 1 face-up "Dragonoid Generator" on your field to the GY. During your Main Phase: You can Special Summon 1 Dragonoid Token (Machine/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 300/DEF 300) in Attack Position, also during the End Phase your opponent Special Summons 1 "Dragonoid Token" to their field in Attack Position (even if this card leaves the field). You can use this effect of "Superior Dragonoid Generator" up to twice per turn. If you Link Summon a Machine Link Monster: draw 1 card._

 _ **Download Cure Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _If your opponent takes battle damage from an attack involving a Machine monster: increase your LP by the same amount and Set 1 card from your Deck in your Spell/Trap Zone._

 _ **Final Crack Fall Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If you have "Cracking Dragon" on your field or in your GY: When your opponent Link Summons a Cyberse Link Monster; inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK. You can banish this card from your GY; all battle damage you take this turn is halved._

 _ **Cyspirit Break Counter Trap Card  
**_ _When a Spell/Trap Card, or monster effect, activated that would inflict damage to you while you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: Negate the activation. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster in your GY; Special Summon it. You cannot activate this effect the turn this card is sent to the GY._

* * *

 ** _Chapter Preview_**

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 5- Why We Fight_

* * *

 **Response to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thanks to HunterHQ, D3lph0xL0v3r, JaneValentine007, and ClearwingYuta for reviewing Chapter 3. Credit to sanedimentio for the creation of Cyspirit Neo Nova. I changed a few of its effects around and made it harder to summon considering how powerful they are. I also changed its appearance somewhat so that it looks like Firewall Dragon, only black and silver and without the blue circles on it. And of course the red and blue eyes.

In response to HunterHQ's question about using older archetypes, we have not seen anyone use Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS yet, so I am uncomfortable using any of them, even if they have Link Monsters now. Until we see those kinds of monsters in VRAINS, I won't be using those archetypes. As for the Subterrors, that's an idea, but it would have to wait a few chapters.

In response to ClearwingYuta's question about shipping Aoi and Yasutake, I refer him to Yasutake's "WHHHAAAATTTTT!?" above. I personally ship Aoi and Yusaku, so the chances of romance between Aoi and Yasutake is low, if not non-existent.

In terms of Specter's Deck, it's the same thing as Naoki - he hasn't dueled yet, so if he duels in the anime, I can say this was an alternate Deck he used. I have also gone back to previous chapters and made a few updates, namely on the effects of the "Cyspirit" Link Monsters so that they only gain their effects when Link Summoned.

I hope everyone enjoyed Chapter 4 of Hidden Memories. This isn't as long as the last one, but it is still long. I wrote this before the next chapter of Academy of Chaos because I honestly liked it more. Also, schoolwork is getting in the way. For those of you who are upset Blue Angel and Morningstar didn't duel, I will give this spoiler: they will duel in the next chapter.

Please post a review, as feedback is important to me personally and helps me improve this. Also, sanedimentio is literally the only person who has suggested Link Monsters. I feel Morningstar has enough, but if anyone wants to suggest "Cyspirit" monsters, Spell, or Trap Cards, they are welcome to. Please post your suggestions either in reviews, or PM me.


	5. Chapter 5: Why We Fight

**Update**

HunterHQ has informed me that they cannot post a review of this chapter, so I'm reuploading the viewer poll and changing this one to Chapter 6. If people still can't post a review, please inform me.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Why We Fight**

Yusaku Fujiki walked into the back of Café Nagi, Shoichi Kusanagi's hotdog truck, as Kusanagi closed the window. He turned and walked over to the monitors in the back of the truck, where they performed their operations against the Knights of Hanoi. Right now, however, they were looking at footage of Playmaker that had been uploaded to the net and deleting it. They couldn't have too much information about Yusaku's activities out in the open.

"Where's Ai?" Kusanagi asked Yusaku.

"He was being annoying, so I left him at home," Yusaku answered. "Because I need to think."

"About Revolver's speech regarding AI with free will?"

"Yeah," he said, thinking back to what they'd seen from Ai's data. "If those are Ai's memories, Revolver destroyed Ai's world. One: Ai's existence. Two: Data Storm. Three: Knights of Hanoi. These three must be related. If I can get to Revolver, will I learn everything? Including what happened to me and Kusanagi's brother in the past?"

 _Not just him,_ Yusaku thought, narrowing his eyes in memory. _I'm certain Narahiko from class was involved in the incident as well. I will bring justice for him too._

He was brought out of his reverie by Kusanagi. "I thoroughly reanalyzed Ai's program, but I didn't learn anything. I don't know if he has free will or not."

"I'm more concerned about what'll happen next. If an AI gets free will, what will happen?"

"Hey, hey, you're overthinking it."

"I hope so."

Kusanagi smiled at him. "If Ai has free will, he's probably sad because he's home alone."

After a few minutes, Yusaku asked Kusanagi another question. "I almost forgot. Did you find anything on Morningstar?" When he'd first seen Morningstar duel Go, he hadn't been that interested in him. He was surprised to see Morningstar also had Cyberse monsters, and had been impressed by his dueling skills, but he saw no reason to pay attention to him.

Then he'd seen Morningstar attempt to challenge Revolver. He hadn't gotten to see Morningstar's duel with Specter, but he knew he won; he'd shown up after Yusaku had beaten Revolver. More importantly, Morningstar had said then that he'd been contracted by SOL to capture Ai, which only lead to more questions, namely: if Morningstar was hired by SOL, why did SOL bait Yusaku with Go? And why hadn't Morningstar tried something to get his attention? Questions aside, Yusaku was sorely tempted to talk to Morningstar about his Data Anchor. A tool like that could be a big help.

Kusanagi shook his head. "I'm afraid not. He pulls the same tricks you do to remain undetected; he deletes his activity logs and any footage of him placed online is deleted. It happens too quickly, too; I delete your records every night, but his are deleted seconds after being posted. He most likely has an automated process to delete information about him on the web."

"What about rumors?" Yusaku asked. "There have to be stories about him."

"Oh, there's plenty of those, but no evidence behind them," Kusanagi said. "The more outlandish ones call him the devil incarnate, a vengeful angel from heaven. Others simply call him the best bounty hunter LINK VRAINS has ever seen. Some think he's a hero, others think he's a villain. Some even think he's committed corporate espionage. Really, the list of things they say he isn't is shorter than the list of things they say he is."

Yusaku frowned and crossed his arms. "Morningstar said he was hired to defeat me and retrieve Ai. That means I'll have to face him eventually. Which would be a pity. If he's who I think he is…"

Kusanagi looked at Yusaku with surprise. "You think you know who Morningstar is!?"

"I'm about 40% certain," Yusaku said. "When I joined Duel Club, there was a student named Yasutake Narahiko. He participated in a VR duel against Naoki Shima, and won. That duel revealed three things about Narahiko.

"One: he is a highly skilled duelist. He started out with amateurish moves, but on the last turn, made moves better than most Charisma Duelists. Two: he has had a bad experience with VR. During the duel, he froze up and when he won, he threw the headset off and was sweating profusely, a look of horror on his face."

"A VR duel…" Kusanagi mused. "A look of horror…" His eyes widened in realization. "You think he-!?"

"Yes," Yusaku interrupted. "He was part of the Lost Incident like I was. And you didn't let me finish."

"Oh. sorry."

"Three: he won by summoning a Cyberse Link Monster."

"Cyberse?" Kusanagi repeated, confused now. "Morningstar is a very intelligent duelist and hacker. He wouldn't give himself away with something so obvious."

"Maybe, maybe not," Yusaku said. "But the number of people with Cyberse monsters is extremely limited. Thus, it seems possible, even likely, that Narahiko is Morningstar."

"I won't dispute that," Kusanagi said, thinking on Yusaku's wavelength now. "Also, what you said before about making amateurish moves before getting better. He could have been trying to conceal his real skills so no one realized he was a good duelist."

"In the end," Yusaku said. "I can't say for certain whether Narahiko is Morningstar, but I have no other suspects. And if he is a victim of the Lost Incident…"

"Then he's the last person you want as an enemy," Kusanagi said sadly. The Lost Incident was the reason Yusaku became Playmaker. To find out the truth behind who was responsible for what happened to him and the other five, and to find out why. And then punish the ones responsible. Then a thought occurred to Kusanagi. "If he is related to the incident, perhaps he could be an ally. If you tell him what you know, he may join forces with us."

"No," Yusaku said. "The fight with Hanoi is a fight to the death. I don't want to drag him into this, any more than I wanted to bring Go Onizuka into it. If I encounter him, I'll face him with my full power, but until then, there is no benefit to the two of us dueling each other."

Kusanagi thought back to when Blue Angel challenged Morningstar. He'd said something along those lines to her that time.

 _Yusaku,_ he thought as his friend turned back to the screens. _From what you've told me, you and Morningstar are very similar. In another life, you likely would have been the best of friends._

Kusanagi himself turned back to the screens and continued deleting footage. He found himself wondering what Morningstar was doing right now. Was he coming up with a plan to flush out Yusaku? Or was he hunting after a different target for now?

* * *

Yasutake bit his lower lip, a look of fierce concentration on his face. He had to do this right, otherwise he would lose everything. He had three possible moves to make, none of them good. How had he gotten himself in this situation? Ugh, he needed to be more careful about what challenges he accepted.

"You stuck?" his opponent asked, their smirk evident in their voice. Yasutake didn't bother looking up at them. He didn't want them to have the satisfaction of the expression on his face. "If you want, I could give you some hints."

"No," Yasutake replied, his decision made. This would be his killer move! The one that would win him the match! "Knight to E5!" he said, taking the knight piece and moving it to the empty square.

"Not bad," his opponent said, before picking up their own piece. "Bishop to B6. Checkmate."

"EH?" Yasutake said, looking at the board in shock. Sure enough, there were no moves he could make to save his king. "Oh," he groaned, hanging his head. "I hate chess."

Cam laughed at him. "Don't feel bad, Yasu. For someone with your mind, you'll be an expert player in no time. You just need to stop thinking in dueling terms."

"I tried!" Yasutake protested. "And I can't! Every time I look at the pieces, I see my monsters, and I treat them as such! I can't help it!"

Cam laughed again. "Well then, you just need enough practice to change how you think. Or would you prefer a different game?" His smirk returned. "I could help you with that bishojo game I lent you."

Yasutake paled. "N-No, that isn't necessary," he said. "I, uh, deleted that game. Finally got tired of it."

"Really?" Cam said, grabbing Yasutake's tablet from its position at Yasutake's right hand.

"Hey! Give that back!"

Cam pressed some buttons and raised an eyebrow. He turned the screen to Yasutake, showing the game's start menu. "Deleted it, huh?"

Yasutake hung his head in shame again. "Why do you torture me like this? You know Duel Monsters is the only game I'm any good at. And I don't enjoy that game, either."

"For now, yes, but practice makes perfect," Cam said. "Besides, chess is a good way to make friends. You can meet people as smart as you are this way."

"Or people who think I'm an elitist snob for playing it in the first place," Yasutake grumbled. He held his hand out. "Give that back. I'm serious this time."

Cam raised an eyebrow, but handed the tablet back to Yasutake. He watched as his friend pressed some buttons, then looked around. The two of them were in the second floor living room, sitting opposite each other on blue couches with a table between them. The bakery was closed for today as both of them needed a break and Cam had no other workers. Their house wasn't the best in the city, but it wasn't the worst, either.

"What are you doing?" Cam asked.

"I'm checking to see when Aoi Zaizen gets released from the hospital."

Cam frowned, confused. "Why? She's awake now, that's what's important. Or do you think Hanoi will target her again?"

"No," Yasutake said. "I'm waiting for when she gets home so I can send her a message."

"A message?" Cam smirked. "Are you going to ask her out? I thought you said she wasn't your girlfriend?"

"I'm not sending her a message as Yasutake Narahiko," Yasutake said, ignoring Cam's teasing. "I'm sending her one as Morningstar."

Now Cam was even more confused. "Why? Didn't you tell her you weren't interested in dueling her?"

"I wasn't at the time, but I am now," Yasutake said. "After Playmaker defeated him, Revolver said their duel was only the start. That tells me Hanoi is planning something big. And I can't shake the feeling that whether her brother likes it or not, Blue Angel will be drawn into it."

Cam narrowed his eyes. "What does Playmaker's war with Hanoi have to do with you dueling Blue Angel?"

"I can prepare her for what she could face," Yasutake responded. "More than that, I have another reason. I… want to help her."

"With what?"

Yasutake was silent for a moment, then said, "When I tried to challenge Revolver, Specter stopped me. I couldn't help Playmaker duel Revolver, or save Blue Angel from her coma. But, there is something I can do. I can give her a reason to fight."

Cam frowned at that. Yasutake had told him what he thought of Blue Angel's reasons for dueling. She dueled for herself, to try and get her brother's attention, to show him she could take care of herself.

"Such a selfish reason," Yasutake said, "is beneath a duelist of her caliber. Besides, after this, she must know that her brother loves her. Every moment he isn't working is spent in that hospital by her side. Meaning she needs a new cause. I can help her find one."

"Or you can let her find it herself," Cam pointed out. "You said she was intelligent and perceptive. She might figure out an answer by herself."

"Maybe," Yasutake conceded. "But who knows how long that will take? We don't know how long Hanoi will wait before striking again. When they do, all of us will need to be ready."

Cam watched as Yasutake stared at the screen. "What's gotten into you? Why are you so bent on fighting Hanoi? I thought the contract was for Playmaker's AI, not Revolver."

Yasutake was silent again, then he put down the tablet and sighed. "Do you remember what I told you? After Zaizen woke up?"

Cam's face went from confused to serious. "You said that Playmaker was in the same place as you and Sachi. That he knew something about what happened to you."

"I've been thinking about that," Yasutake said. "Playmaker said he was searching for the truth of the incident. Before Go and Blue Angel, he only ever dueled Hanoi, and even those two had some connection to Hanoi; Go's disguise and Blue Angel's card. That tells me…"

"Playmaker believes the Knights of Hanoi were responsible," Cam finished, his face paling. "Do you think he's right?"

"I can't say," Yasutake said. "Hanoi didn't exist at the time of the incident, but that doesn't mean it has no connection. For all we know, the mastermind of the incident is a leader of Hanoi, like Revolver. And…" he narrowed his eyes, "Revolver recognized Playmaker's speech pattern. He knows something about the incident, but I can't say what."

"I thought you were trying to forget it," Cam said quietly. "I thought you wanted to move past that incident. If you go to war with Hanoi…"

"Cam, I've thought about looking into the incident for a long time. The only reason I didn't was because I convinced myself it wouldn't help my future. If I lost myself to the past, I wouldn't be able to move on. And more importantly," he lowered his head, "I'm not sure what I would do if I met the person responsible for the incident. Whether I'd turn them into the authorities, or exact my own punishment on them. That thought has always scared me away from investigating. That part of me that wants to exact judgment with my own hands… it scares me far more than anything I've faced in LINK VRAINS."

He paused before continuing. "But what if I've been looking at it all wrong? What if finding out the truth will give me closure? What if knowing why we were in that place helps me move past it? What if punishing those responsible… what if it gives Sachi peace?"

"Yasu," Cam whispered, his face wracked with sadness. "I know vengeance won't help Sachi. You never knew her before the incident, but I did. She was sweet, gentle, kind to everyone, even strangers. She was the kind of person who could go through life and never lose her smile. When I look at her now…"

He thought of the girl upstairs, sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs on her bed, her long green hair hanging around her head while her empty blue eyes stared outwards, not seeing or hearing any part of the outside world.

"…I want more than anything to get my hands on the person who did that to her," Cam muttered, his voice heavy with rage. "But… I know that the sister I grew up with, the little girl who could always make me smile no matter what… I know that revenge would be the last thing she'd want."

"I'm not talking about revenge," Yasutake said. "I'm talking about justice."

"The two aren't so dissimilar, Yasu," Cam said. "Even if you find out why, do you really think it will help you or Sachi? Do you really think the truth will make her smile again?"

Before Yasutake could answer, his tablet beeped. He picked it up and looked at it. His eyes widened. "Zaizen's left the hospital," he said, all business again. "I'm sending her the message."

Cam sighed. He could tell he wasn't going to get an answer to his question. "Do what you want, Yasu," he said. "But be careful. After what you said to her, Zaizen may not answer you. Or if she shows up, she might immediately leave just to spite you."

"I thought about that," Yasutake said. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

"I'm fine, brother. I don't need this."

"After what happened, I'm not taking chances, Aoi."

"That happened in LINK VRAINS, not the real world."

"I'm still being careful. It's best for you to stay here and recuperate."

Aoi Zaizen sighed. The hospital had finally discharged her, and her brother and Isomaki had taken her home. Now, she was watching as her brother reprogrammed the steward robot.

"I don't want to take chances with your safety," Akira said. "I'm reprogramming our friend to keep you from leaving the apartment for now. And no going into LINK VRAINS."

Aoi frowned. She understood why her brother was doing this. Physically, she was completely healthy, but after falling into a coma, then being used as a bargaining chip (which she was still mad about), she saw why her brother would be reluctant to let her out of his sight. At the same time, it was frustrating.

"I'm sixteen, brother," Aoi said. "And there aren't any threatening people at school." She thought of Shima, who was loud and obnoxious, Fujiki, who she could tell was smarter than he acted, and Narahiko, who she genuinely liked even if he was a bit of an ass.

"It's not your fellow students I'm worried about," Akira said. "I'm grateful to them. If Yusaku Fujiki hadn't found you on the rooftop and called me, who knows how long it would have taken them to find you?"

"Eh?" Aoi said, surprised. Fujiki had found her and called her brother? She thought back to what she said to him earlier that day and felt ashamed. She'd dismissed him, somewhat rudely, and he'd helped her. But wait…

She frowned again. How had Fujiki known she was on the roof? Had he gone up there for privacy, or…

Her thoughts were interrupted by Akira. "I trust that the people at your school intend you no harm, but who knows what kind of people there are on the way to and from school? I'm sorry, Aoi, but I don't want you to leave the apartment, at least for a while." He stood up from his work, the reprogramming complete. "Please, listen to me on this."

She looked into her brother's eyes, but before she could say anything, his phone rang. He answered it. "Yes?" His eyes narrowing. "I see. Please pull the car around Isomaki. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Is something wrong?" Aoi asked after he ended the call. He smiled at her.

"No, I just need to talk to my bosses," he said, which was the truth. Sadly, given recent events, chances where he was about to get demoted. On the bright side, a lower position would give him more time to spend with Aoi, something he'd been neglecting since he became SOL's security manager.

Of course, there was another reason he needed to talk to Bishop and the others. When Morningstar had appeared, and told Playmaker he'd been hired by SOL to retrieve the Ignis, Akira had been shocked. He hadn't hired Morningstar, which meant his bosses had, without informing him. Doing that had been a waste of resources. If they had told him, he could have worked with Morningstar instead of Go to lure Playmaker in, and given his skills, he likely would have won.

"I'll be back in a few hours," he said. "I'll bring back supper from that sushi restaurant downtown you like. Until I get back, please stay here."

Aoi watched him, then nodded. "Yes, brother." Akira returned the nod, then walked out the door. She attempted to follow him, but the steward robot turned on and stood in her way.

"Not permitted to leave!" it said in a feminine voice. "Not permitted to leave! Not permitted to leave! As ordered by your brother." Aoi stared at the robot, then went back to her room. Not being able to leave or log onto LINK VRAINS meant she had very little to do. Oh well, she could work on what homework she missed.

As she walked into her room, she saw her tablet from school. She opened it to see if she had any new messages and was surprised at what she saw. There was only one new message, and it was from the last person she expected: Morningstar.

 _Blue Angel, please meet me in LINK VRAINS when convenient. We need to talk. The attached program will let you gain access to your account in case your brother has restricted access. -Morningstar_

There was indeed a program attached to the message, one designed to circumvent an account being shut down. Aoi thought about this message.

Her first instinct was to ignore it and do what her brother told her, but…

 _I don't accept challenges from those who duel only for self-satisfaction._

Aoi scowled and tightened her grip on the tablet. What did Morningstar know about her and her reasons for dueling? And who was he, a bounty hunter, to judge her, a professional Charisma Duelist?

She looked at the message angrily. She suspected Morningstar wanted to duel her, which was what most people wanted when they sent her messages. Fine, then. Her brother had said he would be gone for a few hours, so she needed something to pass the time.

So that was what she would do. She'd go to LINK VRAINS, meet Morningstar, and when he challenged her to a duel, she would say no and log out. See how he liked it.

Aoi sat down on her bed and placed her Duel Disk – a light blue model shaped like a flower with a dark blue gum at the back – on her wrist.

"Into the VRAINS."

* * *

Morningstar leaned against the wall of the skyscraper he was standing next to, looking across the street. He'd entered LINK VRAINS roughly half an hour ago, and had decided to wait here for Blue Angel.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cam asked Morningstar through the earpiece as he walked into the kitchen, watching Morningstar on a tablet. "Didn't you say she should figure out her reason to duel herself?"

"Yes," Morningstar answered quietly. "But we might not have time for that. And until Playmaker shows himself, I have nothing better to do." Cam sighed at Morningstar's answer. He was always like this.

Cam muted the sound, then knocked on Sachi's door. Not receiving an answer, he opened it and walked in. Sachi was sitting on the bed, same as she always was, as Cam sat in the rocking chair next to her bed.

"Hey, sis," he said softly. "I'm sorry to intrude like this, but… I thought you might like to see Yasu duel. He's going to face Blue Angel, a famous Charisma Duelist. That should be exciting, shouldn't it?" She didn't respond or acknowledge his presence in any way, which he was sadly used to.

Of course, he could watch what was happening down in the monitor room, but Sachi had another nightmare earlier and he wanted to keep an eye on her. Besides, she never saw or heard Yasutake duel before, and she deserved to know the skills of the person fighting for her. Cam turned from watching his sister to the tablet, unmuting the sound.

"Are you sure she's coming, Yasu?" Cam asked him. "I mean, I doubt her brother wants her coming to LINK VRAINS, and she strikes me as the obedient type."

"There are three reasons I'm sure Blue Angel is coming," Morningstar answered softly. "One: her curiosity. A message out of the blue from someone with my reputation will naturally make her curious enough to investigate. Two: her pride as a duelist. I insulted her when I refused her challenge on live television, so she'll show up, if for no other reason than to pay me back for that. Three," he glanced up as a portal opened in the sky, "that."

Blue Angel flew out of the portal and landed in the middle of the street, across from Morningstar. She glared at him. Morningstar stared right back.

"Congratulations, you're alone with a famous idol," Cam said. "Because of the damage Revolver inflicted, LINK VRAINS is pretty empty right now. You'll have the whole place to yourselves."

"What do you want, Morningstar?" she asked him, walking a little closer to him. "Last time we talked, you refused my challenge. Before that, you said you had no interest in me. So what is this about?"

"Do you hate Hanoi for what they did to you?"

Blue Angel started at that question, then narrowed her eyes. "Of course I do. What kind of question is that?"

"I want to know whether or not you'll seek revenge," Morningstar answered. "After all, because of them, you were embarrassed on live television in front of all your fans. And your brother."

Blue Angel gasped. "Y-You know?"

"Yes, Aoi Zaizen," he said. "Please answer my question: Do you want revenge on Hanoi?"

She was silent for a while, then said, "What does it matter to you? I thought you hated me."

"I don't hate you," he said. "I'm indifferent to you. Or at least I was."

"Was?"

He stood up straight and opened a video. It was his recording of Blue Angel's duel with Playmaker. Her eyes widened with shock on seeing it.

"Why are you showing me this?" she asked angrily.

"Watch," he said. She watched as the video zoomed in on her face, highlighting her eyes.

"So what?" she said. "Did you ask me here to mock me?"

"I asked you here to help you," he said. "The eyes you had back then… they reminded me of a friend of mine. Of someone important to me." His eyes narrowed. "Her life was ruined because of an incident, and her brother spends all his time taking care of her. I don't want what happened to them to happen to you and your brother. I want the two of you to have happiness in your life."

Cam watched as the two talked, silent, then turned to glance at Sachi. He knew Yasutake was talking about the two of them. Every time Cam saw his sister, his heart broke over what happened to her. Aside from her screaming when waking up from her nightmares, he hadn't heard her speak in ten years. One of his greatest fears was waking up one day and realizing he couldn't remember what his sister's voice sounded like.

Blue Angel, meanwhile, was thinking about when her and Akira's parents died. They'd been left on the street, and Akira had done everything he could to keep the two of them alive. Not once did she think her brother would abandon her, and he never did. Because of him, she now lived in an expensive penthouse, all her needs taken care of. But…

She thought back to when she became Blue Angel. She wanted her brother to know that she wasn't helpless, that she could take care of herself. And what had happened? She'd become a hostage, a pawn in a plan. But after that, she'd woken up to her brother standing over her, crying and smiling with happiness that she was alright. She knew he loved her now. No, she'd always known he loved her, but she wanted him to show it in ways money could not. And now he had.

Blue Angel refocused on Morningstar. "Why did you call me?" she asked quietly, her anger dissipated somewhat. "If it's just to challenge me to a duel, get it over with."

"It's not," he said. "I know why you dueled. You dueled to prove to your brother that you can take care of yourself, to know that he loves and supports you. And now you do know that. So I have another question for you: what do you duel for now?"

She thought about that. Now that she knew Akira loved her, what reason was there for her to duel? The more she thought about it, the more confused she felt.

"I don't know," she answered. "But… why do my reasons to duel matter to you?"

"Because you are a worthy opponent," he answered. "I saw your duel with Playmaker, and I can honestly say your skills are exceptional. I refused your challenge back then not because I considered you a bad duelist, but because I saw no benefit in a duel – to either of us. Now, however, you don't know what you duel for, and…" he closed his eyes and opened them again.

"You were dragged into Playmaker's war with Hanoi. After Revolver lost to Playmaker, he said their duel was only the start. Hanoi will return, and you will inevitably be dragged back into it, whether your brother or Playmaker like it or not."

He adopted a fierce expression, startling her. "Against an enemy like Hanoi, you cannot have doubts, about yourself or your reasons. I asked you here to help you find a new reason for dueling, and settle your doubts."

Blue Angel narrowed her eyes. "So I was right. You did call me here to duel me."

"Yes. Do you accept?"

Blue Angel pretended to think about it, then smiled cheerfully and shook her head. "Nope! See you later, Morningstar!" She turned around and walked away, resisting the impulse to skip.

Then she heard Morningstar say, "I thought you would say that." She turned around fast enough to see a red cable latch itself to her wrist.

"What?" she said, looking at Morningstar. The cable was attached to his Duel Disk, and she saw he was smirking. "What is this?"

"The same tool I used to convince Go to duel me," he said. "It's called a Data Anchor, and it keeps both of us from logging out for 24 hours. Unless we have a duel, in which case the effect ends when the duel ends."

Blue Angel scowled. She tried to log out like she usually did, but found out she couldn't. Morningstar was telling the truth. Unless she wanted to remain in LINK VRAINS for 24 hours, she didn't have a choice.

"I hate you," she said. "You know that, right?"

"You are not the first person to tell me that," he answered, his face blank.

* * *

Blue Angel and Morningstar rode the data stream, with Blue Angel going first.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Blue Angel: 4000 LP**

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

Nearby, Pigeon was flying around, carrying Frog with him. "Yamamoto, I know you're mad about the special being deleted, but do you think we'll find Playmaker here?"

"Don't call me by my real name!" Frog shouted at Pigeon. "As is it, we don't have a choice. I spent our bonuses on getting the interview with Ghost Girl, so we need an important scoop to keep our jobs!"

"But it isn't like Playmaker or Hanoi is just going to appear in front of us!" Pigeon protested as they flew near the data stream – and then Blue Angel and Morningstar shot past them on the stream.

Pigeon screamed. "What was that?"

"Blue Angel and Morningstar!" Frog responded, a giant smile on his face. "If we record this, our careers will be-!"

That was as far as he got before a gold net entangled the two of them and plastered them to the nearby skyscraper.

"Eh!?" the two shouted. "What is this? Why can't we get out!?"

"Sorry, fellas." The two of them turned and saw a small audio piece attached to the net. "But this is a private affair between me and Blue Angel. I can't have you interfering. Don't worry. The net will dissolve in an hour." The audio piece broke apart after that, so they couldn't yell at Morningstar.

"So we're stuck here for an hour, Yamamoto?" Pigeon asked.

"Don't use my real name!" Frog yelled back at him. The two of them continued to bicker while Blue Angel and Morningstar sped away, with Morningstar feeling slightly guilty about doing that to them.

"I'll take the first turn!" Blue Angel said, waving her hand in front of her and revealing her cards. "From my hand, I activate the Field Spell: Trickstar Light Stage!" Morningstar narrowed his eyes, recognizing that card from when she dueled Playmaker. "I add one 'Trickstar' monster in my Deck to my hand!"

She did so, then said, "Since I added this card to my hand without drawing it, I can Special Summon Trickstar Lilybell!" A girl with solid green eyes, long red pigtails, and wearing a red-and-white dress appeared on her field.

 **Trickstar Lilybell ATK 800 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"Then I summon Trickstar Candina from my hand!" A girl with orange eyes, yellow hair held back by headphones, and wearing an orange dress while carrying a megaphone appeared alongside Lilybell.

 **Trickstar Candina ATK 1800 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

"Due to Candina's effect, I add one 'Trickstar' card in my Deck to my hand!" She did so, then smiled. "Full speed ahead! Come out, the circuit of dreams and hope!" A heart appeared in her hand and shone with blue light as the link portal appeared in front of her.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Trickstar' monsters! I set Lilybell and Candina in the Link Markers!" Her two monsters entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows as she sped past the portal.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Trickstar Holly Angel!"

A woman with pale blonde hair and blue eyes exited the link portal. She wore an elaborate blue, white, and purple dress and carried a flail. Morningstar recognized her as the Link Monster Blue Angel had used against Playmaker.

 **Trickstar Holly Angel ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

 _A Link Summon on her first turn,_ Morningstar thought. _She's not messing around._

"From my hand, I activate the Spell Card: Trickstar Vision! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a 'Trickstar' monster from my hand by negating its effects and halving its attack points! Come out, Trickstar Narkissus!" Her new monster was a little girl with blonde hair and green eyes in a green, orange, and white dress. Morningstar raised an eyebrow. This was a new one.

 **Trickstar Narkissus ATK 1000→500 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"Then we both draw a card." Morningstar did so, then Blue Angel. "I draw! I'm not done! I set one card! I use Trickstar Lycoris's effect from my hand on Narkissus! She Special Summons herself, and Narkissus returns to my hand!" A new monster, a girl with long purple hair and purple eyes in a pink dress carrying a sword appeared on her field as Narkissus disappeared.

 **Trickstar Lycoris ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"Now Holly Angel's effect! When a 'Trickstar' monster is summoned next to her Link Marker, you take 200 points of damage!" The field layout appeared briefly, showing Holly Angel in the Extra Monster Zone and Lycoris in the center Main Monster Zone, with one of Holly Angel's markers pointing at Lycoris. "And when a 'Trickstar' monster on my field deals you battle or effect damage, Trickstar Light Stage's effect deals you 200 points of damage!" A flail appeared in Holly Angel's hand, and she blasted Morningstar with a yellow light from it, after which Light Stage's card blasted him with green energy.

 **Morningstar: 4000→3600 LP**

"And once per turn, when you take effect damage, Narkissus is Special Summoned from my hand! Come back, Trickstar Narkissus! In defense position."

 **Trickstar Narkissus ATK 1000 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"I end my turn!" She turned and looked back at Morningstar. "Did you enjoy that, Morningstar? I hope that was entertaining for you!"

He was silent, then said, "How disappointing."

"Eh?"

"If you think that strategy will work on me like it did on Playmaker," he said, lifting his head and glaring at her, "you're sadly mistaken. If you wish to defeat me, you must learn to adapt!"

Blue Angel widened her eyes, surprised at that.

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, but then Blue Angel interrupted him.

"Due to Lycoris's effect, when a card is added to your hand, you take 200 points of damage!" A sword appeared in Lycoris's hand as she shot a beam of light at Morningstar, hitting him in the chest, but he ignored it.

 **Morningstar: 3600→3400 LP**

"And when a 'Trickstar' monster on my field deals you battle or effect damage, Trickstar Light Stage's effect deals you 200 points of damage!" The card blasted him with green light again, but all it did was annoy him.

 **Morningstar: 3400→3200 LP**

"And when a 'Trickstar' monster deals you effect damage, Holly Angel gains attack points equal to the effect damage she dealt. Holy Blessing!" Holly Angel glowed red as her attack points increased.

 **Trickstar Holly Angel ATK 2000→2200**

"How do you like my Trickstar deck?" Blue Angel asked, trying to get him involved in her entertainment again. "But I can do much more. I'll keep stinging and stinging you!"

Morningstar ignored her and looked at his hand and the field, contemplating his options. Before he could do anything, Cam spoke over the earpiece. "Yasu, think you could go easy on her? I mean, she did just wake up from a coma."

"The point of this duel isn't to give her an easy win," he responded. "It's to push her to adapt to new circumstances." He took a card from his hand and played it. "Since you control monsters and I do not, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" The skeleton warrior with blue swords appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"When you activate a monster effect from your hand or Graveyard," Blue Angel said, "Narkissus's effect deals you 200 points of damage! And then Light Stage deals you 200 points of damage, and Holly Angel's attack points increase by the damage dealt! Holy Blessing!"

 **Morningstar: 3200→3000→2800 LP**

 **Trickstar Holly Angel ATK 2200→2400**

"Swordsman's monster effect!" Morningstar said. "Since Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Saver to my hand!" He did so before Blue Angel spoke again.

"Since a card was added to your hand, Lycoris's effect deals you 200 points of damage!"

 **Morningstar: 2800→2600 LP**

"And since you took effect damage, Trickstar Light Stage deals you 200 points of damage!"

"I wonder about that."

"Eh?" Blue Angel said, surprised.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Saver in my hand!" he declared. "When I take effect damage, I can Special Summon this card!" The dwarf skeleton in white armor carrying a small shield appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Saver ATK 0 DEF 1300 LVL: 2**

"And for the rest of the turn, I take no effect damage!" Blue Angel was stunned. With one card, Morningstar had managed to seal her strategy off. But she still had one move to make.

"Holly Angel's monster effect! Holy Blessing!"

 **Trickstar Holly Angel ATK 2400→2600**

"Appear!" Morningstar said, holding his hand out. "The circuit between light and darkness!" He sent a blue bolt of lightning at the sky, creating the link portal.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Cyspirit Saver in the Link Marker!" Saver entered the bottom-left arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!"

The skeleton in overalls carrying an electrical power box was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600 LINK-1** ↙

Blue Angel recognized that monster from when Morningstar dueled Go Onizuka. And she remembered its effect.

"Egregious Electrician's monster effect! I can move one monster from a zone it points at to another zone, then Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to that zone! I move Swordsman to the right Main Monster Zone, and summon Cyspirit Wanderer to my Electrician's Link Marker!" The skeleton in poncho and trousers appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 5**

Blue Angel narrowed her eyes. She remembered this monster, too.

"Cyspirit Wanderer's monster effect! When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, one monster on my opponent's field loses 800 attack points! I lower Holly Angel's attack points! Digital Drain!"

 **Trickstar Holly Angel ATK 2600→1800**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar made the link portal to appear again.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Link 1 Egregious Electrician, Swordsman, and Wanderer in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the bottom-left, top, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!"

His Link Monster was a skeleton warrior wearing a medieval guardsman's uniform, a tattered bearskin hat over its skull, carried a long spear with a serrated point, and had grey and silver metallic wings emerging from its back. Like its predecessor, it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Linker!" The skeleton in black armor and gauntlets with red arrows on them appeared, summoned to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

Blue Angel was confused. She remembered from Morningstar's duel with Go that Pied Pikeman could change the battle position of one monster it pointed to and destroy one Spell or Trap Card. Thus, it made more sense to summon Linker in Defense Position, so why was it in Attack Position? She got her answer almost immediately.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Cyspirit Forced Call! Since I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can Special Summon one monster from your Graveyard to your field in Defense Position with its effects negated, but that monster is destroyed during the End Phase. I Special Summon Trickstar Lilybell from your Graveyard to Pied Pikeman's top Link Marker!"

 **Trickstar Lilybell ATK 800 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"Pied Pikeman's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to at least one monster, I can change the battle position of a monster it points to and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field! I change your Lilybell that it points at to Attack Position to destroy your face-down card!"

"What?" Blue Angel said, her eyes widening. Her face-down card shattered, leaving her defenseless.

 _I see_ , Morningstar thought, having a look at her destroyed card. _Trickstar Cascade. That card would return a "Trickstar" to her hand and negate an attack I made. Unfortunately for her, I anticipated that._

"I set two cards," Morningstar said. "Battle! Pied Pikeman, attack Holly Angel! Spiritual Halberd!" Pikeman charged at Holly Angel, its spear glowing with white energy. It slashed through Holly Angel, destroying her in an explosion.

"Holly Angel!" Blue Angel cried out as she withstood the shockwaves from Pikeman's attack.

 **Blue Angel: 4000→3400 LP**

 _It can't be,_ Blue Angel thought, shocked. _The only other person who had ever destroyed Holly Angel was Playmaker, and he did so as his end move. Morningstar destroyed her_ easily.

Her attention was drawn by what Morningstar said next. "Pied Pikeman's monster effect! Since it points to at least two monsters, when it destroys an opponent's monster by battle, I gain Life Points equal to half the destroyed monster's attack points! Holly Angel had 1800 attack points, so I gain 900 Life Points!"

 **Morningstar: 2600→3500 LP**

"Now it's Linker's turn!" he said. "Linker, attack Lilybell! Digital Strike!" Linker charged Lilybell and punched her in the gut, causing an explosion that made Blue Angel wobble again.

 **Blue Angel: 3400→2500 LP**

"I end my turn," he said.

Blue Angel gritted her teeth. She had set her field perfectly, but Morningstar had blown it apart in one turn. He was definitely not like Playmaker. Still, the duel wasn't over yet. So long as she stayed focused, she could turn this around.

"My turn! Draw!" she said, doing so, but then Morningstar spoke up.

"Trap activate! Cyspirit License!" The card showed Lancer in front of a desk, sweatdropping as a skeleton worker shuffled papers. "Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I take no effect damage for the rest of the turn!"

"What?" Blue Angel said, shocked again.

"My Trap Card has another effect," he told her. "During the End Phase, if I control a face-up 'Cyspirit' monster, I can shuffle one 'Cyspirit' monster in my Graveyard back into my Deck and set this card on my field. And I can activate this effect up to three times during the Duel."

Blue Angel grit her teeth again. That meant that so long as he had a monster on his field, she couldn't deal him effect damage for three turns after this. In essence, he was shutting down her strategy as thoroughly as possible. Of course, she could do the same to him.

"I activate Trickstar Light Stage's effect!" she declared. "Once per turn, I can target one face-down Spell or Trap Card on your field! That card cannot be activated until the End Phase of the turn, at which point you must activate it or send it to the Graveyard!" He only had one other face-down card, so she targeted that one. At the very least, she wouldn't get any nasty surprises this turn.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Trickstar Shuffle!" The card showed Lycoris and Candina being pushed off a stage. "During my Main Phase, I can shuffle two 'Trickstar' monsters in my Graveyard back into my Deck and draw two cards. And if at least one of the shuffled monsters is a Link Monster, then I draw a third card! I shuffle Holly Angel and Lilybell in my Graveyard back into my Deck to draw three cards!"

She did so, and looked through her cards. With Lycoris and Narkissus on her field, she could resummon Holly Angel, but… with his Trap Card preventing her from inflicting effect damage, she couldn't raise Holly Angel's attack points higher than Pied Pikeman's.

 _If you wish to defeat me, you must learn to adapt!_ That was what Morningstar had told her at the end of her first turn. With her not being able to inflict effect damage, she would have to settle for battle damage. And if she couldn't damage him, then she could heal herself.

"Come out!" she declared. "The circuit of dreams and hope!" She sent another blast of blue lightning ahead of her, creating the link portal. "The summoning conditions are two 'Trickstar' monsters! I set Lycoris and Narkissus in the Link Markers!" Her two monsters entered the bottom-left and right Link Markers. Morningstar widened his eyes, seeing she wasn't summoning Holly Angel again. But what was she summoning?

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Trickstar Bloody Mary!"

The monster that exited the link portal was a woman in a long red gown with black leggings. She had blue eyes and long brown hair and carried a set of leg cuffs. Blue Angel summoned her to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Trickstar Bloody Mary ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙→

 _So she's changing her strategy,_ Morningstar thought. _Let's see how effective it is._

"Bloody Mary's monster effect!" Blue Angel declared. "Once per turn, I can discard one 'Trickstar' card so both players draw one card! I discard Trickstar Scatter so we both draw one card!" They did so, with Blue Angel's eyes widening on realizing what she drew.

"I summon Trickstar Candina!" A second copy of Candina appeared on her field.

 **Trickstar Candina ATK 1800 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

"When Candina is Normal Summoned," she explained. "I can add one 'Trickstar' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Trickstar Lilybell to my hand!" She returned the shuffled card to her hand, then said, "Since Lilybell was added to my hand outside of the Draw Phase, I can Special Summon her!"

 **Trickstar Lilybell ATK 800 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"I set one card," Blue Angel said. "Lilybell's effect allows her to attack you directly!" Morningstar narrowed his eyes, remembering this move from when she dueled Playmaker.

"Here I go! Attack Morningstar directly!" Lilybell's bell sent out sonic blasts at Morningstar, who managed to stay on his board. He was just glad that since his Cyspirit License was active, Light Stage wouldn't deal him damage.

 **Morningstar: 3500→2700 LP**

"Since Lilybell inflicted battle damage to you," Blue Angel explained, "I can add one 'Trickstar' monster in my Graveyard to my hand! I return Trickstar Lycoris to my hand!" She did so, then said, "Since a 'Trickstar' monster inflicted battle damage, I can activate the Quick-Play Spell: Trickstar Refuge!" The card showed Holly Angel shining in front of Lilybell and Narkissus. "Now, one monster you control loses attack points equal to the damage you took! I reduce your Pied Pikeman's attack points by 800!"

"That won't happen," Morningstar said calmly. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Forced Call in my Graveyard! If you target a 'Cyspirit' monster with the effect of a Spell or Trap Card, I can banish Forced Call to negate that effect and shuffle that card back into your Deck!"

"I won't let you!" Blue Angel declared. "I activate the effect of Trickstar Shuffle in my Graveyard! Since you activated a card effect from the Graveyard, I can banish Trickstar Shuffle to negate the activation of that effect and banish it!"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. She countered his move expertly. Like he had thought, even if she didn't know why she dueled, her skills were extraordinary.

"Trickstar Shuffle has two more effects," Blue Angel explained. "It then inflicts 500 points of damage to you and we both draw one card!"

"The effect of Cyspirit License is still in play," Morningstar reminded her. "That means your card's effect damage is negated." After he said that, the two of them each drew a card.

"Since your Forced Call was negated, the effect of Trickstar Refuge goes through!" Blue Angel said. "And Pied Pikeman loses 800 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400→1600**

"Battle!" Blue Angel declared. "Bloody Mary, attack Pied Pikeman! Bleeding Force!" Bloody Mary swung her leg cuffs at Pied Pikeman, making it explode as Morningstar braced himself.

 **Morningstar: 2700→2300 LP**

Cam whistled over the comm. Blue Angel had actually managed to destroy one of Yasutake's Link Monsters, and one of his most powerful ones, too. Even Specter hadn't been able to do that.

"I'm not done yet!" Blue Angel said. "Trickstar Candina, attack Cyspirit Linker!" Candina sent a blast from her megaphone at Linker, causing it to explode as well.

 **Morningstar: 2300→2200 LP**

 _Yes!_ Blue Angel thought. _If I use Lycoris's effect to summon her now, I can reduce Morningstar's Life Points to 600!_ Unfortunately, Morningstar had other plans.

"I activate my Skill!" he declared to Blue Angel's surprise. She had completely forgotten about his Skill. "Cyberse Revolution! Since a Cyberse monster on my field was destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon one Cyberse monster from my Deck with a lower Level than the destroyed monster's. I Special Summon Cyspirit Teleporter in Defense Position!" A skeleton warrior in grey armor carrying a baton appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

Blue Angel grit her teeth. Lycoris was strong enough to destroy Teleporter, but she was familiar with its effect from his duel with Go. If she destroyed it, it would only benefit Morningstar. At the same time, however, she remembered the effect of Cyspirit License. For Morningstar to set it again, he needed to have a monster on his field. If she destroyed Teleporter, that meant he couldn't reset his card and she could deal him effect damage during his turn again.

"I activate the effect of Lycoris in my hand!" she declared. "I Special Summon her and return Lilybell to my hand!" Lycoris reappeared, summoned to Bloody Mark's bottom-left Link Marker as Lilybell disappeared.

 **Trickstar Lycoris ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"Bloody Mary's monster effect!" she said. "When a 'Trickstar' monster is Summoned to a zone Bloody Mary points to, I gain 200 Life Points! Blood Regeneration!"

 **Blue Angel: 2500→2700 LP**

 _So that's why she summoned Bloody Mary,_ Morningstar thought. _Not just for a Link Monster, but also to replenish her Life Points. Smart._

"Battle!" Blue Angel said, interrupting his thoughts. "Lycoris, attack and destroy Cyspirit Teleporter!" Lycoris struck Teleporter with her sword, breaking it apart. Blue Angel sighed. Now that he had no monsters, he couldn't reset his Trap Card.

"Now that it's the End Phase," she said. "The effect of Light Stage activates! You must either activate your face-down card or send it to the Graveyard! So, which will it be, Morningstar?" she asked, smiling back at him. To her surprise, he smiled back.

"I'll activate it," he said. "Trap activate! Cyspirit Backup!" The card showed Rapid Revolutionary and Egregious Electrician looking behind them to see a dragon shrouded in darkness descend behind them. "With this card, I return one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster in my Graveyard to my Extra Deck, then Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster whose Link Rating is lower than the returned monster's! I return Pied Pikeman to my Extra Deck to summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller to the Extra Monster Zone!"

Pied Pikeman briefly appeared on Morningstar's field before shattering as a new skeleton in a business suit carrying a cellphone and handheld radio took its place.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1 ↓**

Blue Angel gasped in surprise. He anticipated that she would clear his field, so he set a card that would restore it. And that meant…

"The second effect of Cyspirit Backup activates!" Morningstar said. "If the monster I returned was Link 3 or higher, I draw two cards!" He drew, then said, "I activate the effect of Cyspirit License in my Graveyard! Since I control a face-up 'Cyspirit' monster, I shuffle Egregious Electrician in my Graveyard back into my Extra Deck to set it on my field!"

Blue Angel grit her teeth. "I end my turn," she said reluctantly.

"My turn! But before I draw, I activate Cyspirit License! Since I control Cacophonic Caller, I take no effect damage this turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his cards, then at Blue Angel. "I have to admit, you have surprised me. The number of people who can counter my moves is very few, and you are among them now. But… this will be the last turn."

He gestured to Cacophonic Caller. "Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to the zone it points to, but that monster cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. I Special Summon Cyspirit Kid!" A small skeleton in a t-shirt appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Appear!" Morningstar declared. "The circuit between light and darkness!" He continued chanting as he created the link portal again.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Link 1 Cacophonic Caller and Kid in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 2! Cyspirit Mad Mongrel!"

The skeleton dog in grey and silver armor with metallic wings and a missile launcher and net launcher on its back appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel ATK 2000 LINK-2 ↑↓**

"Cyspirit Kid's monster effect!" Morningstar said. "When I use Kid to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can destroy one face-up card on your field!"

"What?"

"I destroy Trickstar Light Stage!" Blue Angel gasped as her Field Spell was destroyed. Now she couldn't hinder his face-down cards. But that surprise was mired with confusion. Why her Field Spell? Why not one of her monsters?

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Replay!" The card showed Cyspirit Lancer, with afterimages trailing behind it. "Since I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can shuffle one banished 'Cyspirit' Spell or Trap Card back into my Deck and activate its effect!"

Blue Angel's eyes widened with surprise. There was only one banished "Cyspirit" Spell Card, and it was one she banished herself.

"I shuffle Cyspirit Forced Call back into my Deck!" he said. "Now, I summon Trickstar Narkissus from your Graveyard to your field in Defense Position!"

Blue Angel grit her teeth on seeing Narkissus on her field again, as she was summoned to Mad Mongrel's top Link Marker. She didn't know what his dog could do, but she suspected she wouldn't like it.

 **Trickstar Narkissus ATK 1000 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"I summon Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a leotard appeared on his field, summoned to Mad Mongrel's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Since Dancer was Normal Summoned while I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand or Deck with its effects negated," Morningstar told Blue Angel. "I summon Cyspirit Changer from my Deck!" A dwarf skeleton carrying a sign appeared on his field in the zone next to Dancer's.

 **Cyspirit Changer ATK 200 DEF 100 LVL: 1**

"Mad Mongrel's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Since it points to two monsters, one of which is a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can target two monsters; one on your field that it points to and one 'Cyspirit' monster in my Graveyard. Then, the monster on your field is treated as having the same name and Type as my monster. I target Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard and Trickstar Narkissus on your field! So now, Narkissus is treated as Cyspirit Teleporter and a Cyberse monster!"

 _Why would he do that?_ Blue Angel wondered. _How does changing Narkissus's name benefit him?_ She got her answer almost immediately.

"Now, the second part of Mad Mongrel's effect activates!" Morningstar said. "After it changes your monster's name and Type, I can use it and Mad Mongrel to perform a Link Summon!"

Blue Angel's eyes widened in surprise. Link Summoning using the opponent's monster? She'd never heard of such a technique!

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The link portal appeared in the sky as Narkissus's appearance changed to Cyspirit Teleporter's.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set the Trickstar Narkissus treated as Cyspirit Teleporter and the Link 2 Cyspirit Mad Mongrel in the Link Markers!" The monsters entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom-center arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!"

The skeleton warrior in a blue trench coat and black waistcoat with metallic wings emerging from its back wearing a silver tricorne hat and carrying two black pistols appeared on Morningstar's field, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

Cam smiled on seeing that Morningstar's ace Link Monster was on his field. But he knew that Morningstar was far from done.

"Appear!" Morningstar declared, surprising Blue Angel again. "The circuit between light and darkness!"

"What?" she said. "A third Link Summon?" She remembered the monster that Morningstar had defeated Go with. Oh no.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' Effect Monsters! I set Cyspirit Dancer and Link 3 Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the bottom-left, top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!"

A white skeleton dragon appeared on his field, but then skin grew over it. Its skin was metallic and grey, while its wings had bright red spines and its membranes were light silver. Its long grey tail ended in a red arrow, and there were black lines of code running across its arms and legs. Its head had four horns curving downwards, and it had a blue left eye and a red right eye. It roared in anticipation of combat as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

Blue Angel grit her teeth. That monster had defeated Go in one turn, and its effects were troublesome. For starters, since it pointed to Cyspirit Changer, only Link Monsters could declare an attack. And second…

"Since Cyspirit Dancer was used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster," Morningstar said, "Datastorm Dragon gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800→3400**

Morningstar was about to use Teleporter's effect to bring back Dancer, so he could Link Summon Thrilled Tunneler, but something caught his attention. A heartbeat.

He looked at his Duel Disk. Something in his Extra Deck was reacting. Was that… His eyes widened in recognition. It was a monster he hadn't used in a long time. But why was it reacting now?

He remembered during Playmaker's duel with Revolver that he heard the pulse of the Cyberse right before Firewall Dragon was summoned. Was this similar? Either way, he could see that this particular monster would be more beneficial to him than Thrilled Tunneler, especially if Blue Angel had a means to negate battle damage.

"I banish the Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard to activate its effect!" Morningstar declared. "Now, I Special Summon one Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard! I summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" The monster reappeared on his field, summoned to his dragon's bottom Link Marker, but also confusing Blue Angel.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

 _Why summon Swordsman instead of Dancer?_ she thought. _Dancer would increase the attack points of a Link Monster he summons. Is he going for Datastorm Dragon's effect, or is he planning a different strategy?_

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar sent another bolt of lightning at the sky, creating the link portal again. "The summoning conditions are two Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Changer and Cyspirit Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and top Link Markers, turning them red. Cam widened his eyes on seeing that pattern, realizing what Morningstar was doing.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Idealistic Idol!"

The monster that appeared was initially a white skeleton with a silver skull, but light surrounded it, and when it dissipated, the skeleton was wearing a sleeveless dress. The dress was indigo colored with a lighter blue line down the middle, and its knee-length skirt was white in color. Underneath the dress, the skeleton wore black tights and indigo high heels, and it wore several silver bangles on its metal skeleton arms. Midnight black hair pulled back into a long ponytail fell down its back as silver metallic wings sprouted from its back. It would have been pretty if it didn't have a skull for a face, with a glowing blue left eye and a red right eye. Morningstar summoned Idealistic Idol to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500 LINK-2 ←↑**

"What?" Blue Angel said, her surprise the greatest it had ever been in this duel. That monster… it looked a lot like her Trickstars. Where did Morningstar get a card like that? And why would he have it in his Deck?

Cam frowned at the screen. He remembered when Yasutake first showed him that card. At the time, Cam had thought it somewhat ridiculous in appearance, and he still did to an extent. But its effects were powerful. And…

He turned to Sachi. When she was little, before the incident, she'd wanted to become an idol. Cam had supported her in that goal, and had even started to save money when she'd told him, so she could get singing lessons. She'd been six and he'd been fourteen, but they already had their dreams: Cam had wanted to become a wrestler, but the incident had taken that from him – the life of a wrestler wasn't stable enough to care for a traumatized sister. Sachi wanted to become an idol singer, and even as a child, she had the voice for it. All the other kids she played with were in awe of her voice. Now…

He turned back to the screen and stared at Idealistic Idol. While its appearance was similar to Blue Angel's monsters, Cam saw it more as what Sachi could have been if not for the incident. Except for the part about it being a skeleton. Cam figured Sachi would look a bit more alive in a dress like that.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "By shuffling it back into my Deck, I Special Summon Rapid Revolutionary from my Graveyard to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker, but Rapid Revolutionary cannot declare an attack this turn!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Idealistic Idol's monster effect!" Morningstar continued. "I target one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, besides itself. That monster can then make three attacks on opponent's monsters this turn, but other monsters I control cannot declare an attack."

Blue Angel widened her eyes. She had exactly three monsters, and since Rapid Revolutionary couldn't attack because of Wanderer's effect, there was only…

"I target Datastorm Dragon with Idealistic Idol's effect!" Morningstar said. "Now, only Datastorm Dragon can declare an attack, but it can attack all three of your monsters! And if you recall my duel with Go, you understand what happens when Datastorm Dragon points to at least two monsters."

She did. At the end of the Battle Phase, she would take 500 points of damage for each monster Datastorm Dragon destroyed. Since it could attack three times, it would inflict 1500 points of damage. Even if the battle damage was halved because of the second half of Datastorm Dragon's effect, she would lose. In theory, anyway. In reality…

"I set two cards," Morningstar said. "Battle! Datastorm Dragon, attack Trickstar Lycoris! Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon gathered blue energy in its mouth, which it shot at Lycoris. Before it hit…

"Trap activate!" Blue Angel declared. "Trickstar Biennial!" The card showed Bloody Mary and Holly Angel on the edges of a blue circle made of vines. "This turn, I take no battle damage from attacks involving 'Trickstar' monsters I control! And at the end of the Battle Phase, I draw one card!" The blast of energy hit Lycoris, destroying her, but a barrier appeared around Blue Angel, protecting her from damage.

Morningstar smirked. "Impressive, Blue Angel. My prediction of this being the last turn was wrong. You will survive. But, you will do so at a massive disadvantage. And even your attempts to protect yourself will hurt you."

"What?"

"There is a second part to Idealistic Idol's multiple attack effect," he told her. "When the targeted monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle, my opponent takes 300 points of damage!" Blue Angel's eyes widened in surprise. "Go! Ideal Light!" Idealistic Idol's wings lit up and blasted white light at Blue Angel, making her cringe.

 **Blue Angel: 2700→2400 LP**

"The second attack! Datastorm Dragon, attack Trickstar Candina! Data Flare!" The blue blast hit Candina, pushing her back.

"Trickstar Biennial's effect remains in play! I take no battle damage!"

"But your monster is still destroyed!" Morningstar reminded her as Candina exploded. "And since Datastorm Dragon destroyed a monster by battle, Idealistic Idol deals you 300 points of damage! Ideal Light!" His monster's wings shone again and blasted Blue Angel, making her cry out.

 **Blue Angel: 2400→2100 LP**

"If Akira Zaizen finds out about this, you're dead, you know that?" Cam asked Morningstar over the comm. "Maybe you could ease up on her?"

"If I do that now, she'll just think I'm not taking her seriously and get angry," Morningstar told him. "And I doubt Blue Angel will tell her brother. She's too proud. And if she does, I'll accept whatever Zaizen does to me. You and I would feel the same way if someone did this to Sachi." Cam nodded, understanding Morningstar's point.

"The third attack! Datastorm Dragon, attack Trickstar Bloody Mary! Data Flare!" The blue energy hit Bloody Mary, who cried out in pain.

"Due to Trickstar Biennial, I take no damage!"

"But Bloody Mary is destroyed!" As he said that, Bloody Mary exploded. "And Idealistic Idol's effect activates again! Ideal Light!" Blue Angel cried out, louder this time, from Idealistic Idol's blast.

 **Blue Angel: 2100→1800 LP**

"Datastorm Dragon's monster effect!" Morningstar declared, gesturing to his dragon. "At the end of the Battle Phase, it inflicts 500 points of damage to you for each monster it destroyed this turn! It destroyed three, so you take 1500 points of damage! Digital Deletion!" Datastorm Dragon gathered energy in its mouth again, red this time, and blasted Blue Angel. She screamed as she fell off her D-Board.

 **Blue Angel: 1800→300 LP**

"Yasu, help her!" Cam cried, shocked at the force of the attack. Sachi, sitting next to him on the bed, didn't react.

"No need," Morningstar said, ignoring the guilt and concern in his heart. "She doesn't need help."

Sure enough, Blue Angel summoned her energy whip and wrapped it around her D-Board. She managed to swing herself back onto it, but it cost her the lead as she fell behind Morningstar.

"Since the Battle Phase ended," she said, "Trickstar Biennial's second effect allows me to draw a card." She drew, and seeing what it was, gasped. With this…

Morningstar looked at the last card in his hand. Cyspirit Gardna. With this, if she attacked his monsters, he could summon it and protect them. "I end my-."

"I activate my Skill!" Blue Angel declared, shocking Morningstar as her earrings glowed pink. "Trickstar Fraud! By discarding Trickstar Mandrake from my hand, you draw until you hold three cards! You have one card in your hand, so you draw two cards!"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow as he drew his cards. Why was she doing this now? Without Lycoris, she couldn't inflict damage to him for drawing cards. Unless…

His eyes widened. She wasn't aiming for him to draw! She was aiming to discard her card!

"I activate the effect of Trickstar Mandrake, the card I discarded!" Blue Angel said, confirming Morningstar's suspicions. "When she is sent from the hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon her in Defense Position! Come back, Trickstar Mandrake!" A girl with blue eyes and long green pigtails in a green and purple dress carrying a heart-shaped tambourine appeared on her field.

 **Trickstar Mandrake ATK 0 DEF 1000 LVL: 2**

Morningstar smiled. "Not bad, Blue Angel," he muttered. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit License in my Graveyard! I shuffle Mad Mongrel back into my Extra Deck and set it on my field!" He set it alongside his other two face-downs. "I end my turn."

"And now that it's the End Phase, you must banish a card from your hand for each 'Trickstar' monster in my Graveyard!" Blue Angel told him. "I have five 'Trickstar' monsters, so all the cards in your hand are banished!"

Morningstar's smile grew. Despite his advantage, she wasn't giving up. Good. That determination would be needed in the months to come.

Before she could speak, Morningstar did. "There's something you should know about my Idealistic Idol," he said. "So long as it points to at least one monster, it inflicts 200 points of damage to you every time a monster is Link Summoned."

Blue Angel widened her eyes. Her Life Points were 300. If she Link Summoned twice, she would lose. Alternatively, she could lose to Idealistic Idol's or Datastorm Dragon's effect next turn. And Morningstar had only used his License's reset effect twice, meaning he could do so one more time.

 _This is going to be my last turn,_ she thought. She remembered what Morningstar said to her before they dueled. _I asked you here to help you find a new reason for dueling, and settle your doubts._ And when they started, he said, _If you wish to defeat me, you must learn to adapt!_

She didn't remember everything about her duel with Playmaker, but she remembered the feeling she had when Playmaker activated his Skill. She'd been shaken to the core, feeling as though her entire lead had been false, like he'd been letting her win. Morningstar wasn't doing that. In fact, he was doing his best to push her in a corner instead.

 _This time,_ she thought. _I'll be the one to surprise you, Morningstar! You might not be Playmaker, but you have pushed me farther than anyone else! And I will push right back!_

"My turn! Draw!"

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit License! Now, until the end of the turn, I take no effect damage."

Blue Angel smirked. "Are you sure about that?"

"Mm?" Morningstar said, raising an eyebrow.

"I activate the effect of Trickstar Biennial in my Graveyard!" she declared. "If you activate a Trap Card while I control a 'Trickstar' monster, I can banish Biennial to negate the activation of your Trap Card and destroy it!" His License Trap shattered.

 _A perfect counter,_ Morningstar thought. With his Trap Card negated, he could take effect damage now.

"I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn!" Blue Angel said. "And bring back Trickstar Candina!"

 **Trickstar Candina ATK 1800 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

"And now I summon Trickstar Lilybell!"

 **Trickstar Lilybell ATK 800 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"Three 'Trickstar' monsters," Morningstar muttered. "Is she…?"

"Come out! The circuit of dreams and hope!" Blue Angel sent a dream of blue light from her hand, creating the Link portal in front of her.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three 'Trickstar' monsters! I set Candina, Lilybell, and Mandrake in the Link Markers!" Her monsters entered the portal, turning the bottom-left, top, and right arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Trickstar Lavender Widow!"

This monster was taller than Holly Angel and Bloody Mary. She had solid green eyes and long purple hair that extended past her legs tied back in a braid and a flower-shaped gold crown on her head. On her cheek was a green heart, and on her back were six white wings with gold edges. Her dress was purple on the outside part and white on the inside, while her skirt resembled lavender plants flaring outwards. In her hands, she spun two chakras around as she was summoned to the Extra Monster zone.

 **Trickstar Lavender Widow ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"A Link 3?" Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes.

"There's no record of her using a Link 3 monster…" Cam mused. "This won't be good."

"Idealistic Idol's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Since a monster was Link Summoned, you take 200 points of damage! Ideal Light!" His monster's wings glowed again and hit Blue Angel with white light, but she grit her teeth and rode it out.

 **Blue Angel: 300→100 LP**

"Lavender Widow's monster effect" she declared. "If she is Link Summoned, and I control no other cards, I can inflict 300 points of damage to you for each 'Trickstar' monster in my Graveyard! However, you take no effect damage for the rest of the turn."

"300?" Morningstar said, surprised. He'd been expecting intervals of 200, not 300.

"I have seven 'Trickstar' monsters in my Graveyard!" she said. "That means you take 2100 points of damage! Go, Lavender Widow!"

Widow's chakras glowed with light as she threw them at Morningstar. He yelled out as they cut him, but he managed to stay on his board.

 **Morningstar: 2200→100 LP**

"Their Life Points are equal now," Cam said softly. "Yasu…" Next to him, Sachi didn't react.

"When Trickstar Mandrake is used to Link Summon a 'Trickstar' Link Monster," Blue Angel's AI said, "one monster linked to an opponent's monster is destroyed." Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise at hearing that.

"I target your Datastorm Dragon that Idealistic Idol points to!" Blue Angel declared, pointing to his dragon. "Say bye-bye!" Mandrake reappeared and blasted purple energy from its tambourine.

"Continuous Trap activate!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Zone!" The card showed Pied Pikeman with a square of light rising around it. "If I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, 'Cyspirit' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by card effects!" The blast hit Datastorm Dragon, but a barrier appeared and repelled it.

Blue Angel looked at the text of Cyspirit Zone and smirked. "Not one of your better cards, Morningstar!" she teased. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Trickstar Temptation! Since I control a 'Trickstar' monster, I can return one monster on the field whose current attack points are different from its original attack points to the hand!"

Morningstar's eyes widened again. There was only one monster whose attack points were different, and that was…

"I return Datastorm Dragon to your Extra Deck!" He watched as his powerful dragon disappeared.

"If a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster leaves my field," he said, "Cyspirit Zone's effect destroys itself." The card on his field shattered as he said that.

Blue Angel winked at him. "Time for the finale! I activate Trickstar Lavender Widow's monster effect! Once per Duel, if there are no monsters next to her Link Markers, I can banish up to three 'Trickstar' monsters from my Graveyard, then destroy an equal number of monsters on the field!"

"Uh oh," Cam said. Morningstar didn't react to either of them.

"I banish Trickstar Bloody Mary and Trickstar Lycoris from my Graveyard!" Blue Angel said, "and destroy your Idealistic Idol and Rapid Revolutionary! Shining Vines!" Purple vines appeared on the field and wrapped around Morningstar's monsters, destroying them. He winced as that happened.

"Yes!" Blue Angel cheered. "This ends now! Trickstar Lavender Widow, attack Morningstar directly! Shining Grace!" Lavender Widow brought her two chakras together as they glowed purple. She blasted purple light at Morningstar.

 _Blue Angel,_ he thought. _You're almost there. I can see your strength, your determination to keep fighting. But… it is not enough._

"Counter Trap activate!" he declared, surprising Blue Angel. "Cyspirit Barricade!" The card showed a black and silver dragon standing in front of a much smaller figure, blocking a blast of energy. "If you attack me directly with a monster whose attack points are greater than or equal to my Life Points, the attack is negated!" A barrier appeared around him, blocking Lavender Widow's attack.

"What?" Blue Angel said, surprised at his Trap Card.

"And then," Morningstar continued, "I can Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard whose attack points are equal to or less than the damage I would have taken. I bring back Cyspirit Idealistic Idol!" The skeleton in dress and tights reappeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500 LINK-2 ←↑**

"And now, the third part of Barricade's effect!" he declared. "You take damage equal to the difference between my Life Points and Idealistic Idol's attack points!"

Blue Angel's eyes widened. Idealistic Idol had 1500 attack points, and he had 100 Life Points. That meant…

"It ends now," he said. His Trap Card released a blast of light at Blue Angel. Morningstar expected it to hit her, but Lavender Widow got in the way.

"Lavender Widow's monster effect!" Blue Angel declared. "Once per turn, I can negate one instance of effect damage by banishing a 'Trickstar' card from my Graveyard! I banish Lilybell from my Graveyard!" The blast dissipated against Lavender Widow as Morningstar narrowed his eyes.

"Damn," Cam whispered. "This back and forth… I've never seen anyone give Yasu a run for his money like this. Even Specter couldn't do this much."

"As I said before, this is the finale!" Blue Angel said. "I activate the effect of Trickstar Refuge in the Graveyard! By banishing it, a 'Trickstar' monster I control that made an attack this turn can declare a second attack!" Morningstar's eyes widened again. "That means Lavender Widow can attack again! Go, Lavender Widow! Attack Idealistic Idol with Shining Grace!" Lavender Widow charged her chakras again and blasted purple light at Idealistic Idol.

For a brief moment, Morningstar considered letting the attack hit. He considered letting Blue Angel win. But winning was never the point of this duel. It was to make her adapt, and for her to find a new reason to duel. He could tell that she was on that path, and further along it than she had been before… but she wasn't there yet.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Barricade in my Graveyard!" he declared. "By banishing it, one 'Cyspirit' monster I control gains 1000 attack points!"

"What?" Blue Angel said, widening her eyes as Idealistic Idol glowed red.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500→2500**

"Go, Idealistic Idol!" Morningstar shouted. "Destroy Lavender Widow with Shining Force!" Idealistic Idol gathered white light in her hands and blasted it at Lavender Widow's purple light. The two beams struggled for a moment, but then the white one overpowered the purple one. It broke through and hit Lavender Widow, who screamed as she was destroyed. Blue Angel screamed alongside her as she fell off her D-Board again.

 **Blue Angel: 100→0 LP**

Before Blue Angel hit the pavement, she felt something grab her. She looked up and saw a red cable around her wrist. At the other end was Morningstar, riding his D-Board.

"Morningstar?"

"There's only room for one fallen angel in LINK VRAINS," he told her before he whipped his Data Anchor and flung her onto the roof of a nearby skyscraper.

Cam sighed at Morningstar's line. "'There's only room for one fallen angel in LINK VRAINS?' Really, Yasu?"

"Shut up."

* * *

Morningstar landed next to Blue Angel as she rubbed her wrist.

"You used your Data Anchor to keep me from falling," she said. "Does that mean we have to duel again?"

He shook his head. "The Anchor's log-out prevention function stops working for ten minutes after a duel ends," he explained to her. "So, no, we don't have to duel again."

They stood in silence for a while, then Blue Angel said, "I'm sorry for saying I hate you. You didn't deserve that. I know you were just trying to help me."

"I _did_ deserve it," he said. "What Hanoi did to you… I sensed their presence when you challenged me, but it disappeared quickly. I assumed it had left, so I left, but it only hid itself. Because of my negligence, you were infected with Hanoi's virus."

"…I don't blame you for it. Hanoi is tenacious. Even if they failed to infect me, they would have gone after someone eventually." She looked up at him. "Why did you do this? You said this duel was to help me find a new reason to duel, but I would have found one eventually. Why?"

Morningstar shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe I simply used that as an excuse to duel you. Maybe I have a greater plan that you cannot see right now. Or maybe… maybe I think a duelist like you shouldn't quit, that you should keep dueling. Opponents of your caliber are rare, after all."

She smiled at that. Before she could say anything, he asked, "Tell me something: what's your best memory?"

She was surprised at his subject change, but she thought about it. After a while, she crossed her arms and answered, "Me. And my brother. Sitting at a table outside a restaurant, back when I was a child. We had our favorite food in front of us. It wasn't a special occasion, it was just us. Having dinner together. As a family." She looked up at Morningstar. "Why? What's your favorite memory?"

"… I don't have one," he answered to her shock. "I haven't made any good memories in ten years. All it's been is…" he thought about the therapy, the nightmares, the hunts. No, she didn't need to know that. "… it hasn't been good. But, there is a memory that makes me smile. Not mine, though. A home video. A brother and sister, from when he was fourteen and she was six. It's just the two of them, playing and laughing on a playground."

Cam smiled as tears welled in his eyes. He remembered that video. It was for Sachi's sixth birthday. That was when she told him she wanted to be an idol when she grew up.

He remembered kneeling down to her eye level and messing up her hair. _One day,_ he'd said, _you'll be the most famous singer in Japan. And everyone will know what I already know: that my little sister is an angel._

He was so focused on the video that he didn't notice Sachi turn her head and glance at the screen as Morningstar spoke before turning away.

"Hold onto that memory," he was saying. "Let that happiness push you. Let it remind you what you fight for."

Blue Angel was silent as he looked at his Duel Disk, then back at her. "You should probably leave. No telling when your brother will get back. And those two will be free soon."

"Eh?" she said, not knowing what he was talking about. "What two?"

"The frog and pigeon," he answered. "They tried to follow us, so I trapped them in my security net. It should be dissolving right about now, and I don't want to answer their questions."

"You trapped reporters?"

"I assumed you wanted privacy," he said innocently. "Did you not?"

Blue Angel opened her mouth, then closed it. Right now, she wasn't sure what she wanted. Except to see her brother and give him a hug.

"Goodbye, Morningstar," she said, turning around and walking away as she logged out.

"Goodbye," he said after she left.

"That was nice of you, Yasu," Cam said over the com, his voice thick. "Uncharacteristically so. You sure you don't have a crush on her?"

"I'm trying to strengthen her resolve for when Hanoi attacks again," Morningstar answered evenly. "Being kind to her will be more effective than being rude to her. And have you been crying? Your voice sounds thick."

"N-No, I haven't been crying," Cam said, coughing into his fist as he walked out of Sachi's room. "I just have a bad cough right now."

"Uh huh."

As Cam left, he looked back at Sachi, still in the same position she was in earlier. He turned the lights off and walked out, closing the door.

As she sat alone in the dark, a small voice spoke out, only saying two words. "Cam… Yasu…"

* * *

"You should probably log out now," Cam said as he walked downstairs, heading to the monitor room. "If those reporters find you, they're going to have more than a few words for you."

Morningstar rolled his eyes. He wasn't afraid of Frog and Pigeon, but he had no desire to talk to them. "Under-."

Before he finished speaking, he felt something, turning his gaze to the left.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure," Morningstar said. "But I need to check it out." He raced across the rooftops, and eventually saw what he sensed. Ghost Girl and Playmaker were standing across from each other on an isolated rooftop. Seeing there were no other buildings nearby to watch without getting spotted, he released his drone and set it to record. As it traveled to them, he started hearing what they said.

"You've accepted my challenge?" Ghost Girl was saying.

"Yeah. But you're not lying about the exchange, right?"

"Of course not. I have the data ready." Morningstar watched as she lifted a finger and revealed a gold card. "It's the backdoor to SOL Technologies' data bank."

What? A backdoor into SOL's data bank? Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He knew Ghost Girl wasn't lying. Despite his personal problems with her, he couldn't deny she was a highly capable hacker. One of the best he knew, in fact. He'd never say that to her face, of course.

While he was surprised by the first part of her statement, he was floored by what she said next. "It should have data about the incident ten years ago."

What!? There was information in the SOL data bank about what happened ten years ago? Morningstar suddenly understood why Playmaker was here.

"Why do you want to duel me?" Playmaker asked Ghost Girl. "Why don't you go there yourself?"

"If I acquire your AI, I can sell it to SOL Technologies at a high price," she answered. "And one-up Morningstar. That's always fun." Morningstar growled softly on hearing that.

"To be honest, I became interested in you after seeing your recent duel. Only as a cyber treasure hunter, of course. I want to know more about you."

Morningstar rolled his eyes. She, of all people, would describe herself as a "cyber treasure hunter." It sounded a lot better than "mercenary."

"Cyber treasure hunter?" Playmaker smirked and closed his eyes. To Morningstar's surprise, a small figure rose out of Playmaker's Duel Disk.

"She's definitely trying to trick us! Why don't humans learn from experience?"

Morningstar zoomed in on the figure. It was a small humanoid, black in color with purple lines crisscrossing its body, and had solid yellow eyes. He figured it was the AI he'd been hired to retrieve, but how it gained a body, he had no idea.

"Because," Playmaker answered it, "humans can feel things instead of learning them."

"You're really going to do this…"

Morningstar watched from the drone as Ghost Girl and Playmaker jumped onto the data stream and began a Speed Duel. Cam, sitting in the monitor room, scowled.

"She better not beat Playmaker, Yasu," he said over the earpiece. "That contrast's yours, not hers."

"I have no intention of losing another contract to her, Cam," Morningstar answered. "Knowing Playmaker, he'll win. It's just a question of how many turns."

Morningstar watched the duel silently, scowling when Ghost Girl summoned her Altergeist Primebanshee. He remembered that when the two of them first dueled, her Primebanshee caused him a great deal of trouble. He'd won in the end, but it had been close. Not as close as his duel with Blue Angel just now, but close.

He kept watching as Ghost Girl brought out Altergeist Meluseek and sent Playmaker's Cyberse Wizard to the Graveyard. After her direct attack with Marionetter, Playmaker blocked her Primebanshee's direct attack by summoning Lockout Gardna. She could have attacked Lockout Gardna and reduced Playmaker's Life Points to 800, but she didn't. Instead, she ended her turn.

 _Smart,_ Morningstar thought begrudgingly. _She knows Playmaker needs less than 1000 Life Points to use his Skill, so she's trying to keep him above that amount until she can defeat him._

His thoughts were interrupted by a noise coming over the drone's speakers. What the…? He moved the camera slightly and saw Pigeon carrying Frog, following the duel. Morningstar rolled his eyes. He knew they were looking for a scoop, and he knew what would happen to their footage. Ghost Girl had done the same thing to him a couple times before he updated his security.

He refocused on the duel and watched as Playmaker attempted to remove Primebanshee and Ghost Girl countered him with her Trap Cards and monsters. No mistake, she was one of the best. If only she worked on her attitude. And her tendencies towards partners.

Morningstar raised an eyebrow on seeing Playmaker Link Summon Underclock Taker, a monster he'd never used before. Interesting. As was him using Balancer Lord's effect to reduce his Life Points to 900, then Ghost Girl using her Skill to increase his Life Points to 1400, and then him using Scan Doll's effect to reduce his Life Points to 400. Playmaker had no intention of letting her stop him from using his Skill.

He raised an eyebrow on seeing him use Scan Doll's effect to target Altergeist Silquitous with Altergeist Camouflage's effect. Why would he…? Of course! While Camouflage did prevent the monster from targeted for attacks, it didn't stop the opponent from attacking Ghost Girl directly. And with Camouflage active on both Silquitous and Primebanshee, Playmaker could attack directly. Of course, there was still one thing to do.

Morningstar watched as a data storm tornado appeared and Ghost Girl and Playmaker fell into it. He was so focused, he didn't notice something else.

"Go! Get a close-up!"

"If we get any closer, the wind will drag us in!"

"I don't care! Go!"

"Aye-aye sir!" Pigeon flapped his wings faster, but they barely moved.

"Hurry! You're too slow!"

"I'm trying my best!"

Frog growled. "Where did they go!? I can't see them anymore!" Then he noticed something. A drone was nearby, recording the duel. "What? A drone! It must be from a rival network! Pigeon!"

"Yes, Yamamato!?"

"Don't use my real name!" Frog yelled. "Do you see that drone?"

"Yes!"

"We can't let someone else get this scoop! Take me over there!"

Morningstar watched the tornado, his concern for Ghost Girl and Playmaker increasing. He figured Playmaker would make it out alright, but Ghost Girl…? If she died in the storm, who would he have to complain about?

"There! Throw me!"

Suddenly, Morningstar's drone dropped several feet. What the-? As he refocused the camera, he saw a giant mouth and a green face stare back at him.

"Get lost, rival network!" Frog yelled at him over the speaker. "This is my scoop! We need it for the Playmaker TV special!"

Morningstar scowled in response. "Cam, can you do something about him?"

"Of course," Cam said, smirking evilly. He glared at Frog over the monitor. "Get off my drone," he growled in his best Clint Eastwood impression. Morningstar rolled his eyes at Cam's silliness.

Cam spun the drone at increasing speeds, causing Frog to yell out and his legs to spin out behind him. Suddenly, Cam stopped the drone, making Frog let go and fly off. Thankfully, Pigeon managed to catch him.

"Oh, that was mean, Yamamato," Pigeon yelled over the wind, watching as the drone flew out of their reach.

Morningstar refocused the camera on the duel and watched as Ghost Girl and Playmaker burst out of the storm. Good. Now his irritation over her existence wouldn't go anywhere. He needed that to keep him focused sometimes.

His eyes widened on seeing Playmaker Link Summon Excode Talker, a giant green humanoid monster with shields on its arms. He had to admit, its effect of sealing Ghost Girl's Main Monster Zones was impressive. And his finishing move was even more so, tributing Scan Doll so Excode Talker could attack twice.

"Excode Close!"

* * *

Morningstar leaped over the buildings and finally found Ghost Girl and Playmaker leaning on the railing of a skyscraper, overlooking the city. He landed near the roof entrance and stood around the corner, watching them.

"Sheesh," Ai said. "If it wasn't for me, who knows what would've happened. That was stressful."

"The moon is pretty tonight," Ghost Girl said.

"Really? It looks like data to me."

"A dumb AI can't understand this feeling."

"You promised," Playmaker interjected, ending Ghost Girl's and Ai's bantering. "Give us what you promised."

"Of course." Ghost Girl summoned a small yellow light and gave it to Playmaker. The light turned into a card before bursting. "You now have the backdoor to SOL Technologies' data bank." She turned towards Morningstar's position, causing him to retreat behind the wall. "Until next time." Morningstar watched as Ghost Girl logged out.

Playmaker stayed, though, and turned back to the moon.

"Hey, what's in SOL Technologies' data bank?" Ai asked him.

"I don't know," Playmaker answered. "However, there may be something about myself from ten years ago."

"What? It has that? Is that important data?"

"Yes, it is."

Playmaker turned around at the voice and saw a red cord shoot out at him. Instinctively, he raised his right arm, and the cord wrapped around his wrist. He raised his head and saw the source. It was Morningstar, the red cable extending out of his Duel Disk.

"It's time for us to duel," Morningstar said. "Yusaku Fujiki."

* * *

 **Blue Angel vs. Morningstar**

This duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Blue Angel**

Blue Angel activates the Field Spell Card Trickstar Light Stage. Upon activation, she can add a "Trickstar" monster from her Deck to her hand. Blue Angel adds Trickstar Lilybell. As Lilybell was added to Blue Angel's hand using a method other than drawing, Blue Angel activates its effect, Special Summoning it (800/2000/2). She Normal Summons Trickstar Candina (1800/400/4). As Candina was Normal Summoned, Blue Angel can add a "Trickstar" card from her Deck to her hand. Blue Angel adds Trickstar Vision to her hand.

Blue Angel uses Candina and Lilybell to Link Summon Trickstar Holly Angel (2000/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Blue Angel activates the Spell Card Trickstar Vision to Special Summon a "Trickstar" monster from her hand with its effects negated and ATK halved, then letting both players draw a card. Blue Angel Special Summons Trickstar Narkissus (1000→500/1800/4) and draws. Blue Angel Sets her drawn card. Blue Angel activates the effect of Trickstar Lycoris in her hand, revealing it to return a "Trickstar" monster on her field to her hand and Special Summon Lycoris. Blue Angel returns Narkissus to her hand and Special Summons Lycoris to the bottom-left Link Marker of Holly Angel (1600/1200/3) in Attack Position. As a "Trickstar" monster was Special Summoned to a zone Holy Angel points to, its effect activates, inflicting 200 damage to Morningstar (Morningstar: 4000→3800 LP). As a "Trickstar" monster inflicted effect damage to Morningstar, the effect of Light Stage activates, inflicting 200 more damage (Morningstar: 3800→3600 LP). As Morningstar took effect damage, Blue Angel activates the effect of Narkissus in her hand to Special Summon it (1000/1800/4) in Defense Position. She ends her turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. As a card(s) was added to Morningstar's hand, the effect of Lycoris activates, inflicting 200 damage for each card added, with Light Stage inflicting 200 more (Morningstar: 3600→3400→3200 LP). As Morningstar took damage from the effect of a "Trickstar" monster, the effect of Holly Angel activates, increasing its ATK equal to the damage taken until the End Phase (Holly Angel: 2000→2200). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Swordsman in his hand, Special Summoning it since he controls no monsters and Blue Angel does (1200/900/3). As a monster in Morningstar's hand activated its effect, the effect of Narkissus activates, inflicting 200 damage after the effect resolves, with Light Stage inflicting 200 more (Morningstar: 3200→3000→2800 LP), and Holly Angel's effect activating (Holly Angel: 2200→2400). Since Swordsman was Special Summoned by its own effect, Morningstar adds Cyspirit Saver to his hand. As a card(s) was added to his hand, the effects of Lycoris activates (Morningstar: 2800→2600 LP). The effect of Light Stage would activate, but Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Saver in his hand, Special Summoning it (0/1300/2) since he took effect damage. For the rest of the turn, he takes no effect damage. Holy Angel's effect activates as Lycoris inflicted damage (Holly Angel: 2400→2600).

Morningstar uses Cyspirit Saver to Link Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600/1/↙) to the Extra Monster Zone. He activates Egregious Electrician's effect, moving Swordsman from the zone it points at to another Main Monster Zone to Special Summon Cyspirit Wanderer (1900/200/5) from his hand to its linked zone. Since Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, the ATK of 1 of Blue Angel's monsters is lowered by 800. Morningstar targets Holly Angel (Holly Angel: 2600→1800). Morningstar uses Swordsman, Wanderer, and Egregious Electrician to Link Summon Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400/3/↙↑→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, he Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700/800/4) from his hand to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Morningstar activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyspirit Forced Call, Special Summoning Trickstar Lilybell from Blue Angel's GY to Pied Pikeman's top Link Marker in Defense Position with its effects negated (800/2000/2). Morningstar activates the effect of Pied Pikeman. Since it points to 1 monster, it changes Lilybell to Attack Position to destroy Blue Angel's face-down card (Trickstar Cascade).

Morningstar Sets 2 cards. He attacks Holly Angel with Pied Pikeman, destroying it (Blue Angel: 4000→3400 LP). Since Pied Pikeman points to 2 monsters and it destroyed a monster in battle, Morningstar gains LP equal to half of Holly Angel's ATK (Morningstar: 2600→3500 LP). Linker attacks Lilybell, destroying it (Blue Angel: 3400→2500 LP). Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Blue Angel**

Blue Angel draws. Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit License. Since he controls a face-up "Cyspirit" monster, he takes no effect damage for the rest of the turn. In addition, during the End Phase of the turn he activated this card, if he controls a face-up "Cyspirit" monster, he can shuffle 1 "Cyspirit" monster in his GY back into his Deck to Set it on his field. Blue Angel activates the effect of Trickstar Light Stage, targeting Morningstar's face-down card. Now, that card cannot be activated until the End Phase, and Morningstar must activate it during the End Phase or else send it to the GY. Blue Angel activates the Spell Card Trickstar Shuffle. She shuffles Holly Angel and Lilybell in her GY back into her Deck, then draws 2 cards. Since Holly Angel is a Link Monster, she draws a third card.

Blue Angel uses Trickstar Lycoris and Narkissus to Link Summon Trickstar Bloody Mary (2000/2/↙→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Blue Angel activates the effect of Bloody Mary, discarding Trickstar Scatter so both players draw 1 card. Blue Angel Normal Summons a second Trickstar Candina (1800/400/4). Since Candina was Normal Summoned, Blue Angel adds Trickstar Lilybell from her Deck to her hand. Since Lilybell was added to her hand by a means other than drawing, she Special Summons Lilybell (800/2000/2). Blue Angel Sets 1 card. The effect of Lilybell allows it to attack directly (Morningstar: 3500→2700 LP). Since Lilybell inflicted battle damage, Blue Angel adds Trickstar Lycoris from her GY to her hand. Since a "Trickstar" monster inflicted battle damage, Blue Angel activates the Quick-Play Spell Trickstar Refuge, which would reduce Pied Pikeman's ATK by the damage Morningstar took until the End Phase. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Forced Call in his GY, banishing it since his opponent activated a Spell/Trap Card that targeted a "Cyspirit" monster to negate that effect and shuffle the card back into her Deck. Blue Angel activates the effect of Trickstar Shuffle in her GY, banishing it since her opponent activated a Spell/Trap effect from the GY to negate the activation of that effect, inflict 500 damage to Morningstar, then let both players draw 1 card. The effect of Cyspirit License negates the damage, but the effect of Cyspirit Forced Call is negated, and the effect of Trickstar Refuge continues (Pied Pikeman: 2400→1600), and both players draw 1 card. Bloody Mary attacks Pied Pikeman, destroying it (Morningstar: 2700→2300 LP). Candina attacks Linker, destroying it (Morningstar: 2300→2200 LP). Morningstar activates his Skill, Cyberse Revolution. Since a Cyberse monster was destroyed, he Special Summons Cyspirit Teleporter from his Deck (500/1500/3) in Defense Position. Blue Angel activates the effect of Lycoris in her hand, returning Lilybell to her hand to Special Summon Lycoris to Bloody Mary's bottom-left Link Marker (1600/1200/3). Since a "Trickstar" monster was Summoned to a zone Bloody Mary points to, Blue Angel gains 200 LP (Blue Angel: 2500→2700). Lycoris attacks and destroys Teleporter.

During the End Phase, the effect of Light Stage activates, and Morningstar must activate his face-down card or send it to the GY. Morningstar activates the Trap Card Cyspirit Backup, targeting Pied Pikeman in the GY. He returns it to his Extra Deck, then Special Summons 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his Extra Deck whose Link Rating is lower than Pied Pikeman's. He Special Summons Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Pied Pikeman was Link-3, Morningstar draws 2 cards. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit License in his GY, shuffling Cyspirit Egregious Electrician back into his Extra Deck to Set Cyspirit License on his field. Blue Angel ends her turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Before he draws, Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit License. Since he controls Cacophonic Caller, he takes no effect damage for the rest of the turn. He draws. Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller, Special Summoning Cyspirit Kid (300/200/1) from his Deck to its Link Marker, but Navigator cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller and Kid to Link Summon Cyspirit Mad Mongrel (2000/2/↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Cyspirit Kid was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can target 1 face-up card on his opponent's field and destroy that card. He destroys Trickstar Light Stage. He activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Replay. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, he can shuffle 1 banished "Cyspirit" Spell/Trap Card back into his Deck and activate its effect. Morningstar shuffles the banished Cyspirit Forced Call and Special Summons Trickstar Narkissus (1000/1800/4) in Defense Position to Mad Mongrel's top Link Marker. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2) to Mad Mongrel's bottom Link Marker. Since it was Normal Summoned, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Changer (200/100/1) from his Deck. Morningstar activates the effect of Mad Mongrel. Since it points to 2 monsters, and 1 is a "Cyspirit" monster, it can target 2 monsters, one on the opponent's field it points to and one "Cyspirit" monster in Morningstar's GY, treat the monster on the field as having the same name and Type in the GY, then use it and Mad Mongrel to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster. Morningstar targets Cyspirit Teleporter in his GY and Trickstar Narkissus on Blue Angel's field. Morningstar uses the Link 2 Mad Mongrel and Trickstar Narkissus treated as "Cyspirit Teleporter" to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200/3/↙↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Dancer and the Link 3 Rapid Revolutionary to Link Summon Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Datastorm Dragon gains 600 ATK (Datastorm Dragon: 2800→3400).

Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in his GY, banishing it and Special Summoning Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) from his GY to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Changer and Cyspirit Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Idealistic Idol (1500/2/←↑) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in his GY, shuffling it back into his Deck to Special Summon Rapid Revolutionary (2200/3/↙↑↓) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker, but it cannot declare an attack. Morningstar activates the effect of Idealistic Idol, targeting Datastorm Dragon for its effect. Now, Datastorm Dragon can make up to 3 attacks on monsters during the Battle Phase, but his other monsters cannot declare an attack. Morningstar Sets 2 cards.

Datastorm Dragon attacks Trickstar Lycoris, but Blue Angel activates her face-down Trap Card Trickstar Biennial. This turn, she takes no battle damage from attacks involving "Trickstar" monsters she controls. Datastorm Dragon destroys Lycoris. Since Datastorm Dragon destroyed a monster by battle, the effect of Idealistic Idol inflicts 300 damage to Blue Angel (Blue Angel: 2700→2400 LP). Datastorm Dragon attacks and destroys Trickstar Candina, with the effect of Trickstar Biennial negating battle damage, but the effect of Cyspirit Idealistic Idol inflicts 300 damage (Blue Angel: 2400→2100 LP). Datastorm Dragon attacks Trickstar Bloody Mary, destroying her (Blue Angel: 2100→1800 LP). Morningstar activates the effect of Datastorm Dragon. Since it points to at least 2 monsters, at the end of the Battle Phase, it inflicts 500 damage to Blue Angel for each monster it destroyed (Blue Angel: 1800→300 LP). At the end of the Battle Phase, the second effect of Trickstar Biennial activates, and Blue Angel draws 1 card. Blue Angel activates her Skill, Trickstar Fraud, discarding Trickstar Mandrake to make Morningstar draw until he has 3 cards in his hand. Since Mandrake was sent from the hand to the GY, Blue Angel Special Summons Mandrake (0/1000/2) in Defense Position. During the End Phase, Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit License in his GY, shuffling Mad Mongrel in his GY back into his Extra Deck to Set Cyspirit License on his field. In addition, Morningstar banishes the 3 cards in his hand by the effect of Trickstar Fraud. Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Blue Angel**

Blue Angel draws. Morningstar activates his face-down Cyspirit License, but Blue Angel activates the effect of Trickstar Biennial in her GY, banishing it to negate the activation of Cyspirit License and destroy it. Blue Angel activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Trickstar Candina from her GY (1800/400/4). Blue Angel Normal Summons Trickstar Lilybell (800/2000/2). She uses Candina, Lilybell, and Mandrake to Link Summon Trickstar Lavender Widow (2400/3/↙↑→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since a Link Monster was Link Summoned, Idealistic Idol deals 200 damage to Blue Angel (Blue Angel: 300→100 LP). Since Lavender Widow was Link Summoned, and Blue Angel controls no other cards, its effect activates, inflicting 300 damage for each "Trickstar" monster in her Graveyard, meaning 2100 (Morningstar: 2200100 LP). Since Mandrake was used to Link Summon a "Trickstar" monster, Blue Angel can destroy 1 monster an opponent's Link Monster points to. She targets the Datastorm Dragon that Idealistic Idol points to, but Morningstar activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Cyspirit Zone. So long as he controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, "Cyspirit" monsters he controls cannot be destroyed by card effects. Blue Angel activates the Quick-Play Spell Trickstar Temptation. Since she controls a "Trickstar" monster, she can return 1 monster on the field whose current ATK is different from its original ATK to the hand. She targets Datastorm Dragon and returns it to Morningstar's Extra Deck. Since a "Cyspirit" Link Monster left the field, Cyspirit Zone is destroyed.

Blue Angel activates the effect of Trickstar Lavender Widow, banishing Bloody Mary and Lycoris from her GY to destroy Idealistic Idol and Rapid Revolutionary. Blue Angel attacks Morningstar directly with Lavender Widow, but Morningstar attacks his face-down Counter Trap Cyspirit Barricade. Since he is being attacked directly by a monster whose ATK is greater than his LP, he can negate the attack, then Special Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY whose ATK is equal to or less than the damage he would have taken. He Special Summons Idealistic Idol (1500/2/←↑). The effect of Cyspirit Barricade now deals damage to Blue Angel equal to the difference between Idealistic Idol's ATK and Morningstar's LP, but Blue Angel activates the effect of Lavender Widow, banishing Lilybell from her GY to make 1 instance of effect damage 0. Blue Angel activates the effect of Trickstar Refuge in her GY, banishing it to allow a "Trickstar" monster that attacked this turn to make a second attack. Lavender Widow attacks Cyspirit Idealistic Idol, but Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Barricade in his GY, banishing it to increase the ATK of 1 "Cyspirit" monster he controls by 1000 (Idealistic Idol: 1500→2500). The attack continues and Lavender Widow is destroyed (Blue Angel: 100→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 1500 LINK-2_ ←↑  
 _2 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: Each time a monster is Link Summoned, inflict 200 damage to your opponent.  
_ _-2: Once per turn: you can target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control, except this card; this turn, it can make up to 3 attacks on monsters during each Battle Phase, also your other monsters cannot attack (even if this monster leaves the field). If the targeted monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle, inflict 300 damage to your opponent._

 _ **Trickstar Lavender Widow  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Fairy/Link/Effect] ATK 2400 LINK-3_ ↙↑→  
 _3 "Trickstar" monsters  
_ _If you control no other cards when this monster is Link Summoned: inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of "Trickstar" monsters in your GY x 300. The turn this effect is activated: your opponent takes no effect damage except from this card's effect. Once per Duel, if this card does not point to a monster: You can banish up to 3 "Trickstar" monsters from your GY; destroy monsters on the field equal to the number of cards banished by this effect. Once per turn, if you would take effect damage: you can banish 1 "Trickstar" card in your GY; make that effect damage to you 0._

 _ **Cyspirit License Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If you control a face-up "Cyspirit" monster: you take no effect damage for the rest of the turn. If this card is in your GY during the End Phase and you control a face-up "Cyspirit" monster: you can shuffle 1 "Cyspirit" monster in your GY back into your Deck; Set this card on your field. You can only activate this effect up to three times per Duel._

 _ **Trickstar Shuffle Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _During your Main Phase: Target 2 "Trickstar" monsters in your GY: Shuffle them into your Deck and draw 2 cards. If 1 of the targeted monsters is a Link Monster, draw an extra card. If your opponent activates a card effect from the GY: you can banish this card in your GY; negate the activation of that effect and banish it, inflict 500 damage to your opponent, then both players draw 1 card._

 _ **Trickstar Refuge Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _If your opponent takes battle damage by a "Trickstar" monster's attack: target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; that monster loses ATK equal to the battle damage your opponent took. You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 "Trickstar" monster you control that already attacked this turn: that monster can declare a second attack. You cannot activate this effect the turn this card is sent to the GY._

 _ **Cyspirit Backup Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster in your GY: return that monster to the Extra Deck, then Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your Extra Deck whose Link Rating is lower than the returned monster. (This Special Summon is treated as a Link Summon.) If the returned monster is Link-3 or higher, draw 2 cards._

 _ **Cyspirit Replay Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: target 1 banished "Cyspirit" Spell/Trap Card, and shuffle that card back into your Deck; activate that card's effect as this card's._

 _ **Trickstar Biennial Normal Trap Card  
**_ _The turn you activate this card, you take no battle damage from attacks involving "Trickstar" monsters you control. At the end of the Battle Phase, draw 1 card. If your opponent activates a Trap Card while you control a face-up "Trickstar" monster, you can banish this card from your GY: negate the activation of that card and destroy it. You can only use 1 "Trickstar Biennial" effect per turn, and only once that turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Zone Continuous Trap Card  
**_ _If you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: "Cyspirit" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects. If a "Cyspirit" Link Monster leaves your field: destroy this card._

 _ **Cyspirit Barricade Counter Trap Card  
**_ _When your opponent's monster attacks you directly, if its ATK is greater than or equal to your LP: Negate the attack, and if you do, Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster (from your GY) whose ATK is less than or equal to the damage you would have taken. Immediately after this effect resolves, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the difference between the ATK of the monster Special Summoned by this card's effect and your current LP. You can banish this card from your GY (Quick Effect): Target 1 "Cyspirit" monster you control; it gains 1000 ATK._

* * *

 ** _Chapter Preview_**

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 6 - Hero vs Hunter_

* * *

 **Suggested names for Link-3 Trickstar Monster:**

Ezilo: Trickstar Rose Blanc

HunterHQ: Crown-Daisy, Gloriosa Daisy, Sunshine Daisy, Floribunda Rose, Amaryllis Angel, Sweetheart Tulip, Zurel Tulip, Negrita Tulip, Black Parrot Tulip, Big Smile, Angelique, Burning Heart, Princess Irene

Swift4Sweeper: Trickstar Lavender Willow

sanedimentio: Trickstar Violet Wisteria

Fenghuang0296: Trickstar Thorn Princess

Guest: Trickstar Queen Sunflower

Guest: Trickstar Golden Siren

D3lph0xL0v3r: Trickstar Hydrangea, Trickstar Hyacinth, Trickstar Foxgloves, Trickstar Daffodil, Trickstar Morning Glory

secret: Trickstar Rosa Bella

SilverByte: Trickstar Gladiolusa Flower, Trickstar Heather Lavendera

Unknown entity328: Trickstar Rosa Bella

Final choice: Trickstar Lavender Widow

* * *

 **Response to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to Ezilo, HunterHQ, Swift4Sweeper, sanedimentio, Fenghuang0296, Guest, Guest, D3lph0xL0v3r, secret, SilverByte, and Unknown entity328 for providing the names of Trickstar monsters, and thanks to Unknowedz for commenting. Since I'm deleting the poll, I left all the suggested names above. The final name was Trickstar Lavender Widow, a slight change to Swift4Sweeper's Trickstar Lavender Willow. Credit to Swift4Sweeper for the name of Trickstar Lavender Widow. Also, I wish to take this opportunity to reply to Fenghuang0296 that Trickstar Black Catbat or Sweet Devil is, according to the wikia, named after the tacca chantrieri, or the black bat flower. Also, if any of the names on that list get used in the actual show, I don't care what they say about who chose the name, one of you guys did!

As for Chapter 4, thank you to HunterHQ, ClearwingYuta, Swift4Sweeper, sanedimentio, D3lph0xL0v3r, and Fenghuang0296 for reviewing Chapter 4. Credit to Swift4Sweeper for the creation of Cyspirit Barricade, which Morningstar used in this chapter.

In response to HunterHQ's review, thank you for the suggestion of future OCs joining Yasutake. I honestly hadn't thought this fanfic too far past Episode 20, so future OCs will be needed, and I now have a few ideas, which I'll get into below. As for how I find the anime, I like it. The storytelling is concise, the character work is amazing - especially Ai who is hilarious - and the dueling is top-notch. I wish there were fewer recap episodes, but other than that, I like it a lot.

In response to sanedimentio, I'm glad you like the changes I made to Neo Nova. As for Ghost Girl's interactions with Morningstar, I don't see them as romantic in any sense. I see them as friends who will never admit they are friends. He dislikes her on the surface, but he does care about her. Cam, on the other hand, does heartily dislike her and doesn't trust her, not without reason. I'll explain why in future chapters.

Finally, in response to Fenghuang0296's review, if you wish to suggest fan-made cards, go right ahead. Either PM me or post them in a review. I already have archetypes in mind for future OCs, and I'll talk about them in a little bit, so if you have fan-made cards for them, like I said, go right ahead.

Okay, the primary focus of this chapter was the duel between Blue Angel and Morningstar. I have mixed feelings on the Trickstar archetype: they're good to use, but horrible to go against. That said, I like Aoi as a character, which was why this chapter's surface focus was on her and her reasons to duel, and why she gave Morningstar his toughest duel in this fanfic yet. Beneath that surface, though, this chapter was about fleshing out Cam Junpei and his sister Sachi as characters.

When I started this fanfic, I originally saw Cam as a replacement for Kusanagi and Sachi as one for his brother. Over time, though, I started to develop backgrounds for them. One of the focuses of this chapter was exploring those backgrounds and how their lives were affected by the Lost Incident. The next chapter will go even further and explain how they got to the Lost Incident.

Finally, there's Yasutake's new Link Monster: Cyspirit Idealistic Idol. When I first thought of this card, I saw it as a symbol of the bond between Blue Angel and Morningstar, and I thought up ones for Go and Playmaker, too. That original meaning is present in Idealistic Idol's effects, as they mirror the Trickstar's effect damage strategy, somewhat. While I was writing this chapter, though, I decided to change it so that it reflects his bond with Sachi, who wanted to become an idol, but had her dreams stolen from her. That's also why Cam's original dream was to be a wrestler, what Go's act as a duelist is. The reason for this is Yasutake's bonds with Cam and Sachi are far stronger than with the main trio, so I thought him having cards based on what they could have been if not for the Hanoi Project would show just how much he cares for them.

One more thing: I do have ideas for OCs, but I want input from the readers. I currently have two OCs in mind: a Charisma Duelist and a Knight of Hanoi. The Charisma Duelist will be a girl, between 15-18, and among the top 10 duelists in LINK VRAINS, and use the Magical Musket archetype, and the Knight of Hanoi will be male, an adult, and belong to the same group as Genome, Baira, and Faust and use the Subterror archetype. What I am asking for are opinions on their names and appearances, as I am not the best at these things.

And finally, truly finally, there's something I want to try. I was reading OPFan37's story Yu-Gi-Oh Cross-VRAINS, which I recommend for good character work, design, and humor, and something OPFan37 does at the end of each chapter is a Question of the Chapter, or QOTC. I love the concept behind this, so I thought I'd give it a try. If OPFan37 objects to this, I will not do it again, but until then, I want to try it.

So, my very first QOTC is: of the OC characters of Hidden Memories (Yasutake, Cam, Sachi, Watcher), who is your favorite?

Mine was originally Yasutake, but after writing this chapter, I think I like Cam more. Of course, I am completely biased in this.

Every time I write a long chapter, I think I'll never write a chapter longer than that, and then I do. Thank you for reading and reviewing the last 4 chapters and hopefully this one, too. It means a great deal to me that people take the time to read, enjoy, and provide feedback to my writing. Please continue to do so, and I'll see you when I update again.


	6. Chapter 6: Hero vs Hunter

A little update: I've gone back to previous chapters and changed the effect of Cyspirit Changer so it works against non-'Cyspirit' monsters instead of non-Cyberse monsters. The reason why is in the chapter.

Another update: I forgot about Datastorm Dragon's effect halving battle damage, so I changed it so Cyspirit Deletion doubles it by being banished. That means Playmaker takes the same amount of damage.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Hero vs Hunter**

 _13 years ago…_

Everyone knew the house on the corner of the street. It was the home of one of the most well-known families in Den City. They weren't wealthy, but they weren't poor, either. The husband was a doctor, a cardiologist at Den Hospital. His coworkers had nothing but praise for him, as did his patients. The wife was a well-known philanthropist, donating to the local orphanage and being a leader in the government's plan to feed and provide jobs for the homeless. It was almost impossible to find anyone who could say something bad about the family. Anyone who met them was touched by their empathy and compassion. It was difficult to think of a more well-liked family.

That was why it was such a shock to look at their house one day, and see it was on fire. The neighbors quickly called the fire brigade, who came as fast as they could. But by then it was too late. When they finally put the fire out, the firemen walked through the ruins of the house and were horrified by what they found. The husband and wife were laying in a corner, low to the ground, arms wrapped around each other. They had burned to death, their flesh scorched, and their bones exposed, black as coal. So passed one of the great families of Den City.

What they found next surprised them even more. In another corner of the house, underneath a wet blanket, were two children – an eleven-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. Everyone recognized them as the children of the family; most of the women of the neighborhood had been to the girl's baby shower. By some miracle, they had survived what their parents had not.

While everyone felt for the children, their fortunes soon took a worse turn. Their parents' will had been burned along with their house, and as a result, the city distributed most of their inheritance. There was a further problem in terms of custody: they had no living relatives, meaning there was no one to take them in. Since the eldest was only eleven, they were sent to the Den City orphanage to live out their lives until the son turned sixteen.

Despite the trauma of their parents' death, the children were happy at the orphanage. The owner had been a close personal friend of their mother, and made sure they were treated well. The other children liked them too. While the brother was overprotective of his sister, he was easygoing, always making jokes and entertaining the younger kids. After he turned twelve, he started helping out in the kitchen, and even the owner couldn't make pastries like he could. But everyone loved his sister. She was always smiling, always seeing the good in people, and while young, the owner could tell that when she grew up, she would be beautiful. At the same time, she showed an intelligence rare in kids her age. When she started learning Duel Monsters at age five, she defeated every kid in the orphanage, except for her brother, the one who taught her.

But they all agreed it was her voice that made people love her. It was soft and sweet, and when she sang, it was like an angel had come down to Earth. When she told her brother that she wanted to be an idol singer, everyone agreed. They could not think of anyone who would be a more perfect idol than Sachi Junpei.

And then, three years after their parents' deaths… everything changed.

* * *

 _Present day…_

Shoichi Kusanagi stared at the monitors with a horrified expression on his face. This had to be a bad dream. This couldn't be real.

Yusaku had just defeated Ghost Girl and acquired the backdoor program into SOL Technologies' data banks. He held the key to finding out more about the Lost Incident and learning who was responsible for what happened to him and Kusanagi's brother Jin. And now…

On the monitor, Playmaker was standing next to the railing of a skyscraper, his right arm held up in front of him. On his wrist was a red cord, which led to the Duel Disk of the person who had just challenged him.

Morningstar. LINK VRAINS' most famous bounty hunter. A duelist on par with Playmaker and who might even be stronger than him. But it wasn't just Morningstar's reputation that had Kusanagi worried. It was the eight words he'd just said.

 _It's time for us to duel. Yusaku Fujiki._

Morningstar knew Playmaker's identity! It was impossible, but undeniable. One of the most dangerous people in LINK VRAINS, who had connections to the higher-ups at SOL and many other companies, knew that Yusaku was Playmaker. This was the last thing Kusanagi had expected and the worst thing that could happen. If he decided to tell anyone… they were done for. All Morningstar had to do was talk, and everything Kusanagi and Yusaku had fought for would be gone.

"Yusaku," Kusanagi muttered, then began to type. Even if Morningstar blabbed, Kusanagi could do something to get Yusaku out of this situation. At least then they could prepare themselves for the worst.

Soon, however, Kusanagi realized there was nothing he could do. That red cord, the Data Anchor, was one of the best-written programs Kusanagi had ever seen. Next to it, the cage program that Go Onizuka had used against Playmaker might as well have been written by a child.

 _This thing isn't SOL's work_ , Kusanagi realized. _Did Morningstar develop this himself, or… does he have an ally, just like Yusaku has me?_

Cam smirked at the monitors. Oh, this was perfect. Not only had he gotten to see Ghost Girl lose, but soon he would see Yasutake defeat Playmaker and finish the contract. He always enjoyed that part. Their targets were usually incredibly smug, thinking that Morningstar's reputation was overblown or undeserved, but then Morningstar defeated them easily. Seeing the expressions on their faces… it was almost funny. And knowing that the money Morningstar made from the hunts went towards Sachi's treatments settled any moral qualms Cam had. Still…

He frowned at the monitor. After hearing Yasutake's theories about what Playmaker was fighting for, he genuinely couldn't say Playmaker was like the rest of their targets. Unlike the corporate spies, criminals, or hacktivists they usually went after, Playmaker's cause was personal. For Cam and Yasutake. A small part of him wanted Playmaker to succeed if it meant that the people who hurt Sachi would be punished for what they did.

But… Yasutake had accepted a contract, and his honor kept him from reneging on it, no matter his or Cam's personal feelings on the matter. Of course, there was always the chance of failure. Cam had never seen Morningstar lose before, but Playmaker was unlike any opponent he'd faced before.

 _Be careful, Yasu,_ Cam thought. _And don't get cocky. This will not be easy._

Playmaker stared at the cord, then lifted his gaze to Morningstar. While he shared Kusanagi's shock and surprise, his expression was even.

"This Data Anchor," he asked. "Is there a time limit?"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. That wasn't what he expected Playmaker's first statement to be. He had expected wide-eyed shock or at least an "Oh crap!" Most of his targets had that reaction when he tagged them with the Anchor.

"Technically, yes," he eventually answered. "24 hours. Though I suspect you don't wish to remain in LINK VRAINS that long." Playmaker scowled. Damn. If it was just one or two hours, he could have evaded Morningstar. But now… now he had no choice.

"Ahhh!" Ai screamed, emerging from Playmaker's Duel Disk. "This isn't good, Playmaker! He knows who you are! If he tells SOL, we'll be in big trouble!" He turned and saw Playmaker's blank expression. "Eh? Why aren't you concerned? Shouldn't you be panicking?"

"He won't tell," Playmaker said. "After all, by confirming my identity, he has confirmed his own." He turned his gaze from Ai to Morningstar. "So tell me, why are you doing this, Narahiko?"

Morningstar's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond. Cam, on the other hand, screamed into his earpiece.

"What!? You have to be kidding me! How does Playmaker know who you are!?"

"Narahiko?" Ai mused, thinking. "Oh! The guy from Duel Club that had a VR duel! Haha! We know who you are! Now you can't expose Playmaker without being exposed in turn!"

"I have no intention of revealing your identity," Morningstar said.

"Eh?" Ai said, confused. Kusanagi, who was watching, was also confused.

"The contract was not for your real name," Morningstar clarified. "Only for the AI in your possession. If the world knew who you were, your life would be ruined. I have no desire for that." He narrowed his eyes again. "That said, I am curious about something: how did you figure out who _I_ am?" But he already had an idea how Playmaker knew.

Playmaker held up one finger. "One: your duel with Shima. You started out with amateurish mistakes, but then your skills turned professional, suggesting you were concealing your true skills to appear weak." He held up another finger. "Two: you used a Cyberse Link Monster in your duel with Shima. While that is not conclusive proof, the only people in possession of Cyberse monsters are myself, you, and Revolver." He raised a third finger. "Three: you know my identity. Only someone who has met me in real life would be able to do that, and since I spend all my time either with my ally or at school, it seems most likely you are also a student at Den Academy." Playmaker now narrowed his eyes. "All these put together suggest that your real name, Morningstar, is Yasutake Narahiko. So since I told you how I know your identity, why don't you tell me how you know mine?"

Morningstar was silent for a while, then held up one finger. "One," he started, which made Playmaker narrow his eyes even further, "your Duel Disk. While many people use the older model, the one you had in Duel Club was the exact same coloring as the one you wore when pictures were taken of you. While that is not definitive, it is suggestive."

"I told you we should have gotten a different Duel Disk for me to live in," Ai interjected. "There is barely any space in here. I could really use a second home."

"Be quiet."

Morningstar lifted a second finger. "Two: The Deck you showed in class. It was an amateur Deck and poorly built. As I use a decoy Deck myself, I figured that that Deck was meant to ward off suspicion. Being built amateurishly suggests that you are attempting to fool people who see your Deck into believing you are a weak duelist."

He lifted a third finger. "Three: you called the hospital to pick up Aoi Zaizen after you dueled her." Playmaker's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh yes. I've known Zaizen was Blue Angel for a while now. I also happened to witness your duel with her, as well as its aftermath." Morningstar now narrowed his eyes again. "You knew she was on the roof. You couldn't have known that unless you knew she was Blue Angel, and given her trust issues, she wouldn't have told you. Meaning you most likely found out the same way I did: through hacking into her account."

Morningstar lowered his hand. "All these put together, added to the fact you have multiple reports of missing classes and running out of them suggests that you are Playmaker, Yusaku Fujiki. It is fortunate for you that I am the one who found out instead of Akira Zaizen or Hanoi. They would be far less civil about it."

Playmaker was silent, then he spoke. "You were there, weren't you?" Morningstar didn't answer, his face blank. "You were part of the incident ten years ago. Your speech pattern… what happened to you in your VR duel with Shima… you were in that place too, weren't you?"

Morningstar didn't answer for a while, then nodded. "I was." He closed his eyes, then recited what the voice told him. "Three. Think of three things. Three things to live. Three things to go home. Three things to defeat the enemy. By thinking, you can still live." He opened his eyes and noticed that while Playmaker's expression hadn't changed, his body had tensed up. "I survived that place and now I fight to move on from that. To forget what happened. But then you come along, and when I watched you duel Revolver, you spoke of three things." He narrowed his eyes again. "Hearing you say that… it brought back everything I had tried to forget. And it told me something else: you know something I don't about the incident. And when I defeat you, you'll tell me."

"Eh?" Ai said. "What incident? And if you tried to forget it, why do you want to know?"

"Because I can't," Morningstar answered simply. "I have someone to support. Someone who was there with me. I can function somewhat in society, but she can't. One of the reasons I became a bounty hunter was to earn money to pay for her therapy."

"Do you think therapy will help her?" Playmaker asked them. "You are not the only one fighting for someone else. I fight to save a friend's brother. He was there too. But I don't just fight for him. I fight for all of us."

"All of us?"

"What I seek is the truth," Playmaker said. "I'm looking for the answers of what happened to us and why. And then punish the people responsible."

"And then what?"

"Eh?" Playmaker said, not expecting that.

"What will you do after you've taken your revenge? Will you keep going to school? Will you try to make friends? Will you become a Charisma Duelist? What is your plan for the future?"

Playmaker didn't answer.

"I see. You don't have one." Morningstar sighed and closed his eyes. "I've thought about investigating the incident myself, but I never did. I convinced myself that if I did so, I would only end up stuck in the past, unable to look towards the future." He opened his eyes and glared at Playmaker. "But now I see the truth. I'll never forget what happened, no matter how hard I try. But I can still try to make the lives of the people who gave me a reason to live better. And that's what I'll do by defeating you."

 _He fights for money, yet that money goes towards others,_ Playmaker thought. _His reasons for dueling are a lot like Go's._ Out loud, he said, "Very well. Let's duel."

"Yes!" Ai said, taking a boxer's stance. "We'll trounce your bounty hunter butt in a Speed Duel!"

"We're not having a Speed Duel," Morningstar said. He then raised his Duel Disk above his head. A bright light shone from it, so bright that it blinded Playmaker and Ai as they covered their eyes.

When Playmaker opened his eyes, they widened in shock. They were now surrounded by a transparent dome.

"This is a Camouflage Dome," Morningstar explained. "It's connected to the same program in my Data Anchor that prevents us from logging out. In addition, neither of us can leave this area, and it hides our presence from the rest of LINK VRAINS."

 _A method to capture prey who try to run even after being tagged by the Data Anchor, as well as ensure privacy for the duel,_ Playmaker thought. _And since neither of us can leave it, that means we cannot have a Speed Duel on the data stream._

"I've witnessed enough of your duels to know how dangerous your Skill is," Morningstar said. "I'm not taking any chances. We will have a Master Duel, like you had with Revolver." Playmaker narrowed his eyes at that. "And when I win, you'll give me three things. One: the AI in your Duel Disk. Two: the backdoor program Ghost Girl gave you." Playmaker widened his eyes at that demand. "Three: you'll tell me everything you know about the incident ten years ago."

"Why do you want the back-door program?" Ai asked what Playmaker was thinking. "Are you going to infiltrate SOL if we don't?"

"That's for me to know, and both of you to find out," Morningstar answered. "Are you ready, Playmaker?" Playmaker frowned in response. He'd only seen one of Morningstar's duels – the one with Go – but Morningstar had clearly seen several of his. The advantage was obviously in Morningstar's favor, but that had never stopped Playmaker before.

Back in the hotdog van, Kusanagi frowned. Whatever this Camouflage Dome was, he could still see them. He suspected whoever Morningstar's ally was could too. _Yusaku,_ he thought. _Win this._

 _Win this, Yasu,_ Cam thought. _For Sachi._

Morningstar and Playmaker faced off, each activating their Duel Disks.

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Playmaker: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn," Morningstar said, taking a card from his hand. "I summon Cyspirit Lancer!" The skeleton in white armor carrying a lance and shield appeared.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"So long as Lancer is in face-up Attack Position," Morningstar continued, "all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points! Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

"I now activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Blast! This card negates the effects of one 'Cyspirit' monster I control until the End Phase and inflicts damage to my opponent equal to half that monster's attack points!"

"Eh? You mean we're getting hit with 1050 points of damage already!?" Ai said.

"No," Playmaker said. "Lancer has 2100 attack points because of its effect. Since his Spell Card negates its effect, we'll take half of 1800, or 900 points of damage."

"That's not better!" A blast of white energy hit Playmaker, making him wince.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→1800**

 **Playmaker: 4000→3100 LP**

"I Set one card," Morningstar said. "I end my turn. And since it is the End Phase, the effect of Cyspirit Blast wears off and Lancer's attack points increase again."

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

After that, Morningstar hit a button on the underside of his Duel Disk. Cam looked at one of the screens as a progress bar popped up. He raised an eyebrow. A precaution in case he lost? Well, it would make for an interesting conversation when he got back.

"My turn! Draw!" Playmaker drew, looked at his card, then played it. "Since I control no monsters, I Special Summon Linkslayer!" A warrior in golden lion armor with a brown cape and two blue energy blades coming out of its wrists appeared.

 **Linkslayer ATK 2000 DEF 600 LVL: 5**

"Next I summon Cyberse Wizard!" A young man with green hair in black and white robes appeared, carrying a staff.

 **Cyberse Wizard ATK 1800 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"Linkslayer's monster effect!" Playmaker continued. "Once per turn, I can discard up to two cards, then target an equal number of Spell and Trap Cards on the field and destroy them. I discard one card," he said while discarding Dual Assembwurm, "and destroy your face-down card!"

The card shattered, and Playmaker checked the Graveyard to see what it was. He narrowed his eyes. Using Linkslayer's effect had been a risk, but it was one that had paid off. Now he would only have to worry about that card once instead of twice.

"Cyberse Wizard's monster effect!" he declared. "Once per turn, I can change one monster on your field from Attack to Defense Position. I change your Cyspirit Lancer to Defense Position. Cyberse Algorithm!" Wizard pointed its staff at Lancer, which glowed blue as it changed positions.

Morningstar's expression didn't change as he said, "Since Lancer is no longer in Attack Position, its effect ends and it loses 300 attack points."

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→1800**

Ai laughed. "The turn we activate Cyberse Algorithm, Cyberse monsters inflict piercing battle damage! That means you'll take 2000 points of damage from Linkslayer's attack!"

"No, he won't," Playmaker said.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Instead of answering, Playmaker gestured to Linkslayer instead.

"Linkslayer, attack Cyspirit Lancer! Meteor Break!" Linkslayer charged at Lancer and cut it in half with its blades, causing an explosion.

"Haha! Looks like you were wrong, Playmaker!" Ai gloated. "He's lost half his Life Points!"

"Look," Playmaker said in response. Ai turned and watched as the smoke cleared, revealing Morningstar with a barrier around him, his Life Points unchanged.

"Eh!? What gives? You were supposed to take damage!"

"By banishing the Cyspirit Battle Barrier in my Graveyard," Morningstar explained. "I take no battle damage from that battle. All I needed was a 'Cyspirit' monster either on my field or in my Graveyard."

Ai scoffed. "So what? We still have Cyberse Wizard-."

"Battle Barrier also ends the Battle Phase," Morningstar interrupted. "And since I control no monsters, I draw cards equal to the number of monsters you control, Playmaker." He drew two cards, looked at them, then added them to his hand.

"Are you kidding me!?" Ai screeched. "We could have inflicted 2000 points of damage to him, but one Trap Card and suddenly he gets new cards? What's with this guy?"

"He's a skilled duelist, with an unbelievable will," Playmaker said. "This feeling I have… it's very similar to when I faced Revolver. This duel may end up being harder than my duel with Revolver."

"Your Link Sense told you that?" Ai asked him.

"Yes," Playmaker answered. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his new card, then added it to his hand and chose a different card. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cyberse Infinite Coding!" The card showed bright green lines passing over a shadow shaped like Cyspirit Pied Pikeman. "This card gains a Cyberse Counter every time a Cyberse monster is Link Summoned." Playmaker narrowed his eyes. Since both of them used Cyberse decks, that meant that card would fill up on counters quickly. "And since you control monsters and I don't, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" The skeleton in blue armor with swords appeared.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Since Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect," Morningstar explained, "I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Pilot!" He did so, then said, "I summon Cyspirit Dancer!" A white skeleton in a pink leotard appeared and did a pirouette.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Since Dancer was Normal Summoned while I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand or Deck with its effects negated." A card popped out of his Deck, which he took and placed on his Duel Disk. "I summon Cyspirit Changer!" The dwarf skeleton with a digital sign appeared.

 **Cyspirit Changer ATK 200 DEF 100 LVL: 1**

"Appear!" Morningstar declared. "The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above him as he continued chanting.

"Arrowhead confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Cyspirit Changer in the Link Marker!" Changer entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" A skeleton in a business suit carrying a cellphone and radio appeared on his field, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Because a Cyberse monster was Link Summoned, Infinite Coding gains one Cyberse Counter!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 0 CC** → **1 CC**

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker, but that monster cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. I Special Summon Cyspirit Teleporter!" The black skeleton in grey armor appeared as it waved its baton in the air.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"Appear!" Morningstar declared again. "The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller, Cyspirit Dancer, and Cyspirit Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His three monsters entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom-center arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!" The skeleton in a trench coat, waistcoat, and boots appeared, raising its pistols as it beat its wings. Like its predecessor, it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Because another Cyberse monster was Link Summoned, Infinite Coding gains another Cyberse Counter!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 1 CC** → **2 CC**

"And since Dancer was used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster, that monster gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200** → **2800**

"Eh?" Ai said, confused. "Why go for that monster? Why not summon the Pied Pikeman monster he used against Go? Doesn't it have more attack points?"

"He's likely going for its effects," Playmaker said, then looked at the effect of Rapid Revolutionary. He narrowed his eyes in understanding. _So, that's your plan…_

"Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster," Morningstar said. "I can Special Summon Cyspirit Linker!" The monster with red arrows on its gauntlets appeared, summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"I activate the second effect of Infinite Coding!" Morningstar shouted. "By removing two Cyberse Counters, I draw one card!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 2 CC** → **0 CC**

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Changer in the Graveyard!" Morningstar continued. "By banishing it, all monsters on the field that are not 'Cyspirit' monsters are switched to Defense Position!" Playmaker watched as Cyberse Wizard and Linkslayer took a knee.

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Rapid Revolutionary, attack Linkslayer! And when Rapid Revolutionary battles a non-Link monster while it points to at least one monster, it gains 500 attack points until the end of the Damage Step!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2800** → **3300**

"Rapid Revolutionary has another effect!" Morningstar continued. "If it points to at least two monsters, it inflicts piercing battle damage when attacking a Defense Position monster!"

"That's what he was aiming for!?" Ai screeched. "Linkslayer has 600 defense points, and his Link Monster has 3300 attack points! If his attack hits, we'll take 2700 points of damage! Do something, Playmaker!"

"Go, Rapid Revolutionary!" Morningstar said, pointing to Linkslayer. "Revolution Shot!" Rapid Revolutionary lifted its right pistol and fired a yellow blast at Linkslayer.

"I activate my Quick-Play Spell!" Playmaker declared. "Security Block! I target Cyberse Wizard for its effect, and now Cyberse Wizard cannot be destroyed by battle this turn. In addition, neither of us takes battle damage this turn!" The blast hit and destroyed Linkslayer, but Playmaker didn't budge.

"Phew, that was close," Ai said nervously. "If not for our Spell Card, we'd only have 400 Life Points left. And with Cyberse Wizard on our field-."

"I Set one card," Morningstar said, interrupting Ai. "And activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Deletion!" The card showed Changer glowing with blue light from the inside. "This card targets one monster on my field and one monster on your field. Both cards are then sent to the Graveyard!" Playmaker widened his eyes as Cyberse Wizard and Cyspirit Teleporter both glowed with light and then vanished.

"Oh!" Ai said, annoyed. "He got rid of Wizard! This guy's just like Blue Angel! Right when I think we've saved our monster, it goes away!"

"Since my Teleporter was a 'Cyspirit' monster," Morningstar said, ignoring Ai, "I draw one card. I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Playmaker drew, looked at his card, then added it to his hand. "You didn't seem surprised that I kept you from dealing damage last turn."

"And you didn't seem surprised by my Battle Barrier Trap," Morningstar said. "I've seen a lot of opponents in my time as a bounty hunter; the majority usually end up screaming at me. But you… I can honestly say you're different from them."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Playmaker said, then took a card from his hand. "I summon Draconnet!" A white dragon-shaped machine with blue lines over it appeared on Playmaker's field.

 **Draconnet ATK 1400 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"When Draconnet is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Normal Monster from my hand or Deck in Defense Position," Playmaker told Morningstar. "From my Deck, I summon Bitron!" A small white monster with blue digital eyes appeared on Draconnet's right.

 **Bitron ATK 200 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"Appear!" Playmaker declared. "The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared again, this time on Playmaker's side. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Normal Monster! I set Bitron in the Link Marker!" Bitron entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Appear! Link 1! Link Spider!" A black mechanical spider with blue lines running over its body was summoned to Playmaker's Extra Monster Zone.

 **Link Spider ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"Because a Cyberse Link Monster was Link Summoned," Morningstar reminded Playmaker. "Infinite Coding gains one Cyberse Counter."

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC**

"Link Spider's monster effect!" Playmaker continued. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my hand to Link Spider's Link Marker! I summon Digitron!" A monster resembling Bitron except with a fin on top and small wings beneath it appeared behind Link Spider.

 **Digitron ATK 1500 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

"I activate the effect of the Dual Assembwurm in my Graveyard! When this card is in my hand or Graveyard, I can banish two Cyberse monsters from my Graveyard and Special Summon it with its attack points halved! I banish Cyberse Wizard and Linkslayer from my Graveyard to Special Summon Dual Assembwurm from the Graveyard!" A massive blue and red mechanical dragon appeared on Playmaker's field.

 **Dual Assembwurm ATK 2800→1400 DEF 1000 LVL: 8**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker declared for the second time. The Link portal appeared again as he continued. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters! I set Digitron and Draconnet in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Honeybot!" A female monster with mechanical wings and a mechanical bee's stinger appeared as she was summoned to Link Spider's Link Marker. Morningstar watched as his Continuous Spell gained another Cyberse Counter.

 **Honeybot ATK 1900 LINK-2** ←→

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC**

"I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure!" The card showed a treasure chest with Mistar Boy racing towards it. "With this card, I draw a card for each Link Monster on the field! I draw three cards!" Playmaker drew, then said, "Since I control a Cyberse monster, I Special Summon Backup Secretary!" A woman in white clothes with a purple cape joined his other monsters.

 **Backup Secretary ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 3**

"Appear once more, the circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker declared again as the Link portal reappeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect Monsters! I set Backup Secretary, Dual Assembwurm, and Link Spider in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom-right arrows. Morningstar narrowed his eyes on seeing what was coming.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Decode Talker!" The warrior in blue armor carrying a giant purple sword appeared, summoned to Honeybot's left Link Marker.

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 2 CC→3 CC**

"Playmaker's ace monster," Cam muttered as he saw Decode Talker face down Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary. Too bad he and Playmaker's ally were the only ones seeing this. He figured some networks would pay a great deal of money for this.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes at Decode Talker. This monster… it gave him a strange feeling. He didn't know what it was, but… this monster gave off a very different vibe than any other Cyberse monster Morningstar had ever seen.

"I activate the Continuous Spell: Cyberse Dimension!" Playmaker said next. The card showed Link Bumper falling into a wormhole. "With this card, I can banish one Cyberse monster I control. I banish Honeybot!" Morningstar watched as Honeybot disappeared. He knew what Playmaker was up to. Honeybot prevented both of them from targeting Decode Talker with card effects, but now that she was gone, Playmaker could activate the same card that had defeated Go Onizuka.

Sure enough, Playmaker then said, "I activate the Equip Spell: Cyberse Annihilation, and equip it to Decode Talker! And next, I activate the effect of Cyberse Dimension, sending it to the Graveyard to return Honeybot to my field. And since Honeybot was a Link Monster, I draw one card!" Morningstar watched as Honeybot returned to the field, once again pointing to Decode Talker.

"And thanks to Cyberse Annihilation, if Decode Talker attacks a monster, its attack points become equal to the monster it battles," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes. "And if it destroys a monster by battle, I take damage equal to that monster's attack points."

"That's right," Playmaker said. "And because Decode Talker is at Honeybot's Link Marker, it cannot be destroyed by battle and neither of us can target it with card effects." He gestured to Decode Talker. "Battle! Decode Talker, attack Rapid Revolutionary! Decode End!"

Morningstar watched as Decode Talker's sword became larger and it charged at Rapid Revolutionary.

"Cyberse Annihilation's effect activates! Decode Talker's attack points become equal to Rapid Revolutionary's!"

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300→2800**

Rapid Revolutionary fired a blast of energy at Decode Talker, but it charged through and sliced Rapid Revolutionary in half. Morningstar didn't react to the explosion that was his monster.

"Cyberse Annihilation's second effect!" Playmaker declared. "Since the equipped monster destroyed a monster by battle, you take damage equal to Rapid Revolutionary's attack points!"

"Your Rapid Revolutionary had 2800 attack points!" Ai pointed out. "Take this!" The Spell Card blasted Morningstar with energy, but before it hit him-

"Counter Trap activate!" he declared. "Cyspirit Defense! Since I have a 'Cyspirit' monster on my field or in my Graveyard, I can halve one instance of effect damage!" The blast hit him, making him wince, but it was less powerful than it had been before.

 **Morningstar: 4000→2600 LP**

"Ah," Ai said. "He only took 1400 points of damage!"

"Cyspirit Defense has one more effect!" Morningstar revealed. "I can return one banished card to its controller's Graveyard!"

"Eh? But the only banished card is-."

"I return Cyspirit Battle Barrier to my Graveyard," Morningstar said. Playmaker narrowed his eyes. He'd dealt damage, but with that Trap in Morningstar's Graveyard, the next attack would only destroy his monster. Still, better to get rid of it now than later.

"Battle! Honeybot, attack Cyspirit Linker!" Honeybot charged a blast of yellow light that it fired at Linker. As Linker exploded, Morningstar pointed to the field.

"I activate the effect of Battle Barrier in my Graveyard!" Morningstar said. "By banishing it, I take no damage from this battle, and then the Battle Phase ends. And since I control no monsters, I draw two cards as you control two monsters."

As Morningstar drew, Playmaker said, "I Set one card. I end my turn."

"What's it going to take to beat this guy!?" Ai said, holding his head in his hands. "That move defeated Go Onizuka, and it just scratched him!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes at the chatty AI. He remembered what Revolver said about this "Ignis" being sentient. He didn't know if that was true or not, but it was certainly more talkative and had more personality than any AI he'd seen before.

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card, then played it. "I activate the Field Spell: Cyspirit Sanctuary!" The card showed a temple in the clouds, with several mechanical parts in the columns, the various Cyspirit Main Deck monsters sprawled on the steps while Rapid Revolutionary and the other Extra Deck monsters were flying in the sky, with two massive dragons – one black and silver, the other red and grey – facing off above the temple. "So long as this card is on the field, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack and defense points. In addition, when I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Return to me, Cyspirit Lancer!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4**

 _And now that Lancer's back, his monsters will become stronger,_ Playmaker thought.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400**

"As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon this card!" Morningstar said. "Come forth, Cyspirit Prisoner!" The monster was a white skeleton in a white and blue prisoner's uniform. Its skull was metallic silver with one red right eye.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600→2200 DEF 2100→2400 LVL: 5**

"Next, I summon Cyspirit Pilot!" A skeleton in an aviator's jacket with goggles covering its empty right eye socket and left blue eye appeared.

 **Cyspirit Pilot ATK 1100→1700 DEF 300→600 LVL: 3**

"He has three monsters now!" Ai said, panicking.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Pilot and Cyspirit Prisoner in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Mad Mongrel!" The skeleton dog with a missile launcher and net launcher on its back with metallic wings appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel ATK 2000→2600 LINK-2** ↑↓

"Ah! That's one scary pooch!" Ai screamed.

"Because a Cyberse monster was Link Summoned, Infinite Coding gains one Cyberse Counter!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 3 CC→4 CC**

"And since Prisoner was used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Reinforcements!" Morningstar took the card from his Deck, then gesturing to his Continuous Spell. "I activate the effect of Infinite Coding and remove two Cyberse Counters to draw one card!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 4 CC→2 CC**

"We should get rid of that Spell Card," Ai said. "He's just going to use it to draw more cards."

"If I do that, the situation will get worse," Playmaker said. "Read the rest of his card's effects."

"Eh? Hmmm…" Ai said as he read the card. "Ah! I see what you mean. Him drawing new cards is preferable to that."

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary!" Morningstar declared, interrupting the two. "Once per turn, if I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can target one face-up monster on the field and move it to an unoccupied Main Monster Zone on its controller's field."

"Ha!" Ai said. "Too bad for you that Honeybot prevents you from targeting Decode Talker with card effects!"

"I'm not targeting Decode Talker. I'm moving your Honeybot to Mad Mongrel's top Link Marker!"

"Eh?" Ai said, confused as Honeybot moved across the field. "Why would he do that? Honeybot still points to Decode Talker."

"Because from there, his Mad Mongrel points to it," Playmaker said as he brought up the information on Mad Mongrel. Because of Morningstar's Field Spell, it now pointed to Cyspirit Lancer and Honeybot.

"Hmm?" Ai said as he squinted at what Playmaker was looking at. "If this card points to two monsters… what!? It can do that? That's not fair!"

"Mad Mongrel's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Since it points to two monsters, and one is a 'Cyspirit' monster, it can target a monster on your field and one in my Graveyard, and treat your monster as having the same name and Type as mine. Then, I can use your monster and Mad Mongrel to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster!

"I target Honeybot on your field and Cacophonic Caller in my Graveyard!" Honeybot changed form so that it resembled Cacophonic Caller.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared once again above Morningstar as he continued. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' Effect Monsters! I set the Link 2 Cyspirit Mad Mongrel and the Link 2 Honeybot treated as Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller in the Link Markers!" Both monsters split into two as they entered the bottom-left, top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red. Playmaker narrowed his eyes. He recognized that pattern.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!" The massive grey dragon with red and silver wings appeared and roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone and Infinite Coding gained another Cyberse Counter.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800→3400 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 2 CC→3 CC**

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Reinforcements!" Morningstar then said. The card showed Lancer and Linker racing towards a battlefield. "Since I control two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters, I can now Special Summon a Level 6 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Return, Cyspirit Linker!" The skeleton with gauntlets reappeared, summoned to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700→2300 DEF 800→1100 LVL: 4**

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Storm!" The card showed Egregious Electrician with its legs wrapped around a utility pole, getting electrocuted by lightning striking the pole. "Because I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster that points to at least two monsters, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I'll destroy your Cyberse Annihilation!" Playmaker watched as his Equip Spell shattered.

"This is bad!" Ai said. "Without Cyberse Annihilation, Decode Talker's attack points can't change. If he attacks with all his monsters, we'll lose!"

"He can't win this turn," Playmaker said. "Since Datastorm Dragon points to at least one monster, only Link Monsters can declare an attack."

"Oh! That's right!" Ai said, brightening up. "Ha! You can't beat us this turn!"

"Maybe not," Morningstar responded to the AI. "But I can reduce your Life Points. I activate the effect of Cyspirit Deletion in my Graveyard! By banishing it and targeting a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can have that monster inflict double battle damage this turn!"

"Double!?" Ai repeated. "So we'll take 2200 points of damage?"

"No," Playmaker responded. "Datastorm Dragon's effect halves the battle damage when it points to at least two monsters. So we'll take 1100."

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Datastorm Dragon, attack Decode Talker! Data Flare!" His dragon gathered blue energy in its jaws that it fired at Decode Talker. Playmaker braced himself against his monster's explosion.

 **Playmaker: 3100→2000 LP**

"And now the Battle Phase ends," Morningstar said. "And since Datastorm Dragon points to at least two monsters, you take 500 points of damage for each monster it destroyed this turn. Go, Datastorm Dragon! Digital Deletion!" Datastorm Dragon blasted Playmaker with red energy, but before it hit-.

"Counter Trap activate!" Playmaker declared. "Link Restart! This card negates an effect that would deal me damage!" A barrier appeared around him that blocked Datastorm Dragon's blast.

"Then, by banishing Link Restart, I can Special Summon a Link Monster from my Graveyard," Playmaker said. "Return to me, Decode Talker!" The monster that Morningstar had just destroyed reappeared and swung its sword again.

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Playmaker had pulled this same trick against Revolver. "I Set one card," he said. "I end my turn."

"This isn't good, Playmaker," Ai said. "That dragon has 3400 attack points, and you have no cards in your hand. You'll have to pull off a Destiny Draw to win."

In response, Playmaker put his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his card, then played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure Ticket!" The card showed Decode Talker and three cards flying away from it. "This card targets a Link Monster I control. I then draw cards equal to that monster's Link Rating, but then, I must send an equal number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard." He drew his cards, then sent Cynet Defrag, Dotscaper, and Stack Reviver from the top of his Deck to the Graveyard.

"Since it was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Dotscaper in Attack Position!" A white and green monster that looked like it was made of Legos appeared.

 **Dotscaper ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 1**

"I summon Cyberse Gadget!" A mechanical white monster with blue, grey, and red parts attached to it appeared alongside Decode Talker and Dotscaper.

 **Cyberse Gadget ATK 1400 DEF 300 LVL: 4**

"When Cyberse Gadget is Normal Summoned," Playmaker said, "I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Come, Stack Reviver in Defense Position!" A white machine with data cards on either side of it appeared.

 **Stack Reviver ATK 100 DEF 600 LVL: 2**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker declared as his hand glowed blue. The Link portal appeared above him as he said, "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Effect Monsters! I set Cyberse Gadget and Stack Reviver in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Underclock Taker!" A purple tube with a white disc hovering above it appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone and Decode Talker's top Link Marker. Morningstar glanced at his Continuous Spell as it gained another Cyberse Counter.

 **Underclock Taker ATK 1000 LINK-2** ←↓

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 3 CC→4 CC**

"When Cyberse Gadget is sent from the field to the Graveyard," Playmaker continued, "I can Special Summon one Gadget Token!" A white monster with red jumper cables for arms appeared.

 **Gadget Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

"And when Stack Reviver is used for a Link Summon, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster in my Graveyard that was used as material for that summon in Defense Position," he said. "Return, Cyberse Gadget!"

 **Cyberse Gadget ATK 1400 DEF 300 LVL: 4**

"And finally," Ai said, "Decode Talker now points to Underclock Taker! That means it gains 500 attack points! Power Integration!"

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300→2800**

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Cache!" Playmaker said. "Since I control a Cyberse monster whose current attack points are different from its original attack points, I draw two cards!" He drew, then gestured to Underclock Taker. "Underclock Taker's monster effect! Once per turn, I can target a monster it points to and a monster you control. Your monster now loses attack points equal to the first monster's attack points! I target my Decode Talker and your Datstorm Dragon!"

"Decode Talker has 2800 attack points!" Ai said. "That means your Datastorm Dragon loses 2800 attack points!"

"Pointless," Morningstar said, shocking Ai. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Storm in my Graveyard! If a card or effect is activated that would change the attack points of exactly one 'Cyspirit' monster I control, I banish Cyspirit Storm to negate the activation of that effect!"

"Damn it!" Ai said. "He was prepared for that!"

"Appear!" Playmaker declared. "The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared above him again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse monsters! I set Gadget Token and the Link 2 Underclock Taker in the Link Markers!" His Underclock Taker split into two as his monsters entered the top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Encode Talker!" The warrior in bright blue and gold armor carrying a shield appeared, summoned to Playmaker's Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar glanced to his Continuous Spell again as it gained a Cyberse Counter. Sadly, it was now at its maximum number of Counters, so it wouldn't gain any more.

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↑↓↘

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 4 CC→5 CC**

"Appear for a final time! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared for the third time this turn. "The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters! I set Cyberse Gadget and Dotscaper in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Flame Administrator!" A giant red machine monster appeared, summoned to Encode Talker's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **Flame Administrator ATK 1200 LINK-2** ←↘

"While Flame Administrator is on my field," Playmaker said, "all Link Monsters I control gain 800 attack points!" Morningstar's eyes widened at that.

 **Decode Talker ATK 2800→3600**

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300→3100**

 **Flame Administrator ATK 1200→2000**

"Ha! Now Decode Talker is stronger than Datastorm Dragon!" Ai cheered.

"Battle! Decode Talker, attack Datastorm Dragon! Decode End!" Decode Talker charged with its sword at Datastorm Dragon, but Morningstar was ready.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Gardna in my hand!" he said. "If you declare an attack against a 'Cyspirit' monster I control, I can Special Summon this monster and make it the target of your attack!" A white skeleton in black armor carrying two massive shields appeared in Defense Position at Datastorm Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker as it made Decode Talker change course and strike it. "Gardna's effect also prevents it from being destroyed by that battle!"

 **Cyspirit Gardna ATK 1000→1600 DEF 2000→2300 LVL: 4**

As Decode Talker returned to Playmaker's field, Ai said, "We still have Encode Talker and Flame Administrator! Let him have it, Playmaker!"

"Flame Administrator, attack Datastorm Dragon!" Flame Administrator struck Datastorm Dragon, but neither monster was destroyed. "Encode Talker's monster effect! Once per turn, if my monster it points to battles your monster with higher attack points, my monster is not destroyed by battle and I take no battle damage from that battle. Then, I can make Encode Talker or a monster it points to gain attack points equal to the attack points of your monster that I attacked until the end of the turn. I increase Encode Talker's attack points by Datastorm Dragon's attack points!"

 **Encode Talker ATK 3100→6500**

"Yes!" Ai cheered. "With 6500 attack points, it doesn't matter which monster we attack; we'll still win!"

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Encode Talker, attack Cyspirit Lancer!"

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Reinforcements in my Graveyard!" Morningstar interrupted him. "If you attack a non-Link 'Cyspirit' monster I control, I can banish this card to change the attack target to a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster I control. I redirect your attack to Datastorm Dragon!"

"What difference does it make?" Ai asked. "You'll still lose!"

"Go, Encode Talker! Final Encode!" A sword appeared from Encode Talker's shield as it charged Datastorm Dragon. It charged past it as it slashed it, causing a massive explosion that obscured Morningstar's field.

"Yes!" Kusanagi cheered. "Way to go, Yusaku!"

"Yasu!" Cam said, concerned for his friend.

"Yes!" Ai said. "That attack will have inflicted 3100 points of damage! This duel's over!"

Playmaker watched the smoke silently, then his eyes widened. Morningstar was still standing, as were his Gardna, Lancer, and Linker. He had taken damage, but it was less than Playmaker had been expecting.

 **Morningstar: 2600→1050 LP**

"Eh!?" Ai said. "Why do you still have Life Points left? That attack should have dropped you to 0!"

"The turn Cyspirit Gardna is summoned by its effect," Morningstar explained, "all battle damage I would take is halved."

Ai whined. "What's it going to take with him!? The strategies that defeated Go Onizuka and Blue Angel are doing nothing against him!"

"He's a powerful duelist," Playmaker said simply. "And he fights for something he believes in. That cause gives him strength."

"Eh?" Ai asked. "How does fighting for what you believe make you a better duelist?"

"I don't expect you to understand," Playmaker said, and would have said more, but Morningstar interrupted.

"Trap activate!" he declared. "Cyspirit Backup! This card returns a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster in my Graveyard to my Extra Deck. Then, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Extra Deck whose Link Rating is less than that of the returned monster. I return Datastorm Dragon to my Extra Deck to Special Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!" The skeleton in overalls carrying an electrical power box appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600→1200 LINK-1** ↙

"He could have summoned a Link 3, but he went with Link 1?" Ai asked. "Why?"

"I suspect we'll find out," Playmaker answered.

"Because the returned Datastorm Dragon was Link 3 or higher, I now draw two cards!" Morningstar said, doing so. "It's still your turn, Playmaker."

"I Set one card," Playmaker said. "I end my turn. And during the End Phase, Encode Talker's attack points return to normal."

 **Encode Talker ATK 6500→3100**

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card, then gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Infinite Coding! I remove two Cyberse Counters to draw one card!"

 **Cyberse Ininite Coding: 5 CC→3 CC**

He then gestured to Egregious Electrician. "Egregious Electrician's monster effect! Once per turn, I can move a 'Cyspirit' monster it points at to a different Main Monster Zone and Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to the zone it points to. I move Cyspirit Gardna to Special Summon Cyspirit Wanderer in Defense Position!" The black skeleton in poncho and trousers appeared, summoned to Egregious Electrician's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900→2500 DEF 200→500 LVL: 5**

"Defense Position?" Ai asked. "Why would he-? Oh! I understand why he summoned Egregious Electrician now!"

"Cyspirit Wanderer's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "When this monster is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, one monster on your field loses 800 attack points! I target Decode Talker for this effect. Digital Drain!"

 **Decode Talker ATK 3600→2800**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared again above Morningstar. "The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Egregious Electrician, Cyspirit Gardna, and Cyspirit Linker in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the bottom-left, top, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!" The skeleton in a guard's uniform carrying a long spear appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone and pointing to Cyspirit Wanderer.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400→3000 LINK-3** ↙↑→

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 3 CC→4 CC**

"Oh!" Ai said. "Now I get why he would summon Wanderer in Defense Position! He planned this far ahead?"

"Pied Pikeman's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, I can change the battle position of a monster it points to and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I change Cyspirit Wanderer to Attack Position to destroy your face-down card!"

"Before you do that, I'll play it!" Playmaker interrupted. "Trap activate! Recoded Alive! This card banishes a Link 3 Cyberse Link Monster on my field or in my Graveyard. I banish Decode Talker!" Decode Talker disappeared as Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He remembered this Trap Card from Playmaker's duel with Revolver.

"Since Decode Talker was banished, I can Special Summon one 'Code Talker' monster from my Extra Deck," Playmaker continued. "Come, Excode Talker!" The giant green warrior that had defeated Ghost Girl appeared, summoned to Encode Talker's bottom Link Marker.

 **Excode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ←↑→

"Excode Talker gains 800 attack points due to Flame Administrator's effect!"

 **Excode Talker ATK 2300→3100**

"Excode Talker's monster effect! Monsters it points to gain 500 attack points and cannot be destroyed by card effects! Excode Talker points to both Encode Talker and Flame Administrator!"

 **Encode Talker ATK 3100→3600**

 **Flame Administrator ATK 2000→2500**

"Yes!" Kusanagi said, smiling at the screen. "Encode Talker protects his monsters from being destroyed by battle while Excode Talker protects them from card effects! Keep it up, Yusaku!"

"Yasu," Cam muttered, frowning at the screen.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, I can move a monster on the field to an unoccupied Main Monster Zone on its controller's field. I move Encode Talker from the Extra Monster Zone to Pied Pikeman's top Link Marker! And since Excode Talker does not point to it anymore, Encode Talker loses 500 attack points!"

 **Encode Talker ATK 3600→3100**

Playmaker grit his teeth. Since Encode Talker didn't point to Excode Talker or Flame Administrator anymore, they could be destroyed, and he could take damage.

"Battle!" Morningstar said, pointing at Pied Pikeman. "Pied Pikeman, attack Flame Administrator! Spiritual Halberd!" Pied Pikeman charged at Flame Administrator and slashed it, destroying it in an explosion that Playmaker braced himself against.

 **Playmaker: 2000→1500 LP**

"Since Flame Administrator left the field," Playmaker said. "My Link Monsters' attack points return to normal."

 **Encode Talker ATK 3100→2300**

 **Excode Talker ATK 3100→2300**

"Pied Pikeman's effect now activates!" Morningstar revealed. "Since it points to two monsters, when it destroys a monster by battle, I gain Life Points equal to half that monster's attack points! Flame Administrator had 2500 attack points, so I gain 1250!"

 **Morningstar: 1050→2300 LP**

"Now it's Lancer's turn! Cyspirit Lancer, attack Encode Talker! Digital Lance!" Lancer charged Encode Talker and pierced it with its lance, destroying it in an explosion.

 **Playmaker: 1500→1400 LP**

"Finally, Cyspirit Wanderer attacks Excode Talker! Digital Desperado!" Wanderer pulled a pistol out from under its poncho and blasted blue energy at Excode Talker, destroying it in an explosion as well.

 **Playmaker: 1400→1200 LP**

"I Set one card," Morningstar said. "I end my turn."

Ai stared over the field. "How did this happen?" he wondered. "We started this turn with three powerful Link Monsters, and he destroyed them easily! Not only that, but he got his Life Points back! And you!" He turned to face Playmaker. "Why aren't you panicking? This guy is clearly stronger than anyone we've faced before! Even Revolver didn't push us like this! Shouldn't you be a little worried?"

"The situation is bad," Playmaker said with an expressionless face. "But that doesn't matter. My Deck carries my feelings over the last ten years. Even if it's against someone like Morningstar, someone who has experienced the same pain I have, I will not lose. My Deck will respond to me!" He placed his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!"

He looked at the card, then gestured to the field. "I activate the effect of Recoded Alive in my Graveyard! Since I have no monsters in the Extra Monster Zone, I can banish Recoded Alive to Special Summon the banished Decode Talker!" His ace monster reappeared on the field.

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

Cam scowled at the screen. "Every time Yasu gets rid of that monster, Playmaker brings it back," he said. "I've never seen a monster as persistent as this one."

"I activate the effect of Dual Assembwurm in the Graveyard!" Playmaker said. "I banish Bitron and Dotscaper from the Graveyard to summon Dual Assembwurm with its attack points halved!"

 **Dual Assembwurm ATK 2800→1400 DEF 1000 LVL: 8**

"Because Dotscaper was banished, I can now summon it with its effect!" Dotscaper reappeared as well.

 **Dotscaper ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 1**

"I pay half my Life Points to activate the Equip Spell: Cynet Defrag's effect from my Graveyard!" Playmaker continued. "This card Special Summons a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position and equips itself to it. I summon Cyberse Gadget!"

 **Playmaker: 1200→600 LP**

 **Cyberse Gadget ATK 1400 DEF 300 LVL: 4**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared again above Playmaker. "The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters! I set Cyberse Gadget and Dual Assembwurm in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top and left arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Link Bumper!" A red and grey humanoid machine appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone as Infinite Coding gained another Cyberse Counter.

 **Link Bumper ATK 1400 LINK-2** ←↑

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 4 CC→5 CC**

 _That monster doesn't point to any monsters,_ Morningstar thought, narrowing his eyes. _That means…_

"Because Cyberse Gadget was sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Gadget Token!"

 **Gadget Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

"And since Decode Talker points to a monster, it gains 500 attack points! Power Integration!"

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300→2800**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared once again above Playmaker. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters! I set Dotscaper, Gadget Token, and the Link 2 Link Bumper in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left, top, bottom, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Firewall Dragon!" A massive blue and white dragon with circles all over its body appeared on his field, summoned to Playmaker's Extra Monster Zone.

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 2500 LINK-4** ←↑↓→

"That monster…" Morningstar muttered. _This is the monster that defeated Revolver. And… that feeling I got from Decode Talker. It's even stronger now. This monster… why is this monster so different from any monster I've seen? Is it because it's of the Cyberse, or… because of something else?_

"I saw you defeat Revolver with that dragon," he said out loud to Playmaker. "It's impressive, certainly. But neither it nor Decode Talker is strong enough to defeat Pied Pikeman."

"I don't need it to defeat your Link Monster," Playmaker said. "I just need to use this." He took a card from his hand and played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Linkage Hole! Since I control a monster that is Link 4 or higher, it destroys monsters you control up to the number of monsters I control that are Link 3 or higher!"

"What?" Morningstar said, his eyes widening.

"Firewall Dragon is Link 4, and Decode Talker is Link 3," Playmaker reminded him. "So two of your monsters are destroyed. I'll destroy your Cyspirit Lancer and Pied Pikeman!" His Decode Talker and Firewall Dragon both produced a blast of blue light that struck Morningstar's field. When the smoke cleared, Wanderer was the only monster left.

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Since Cyspirit Lancer left the field, Wanderer loses 300 attack points."

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 2500→2200**

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Decode Talker, attack Cyspirit Wanderer! Decode End!" Decode End swung its sword and struck Wanderer, destroying it. Morningstar winced from the explosion.

 **Morningstar: 2300→1700 LP**

"Hehe!" Ai laughed. "You only have 1700 Life Points left! Firewall Dragon's attack will end this!"

"Go, Firewall Dragon! Attack Morningstar directly! Tempest Attack!" Firewall Dragon's wings transformed into eight pieces that formed rings of energy around it. Firewall Dragon gathered red energy above its mouth that it blasted at Morningstar.

"Yes!" Ai cheered. "This duel is over!"

"Are you sure about that?" Playmaker gasped at Morningstar's words.

"Counter Trap activate! Cyspirit Barricade! If you attack me directly with a monster whose attack points are greater than or equal to my Life Points, the attack is negated!" A barrier appeared, blocking Firewall Dragon's attack.

"Eh?" Ai said. "No fair! We were so close!"

"Barricade has two more effects!" Morningstar revealed. "I can Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard whose attack points are equal to or less than the damage I would have taken. Return to me, Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!" His guardsman reappeared as it twirled its pike.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400→2700 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"He got his monster back?" Ai asked. "Wait… he said his Trap Card had two more effects. What's the next one?"

"The next effect," Morningstar answered, "deals you damage equal to the difference between my Life Points and Pied Pikeman's attack points!"

"EH!?" Ai said. "But you have 1700 Life Points and Pied Pikeman's original attack points were 2400. That means-!"

"700 points of damage," Playmaker finished.

"You only have 600 Life Points," Morningstar reminded Playmaker. "This is the end!" His Trap blasted Playmaker, but before it hit-.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Security Port!" Playmaker said. The card showed three monsters – one blue, one green, and one red – with a mask in front of them made from their faces. "If I would take damage while I control a Cyberse monster, I can negate that damage!" The light from Cyspirit Barricade fizzled out. "Then, I draw one card!" He looked at his card, then gestured to Firewall Dragon.

"Firewall Dragon's monster effect! For every monster that is co-linked to this card, I can return a monster on our fields or Graveyards to our hands once! Firewall Dragon is co-linked to Decode Talker. I'll use its effect to return Pied Pikeman to your Extra Deck! Emergency Escape!" Blue lightning emerged from Firewall Dragon's head and hit Pied Pikeman, who disintegrated. Morningstar took the card from his Duel Disk and placed it back in his Extra Deck.

"I Set two cards," Playmaker said. "I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card, then at Playmaker. "Playmaker, you have shown me your true ace monster. I'll do you a favor and show you mine."

"Eh?" Ai asked. "Does that mean you're bringing Datastorm Dragon back?"

"No," Morningstar said, surprising Ai and Playmaker. "In terms of attack points, Datastorm Dragon is my strongest monster. But… I have one monster that can become far stronger!" He gestured to his Field Spell.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary! As I control no monsters, I Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer from the Graveyard!" His Lancer returned, summoned to Firewall Dragon's top Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

"Cyspirit Lancer is in Attack Position. That means all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points! Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400**

"Next, I activate the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Return to me, Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a leotard reappeared.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000→1600 DEF 200→500 LVL: 2**

"Since you control a Link Monster and I do not, I can Special Summon this monster: Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke!" A dwarf skeleton in a prospector's uniform with two metal arms and carrying a crank drill appeared on his field. Its head was disproportionately large, with a single red eye glaring at Playmaker.

 **Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke ATK 200→800 DEF 500→800 LVL: 2**

"That little monster is no threat to us!" Ai said.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in the Graveyard!" Morningstar said, ignoring Ai. "By shuffling this card back into my Deck, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard, but the summoned monster cannot declare an attack this turn. Return to me, Mad Mongrel!"

 **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel ATK 2000→2600 LINK-2** ↑↓

"Next, I summon Cyspirit Saver!" The dwarf skeleton carrying a shield appeared.

 **Cyspirit Saver ATK 0→600 DEF 1300→1600 LVL: 2**

"I activate the effect of Cyberse Infinite Coding! By removing two Cyberse Counters, I draw one card!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 5 CC→3 CC**

"He has a field full of monsters!" Ai screeched. "This is bad, Playmaker!" Playmaker just narrowed his eyes in response.

Morningstar closed his eyes, then opened them again. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above him as he raised his arm. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Dancer, the Link 2 Cyspirit Mad Mongrel, and Cyspirit Saver in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left, right, top-left, and top-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! The galaxy's rage that breaks all limitations! Link Sumon! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Neo Nova!"

A black dragon skeleton appeared on Morningstar's field before skin grew over the bones. The dragon had dark silver armor covering its upper torso and legs with midnight black skin underneath. Its long black tail ended in a white star, while its large wings had dark silver spines and black membranes between them with white dots all over them. Its reared its dark silver head and showed its blue and red eyes and roared in triumph as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone and Infinite Coding gained another Cyberse Counter.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500→3100 LINK-4** ↖←↗→

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 3 CC→4 CC**

"What the-?" Ai said, his eyes wide at the monster before him. "What kind of monster is this? And why does it look like Firewall Dragon?"

Playmaker narrowed his eyes at the dragon in front of him. Ai was right that Neo Nova resembled Firewall Dragon, but there was more to it than that. He could feel something from this monster. Something he hadn't from any of the other Cyspirit monsters. It was… deep rage. And hatred. But at what?

"Since I Link Summoned Neo Nova using Cyspirit Dancer," Morningstar said, interrupting Playmaker's thoughts, "Neo Nova gains 600 attack points."

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 3100→3700**

"I now activate the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary to move Neo Nova to a different Zone!" Morningstar said. "I move Neo Nova to my center Main Monster Zone."

Playmaker narrowed his eyes as Neo Nova changed places. From that location, it could point to four monsters at once and use all its effects.

"Neo Nova's first effect! Orbital Gain!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, I can draw one card for each monster it points to. But, during the End Phase, I must send an equal number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard."

He placed his hand on the top of his Deck and closed his eyes. _This will likely be my last turn. Cam… Sachi… I'll win for both of you._ He opened his eyes and drew his cards. He looked at them and smiled.

"Playmaker," he said. "This will be my last turn." Playmaker raised an eyebrow at that. "As I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I summon Cyspirit Navigator!" The skeleton in a pirate's outfit appeared.

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300→1900 DEF 1100→1400 LVL: 3**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above him again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Navigator and Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and top arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Idealistic Idol!" The skeleton in a sleeveless indigo dress and black tights with midnight black hair appeared, summoned to Neo Nova's right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500→2100 LINK-2** ←↑

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 4 CC→5 CC**

"What?" Ai said, shocked. "Why does your monster look like Blue Angel's monsters?" Playmaker likewise was curious, but about something else as well. He felt something from this monster too, like he did from Neo Nova. Except instead of hatred and rage, he felt... sadness.

Morningstar closed his eyes, then answered. "This card doesn't symbolize Blue Angel. Not to me." He opened his eyes. "This card symbolizes my friend. The one who was there with us."

Playmaker's eyes softened. "This card reminds you of her?"

"Of what she could have been if not for the incident," he said. "I'll be honest; I'm not sure whether including this card in my Deck is honoring her in some way or insulting her, but… I think the world should know what it lost. What could have been, and what was stolen from the world because of the incident."

"Morningstar…" Playmaker muttered. Back at the bakery, Cam was crying. His sister didn't deserve her fate. She had always been the happy one, the child who could make everyone smiled. Even after their parents died in the fire, she was never sad. She was always trying to make everyone feel better. And because of the incident, that was taken away forever. Even if she started talking again, she would never be the same person she was back then. For that, Cam hated the people who kidnapped her and tortured her.

In Café Nagi, Kusanagi was also crying. He was thinking of his brother Jin, of what he was like before the incident, of what his life could have been like if he hadn't been kidnapped.

Back at the duel, Morningstar's and Playmaker's eyes were dry. But they felt the same sadness that Cam and Kusanagi felt. The feeling that something precious had been taken from the world, and it would never come back.

Morningstar closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them again and said, "I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Mystical Space Typhoon!"

"Oh no!" Ai said, startled. "That card destroys one Spell or Trap Card! Which one of ours is he going to destroy?"

"Neither," Morningstar said, confusing Ai. "I'm destroying Cyberse Infinite Coding!" His Continuous Spell disintegrated into light after he said that.

"What? Why would he-?" Ai suddenly realized the answer to his question. "His Spell Card's last effect!"

"That's right," Morningstar said. "If Cyberse Infinite Coding leaves the field while it has two or more Cyberse Counters on it, I can Special Summon one Cyberse Link Monster from my Extra Deck, so long as its Link Rating is equal to or less than the number of Cyberse Counters my Spell Card had."

"Ah!" Ai said. "Cyberse Infinite Coding had five Cyberse Counters! That means he can summon a Link 5 monster!"

"It won't be that high," Morningstar said. "In fact, I'm bringing back an old friend. Return to me, Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!" The grey and red dragon reappeared on the field, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800→3400**

"This Special Summon is also treated as a Link Summon," Morningstar told Playmaker. "That means Datastorm Dragon's effects are unlocked. It also means that Idealistic Idol's effect activates! Since it points to at least one monster, you take 200 points of damage whenever a monster is Link Summoned!"

"What!?" Ai said as Idealistic Idol's wings glowed.

"Go! Ideal Light!" White light from Idealistic Idol's wings hit Playmaker, making him wince.

 **Playmaker: 600→400 LP**

Morningstar then took a card from his hand. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cyspirit Formation!" The card showed Pied Pikeman and Rapid Revolutionary with their hands gripping each other while Neo Nova roared behind them.

"With this card's effect, my monsters are protected," Morningstar said. "So long as a Link 3 or higher 'Cyspirit' monster points to at least one monster, you cannot target them with card effects and they cannot be destroyed by card effects." He remembered Playmaker's Cynet Refresh Trap Card from his Duel with Revolver. Thanks to Cyspirit Formation, that wouldn't work on his monsters. And it had another effect that would come in handy in case Playmaker was using a different strategy.

"Neo Nova's third effect! Celestial Charge!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, I can increase its attack points by 800 for every monster it points to. However, Neo Nova is the only monster that can declare an attack the turn I use this effect."

"What? 800 times the number of monsters it points to?" Ai asked. "That means-."

"3200 more attack points," Playmaker finished.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 3700→6900**

"6-6900 attack points?" Ai said. "That's overkill! His Neo Nova was already strong enough to win. Why increase its attack points?"

"Because," Morningstar answered, "I want you to see Neo Nova's full power." He gestured to Firewall Dragon. "Battle! Neo Nova, attack Firewall Dragon! Cosmic Cannon!" Neo Nova gathered white energy into its mouth, but Playmaker made his move before it could strike.

"Trap activate! Doppler Phase Coating! This card equips to a Cyberse monster I control and prevents it from being destroyed by battle once per turn! I equip it to Firewall Dragon!"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. "Why would you activate that card? Preventing Firewall's destruction won't protect your Life Points." Then his eyes widened. "Unless-."

"I still have a card to play," Playmaker said. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Cynet Backdoor! This card banishes a Cyberse monster I control and lets me add a Cyberse monster with less attack points from my Deck to my hand. I banish Firewall Dragon and add Balancer Lord to my hand." As he took the card from his Deck, Firewall Dragon disappeared.

"Cynet Backdoor will return Firewall Dragon during my next Standby Phase," Playmaker said. "And when it returns, it will be able to attack you directly."

"That won't stop me from attacking your Decode Talker with Neo Nova," Morningstar pointed out. "Especially since it loses 500 attack points because it doesn't point to Firewall Dragon anymore."

 **Decode Talker ATK 2800→2300**

"I assume your Doppler Phase Coating Trap Card has something to do with why you banished Firewall Dragon."

"It does," Playmaker affirmed. "Since Firewall Dragon left the field, Doppler Phase Coating was sent to the Graveyard. And if Doppler Phase Coating is sent to the Graveyard during the Battle Phase, the Battle Phase automatically ends." After he said that, the energy that Neo Nova was gathered dissipated as Morningstar scowled.

"I Set one card," he said. "I end my turn. And now we've reached the End Phase, three things occur. One: I must send the top three cards of my Deck to the Graveyard." He did so, sending Cyspirit Chain, Cyspirit Multiplier, and Cyspirit Replay to the Graveyard. "Two: Neo Nova loses its attack boost."

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 6900→3700**

"Three," and on this one, Morningstar smiled. "Since I control a Link 4 or higher 'Cyspirit' Link Monster and you took no battle damage this turn, Cyspirit Formation halves your Life Points."

"What!?" Ai said, shocked. He and Playmaker then felt an intense pressure on them for a while that eventually subsided.

 **Playmaker: 400→200 LP**

"You only have 200 Life Points left," Morningstar said. "And since Idealistic Idol's effect activates when either of us Link Summons, that means you cannot Link Summon anymore."

"We don't need to Link Summon!" Ai yelled at Morningstar. "Thanks to Cynet Backdoor's effect, when Firewall Dragon returns, we just need to attack you directly to win!" Morningstar smiled at that.

"My turn! Draw!" Playmaker drew, then said, "During my Standby Phase, Firewall Dragon returns to my field!" His dragon returned, this time summoned to the center Main Monster Zone, opposite Neo Nova.

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 2500 LINK-4** ←↑↓→

"Hehe!" Ai cheered. "And now we just have to attack you directly and we win!"

"I'm afraid that won't happen," Morningstar said, shocking Ai. "Trap activate! Cyspirit Route!" The card showed Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary at a fork in the road, with one path leading towards a shadowed monster and the other leading towards a ruined landscape. "This card activates if a Link Monster is Special Summoned to your field from somewhere other than your Extra Deck. This card then targets the monster you summoned and a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster on my field. I target Neo Nova!" A path of light appeared on the ground, connecting Firewall Dragon to Neo Nova.

"What is this?" Ai asked. "What did you do to Firewall Dragon?"

"My Trap Card does two things," Morningstar explained. "First: it makes it so that Firewall Dragon is the only monster that can declare an attack this turn. Second: Firewall Dragon can only declare an attack against Neo Nova."

"Eh?" Ai said. "But Neo Nova has more attack points than Firewall Dragon. We'll just not att-."

"Playmaker doesn't have a choice," Morningstar interrupted. "If we reach the End Phase, and Firewall Dragon or Neo Nova did not battle, then Playmaker takes damage equal to their combined attack points."

This last part surprised Ai and Playmaker. "But… but that means…"

"Even if I remove Firewall Dragon, or Neo Nova from the field without attacking it," Playmaker said. "Then I'll still take 5000 points of damage."

"That's right," Morningstar said. "I told you before these would be our last turns. If you wish to win, you must do so this turn."

Playmaker stared at Morningstar, then closed his eyes. "In that case," he said. "I'm sorry. This is the end." He opened his eyes and played a card from his hand. "I activate the Equip Spell: Cyberse Advantage!" The card showed Decode Talker swinging its sword at Excode Talker. "I equip this card to Firewall Dragon!" His dragon glowed briefly as the Equip Spell was activated.

"To activate this card, I must discard Balancer Lord," Playmaker explained. "Then, Firewall Dragon gains attack points equal to Balancer Lord's!"

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 2500→4200**

"Yes!" Ai cheered. "Now Firewall is stronger than Neo Nova!" Morningstar just narrowed his eyes.

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Firewall Dragon, attack Cyspirit Neo Nova! Tempest Attack!" Firewall Dragon's wings collapsed behind it and formed shards around it, creating several rings of energy around it. Firewall Dragon gathered red energy in its mouth that it fired at Neo Nova. Before it hit-.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Barricade in my Graveyard!" Morningstar said. "By banishing this card, one 'Cyspirit' monster I control gains 1000 attack points! Strike back, Neo Nova, with Cosmic Cannon!" Neo Nova glowed as it gathered white energy and fired back at Firewall Dragon.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 3700→4700**

The two blasts collided in midair and held steady. "Firewall Dragon's attack points are 4200," Morningstar said. "And Neo Nova's are 4700. You only have 200 Life Points left. That means you lose."

"No," Playmaker said. "I have come too far to lose now. I understand what you fight for. It is a worthy goal. And what you wish for… I want to forget what happened, too. But I can't. All I can do… is fight to learn the truth. And I will learn the reasons behind what happened to us!"

Playmaker gestured to Firewall Dragon. "I activate the effect of the equipped Cyberse Advantage! If the equipped monster attacks a monster with higher attack points, I can Tribute one Cyberse Link Monster except Firewall Dragon, and increase Firewall's attack points by that monster's attack points!"

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised.

"I Tribute Decode Talker!" The said monster disintegrated into light that flew towards Firewall Dragon. "And now Firewall Dragon gains 2300 attack points!"

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 4200→6500**

"End this, Firewall Dragon!" Playmaker said. The stream of red energy increased in strength until it overpowered the white stream. As it headed towards Neo Nova, Morningstar just watched, then closed his eyes.

"You win."

The blast hit, causing a massive explosion. The force of it threw smoke everywhere, so that Playmaker couldn't see a thing. But he didn't need to. He knew what he would see when the smoke cleared.

Once it cleared, Playmaker saw Morningstar was standing right where he'd been, his eyes still closed. His monsters faded away as his Life Points dropped to 0.

 **Morningstar: 1700→0 LP**

"Yasu!" Cam yelled, staring at the screen in shock. Did Yasutake… just lose?

"Yes!" Kusanagi cheered, standing up then sitting down in his chair. He brought a hand to his face and closed his eyes, exhausted from stress. "Yusaku won. Yusaku beat Morningstar."

"We did it!" Ai cheered. "We did it! We did it! We-!"

"Be quiet," Playmaker said. He walked over to Morningstar as the transparent dome around them started to disintegrate. He checked his Duel Disk and saw the Data Anchor was no longer keeping him from logging out. He would do so, but he needed to talk to Morningstar first.

When he reached Morningstar, the latter had opened his eyes. "This isn't over," he said. "I promised to retrieve the AI for SOL. I still intend to do so. It will just have to wait for a while."

"Understood," Playmaker said. "But... what you said, about wanting to forget the incident. I tried that. I tried that for so long, but I couldn't. This… this is all I can do."

"And do you think it will grant you peace?" Morningstar asked. "Do you think vengeance will grant any of us peace?"

"...I don't know," Playmaker said. "I don't know if what I'm doing is right or wrong, or if it will help me or not, but… there's nothing else I can do. I have to keep doing this. But just because I do doesn't mean you have to. Please, for your own sake, don't fight Hanoi. Leave the fight to me."

Morningstar sighed. "I'm not sure I can do that," he said. "SOL pays me for defeating them, and they are such easy prey." He glanced up and narrowed his eyes. "You said you fight for a friend's brother?" Playmaker nodded. "For whatever it's worth, I hope you do find the truth. At the very least, it might help knowing why the incident happened."

Playmaker turned to walk away, but he stopped. "You asked that if you win, I tell you what I know about the incident." He turned around. "I won, but I feel that if anyone deserves to know, it's you. I'm afraid I don't know much. All I know about the incident is that it had another name." He narrowed his eyes. "The Hanoi Project."

"Hanoi Project?" Morningstar repeated, surprised. Then he narrowed his eyes. "I see. That's why you're hunting the Knights of Hanoi. You think they had something to do with the incident."

"And aside from that, I don't know anything else," Playmaker said, turning away again. "Goodbye, Morningstar."

"Bye bye!" Ai said, waving at Morningstar. "Better luck next time! Oh, and if you see him, tell Zaizen to-." Playmaker logged out before Ai could finish his message. Morningstar logged out soon after.

* * *

In Café Nagi, Yusaku leaned against the wall, exhausted from his duels with Ghost Girl and Morningstar.

"That was horrible," Ai said. "Two duels back to back, and especially that last one… I have to say, if Morningstar's going to duel us again, you should develop a countermeasure to his Data Anchor."

"Probably," Yusaku said before opening the door.

"Yusaku!" Kusanagi said, his relief evident. "That was a very amazing duel. I've never seen anyone push you like that."

"No one has," Yusaku answered. "Even Revolver… hopefully it will be a long time before I have to duel Morningstar again."

"I hope so, too," Kusanagi said, then he turned serious. "Are you sure Morningstar won't reveal your identity? If he tells Zaizen-."

"He won't," Yusaku said. "I know his identity, too. He knows that if he exposes us, I'll expose him. That aside, Narahiko has a strong sense of honor. He'll leave us to our business."

"I hope you're right," Kusanagi said. "Now then, why don't we analyze that backdoor program you got from Ghost Girl?"

* * *

Yasutake stumbled out of the sealed room as Cam caught him.

"Easy, Yasu," he said softly. "That duel was intense. Way more so than any of your previous duels."

"Tell me about it," Yasutake muttered. "I'm exhausted. I imagine Fujiki feels worse, having dueled twice."

Cam frowned at Yasutake. "How do you feel about that? About Playmaker knowing who you are?"

"He won't expose me," Yasutake said confidently. "It's a Mexican standoff: I can't expose him without exposing myself, and vice versa. Besides, I get the feeling he's a little protective of me. Because of the incident."

"The incident…" Cam muttered. "I heard what he said. The Hanoi Project. That name suggests it was a research project, which meant it had backers, most likely corporate. And the largest company in Virtual Reality is-."

"SOL Technologies," Yasutake finished. "Fujiki thought there might be something in SOL's data banks about the incident, and after talking to him, I think he's right. Which reminds me…" He walked over to the computers and sat down. He smirked at the monitors. "It worked. The Data Anchor was able to copy the backdoor program from Playmaker's Duel Disk."

"So you're going after him?" Cam asked. "To stop him or access the data bank yourself?"

"The latter," Yasutake answered. "I think he deserves a break from dueling me after this. And if I can access the data bank myself, maybe I can find something about the incident."

"You do know that if Bishop finds out about this, he'll drop the contract?" Cam asked. "He'll probably never contact you for work again."

"I find that acceptable," Yasutake said. "Besides, if SOL was responsible for what happened to me, to Fujiki, to Sachi… Then I'm better off never taking another job from them again."

 _Yasu,_ Cam thought. _You've always been stubborn. If someone tries to stop you from doing something, you just keep going._ He smiled to himself. _I'm glad we met, Yasu. That was the only good thing that came out of the incident…_

* * *

 _Ten years ago…_

"Sachi!" Cam screamed as he raced into the police station. Two officers came up to him and restrained him, which was easy to do, considering he was fourteen.

"Easy, kid!" One of the officers said. "Don't worry, your sister's in the back."

"I need to see her!" Cam said desperately. "I need to see my sister! She's been missing for six months! I need to see her!"

The officers looked at each other before one released him, but the other held onto him. "Very well," she said. "Come with me. But… don't be shocked by what you see."

Cam followed the officer into the back of the station. As soon as he saw a small head of green hair though, he rushed towards it.

"Sachi!" He raced up and kneeled in front of the girl. "Hey, Sachi. It's me. It's Cam, your brother. It's alright." The girl didn't respond to him. There was no light in her eyes.

"Sachi?" Cam said desperately. "Sachi?" She still didn't respond. She just stared out, her eyes empty and her face set in a haunted look.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked the officer, who was standing behind him, her face grim. "Why won't she respond to me?" The officer put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him away gently. He let her, albeit hesitantly.

"We're not completely sure," the officer said in a low voice. "Rescue workers found her, and five other children, in a small structure in the woods. From what they could tell, the children were subjected to extreme electrical shocks."

"What?" Cam said, horrified. "Who would torture children?"

"I don't know," she responded disgustingly. "But apparently this went on for a while. Most of the children are just like your sister – they won't respond to us. Or anything." She looked at Cam apologetically. "I'm sorry, kid, but I'm not sure if your sister can recover from this."

Cam soaked that in, his horror and shock growing. "You mean… she'll be like this forever?"

"We really don't know," the officer said sympathetically. "The government's been informed of this and they're offering paid therapy for all the children, at least for a while. But… I don't think your sister will ever be the same again."

No. That couldn't be right. Sachi was the strong one, the one who could find the bright side to anything. Even though he was older, Sachi was the one who gave him hope, who made everyone around her smile. She couldn't be…

Then something she said sank in. "Wait. You said most of the children were unresponsive. That means…"

"Two of them have talked," the officer said. "They haven't said much, but it's still encouraging."

"Can I talk to them?" Cam asked. "Please? This might be my only chance to understand what happened to Sachi."

The officer considered, then nodded slowly. "One of them already left," she said. "A man came by earlier and took his little brother home. Another boy went with them. That child was an orphan, so we figured he could use some help."

"And the other?"

"Is in the back," she said, turning towards another door. "He's an orphan, too. Lived on the streets. No idea as to who his parents are or where they are. I don't even know how he survived on his own. The poor thing."

As they came up to the door, she said, "Take it slow with him. He's talking, but… it isn't much. Whatever happened to him and your sister affected him deeply."

"What's his name?"

The officer looked at him as she opened the door. "Narahiko. Yasutake Narahiko."

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Playmaker**

 **Turn 1: Morningstar**

Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100). Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Blast, negating Lancer's effects until the End Phase (Lancer: 2100→1800) and inflicting damage to Playmaker equal to half Lancer's original ATK (Playmaker: 4000→3100 LP). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. Since it is the End Phase, the effect of Cyspirit Blast ends, and Lancer's effect resumes (Lancer: 1800→2100).

 **Turn 2: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. As he controls no monsters, Playmaker Special Summons Linkslayer (2000/600/5) from his hand in Attack Position via its own effect. He Normal Summons Cyberse Wizard (1800/800/4). Playmaker activates the effect of Linkslayer, discarding 1 card (Dual Assembwurm) to target and destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. He destroys Morningstar's face-down card (Cyspirit Battle Barrier). Playmaker activates the effect of Wizard, allowing him to change a monster on the field from Attack Position to Defense Position and letting Cyberse monsters inflict piercing battle damage this turn, but Playmaker's monsters can only attack the affected monster this turn. Playmaker targets Lancer. Since it switched to Defense Position, Lancer's effect ends (Lancer: 2100→1800). Linkslayer attacks and destroys Lancer, but Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Battle Barrier in his GY. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster or has 1 in his GY, he banishes Battle Barrier, he takes no damage from the battle, and the Battle Phase ends. Since Morningstar now controls no monsters, he draws cards equal to the number of monsters Playmaker controls. Morningstar draws 2 cards. Playmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Cyberse Infinite Coding. Now, whenever a Cyberse Link Monster is Link Summoned, a Cyberse Counter is placed on Infinite Coding. Since Playmaker controls monsters and he doesn't, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) from his hand. Since Swordsman was Special Summoned via its own effect, Morningstar adds Cyspirit Pilot from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2). Since Dancer was Normal Summoned, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Changer (200/100/1) from his Deck. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Changer to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. As a Cyberse Link Monster was Link Summoned, Cyberse Infinite Coding gains 1 Cyberse Counter (Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC). Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller, Special Summoning Cyspirit Teleporter (500/1500/3) from his Deck to its Link Marker, but it cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller, Cyspirit Dancer, and Cyspirit Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200/3/↙↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC). Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Rapid Revolutionary gains 600 ATK (Rapid Revolutionary: 2200→2800). Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700/800/4) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker.

Morningstar activates the effect of Infinite Coding, removing 2 Cyberse Counters (Infinite Coding: 2 CC→0 CC) to draw 1 card. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Changer in his GY, banishing it since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster and switching Cyberse Wizard and Linkslayer to Defense Position. Rapid Revolutionary attacks Linkslayer, and since it points to at least 1 monster, it gains 500 ATK as it is battling a non-Link Monster (Rapid Revolutionary: 2800→3300). Playmaker activates his face-down Quick-Play Spell Security Block, targeting Cyberse Wizard. This turn, neither player takes battle damage and Cyberse Wizard cannot be destroyed by battle. Rapid Revolutionary destroys Linkslayer (Rapid Revolutionary: 3300→2800). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Deletion, targeting Cyberse Wizard. He sends Cyspirit Teleporter on his field to the GY and sends Cyberse Wizard to the GY. Since the monster he sent to the GY was a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar draws 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He Normal Summons Draconnet (1400/1200/3). As Draconnet was Normal Summoned, Playmaker activates its effect, letting him Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Normal Monster from his hand or Deck in Defense Position. Playmaker Special Summons Bitron (200/2000/2) from his Deck in Defense Position. Playmaker uses Bitron to Link Summon Link Spider (1000/1/↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As a Cyberse Link Monster was Link Summoned, Cyberse Infinite Coding gains 1 Cyberse Counter (Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC). Playmaker activates the effect of Link Spider, letting him Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from his hand to a zone Link Spider points to. Playmaker Special Summons Digitron (1500/0/2). Playmaker activates the effect of Dual Assembwurm in his GY, banishing Linkslayer and Cyberse Wizard in his GY to Special Summon it with its ATK halved (2800→1400/1000/8). Playmaker uses Digitron and Draconnet to Link Summon Honeybot (1900/2/←→) to Link Spider's Link Marker (Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC). Playmaker activates the Spell Card Link Treasure, drawing 1 card for every face-up Link Monster on the field. There are 3, so Playmaker draws 3 cards. Since Playmaker controls a Cyberse monster, he Special Summons Backup Secretary (1200/800/3) from his hand. Playmaker uses Backup Secretary, Dual Assembwurm, and Link Spider to Link Summon Decode Talker (2300/3/↙↑↘) to Honeybot's left Link Marker (Infinite Coding: 2 CC→3 CC).

Playmaker activates the Continuous Spell Card Cyberse Dimension, targeting Honeybot for its effect. Honeybot is banished. Playmaker activates the Equip Spell Cyberse Annihilation, equipping it to Decode Talker. If the equipped monster attacks one of Morningstar's monsters, its ATK becomes equal to that monster's ATK during damage calculation and if the equipped monster destroys a monster by battle, Annihilation will inflict damage equal to that monster's ATK. Playmaker activates the effect of Cyberse Dimension, destroying it and Special Summoning Honeybot (1900/2/←→), then drawing 1 card since Honeybot was a Link Monster. Decode Talker attacks Rapid Revolutionary (Decode Talker: 2300→2800). The effect of Honeybot prevents monsters it points to from being destroyed by battle. Rapid Revolutionary is destroyed (Decode Talker: 2800→2300). As the equipped monster destroyed a monster by battle, the effect of Annihilation activates inflicting damage to Morningstar equal to the destroyed monster's ATK. Morningstar activates his face-down Counter Trap Cyspirit Defense. Since he would take damage from a card effect while he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, the damage is halved (Morningstar: 4000→2600 LP) and Morningstar can return 1 banished card to its controller's GY. He returns Cyspirit Battle Barrier to his GY. Honeybot attacks and destroys Linker, but Morningstar activates the effect of Battle Barrier in his GY, banishing it to take no damage from the battle and end the Battle Phase. Since he controls no monsters, he draws cards equal to the number of monsters Playmaker controls. Morningstar draws 2 cards. Playmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Field Spell Cyspirit Sanctuary, increasing the ATK/DEF of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls by 300. Since he controls no monsters, he activates its effect to Special Summon a "Cyspirit" monster from his GY. He Special Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800→2100/0→300/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 2100→2400). Since there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600→2200/2100→2400/5) from his hand. He Normal Summons Cyspirit Pilot (1100→1700/300→600/3). Morningstar uses Cyspirit Pilot and Cyspirit Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Mad Mongrel (2000→2600/↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 3 CC→4 CC). Since Cyspirit Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Reinforcements. Morningstar activates the effect of Infinite Coding, removing 2 Cyberse Counters to draw 1 card (Infinite Coding: 4 CC→2 CC). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, he can target 1 face-up monster on the field and move it to an unoccupied Main Monster Zone on its controller's field. He moves Honeybot to Mad Mongrel's top Link Marker.

Morningstar activates the effect of Mad Mongrel. Since it points to 2 monsters, and 1 is a "Cyspirit" monster, it can target 2 monsters, one on the opponent's field it points to and one "Cyspirit" monster in Morningstar's GY, treat the monster on the field as having the same name and Type as the monster in the GY, then use it and Mad Mongrel to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster. Morningstar targets Honeybot on Playmaker's field and Cacophonic Caller in his GY. Morningstar uses the Link 2 Mad Mongrel and the Link 2 Honeybot to Link Summon Datastorm Dragon (2800→3400/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 2 CC→3 CC). Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Reinforcements, allowing him to target a Level 6 or lower "Cyspirit" monster in his GY. He can then Special Summon that monster. He targets and Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700→2300/800→1100/4) from his GY in Attack Position to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-right Link Marker. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Storm. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster that points to at least 2 monsters, he can destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. He destroys Cyberse Annihilation. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Deletion in his GY, banishing it and targeting Datastorm Dragon; now all battle damage Datastorm Dragon inflicts this turn is doubled.

Datastorm Dragon attacks and destroys Decode Talker, with Datastorm Dragon's effect halving the battle damage but Cyspirit Deletion's doubling it (Playmaker: 3100→2000 LP). Morningstar activates the effect of Datastorm Dragon. Since it points to at least 2 monsters, at the end of the Battle Phase, it inflicts 500 damage for each monster it destroyed during the Battle Phase. It destroyed 1, so Playmaker takes 500 damage. As an effect that would inflict damage was activated, Playmaker activates his face-down Counter Trap Link Restart, which negates the effect. Playmaker activates the other effect of Link Restart in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon a Link Monster from his GY. Playmaker Special Summons Decode Talker (2300/3/↙↑↘). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 6: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He activates the Spell Card Link Treasure Ticket, targeting Decode Talker. Since Decode Talker is Link-3, he draws 3 cards, then sends the top 3 cards of his Deck to the GY (Cynet Defrag, Dotscaper, and Stack Reviver). Since Dotscaper was sent to the GY, Playmaker can Special Summon it (0/2100/1) in Attack Position. Playmaker Normal Summons Cyberse Gadget (1400/300/4). As it was Normal Summoned, Playmaker activates the effect of Cyberse Gadget to Special Summon a Level 2 or lower monster from his GY with its effects negated. He Special Summons Stack Reviver in Defense Position (100/600/2). Playmaker uses Cyberse Gadget and Stack Reviver to Link Summon Underclock Taker (1000/2/←↓) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 3 CC→4 CC). As it was sent from the field to the GY, Playmaker activates the other effect of Cyberse Gadget, which lets him Special Summon a Gadget Token (0/0/2). As it was used as a material for a Link Summon, Playmaker activates the effect of Stack Reviver, which lets him Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster that was used for that Link Summon from his GY in Defense Position. He Special Summons Cyberse Gadget (1400/300/4). Since Decode Talker points to a monster, it gains 500 ATK (Decode Talker: 2300→2800). Playmaker activates Cyberse Cache, allowing him to draw 2 cards as he controls a Cyberse monster whose current ATK is different from its original ATK. Playmaker activates the effect of Underclock Taker, decreasing the ATK of a monster Morningstar controls by the current ATK of a monster that Underclock Taker points to. He tries to decrease the ATK of Datastorm Dragon by that of Decode Talker, but Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Storm in his GY, banishing it to negate the activation of an effect that would change the ATK of exactly 1 "Cyspirit" monster he controls.

Playmaker uses the Link 2 Underclock Taker and Gadget Token to Link Summon Encode Talker (2300/3/↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 4 CC→5 CC). Playmaker uses Cyberse Gadget and Dotscaper to Link Summon Flame Administrator (1200/2/←↘) to Encode Talker's bottom-right Link Marker. So long as Flame Administrator is on the field, all Link Monsters Playmaker controls gain 800 ATK (Decode Talker: 2800→3600) (Encode Talker: 2300→3100) (Flame Administrator: 1200→2000). Decode Talker attacks Datastorm Dragon, but Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Gardna in his hand, Special Summoning it (1000→1600/2000→2300/4) in Defense Position to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker since his opponent attacked a "Cyspirit" monster, and making it the attack target instead. Decode Talker attacks Cyspirit Gardna, whose effect prevents its destruction by that battle. Flame Administrator attacks Datastorm Dragon, but Playmaker activates the effect of Encode Talker as a monster that it points to is attacking, preventing Flame Administrator from being destroyed by that battle and Playmaker taking no battle damage from that battle. After damage calculation, either Encode Talker or a card it points to gains ATK equal to the current ATK of Datastorm Dragon. He chooses to increase the ATK of Encode Talker by the ATK of Datastorm Dragon (Encode Talker: 3100→6500).

Encode Talker attacks Cyspirit Lancer, but Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Reinforcements in his GY, banishing it since a non-Link "Cyspirit" monster he controls was selected as an attack target and changing the attack target to a "Cyspirit" Link Monster he controls. He chooses Datastorm Dragon. Encode Talker attacks Datastorm Dragon and destroys it, but the effect of Cyspirit Gardna halves the battle damage (Morningstar: 2600→1050 LP). Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Backup, targeting Datastorm Dragon in his GY. Datastorm Dragon returns to his Extra Deck, then he can Special Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his Extra Deck whose Link Rating is lower than Datastorm Dragon's, and have this Special Summon treated as a Link Summon. He Special Summons Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600→1200/1/↙) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Datastorm Dragon had a Link Rating of 4, Morningstar draws 2 cards. Playmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, the effect of Encode Talker ends (Encode Talker: 6500→3100).

 **Turn 7: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the effect of Infinite Coding, removing 2 Cyberse Counters to draw 1 card (Infinite Coding: 5 CC→3 CC). Morningstar activates the effect of Egregious Electrician, moving the Cyspirit Gardna it points at to another Monster Zone and Special Summoning Cyspirit Wanderer (1900→2500/200→500/5) from his hand to the zone Egregious Electrician points to in Defense Position. Since Cyspirit Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, it can lower the ATK of 1 of Playmaker's monster by 800. Morningstar targets Decode Talker (Decode Talker: 3600→2800). Morningstar uses Egregious Electrician, Gardna, and Linker to Link Summon Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400→3000/3/↙↑→) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 3 CC→4 CC). Morningstar activates the effect of Pied Pikeman, changing Wanderer to Attack Position to destroy Playmaker's face-down card. Before it is destroyed, Playmaker activates the Trap Card Recoded Alive, targeting Decode Talker for its effect. Decode Talker is banished, and Playmaker can Special Summon 1 "Code Talker" monster from his Extra Deck. He Special Summons Excode Talker (2300→3100/3/←↑→) to Encode Talker's bottom Link Marker. Monsters Excode Talker points to gain 500 ATK and cannot be destroyed by card effects (Encode Talker: 3100→3600) (Flame Administrator: 2000→2500). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary, targeting Encode Talker and moving it to Pied Pikeman's top Link Marker (Encode Talker: 3600→3100).

Pied Pikeman attacks Flame Administrator, destroying it (Playmaker: 2000→1500 LP). Since Flame Administrator left the field, its effect ends (Encode Talker: 3100→2300) (Excode Talker: 3100→2300). Since Pied Pikeman points to 2 monsters and it destroyed a monster in battle, Morningstar gains LP equal to half of Flame Administrator's ATK (Morningstar: 1050→2300 LP). Lancer attacks and destroys Encode Talker (Playmaker: 1500→1400 LP). Wanderer attacks and destroys Excode Talker (Playmaker: 1400→1200 LP). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 8: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. Since he has no monsters in the Extra Monster Zone, he banishes Recoded Alive from his GY to Special Summon Decode Talker (2300/↙↑↘). Playmaker activates the effect of Dual Assembwurm in his GY, banishing Bitron and Dotscaper to Special Summon it with its ATK halved (2800→1400/1000/8). Since Dotscaper was banished, Playmaker can Special Summon it (0/2100/1). Playmaker then activates the effect of Cynet Defrag in his GY, paying half his LP to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster in his GY and equip Cynet Defrag to that monster (Playmaker: 1200→600 LP). He Special Summons Cyberse Gadget (1400/300/4). Playmaker uses Cyberse Gadget and Dual Assembwurm to Link Summon Link Bumper (1400/2/←↑) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 4 CC→5 CC). Since Cyberse Gadget was sent from the field to the GY, its effect activates, Special Summoning a Gadget Token (0/0/2). Since it points to a monster, Decode Talker gains 500 ATK (Decode Talker: 2300→2800). Playmaker uses Dotscaper, Gadget Token, and the Link 2 Link Bumper to Link Summon Firewall Dragon (2500/4/←↑↓→) to the Extra Monster Zone. As he controls a monster that is Link-4 or more, Playmaker activates the Spell Card Linkage Hole to destroy monsters Morningstar controls, up to the number of monsters he controls that are Link-3 or more. Playmaker destroys Lancer and Pied Pikeman. Since Lancer is no longer on the field, Wanderer's ATK is reduced (Wanderer: 2500→2200). Decode Talker attacks and destroys Wanderer (Morningstar: 2300→1700 LP). Firewall Dragon attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates his face-down Counter Trap Cyspirit Barricade. Since he is being attacked directly by a monster whose ATK is greater than his LP, he can negate the attack, then Special Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY whose ATK is equal or less than the damage he would have taken. He Special Summons Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400→2700/3/↙↑→). The effect of Cyspirit Barricade now deals damage to Playmaker equal to the difference between Pied Pikeman's ATK and Morningstar's LP. Playmaker activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Security Port, which reduces the damage to 0 since he controls a Cyberse monster and lets him draw 1 card. Playmaker activates the effect of Firewall Dragon, to return monsters on the field or in either player's GY to the hand, up to the number of monsters co-linked with Firewall Dragon. He returns Pied Pikeman to Morningstar's Extra Deck. Playmaker Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 9: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. Since he controls no monsters, he activates the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary to Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer (1800→2100/0/4) from his GY. Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 2100→2400). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Dancer from his GY (1000→1600/200→500/2). Since Playmaker controls a Link Monster and he does not, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke (200→800/500→800/2) from his hand. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in his GY, shuffling it back into his Deck to Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY, but it cannot declare an attack this turn. He Special Summons Cyspirit Mad Mongrel (2000→2600/2/↑↓). Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Saver (0→600/1300→1600/2). Morningstar activates the effect of Infinite Coding, removing 2 Cyberse Counters to draw 1 card (Infinite Coding: 5 CC→3 CC). Morningstar uses Dancer, the Link-2 Mad Mongrel, and Saver to Link Summon Cyspirit Neo Nova (2500→3100/4/↖←↗→) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 3 CC→4 CC). Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Neo Nova gains 600 ATK (Neo Nova: 3100→3700). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary to move Neo Nova to his center Main Monster Zone.

Morningstar activates the effect of Neo Nova. Since it points to at least 1 monster, he can draw 1 card for each monster it points to, but during the End Phase, he must send an equal number of cards from the top of his Deck to the GY. Neo Nova points to Cyspirit Lancer, Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke, and Firewall Dragon, so Morningstar draws 3 cards. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Navigator (13001900/11001400/3). Morningstar uses Cyspirit Navigator and Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke to Link Summon Cyspirit Idealistic Idol (1500→2100/2/←↑) to Neo Nova's right Link Marker (Infinite Coding: 4 CC→5 CC). Morningstar activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying his Infinite Coding Continuous Spell Card. Since Infinite Coding left the field while it had 2 or more Cyberse Counters, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Cyberse Link Monster from his Extra Deck whose Link Rating is equal to or less than the number of Cyberse Counters it had, and have it treated as a Link Summon. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800→3400/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since this Special Summon is considered a Link Summon, Idealistic Idol inflicts 200 damage to Playmaker as it points to at least 1 monster (Playmaker: 600→400 LP).

Morningstar activates the Continuous Spell Card Cyspirit Formation. So long as they point to at least 1 monster, Link-3 and higher "Cyspirit" monsters cannot be targeted by Playmaker's card effects and they cannot be destroyed by his card effects. Morningstar activates the effect of Neo Nova, increasing its ATK by 800 for every monster it points to until the End Phase, but no other monsters can declare an attack (Neo Nova: 3700→6900). Neo Nova attacks Firewall Dragon, but Playmaker activates his face-down Trap Card Doppler Phase Coating, equipping it to a Cyberse monster he controls and preventing it from being destroyed by battle once per turn. He equips it to Firewall Dragon. Neo Nova's attack continues, but Playmaker activates his face-down Quick-Play Spell Card Cynet Backdoor to banish a Cyberse monster he controls then adding a Cyberse monster with ATK less than that monster's ATK from his Deck to his hand. During his next Standby Phase, the banished monster is returned to the field and it can attack directly that turn. He banishes Firewall Dragon and adds Balancer Lord to his hand. As it was sent to the GY during the Battle Phase, the effect of Doppler Phase Coating activates, ending the Battle Phase. Morningstar Sets 1 Card. He ends his turn, and he then sends the top 3 cards of his Deck to the GY (Cyspirit Chain, Cyspirit Multiplier, and Cyspirit Replay) and Neo Nova losses its ATK boost (Neo Nova: 6900→3700). In addition, since he controls a Link-4 or higher "Cyspirit" monster and Playmaker took no battle damage this turn, Cyspirit Formation halves his LP (Playmaker: 400→200 LP).

 **Turn 10: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. During the Standby Phase, Firewall Dragon returns to the field, to Playmaker's center Main Monster Zone (2500/4/←↑↓→). Since a Link Monster was Special Summoned to Playmaker's field from somewhere other the Extra Deck, Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Route, targeting Firewall Dragon and Neo Nova for its effect. Now, only Firewall Dragon can declare an attack this turn, and it can only attack Neo Nova. And then, during the End Phase, if Firewall Dragon or Neo Nova did not battle, Playmaker takes damage equal to their combined ATK. Playmaker activates the Equip Spell Card Cyberse Advantage, equipping it to Firewall Dragon and discarding Balancer Lord to increase Firewall Dragon's ATK by Balancer Lord's (Firewall Dragon: 2500→4200). Firewall Dragon attacks Neo Nova. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Barricade in his GY, banishing it to increase the ATK of 1 "Cyspirit" monster he controls by 1000 (Neo Nova: 3700→4700). Since the equipped monster is attacking a monster with higher ATK, Playmaker activates the effect of Cyberse Advantage. He Tributes Decode Talker to increase Firewall Dragon's ATK by Decode Talker's ATK until the end of the Damage Step (Firewall Dragon: 4200→6500). The attack continues, and Neo Nova is destroyed (Morningstar: 1700→0 LP). Playmaker wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Prisoner**_

 _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1600 DEF 2100 Level: 5_

 _If there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field; you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). If this card is used as material for the Link Summon of a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: You can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Cyspirit Prisoner" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke**_

 _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 200 DEF 500 Level: 2_

 _If your opponent controls a Link Monster and you do not, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can send this face-up card on your field to your GY: Special Summon 1 Link-2 or lower "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your GY. You can only activate each effect of "Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke" once per turn._

 _ **Cyberse Infinite Coding Continuous Spell Card**_

 _Each time a Cyberse Link Monster is Link Summoned: place 1 Cyberse Counter on this card (max. 5). Once per turn: you can remove 2 Cyberse Counters from this card; draw 1 card. If this card leaves the field while it has 2 or more Cyberse Counters on it: Special Summon 1 Cyberse Link Monster from your Extra Deck (this Special Summon is treated as a Link Summon) whose Link Rating is equal to or less than the number of Cyberse Counters on this card when it was removed from the field._

 _ **Cyspirit Deletion Normal Spell Card**_

 _Target 1 face-up Cyberse monster you control and 1 face-up monster your opponent controls: send both cards to the GY. If 1 of the sent cards was a "Cyspirit" monster; draw 1 card. You can banish this card from your GY: Target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster on your field; this turn, all battle damage that monster inflicts is doubled._

 _ **Link Treasure Normal Spell Card**_

 _Draw 1 card for each face-up Link Monster on the field. You can only activate "Link Treasure" once per turn._

 _ **Cyberse Dimension Continuous Spell Card**_

 _Select 1 Cyberse monster you control: banish it. You can send this face-up card to the GY; return the selected monster to the field, and if it was a Link Monster, draw 1 card._

 _ **Cyspirit Sanctuary Field Spell Card**_

 _All "Cyspirit" monsters you control gain 300 ATK/DEF. If you control no monsters: you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from your GY. You cannot Special Summon monsters, except "Cyspirit" monsters, the turn you activate this effect. If you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: you can target 1 face-up monster on the field; move it to a Main Monster Zone on its controller's field. You can only activate each effect of "Cyspirit Sanctuary" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Reinforcements Normal Spell Card**_

 _If you control two or more face-up "Cyspirit" monsters: target 1 Level 6 or lower "Cyspirit" monster in your GY; Special Summon that monster in Attack Position. If your opponent targets a non-Link "Cyspirit" monster for an attack while you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, you can banish this card from your GY; change the attack target to a face-up "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control._

 _ **Cyspirit Storm Normal Spell Card**_

 _If you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster that points to at least 2 monsters: Destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. When a card or effect is activated that would change the ATK of exactly 1 "Cyspirit" monster on your field, while this card is in the GY: You can banish this card from your GY; negate the activation of that card or effect._

 _ **Link Treasure Ticket Normal Spell Card**_

 _Target 1 Link Monster you control; draw cards equal to its Link Rating, then send an equal number of cards from the top of your Deck to the GY. You can only activate 1 "Link Treasure Ticket" once per turn._

 _ **Security Port Quick-Play Spell Card**_

 _If you would take effect damage while you control a face-up Cyberse monster: reduce the damage to 0 and draw 1 card._

 _ **Cyspirit Formation Continuous Spell Card**_

 _If at least 1 Link-3 or higher "Cyspirit" Link Monster(s) you control points to at least 1 monster: your opponent cannot target them with card effects and they cannot be destroyed by card effects. During your End Phase, if you control a Link-4 or higher "Cyspirit" Link Monster and your opponent took no battle damage this turn: halve your opponent's LP. Destroy this card if you control no "Cyspirit" monsters._

 _ **Cyspirit Route Normal Trap Card**_

 _If a Link Monster is Special Summoned to your opponent's field (except from the Extra Deck): target 1 Link Monster on your opponent's field and 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster on your field. The targeted monster your opponent controls can only attack the targeted monster you control, and no other monsters your opponent controls can declare an attack. During the End Phase, if one of the targeted monsters did not battle this turn: inflict damage to your opponent equal to their combined ATK._

 _ **Cyberse Advantage Equip Spell Card**_

 _Equip only to a Link-3 or higher Cyberse Link Monster. When this card is activated: send 1 Cyberse monster in your hand to the GY; the equipped monster gains ATK equal to the sent monster's ATK. If the equipped monster attacks an opponent's monster with higher ATK: you can Tribute 1 Cyberse Link Monster you control except the equipped monster; the equipped monster gains ATK equal to the Tributed monster's ATK until the end of the Damage Step. During your End Phase, destroy this card. You can only control 1 "Cyberse Advantage"._

* * *

 ** _Chapter Preview_**

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 7 - The Hanoi Project_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to sanedimentio, D3lph0xL0v3r, FanficCrossoverMaster15, and HunterHQ for reviewing the last chapter. Credit to sanedimentio for the creation of Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke. I also wish to confirm that, yes, sanedimentio, you are very evil for thinking up Mad Mongrel's effects. And I thank you for that.

In response to D3lph0xL0v3r's question about how Morningstar knows Playmaker's identity, he learned back in Chapter 4 when Yusaku brought Aoi Zaizen to the hospital, as he wouldn't have known she was up there unless he knew she was Blue Angel, something only a hacker could learn. And like Morningstar said in this chapter, he has no intention of revealing Playmaker's identity to SOL or anyone; he only wants Ai, he doesn't want to ruin Yusaku's life.

Okay, this chapter took a lot of time to write, especially the duel. I had to redo the ending to it at least three times. I always intended for Playmaker to win, as he has to in order for the plot to move forward. FanficCrossoverMaster15 and HunterHQ both suggested a draw, but I wanted to make it as clear-cut as possible. Also, I made it a Master duel instead of a Speed Duel primarily because I didn't want to give Playmaker a new Link Monster. Also, from what I gather, Master Duels are seen as more respectful than Speed Duels, and I wanted both of them to be able to go all out.

Aside from the duel, the focus of this chapter, and the flashbacks at the beginning and end, was to further flesh out Cam and Sachi as characters. So now we know: they were born in a well-to-do family whose house burned down, then they were sent to an orphanage and then Sachi was kidnapped. That act, even though it ruined Sachi's life, also led to Cam and Yasutake meeting.

On the topic of OCs, I have an announcement: I have two, mostly clear-cut characters that will debut soon. For spoiler reasons, I won't share much, but I will say this: the first is a young woman whose avatar's name is Lilith, and she uses the Magical Musket Deck. She is a bounty that Morningstar is hunting, but she's a very different target than he's used to. The second character is a male Knight of Hanoi who was part of the Hanoi Project with Faust, Dr. Kogami, and Kyoko Taki or Baira. His avatar's name is Terminus and he uses the Subterror archetype. I also have an idea for a third OC, a male Charisma Duelist, but I have to do a bit more work on him.

I've also decided that I will not do QOTCs, for the simple reason that I have too many questions. So instead, for this chapter and possibly the next few, I will conduct a survey: I will provide a list of possible Cyspirit Link Monster names, and people can post, either in a review, or PM, which ones they like the most. I've also set up a poll on my profile page. I can't see it, so can someone tell me if it's there or not. I will not include letters that already have Link Monsters, and I also will not include the following letters: B, H, O, S, or W. I already have ones for those that will appear, but I'm not certain on when they will appear exactly.

So, here is the list of possible Cyspirit Link Monster names: Atrocious Avenger, Finicky Fool, Giggling Giant, Jubilant Jester, Knowledgeable Knight, Labored Llama, Quixotic Queen, Useless Usurer, Vivacious Vixen, Xenodochial Xiphosura, Youthful Yodeler, Zany Zealot

If anyone wishes to suggest a better name than the ones above, they are welcome to do so.

Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing my work. I've received a lot of positive feedback so far, and it means a lot to me. If you see any mistakes in my work, feel free to point them out; I am always looking to get better. And if anyone has any OC cards they wish to suggest, go right ahead.


	7. Chapter 7: The Hanoi Project

**Chapter 7: The Hanoi Project**

Yasutake yawned as he walked down the stairs into the kitchen. Cam was already there, cooking breakfast. The man looked up as Yasutake walked towards the island.

"Good morning," Cam said, smiling at Yasutake. "Sleep well?"

"Better this time," Yasutake responded. "No nightmares. I'll probably have one tonight, though."

"Don't jinx it," Cam said. Then his face turned serious. "I started analyzing that backdoor program you copied from Playmaker's Duel Disk. It's a readout of SOL's mother computer, with a route sketched through it straight to the core." He scowled. "I can't believe Ghost Girl got this on her own."

"I can," Yasutake said, though it annoyed him to admit it. "Ghost Girl's always been good. It's her attitude that's the problem. Anyway, do you have an idea when Playmaker's going to infiltrate it?"

"Tonight, most likely," Cam guessed. "The fact that he's a high school student aside, SOL has fewer operators working the night shift. It will be easier to get through. And with Zaizen demoted, security will be poorer than usual."

"Oh yeah," Yasutake said, remembering something. "I heard about that. A consequence of what happened with Blue Angel. Who's his replacement?"

Cam scowled again. "Kitamura."

Yasutake's eyes widened in surprise. "Kitamura? _The_ Kitamura? The guy you kicked out of the shop and banned for life?"

"The same," Cam said. "How the hell he managed to be their choice for security manager, I have no idea."

"He's ambitious and easily manipulated," Yasutake reminded him. "Bishop and the others probably think they can keep him on a tight leash."

"They'll have to. Someone as stupid as that guy could cause a lot of damage, even without trying." Cam sighed. "Oh well, it's not our problem. Not yet at least. And for now, Kitamura's incompetence will work to our advantage."

"So will his pride," Yasutake said, a thoughtful look on his face. "Kitamura's incapable of admitting to his mistakes. If I reach the databank, he won't tell Bishop about it."

"Hooray for corporate hubris," Cam said without much enthusiasm. "Okay, that's enough chit-chat. Eat your breakfast and get to school. I should have finished analyzing the program by the time you're done."

* * *

As Yasutake walked into the classroom, he caught the eye of someone else. Yusaku Fujiki. They narrowed their eyes on seeing each other, but then they turned back towards the teacher who was preparing for the lesson. It was easier for Yasutake to ignore Yusaku since his seat was closer to the front, but Yasutake was certain Yusaku would do the same.

He had to admit, he hadn't anticipated Playmaker finding out who he was. Though he was preferable to Hanoi, the damage he could cause if he decided to post it on the Internet could be potentially catastrophic. But Yasutake trusted Yusaku wouldn't do that. He hadn't revealed Aoi Zaizen's identity to the world, and unlike her Yasutake knew Playmaker's real name. That would discourage him from revealing Morningstar's identity. That aside, Yasutake had the feeling Yusaku wouldn't reveal Yasutake's secret even if he didn't know Yusaku's. Like he'd said before, he was fighting for all the people affected by the incident ten years ago, and he didn't want to ruin what lives they'd managed to build since then. Yasutake didn't either, which was why he'd been telling the truth when he said he wouldn't reveal Playmaker's identity. The contract had been for the AI, not his name. Yasutake would retrieve that AI eventually, but he would never tell anyone who Playmaker really was. That was Yusaku's secret to tell.

As more and more students filled in, no one sat in the seat behind Yasutake. It remained empty after the bell rang and stayed empty the entire class. After the bell rang again, Yasutake approached Naoki, albeit reluctantly.

"Shima."

"Huh?" Naoki said, looking up. "Oh, Narahiko! You finally remembered my name. It's about time!"

"Do you know where Zaizen is?" Yasutake asked, ignoring that last part. "She's supposed to be in this class, isn't she?"

Shima shook his head. "She hasn't shown up for school at all. Or Duel Club, for that matter. I heard a rumor she was in the hospital, though. Maybe she's recovering at home?"

"Maybe," Yasutake said. _Or more likely her overprotective brother is keeping her locked up for a while. If what happened to Zaizen happened to Sachi, that's what Cam would do._ He refocused on Naoki when he heard what he said next.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you're asking me," Naoki said. "I thought you'd be the one who'd know."

Yasutake frowned in confusion. "Know what?"

"Where Zaizen is," Naoki clarified. "You walked to school with her. And she followed you when our duel ended. I thought there was something between you two."

Yasutake shook his head. "There isn't."

Naoki sighed. "Shame. The two of you both seem lonely. Oh!" he exclaimed, remembering something. "There's something I wanted to show you!"

"No thanks," Yasutake said, walking away.

"Hey!" Naoki said, standing up from his seat and running after Yasutake. "This is important! Look at this!" He shoved his Duel Disk in front of Yasutake as several cards scrolled by. Yasutake saw Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest and Wild Nature's Release.

"Are you trying to sell me cards?" Yasutake asked Naoki. "Because I'm happy with my Deck."

"No, that's not it!" Naoki said, looking annoyed. "This is my new Deck!"

"New Deck?" Yasutake asked, then it hit him. "You switched Decks after our duel."

"Yeah," Naoki nodded. "After you won, I figured the reason I lost was because my Deck didn't fit me. I used Krawlers because I thought they were cool – and they are – but it wasn't enough to beat you. With this new Deck I've built, I'll beat you the next time we duel, Narahiko!"

"Interesting," Yasutake lied. "I'll see you later, Shima." He then walked away, this time without Shima following him. As he left, he adopted a somewhat sad expression.

 _He thinks he lost because of his Deck and not himself,_ Yasutake thought. _So he switched his Deck to one based on power instead of strategy. A shame. If he mastered a Krawler Deck, he'd be an incredible duelist._

He turned his thoughts to Aoi Zaizen. While he didn't have feelings for her like Cam and Naoki thought, he was concerned about her. He wouldn't have attempted to help her if he hadn't. Still, he'd done what he could for her. What she did next was up to her.

* * *

Cam walked into the public viewing plaza and looked around. He hadn't been here in a while. He spent most of his time at Café Junpei these days, either working the front or keeping an eye on Yasutake in the back. The television screens that usually showed Charisma Duelists in LINK VRAINS were changed to news and sports channels right now. But Cam didn't care about that. He was here for a very specific reason.

Yes, there it was. A yellow food truck with a sign that said "Café Nagi" and had a smiling hotdog with a dog nose. A young man, perhaps a little older than Cam, was standing inside, wearing a white apron with a hotdog on it. He had purple hair that went to the base of his neck, bangs brushed across his forehead, and a small goatee.

Cam looked at the tablet he was holding. He'd hacked into the city's security feeds for the last few weeks, trying to find out more about Yusaku Fujiki. It had taken a while, but there was one place Yusaku was always hanging around – a hotdog truck called Café Nagi. Cam figured this was Playmaker's base of operations, and the man running it was Playmaker's partner.

So why was he doing this? And why hadn't he told Yasutake about it?

 _I fight to save someone's brother._ That was what Playmaker had said to Yasutake. If Cam was right, then the man at the hotdog cart was that someone. That meant his brother had been part of the Hanoi Project like Sachi. And Cam… he needed to talk to this man. At least once. He needed to know the face of someone who felt the same pain he did, of having a younger sibling as broken as Sachi.

Besides, it had been a long time since he'd had a hotdog.

He walked up to the truck as the last customer took their hotdog and walked away. "Hi," Kusanagi said to Cam, his grey eyes friendly. "How can I help you? I have hotdogs, chili dogs, cheese dogs, French fries, soda…"

Cam smiled back. "Hotdog and fries," he answered. "That, and I'd like to talk to you. About a friend of mine."

Kusanagi raised an eyebrow, confused. Cam took a card out of his pocket and placed it on the counter. Kusanagi looked at it and his eyes widened. He raised his head to Cam. "You-."

"Yes," Cam said, still smiling. "I'm not here to threaten you. I just want to talk. When are you off?"

Kusanagi remained silent, his friendly mood gone. "In five minutes," he finally said. "I need to shut down first."

"I'll wait," Cam said, picking up Cyspirit Idealistic Idol from the counter. Yasutake had left his Deck at home, so Cam had taken the card so Kusanagi would know who he was. "But I'd like my hotdog first," Cam added. Kusanagi's lips twitched. After Cam got his hotdog and fries, he walked over to an isolated picnic table. After he closed Café Nagi, Kusanagi joined him, carrying a cheese dog and soda of his own.

"My name is Cameron Junpei," Cam spoke first. "But everyone calls me Cam. I run a bakery downtown. Café Junpei. I have to say though, I like your café more. A lot more mobile."

"…Shoichi Kusanagi," the other man said. "You're an ally of Morningstar's, aren't you?"

"His name is Yasutake Narahiko," Cam said. "But I call him Yasu. And yes, I am his ally. His only one in fact. He doesn't trust anyone else. Just like you and Playmaker don't."

Kusanagi scowled. "How did you find me?"

"I hacked the city's security cameras," Cam said honestly. "I looked for the places Yusaku Fujiki spent the most time, and this place was right after Den Academy." He smirked. "Have to say, I don't think I'll get the image of the great Playmaker in an apron out of my head anytime soon."

"Why are we talking?" Kusanagi asked. "Are you here to blackmail me?"

"No," Cam said, his face turning serious. "I'm here because you and I have something in common. Aside from our friends. When Yasu confronted your partner, he said, 'I fight to save someone's brother.' He was talking about your brother, wasn't he?"

Kusanagi was silent again, but he eventually said, "Yes. My brother Jin. What does it matter to you?"

"Because, my sister was also part of the incident." Cam told him. Kusanagi's hostility vanished and was replaced with sympathy.

"Your sister… Morningstar spoke of supporting someone from the incident. He was talking about her?"

"Her name is Sachi," Cam said, a sad smile on her face. "She wanted to be an idol singer when she was a child. She had such a beautiful voice… And now that's gone. Because of the incident."

Kusanagi was angry again, but this time it was directed at the incident, at the people behind it. "Morningstar said he didn't want to look into the incident because he was afraid," he said. "Afraid of being lost in the past and of what he would do to the people responsible. Do you share that feeling?"

"Most of the time," Cam said sadly. "It breaks my heart to see my sister the way she is now, and that makes me want to take revenge. To punish those who hurt her. But then I remember the person she used to be, before the incident. And I know she wouldn't want me to. She'd probably want me to do the right thing and forgive them. But… how can I? How can any of us forgive what happened?"

"We can't," Kusanagi said, sharing Cam's sadness. "I can't forgive what they did to my brother Jin, but I can hold them accountable for it."

"And what will that mean for Fujiki's future?" Cam asked. "I know what he said when Yasu confronted him, but do you have plans for his future?"

Kusanagi sighed. "I don't," he said. "We've dedicated our lives to bringing Hanoi down. I do feel bad about bringing Yusaku into this fight, but it's his choice. I'm half-convinced the only reason he goes to Den Academy is because I tell him to. What about you? Do you have plans for Morningstar's future?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I wasn't on board for the whole bounty hunter thing when he started, but he likes doing it. More than that, he's good at it." He gave a small smile. "Maybe he'll become a Charisma Duelist when he gets tired of it. Maybe he'll get a job at SOL. Like I said, I don't know. But… I like to think that he has a future, and that's what he's fighting for."

"And your sister?" Kusanagi asked softly. "Does she have a future?"

Cam frowned with sadness. "I don't know," he said quietly. "She doesn't react to the outside world. She's shut herself off from everyone and everything. Even me. I hope one day, she wakes up from the nightmare she's in, but honestly… I can't see it happening."

Kusanagi frowned with him. He didn't like talking about the past and the incident, unless it was with Yusaku. As someone who experienced it, he could understand Kusanagi's pain. But this man… he went through the same experiences Kusanagi did, and so did his friend Yasutake. He understood their pain. That made him one of the few people Kusanagi could talk to about this.

"So why are you here? To talk about your sister?"

"…I'm not sure," Cam finally said. "I guess… I wanted to know that there were people out there who understood what Yasu and I have been through. And I wanted to know their faces."

"…Well, here I am," Kusanagi said. "Do you want to wait for Yusaku to get back from school?"

"No," Cam said, shaking his head. "I need to get back to work before Yasu gets home. We have another job tonight."

"I see," Kusanagi said. Then he smiled again. "Look, I know what Yusaku said, but I would like it if you'd help us against Hanoi. It's just the two of us, and someone like Morningstar would make a great ally."

Cam smiled back. "If it was just me, then I'd be happy to help. But I know Yasu. And he doesn't like working with partners besides me. Ever since he took a job at Mercury Industries, he's sworn off working with outsiders."

"Mercury Industries?" Kusanagi said, confused. "What happened?"

"A long story," Cam said as he stood up. "And one he and I don't like talking about. But who knows, Hanoi will reappear eventually. When it does, maybe Yasu's attitude will change. Until then…"

"Right," Kusanagi said, smiling again. "It was good to meet you, Cameron Junpei. Stop by again if you want."

"I'll see if I can bring Yasu with me next time," Cam said. "It would do him good to get out more." After saying that, he left.

* * *

Yasutake turned the "Closed" sign on. After getting back from school, he and Cam had worked the bakery for quite a while. But now, it was time for the other job. He headed towards the back, where Cam was already waiting.

"I finished analyzing the program earlier," Cam said, already working at the main monitor. "You can go in anytime you want."

"No," Yasutake said. "I'll wait till Playmaker goes in. Kitamura will want to eliminate Playmaker and take his AI. I can use him as a decoy to get to the databank first."

"That might draw attention away from you," Cam agreed. "But it won't make your passage easier. The way is full of security traps, and I heard a rumor that Kitamura is working on making AI duelists. If that's true and you're discovered, he'll probably send one after you."

"An AI duelist will not stop me or Playmaker," Yasutake said. "AI only have their programming. Playmaker and I both have reasons to fight for beyond that. I'm more worried about the humans I'll encounter."

Cam frowned. "You think someone else will be in the databank?"

"Ghost Girl will definitely be there," Yasutake said. "She's incapable of leaving mysteries unsolved. She wants to know more about the incident ten years ago, so she'll be there. She's probably planning to do the same thing I am and use Playmaker as a decoy."

Cam sighed, then he remembered something he'd come across earlier. "While we're waiting, there was something I wanted to ask you."

"And that is?"

"During your duel with Playmaker, you could have summoned Thrilled Tunneler instead of Neo Nova," Cam said. "Its effects would have let you clear out Playmaker's Spell and Trap Card and bypass Firewall Dragon and Decode Talker to win. But you didn't. Why?"

Yasutake was silent for a long time. Finally, he said in an embarrassed tone, "I forgot about Thrilled Tunneler."

"What?" Cam said, surprised. "That's your excuse? You _forgot_ about Thrilled Tunneler? But… you never forget! There's no way you'd make a mistake like that!"

"What do you want me to say, Cam?" Yasutake asked. "Those Cyberse Link Monsters of his… they give off this feeling I've never felt before. Something about his Firewall Dragon distracted me. And… I don't know. It was like my Neo Nova _wanted_ to fight his Firewall Dragon. I don't know how I can say it better than that."

Cam scowled, but before he could say anything, the monitors beeped. They looked at them and their eyes widened.

"Playmaker's been detected," Yasutake said, heading to the sealed room. "While he's busy with SOL's security, I'll access the core. Try and beat Ghost Girl to it."

"Take a picture of the expression on her face," Cam said after him. "I want to immortalize that moment."

Yasutake stepped into the sealed room and placed his Deck into his Duel Disk. "Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

In the SOL headquarters, the computers started beeping. "W-What?" Kitamura said, shocked. "What's going on?"

"Intruder in the mother computer!" One of his operators said.

"What?" Kitamura said, surprised. Who would be bold enough to try and infiltrate SOL's mother computer?

"I'll put it on screen!" Another of the operators said. Kitamura turned to his monitor and widened his eyes with shock. It was Playmaker, surrounded by a Data Storm and standing on his D-Board.

"P-Playmaker!" Kitamura screamed. "Why is he here? Redirect Prototypes A, B, and C immediately! Exterminate Playmaker!"

Three humanoids appeared on D-Boards around Playmaker. One was primarily blue and green, one was orange and purple, and the last was blue and pink.

"Duelists?" Playmaker said, surprised at his opponents.

"Found Playmaker," Prototype Ai-B said.

"They're 100% AI duelists!" Ai told Playmaker.

"SOL Technologies can make these?" Playmaker asked. He hadn't heard about any developments in AI dueling.

"Beginning Speed Duel," Prototype Ai-A said.

"Hey!" Ai complained. "Didn't they teach you that duels are 1-on-1?"

* * *

Morningstar fell through the tunnel and saw a small propulsion device in front of him. Cam must have set it up so Morningstar could more easily navigate the databank. He held onto it as he headed into the databank.

"Good thing we installed that stealth feature in your Duel Disk," Cam said. "So long as it's on, SOL won't detect you. Take this right turn."

Morningstar did as Cam said, and dodged downward to avoid a purple diamond. "I found those security traps you mentioned," Morningstar said.

"Keep on your toes, there's a lot of them," Cam told Morningstar. "What the-?"

"What is it?"

"This can't be right," Cam muttered. "Your Duel Disk's scanner says there's someone around the next corner. Not an AI or security trap."

Someone? Was it Ghost Girl? Before he could ask, he turned the corner and ran into Blue Angel.

"Morningstar!" she said, surprised.

"Blue Angel!" he said at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" they asked each other.

"You first," Blue Angel. "You ran into me."

"You ran into me," Morningstar responded. "You-." He stopped and sighed. "I don't have time for this." He sped past her and continued towards the core.

"Hey! Don't ignore me again!" Blue Angel said, following Morningstar. "Are you here to challenge Playmaker?"

"No," Morningstar said. "Is that why you're here? To duel him again? And how did you even get-?" His eyes widened, then narrowed. "Ghost Girl told you what Playmaker was doing."

"…Sort of," Blue Angel grudgingly said. "I spied on her and my brother talking about an incident ten years ago."

"Your brother?" Morningstar said, surprised at that. "Why would he-? Never mind, I suspect I'll find out. To answer your question, I'm trying to access the mother computer like Playmaker is."

"Because of the incident?"

Morningstar was quiet, then turned to her. "What do you know about the incident?" he asked evenly. He had no desire to drag her into this, but he needed to know what she knew.

Blue Angel shook her head. "Nothing," she said. "Only that SOL Technologies has information about it in their databanks and that Ghost Girl and my brother intend to use Playmaker as a decoy so they can access it."

 _Of course they would,_ Morningstar thought. _That's what I'm doing._ Out loud, he said, "And you? Are you planning to do the same thing?"

"…No," Blue Angel finally said. "I'm here to pay back Playmaker for saving me."

Morningstar smiled. _Of course you are,_ he thought. _Beneath that suspicious exterior is a good person._

"How do you know Ghost Girl?" Blue Angel asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Is she a friend of yours?"

Morningstar's smile turned into a scowl. "She's an irritant. A highly skilled, professional irritant like no other."

Blue Angel smiled. "That sounds like a friend to me."

"She isn't," Morningstar said. "I might have considered her a friend once, but then she sold me out on a job."

"Sold you out? To who?"

Before Morningstar could answer, the two of them cleared Area A and were greeted by a shocking sight. "A Data Storm? In here?" Blue Angel said, shocked at the sight above them.

"This must be what kept Ghost Girl from accessing the databank remotely," Morningstar mused. He headed forward.

"Wait!" He turned back to Blue Angel.

"Aren't you going to help him?"

"Playmaker?" Morningstar asked. "He can take of himself. He doesn't need my help to get past the obstacles ahead."

"But you share the same goal, don't you?" Blue Angel asked. "You both want to know more about the incident ten years ago, right?"

"Sharing the same goal does not make people allies," Morningstar said. "Ghost Girl and your brother are undoubtedly ahead of us somewhere. They didn't stop to help Playmaker."

"Or they could be behind us," Blue Angel countered. "And Playmaker needs help now." She narrowed her eyes at him. "You dueled me to help me find a new reason to duel. I still don't know why I duel, but I do know this: I help the people who help me." She turned upwards towards the Data Storm. "Go towards the mother computer if you wish. But I'm helping Playmaker." She sped off, leaving Morningstar alone.

"You're not just going to let her go, are you?" Cam asked Morningstar. "Kitamura's an idiot, but he's a good programmer. If he has developed AI duelists, they might overwhelm her."

Morningstar scowled again. "Weren't you the one who wanted me to get to the databank first?"

"That was before Blue Angel showed up," Cam responded. "Yasu, please. For me and Sachi."

Morningstar sighed. "I hate it when you play that card," he grumbled as he turned upwards and followed Blue Angel.

* * *

Playmaker was in a bit of trouble. He'd managed to get his AI opponents to separate and challenged the one called Ai-A to a Speed Duel. Right now, his opponent had a Link Monster called Tentacluster Nautilus and a monster called Tentacluster Drillworm on the field and had managed to remove all the cards from Playmaker's hand. And to make it worse…

The orange and purple AI came charging out of nowhere and rammed Playmaker's D-Board. Regaining control, he swerved just in time to keep it from ramming him again.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Ai said. From the side, the blue and pink AI appeared and rammed Playmaker itself. "They're going crazy!" AI screamed. The two AIs aimed to charge Playmaker again when-

A blue energy whip appeared and wrapped itself around the orange one's wrist, flinging it away. At the same time, a red cord attached itself to the pink AI's wrist and pulled it away from Playmaker. Playmaker looked back and gasped.

"Hey, AIs?" Blue Angel said, a serious look on her face. "Stop doing whatever you want."

Beside her, Morningstar said, "What she said."

"Blue Angel!" Playmaker said, surprised. "Morningstar!"

"I'm the one who'll defeat Playmaker!" Blue Angel declared.

"That's my job, Blue Angel," Morningstar said, yanking on his Data Anchor again and pulling the pink AI away. "But you heard the lady. Leave!"

"You're interfering with us?" Prototype Ai-A asked.

The orange AI, Prototype Ai-B, reappeared on its D-Board. "If so, we will eliminate you."

"All of you," the pink one, Prototype Ai-C, said. "Even if you work for SOL."

"Oh," Blue Angel said, breaking out a smile. "Then I guess we have no choice, do we Morningstar?"

"Looks like it," he responded. "We'll take you on!"

"Blue Angel…" Playmaker said, looking back at them.

"Don't get the wrong idea," she responded. "I only came to repay my debt."

"I don't recall you owing me," Playmaker said.

She smiled. "That's fine, too." She turned back to Ai-B. "AI duelist, I'll take you on!"

Playmaker turned to Morningstar. "Morningstar, what are you doing here?"

Morningstar rolled his eyes. "The same reason you're here. I was just unfortunate enough to run into Blue Angel and get roped into saving you. Otherwise, I'd be at the mother computer right now."

"I see," Playmaker said, giving a small smile. "Then it's a race to see who can get there first."

Morningstar smiled back. "Looks like it." He turned back to Ai-C. "My Data Anchor prevents either of us from engaging in a duel except with each other. If you wish to challenge Playmaker, you must defeat me first!"

Blue Angel and Ai-B turned a corner and took a different route, as did Morningstar and Ai-C.

* * *

Back at SOL headquarters, Kitamura was in shock. "First Playmaker, now Blue Angel and Morningstar?" He screamed and pounded his desk. "Why is Zaizen's sister inside our computers? What's going on?" He stood up. "Hey! Bring Zaizen here immediately!" he yelled at the operators.

"He left early today," one of them told him.

"Maybe he's sick?" Kitamura idly wondered. "Nonsense!"

"What should we do, Mr. Kitamura?" another operator asked.

"Duel!" Kitamura shouted. "Eliminate both of them immediately! Zaizen will be held responsible for Blue Angel, and Morningstar will never work here again!"

"Prototype B, duel Blue Angel," one operator said.

"Prototype C, duel Morningstar," another said.

"Roger," both AIs said.

"Speed Duel!" Morningstar and Ai-C shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Prototype Ai-C: 4000 LP**

"My turn!" Morningstar declared, taking a card from his hand. "I Special Summon Cyspirit Illusionist!" A red curtain appeared on the field. It pulled back, revealing a skeleton in a tuxedo and top hat, carrying a wand. It laughed as it raised its head, revealing a glowing red eye.

 **Cyspirit Illusionist ATK 2400 DEF 1000 LVL: 6**

"I can Special Summon Illusionist when there are no monsters on the field," Morningstar explained. "But Illusionist's attack points become 1800 as a result."

 **Cyspirit Illusionist ATK 2400→1800**

"When Illusionist is Special Summoned by its effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar said. "I add Cyspirit Prisoner to my hand." He did so, then said, "I summon Cyspirit Teleporter!" The black skeleton in grey armor holding a baton appeared.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared ahead of Morningstar as he chanted. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Cyspirit Teleporter in the Link Marker!" His monster entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"A Link Summon on the first turn?" Kitamura said, surprised.

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker, but that monster cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. I summon Cyspirit Nova!" A skeleton dragon, smaller than Cacophonic Caller, appeared, but then skin grew over the bones. It had silver armor and mechanical silver spines with black membranes between them for wings. It had no legs, but did have a long tail and one blue eye.

 **Cyspirit Nova ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' Normal Monster! I set Cyspirit Nova in the Link Marker!" His dragon entered the left arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Odd Outlaw!"

A skeleton dressed like a cowboy appeared on Morningstar's field. It held two futuristic pistols in its metal hands and had a metal skull with the lower half of its face covered and one red and one blue eye. Its small grey and silver metallic wings flapped as it was summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Odd Outlaw ATK 500 LINK-1** ←

"As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field," Morningstar continued, "I can Special Summon this monster. Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a blue and white prisoner's uniform appeared.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar called out. "The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Illusionist and Cyspirit Prisoner in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" The skeleton in a prospector's uniform with a futuristic drill for a right arm appeared, summoned to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"Because I used Prisoner to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar told Ai-C. "I add Cyspirit Blast to my hand."

"This isn't good," Kitamura moaned. "He has three Link Monsters on the field."

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in the Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon one Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Return to me, Cyspirit Nova!"

 **Cyspirit Nova ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared again, this time above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions is two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Nova and the Link 2 Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler in the Link Markers!" Nova entered the top-left arrow, turning it red, and Thrilled Tunneler broke into two and entered the top-right and right arrows, turning them red as well.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Bombastic Bombardier!"

A silver skeleton appeared, surrounded by light. When the light faded, the skeleton was wearing dark green military fatigues, with two bandoliers across its uniform and a green cap on its silver head. In each hand, in held a black explosive. It raised its head, revealing its red and blue eyes, and spread its metallic wings as it was summoned to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Bombastic Bombardier ATK 2600 LINK-3** ↖↗→

"L-Link 3?" Kitamura said, surprised at Morningstar's new monster. "What is that thing?"

"Bombastic Bombardier's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, when it points to at least two monsters, it can inflict 400 points of damage for each 'Cyspirit' Link Monster I control! I control three, so Bombardier deals 1200 points of damage!" Bombardier laughed and threw one of its bombs at Ai-C, which exploded in its face. Ai-C flew through the smoke, its legs fizzling.

 **Ai-C: 4000→2800 LP**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar declared again. The Link portal appeared for a fifth time ahead of him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions is two or more 'Cyspirit' Effect Monsters! I set Link 3 Bombastic Bombardier and Link 1 Cacophonic Caller in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the bottom-left, top, bottom, and bottom-right Link Markers.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!" The massive grey, red, and silver dragon appeared and roared as it was summoned to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

Kitamura screamed. "Link 4!? And five Link Summons in one turn!? When is he going to end his turn and let Prototype C show what it can do?"

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Blast!" Morningstar said, playing his card. "This card negates the effects of one 'Cyspirit' monster on my field until the End Phase. Then, I can inflict damage to my opponent equal to half that monster's attack points!"

"What?" Kitamura shouted, overreacting. The card produced a blast of white energy that struck Ai-C.

"I negate the effects of Datastorm Dragon," Morningstar said, "and you take 1400 points of damage!" Ai-C's arms fizzled from the damage.

 **Ai-C: 2800→1400 LP**

Kitamura growled. "2600 points of damage on the first turn." His scowl turned into a smirk. "But that doesn't matter. Once Ai-C's turn starts, it will turn everything around and defeat you, you treacherous bounty hunter scum."

"Odd Outlaw's monster effect!" Morningstar declared, gesturing to his cowboy skeleton. "Once per turn, if it points to a Link Monster, I can target cards in your hand equal to that monster's Link Rating and force you to shuffle them back into your Deck. Datastorm Dragon has a Link Rating of four, so you must shuffle all four of your cards back into your Deck."

After Ai-C did so, Morningstar said, "Then, for every two cards that were shuffled, you get to draw one card. Four cards were shuffled, so you draw two cards." Ai-C drew two cards, then Morningstar continued. "Odd Outlaw has one more effect. Since the Link Monster it points to is a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I draw one card for every two cards shuffled into your Deck." He drew two cards, then played one of them. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

Kitamura smirked. "Finally. Now we get the chance to show off Ai-C's skills. Before this turn is over, you will lose, Morningstar."

"My turn," Ai-C said. "Draw!"

"Trap activate!" Morningstar suddenly declared. "Cyspirit Bombardment!" The card showed Bombastic Bombardier pushing down on a plunger, blowing up a bunker behind it. "By sending a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my field to the Graveyard, I inflict damage equal to half that monster's attack points! I send Datastorm Dragon to the Graveyard to inflict 1400 points of damage!" Datastorm Dragon morphed into a white sphere that blasted itself at Ai-C.

"Stop it!" Kitamura screamed.

"From my hand, I activate the effect of Tentacluster Explostinger!" Ai-C said, revealing a card. It showed a black mechanical monster that looked like a sea scorpion, but with a fuse at the end of its stinger. "If I would take damage from an opponent's card effect, I can discard Explostinger and reduce the damage to 0!" His monster appeared and blocked the blast of energy. "Then during the End Phase, my opponent will take damage equal to the damage I would have taken."

Kitamura laughed. "Sorry, Morningstar. You don't get to end this in one turn. And once Ai-C's invincible strategy activates-!"

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Bombardment in the Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "By banishing this card and a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard, you take damage equal to that monster's Link Rating times 400! I banish Datastorm Dragon to inflict 1600 points of damage to you!" The spirit of Datastorm Dragon reappeared and blasted white fire at Ai-C. The blast hit and caused Ai-C to break into pieces.

 **Ai-C: 1400→0 LP**

"Huh?" Kitamura said, his mouth agape. "Huh, uh, huh?"

"Prototype C has been terminated," one of the operators said.

"What was that!?" Kitamura screamed, messing up his hair. "Prototype C didn't even get the chance to show off its combo!" He growled. "Dispatch Prototype D to Morningstar's location! He'll pay for making a laughingstock of me!"

Before the operators could give their affirmations, another one said, "Prototype A has been terminated."

Kitamura messed up his hair again. "What are you doing, you idiots!?"

* * *

"That was quick," Cam commented. "Though considering that was Kitamura's work, I shouldn't be surprised how easy that was for you."

"I've wasted enough time here," Morningstar said. "Guide me back to the-." He gasped. Another AI duelist teleported next to him. It had the same appearance as the one that Playmaker was dueling.

"Found Morningstar," Prototype Ai-D said. "Beginning Speed Duel. Switching to Duel Mode."

Morningstar growled in annoyance. "Cam, never mind that last part. Another AI duelist showed up."

"I can see it," Cam grumbled. "What Kitamura lacks in skill, he makes up for with numbers."

"Speed Duel!" Morningstar and Prototype Ai-D shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Prototype Ai-D: 4000 LP**

"Have Prototype D take the first turn this time," Kitamura said to his operators. "Morningstar will not defeat my AI duelist so easily again!"

"My turn!" Ai-D said. "I pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon Tentacluster Darkwhip from my hand." A monster that looked like a blue mechanical crab appeared on its field.

 **Ai-D: 4000→3500 LP**

 **Tentacluster Darkwhip ATK 100 DEF 500 LVL: 2**

"From my hand, I activate the Spell Card: Machine Duplication!" Ai-D continued. "From my Deck, I Special Summon two copies of a Machine monster on my field with 500 or less attack points." Two more copies of Darkwhip appeared on its field.

 **Tentacluster Darkwhip ATK 100 DEF 500 LVL: 2**

"Three monsters," Morningstar mused. "Is it…?"

"It's ready!" An operator said. "Commencing Link Summon!"

Ai-D produced a red light with its hands. "Circuit open!" It raised its hand and formed the Link portal above its head. "The summoning conditions are three 'Tentacluster' monsters. I set three Darkwhips." His monsters entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Link Summon complete. Link 3 Tentacluster Nautilus!" The monster that appeared was a giant grey mollusk with blue innards and tentacles that was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Tentacluster Nautilus ATK 0 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"Good!" Kitamura cheered. "Wipe him out, Prototype D! Avenge Prototype C!"

"0 attack points?" Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes. "Yet it is Link-3? This monster must have a powerful effect."

"Tentacluster Nautilus's effect activates," Ai-D said. "When it's Link Summoned, I Special Summon one 'Tentacluster' monster in my hand next to its Link Marker. I Special Summon Tentacluster Blastsucker from my hand." A small blue and purple jellyfish-like monster appeared, summoned to Nautilus's bottom Link Marker.

 **Tentacluster Blastsucker ATK 400 DEF 400 LVL: 2**

"I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure Ticket," Ai-D said. "I target one Link Monster I control and draw cards equal to its Link Rating. Then I send an equal number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard. I target Nautilus, draw three cards, and send the top three cards of my Deck to the Graveyard." Morningstar looked at the cards it sent to the Graveyard and narrowed his eyes. The cards were another copy of Blastsucker and two copies of Tentacluster Drillworm.

"I activate the Continuous Spell: Abyss Invitation!" Ai-D said, playing a new Spell Card from his hand. "Then I summon another Blastsucker from my hand." A third Blastsucker appeared, this time summoned to Nautilus' bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Tentacluster Blastsucker ATK 400 DEF 400 LVL: 2**

"Once per turn, Nautilus can destroy all monsters that it points to," Ai-D said. "But, when Blastsucker is targeted by the effect of a Link Monster, I can destroy it and deal you 400 points of damage." The Blastsucker behind Nautilus exploded as Morningstar's arm fizzled.

 **Morningstar: 4000→3600 LP**

"When effect damage that is 500 or less is inflicted, Abyss Invitation activates!" Ai-D said. "Morningstar takes 200 points of damage!" Morningstar's side fizzled this time.

 **Morningstar: 3600→3400 LP**

Kitamura smirked. "Morningstar, don't forget that Nautilus is linked to another Blastsucker." The second monster exploded as Morningstar's other side fizzled.

 **Morningstar: 3400→3000 LP**

"Abyss Invitation's effect!"

 **Morningstar: 3000→2800 LP**

Morningstar scoffed. "Fighting me with effect damage? You're just copying Blue Angel's style. It didn't work against me then, and it won't defeat me now!"

"You fool!" Kitamura sneered. "Don't compare my AI duelists to that washed-up Charisma Duelist. AI duelists are the best at this strategy! Using effect damage to shave away Life Points!" He laughed loudly at his own statement.

"I banish one Blastsucker from my Graveyard to activate its effect," Ai-D said. "You take 400 points of damage."

 **Morningstar: 2800→2400 LP**

"Abyss Invitation's effect!"

 **Morningstar: 2400→2200 LP**

"There are two more Blastsuckers in the Graveyard," Kitamura said. "Do it!"

"I banish Blastsucker from my Graveyard."

 **Morningstar: 2200→1800 LP**

"Abyss Invitation's effect!"

 **Morningstar: 1800→1600 LP**

"I banish the last Blastsucker from my Graveyard," Ai-D said.

 **Morningstar: 1600→1200 LP**

"Abyss Invitation's effect!"

 **Morningstar: 1200→1000 LP**

"I Set one card," Ai-D said. "I end my turn."

"This isn't good, Yasu," Cam said. "You've only got 1000 Life Points left."

"That's enough to win this," Morningstar said. "I won't lose to a copied strategy! My turn! Draw!"

Ai-D spoke up before Morningstar could make a move. "I banish Tentacluster Drillworm from my Graveyard to activate its effect. As I have no monsters in the Main Monster Zones and no cards in my hand, I select one random card in your hand and send it to the Graveyard." The card that Morningstar just drew evaporated into data, as Morningstar raised an eyebrow in response. "And I Special Summon a Drillworm from my Graveyard in Defense Position." A drill with fins at the back of it appeared on the field, summoned to Nautilus's bottom Link Marker.

 **Tentacluster Drillworm ATK 600 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

Kitamura laughed. "It's pointless, Morningstar. Even someone with your skill cannot defeat the invincible strategy of an AI duelist!"

"Didn't Morningstar defeat Prototype C?" one of the operators whispered to their coworker. Unfortunately, Kitamura heard them.

"That was a fluke! He was just lucky enough to draw the right cards!" Kitamura shouted at his subordinate. "This time, he'll lose horribly!"

"Since I control no monsters and you do," Morningstar said, "I Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" The skeleton in blue armor with two swords materialized.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"When Swordsman is Special Summoned by its effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke. And since you control a Link Monster and I don't, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke!" The dwarf skeleton that looked like a tiny Thrilled Tunneler appeared alongside Swordsman.

 **Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke ATK 200 DEF 500 LVL: 2**

"Then, I summon Cyspirit Kid!" A small skeleton in a t-shirt appeared, filling up Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared on Morningstar's field. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Cyspirit Kid in the Link Marker!" His monster entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" His Link Monster appeared again, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"When Cyspirit Kid is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster," Morningstar said. "I can destroy one face-up card on my opponent's field. I destroy Abyss Invitation!" The card shattered on Ai-D's field, confusing Kitamura.

"Why Abyss Invitation? Why not Nautilus or Drillworm?"

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect!" Morningstar said. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker, but that monster cannot attack and it will be destroyed during the End Phase. I summon Cyspirit Dancer!" A skeleton in a pink leotard appeared, summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Appear once more! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared once again on Morningstar's field. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Link 1 Cacophonic Caller, Cyspirit Dancer, and Cyspirit Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the bottom-left, top, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!" The skeleton in a guard's uniform carrying a spear appeared, taking Cacophonic Caller's place in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"Since I used Dancer to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, that monster gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400→3000**

"Hah," Kitamura scoffed. "That isn't enough to defeat Ai-D."

"As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Prisoner!"

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"Appear for a final time! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared once more. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Prisoner and Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" The monster with a large drill for a hand appeared, summoned to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"As Cyspirit Prisoner was used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add a 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar said. "I choose the Field Spell: Cyspirit Sanctuary, and now I activate it!" His Field Spell appeared and glowed. "This card increases the attack and defense of all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control by 300 points!"

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 3000→3300**

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→1900**

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, if I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can move one face-up monster to a Main Monster Zone on its controller's field. I move Tentacluster Drillworm to Pied Pikeman's top Link Marker!" Ai-D's monster moved across the field.

"Pied Pikeman's monster effect!" Morningstar continued. "If it points to at least one monster, I can change the battle position of one monster it points to and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I switch your Drillworm from Defense Position to Attack Position to destroy your face-down card!"

Kitamura grit his teeth as Ai-D's face-down was destroyed. "So that's why you destroyed Abyss Invitation instead of Drillworm; so you could move it and destroy Prototype D's face-down card. But why didn't you destroy Nautilus?"

"From my Graveyard, I activate the effect of the card you made me discard! The Equip Spell Card: Cyspirit Multiplier!" Morningstar said. "By banishing one 'Cyspirit' monster in my Graveyard, I can equip Multiplier to Pied Pikeman. I banish Cyspirit Dancer!" Pied Pikeman glowed green from the card being equipped.

"Cyspirit Multiplier allows Pied Pikeman to make two attacks on monsters my opponent controls!" Morningstar said. Kitamura's eyes widened. So that was the real reason Morningstar didn't destroy Nautilus: he wanted to keep it on the field so Pied Pikeman could attack it.

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Pied Pikeman, attack Tentacluster Nautilus! Spiritual Halberd!" Pied Pikeman charged Nautilus and slashed it in half, causing a massive explosion. But when the smoke cleared, Ai-D hadn't taken any damage.

"I banished Tentacluster Ink Coating in the Graveyard," Ai-D explained. The card appeared on the field, showing Blastsucker and Nautilus surrounded by black ink floating in the water. "Until the End Phase of the turn, I take no battle damage from attacks involving 'Tentacluster' monsters."

Kitamura laughed. "How was that, Morningstar? You may clear out Ai-D's field and damage it, but you cannot defeat this invincible AI duelist!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Keep at it, Pied Pikeman! Attack Tentacluster Drillworm! Spiritual Halberd!" Pied Pikeman cut Drillworm in half, but like before, Ai-D took no damage. "Thrilled Tunneler, attack Ai-D directly! Cyber Drill!" Thrilled Tunneler charged at Ai-D and struck it head-on, making it swerve around on its D-Board.

 **Ai-D: 3500→1600 LP**

Kitamura scoffed. "A good show, Morningstar, but in the end, this is all you can-."

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyspirit Opening!" Morningstar declared. The card showed Thrilled Tunneler breaking through a massive wall, creating a hole in the enemy's fortress. "When my opponent takes battle damage from a direct attack by a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Tribute one monster I control to let that monster attack again!"

"WHAT!?" Kitamura screamed.

"I Tribute Pied Pikeman!" Morningstar said as the said monster disintegrated. "Thrilled Tunneler can now attack again! End this, Thrilled Tunneler! Cyber Drill!" Thrilled Tunneler charged Ai-D again, this time knocking it off its board as it disintegrated.

 **Ai-D: 1600→0 LP**

"Hopefully that's the last of them," Morningstar said. "Now, which way, Cam?"

* * *

"Prototype D has been terminated," an operator said.

"I can see that, you idiots!" Kitamura screamed. Before he could berate his workers further, another operator interrupted with bad news.

"P-Playmaker infiltrated the databank?" Kitamura said, shocked. "Drive him out!"

"Umm," the operator said. "but that's not possible."

"No 'buts'! You're fired!" Kitamura screamed. "Do something! Something! Send Prototype B!"

"Blue Angel defeated it," another operator reminded him, "so it's not operational."

"You're fired too!" Kitamura shouted, lashing out at the poor woman. "Fired!" He suddenly calmed down. "And I'll be held responsible and be fired too."

Suddenly, a new alert blared out. "Other intruders in the databank!" an operator announced.

"What?" Kitamura shouted. "Is it Morningstar?" The screen switched to showing the core of the mother computer, and Kitamura was shocked by what he saw. "Zaizen!"

* * *

Morningstar finally got back on route and approached the databank entrance. When he got there, he was surprised. Blue Angel was standing just outside the door, looking inside.

"What are you doing?" he asked, startling her.

"D-Don't do that!" she whispered, then turned back. "It's my brother." Morningstar looked inside, then went to the other side of the door. Akira and Ghost Girl were standing in Playmaker's way, blocking access to the databank. Or at least, Akira was. Ghost Girl had an annoyed look on her face and her arms crossed. Clearly, this was Akira's idea and Ghost Girl was putting up with it.

"This is SOL Technologies' core," Ai said, standing up from Playmaker's Duel Disk. "Data is processed and released from here."

"Playmaker," Akira said, drawing everyone's attention.

"Zaizen and Ghost Girl," Playmaker said. "Why are you here? Were you waiting for me?"

"That's not quite right," Ghost Girl told him. "We're also interested in the data here." She brought up a glowing diamond and put it in her Duel Disk. "And this is a hard place to break into."

"I see. I understand now. They used us as a decoy," Playmaker explained.

"She gave us the backdoor route so that they could get inside?" Ai asked. "So she lost our duel on purpose?"

"Unfortunately, that's incorrect," Ghost Girl clarified. "But if I won that duel, I would've acquired you. But since I lost, I set up this break-in. So either result is fine."

"How cunning!"

"It's an honor to be praised by an AI."

"She's so positive," Ai commented.

"Move out of the way, Zaizen," Playmaker interrupted.

"I can't let you go any further," Akira said.

"So you know what's stored here?"

"I just learned about it," Akira said, adopting a hard expression. "What happened ten years ago at SOL Technologies. And what happened to you."

Morningstar's eyes widened. So it was true. SOL Technologies had something to do with the incident!

"I have the right to learn what's stored here," Playmaker told Akira.

"You must be a victim from the incident ten years ago," Akira said.

"If you know what happened, hand over the data."

"I can't."

"They looked at the data, but they won't show us?" Ai interrupted. "He's so petty."

"You're the Ignis," Akira said, momentarily distracted.

"That's right! I'm the great Ignis that you're searching for! I lost my memories, so they named me like a dog. But that data contains my name, right?"

"It didn't," Ghost Girl said, bursting Ai's bubble.

"Playmaker," Akira said. "Please give me that AI and back off. I promise to bring this incident to light and uncover the truth." Morningstar raised an eyebrow at that.

"As a FYI," Ghost Girl interrupted, "Akira was demoted due to that situation with Revolver."

"Wow! You gave up a successful career for your sister?" Ai sounded impressed. "What a wonderful brother!"

"But he came this far to learn the truth," Ghost Girl continued, pretending Ai hadn't spoken. "He's not messing around." Morningstar narrowed his eyes at that. While Ghost Girl was an opportunistic liar, he could tell she was friends with Akira. And Morningstar already knew Akira had been demoted. She, and Akira, were telling the truth on this.

"No matter the reason, I won't let others handle this," Playmaker said. He held up one finger. "One: I'll personally uncover the truth about the incident." He held up a second. "Two: This has nothing to do with you." He held up a third. "Three: But if you insist on getting involved, you know how to stop me."

"A duel?" Akira asked.

"That's right," Playmaker said. "If you win, I'll accept your demands. I'll trust you, give you this AI, and leave."

"What?" a startled Ai said.

"But if I win, you leave."

Akira closed his eyes. "A duel is the only way to stop you." He opened his eyes and raised his arm. "Fine! I challenge you to a duel!"

"I accept!"

"This always happens," Ai complained. "You couldn't even turn down Morningstar's challenge. Though-."

"Wait," Ghost Girl interrupted, her eyes wide. "You dueled Morningstar? And won?"

"Yes!" Ai said. "And we beat him easily! Just like we'll beat Zaizen over there!"

"It wasn't easy," Playmaker clarified. "It was the hardest duel I've ever fought." Morningstar rolled his eyes. Did Playmaker have to say that?

He turned to Blue Angel as Akira and Playmaker started their duel. "What Deck does your brother use?" he asked. She didn't answer and kept watching the duel. "Blue Angel?"

She gasped and turned to Morningstar. "What? I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright? You seem a little out of it."

"No, I'm fine," Blue Angel said, turning back to the duel. "And you'll see what Deck my brother uses soon enough." In her head though, she was thinking intensely.

One, two, three. Playmaker had listed three reasons as to why he wouldn't give up. She remembered that back in school, Yasutake Narahiko had told her three reasons why her assumptions about him were false. He'd even done the same thing with his hand. Did that mean… Yasutake was Playmaker?

Morningstar narrowed his eyes when Akira summoned Tindangle Base Gardna to his field. He wasn't familiar with the Tindangle archetype, but with 2300 defense points, he could tell it was strong. That said, such a defense would not stop Playmaker. His feeling was proven right when Playmaker Link Summoned Decode Talker and summoned monsters to two of its Link Markers.

It did surprise him when Akira used Base Gardna's effect to summon Tindangle Hound, though. This monster looked like a demonic dog with triangles all over it.

"That pooch is even scarier than Morningstar's Mad Mongrel!" Ai screamed. Morningstar scowled. There was no way that thing was better than his Mad Mongrel.

He kept watching as Akira activated his Trap Card Lemoine Point and prevented Playmaker from attacking his face-down monsters. Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Lemoine? Where had he-? Oh right! A Lemoine point, or symmedian point, was the intersection of the three symmedians of a triangle. He scowled. He hated geometry.

That scowl turned into a smirk when Playmaker Link Summoned Flame Administrator. He remembered that monster from his duel with Playmaker. And its effect was certainly advantageous to Playmaker.

That smirk turned into a surprised look when Akira Flip Summoned Tindangle Angel, brought back Tindangle Hound in face-down Defense Position, and ended the Battle Phase. So, this was Akira's Deck. It focused on a combination of Flip Effects and lockdown strategies. A good strategy to use, but a difficult one to face.

"Playmaker, are you about the same age as Aoi?" Morningstar refocused when he heard Akira ask that. "You probably are. In that tragedy ten years ago, I don't know the pain you endured. But I do know the pain of losing someone."

"What's he talking about?" Ai asked.

"Ten years ago, Aoi and I suddenly lost our parents." Morningstar gasped and glanced at Blue Angel. She was still watching, her expression sad but curious.

"He's about to tell a story," Ai realized.

"Be quiet."

"Okay."

"It was our parents' second marriage, each with a child," Akira said. "They went on vacation for their wedding anniversary and got into a traffic accident. I was sixteen years old. Aoi was six. It was too sudden. Aoi and I didn't even have time to mourn. Many strangers arrived, stealing our parents' inheritance. We didn't know the ways of the world, but we were thrown into its chaos. It was a painful time."

Cam frowned and closed his eyes. He could hear Akira's story because of Morningstar, and he couldn't help but sympathize with Akira. He remembered the fire that claimed his parents' house, and the distribution of his and Sachi's inheritance. More than anything, he remembered holding onto Sachi as tightly as he could as she cried under the blanket he'd dunked in the sink. All he could do was hold onto her and hope against hope that they would survive.

Akira continued his story. "We did anything to live, even dirty work. I was focused on attempting to survive. In order to live, I had to fight on my own." No, that was worse than what happened to Cam and Sachi. They at least had gone to the orphanage. There, they didn't have to worry about living day to day. There, they were loved.

"Every day wore down my spirit, but Aoi kept me going. 'I must protect Aoi. I won't let this six-year-old be unhappy.' That's all I thought about." Akira refocused on Playmaker. "If Aoi experienced what you did, if a stranger kidnapped her, my spirit would've broken."

Blue Angel gasped on that last part. "Kidnapped?" she repeated. "What does he mean?"

Cam's sympathy for Akira vanished instantly. He clenched his fists. "How dare you…" he muttered angrily. He thought of the girl upstairs, how she couldn't leave the house and respond to the outside world. How she couldn't have the same life that everyone her age should have access to. Akira dared to compare what happened to him and his sister to what happened to Sachi and Yasutake?

"How dare he…" Blue Angel turned to Morningstar on hearing him say that. His fists were clenched, his expression furious. "How dare he…"

"Morningstar?" she asked, but her attention was drawn to her brother.

"I ask you one last time!" Akira said. "Trust me and let me handle everything!"

Playmaker growled. "You know nothing… You know nothing about me!" he shouted. Akira gasped at that statement.

"Zaizen, you're probably a good person," Playmaker said, his voice quieter but his tone lower. "But you don't know me! You only know a fictional version of me!"

"Playmaker, you're going to keep fighting?"

"He's still talking?" Ai asked. "Let's hurry up and defeat him, Playmaker!"

"Blue Angel." Blue Angel turned again to Morningstar, whose expression was still angry as he glared at Akira. "I don't doubt that you and your brother have suffered. I don't doubt that you are good people. But…" He turned to her and glared. "Your brother has no idea what happened to Playmaker and me!"

"To Playmaker and you?" she repeated. "Then… you were part of the incident ten years ago, too? What happened, Morningstar?"

He didn't answer her. He just turned back to the duel. He couldn't answer her. How could she understand what happened if she didn't live it? How could she understand what it meant to have the people you loved most in the world torn apart from the inside?

Morningstar watched as Akira Flip Summoned Tindangle Hound and flipped Tindangle Angel face-down. The constant attack point changes were starting to annoy him, especially when Tindangle Hound destroyed Flame Administrator and Decode Talker lost attack points twice then gained attack points.

 _Tindangle Hound and Tindangle Angel,_ Morningstar thought. _Those monsters represent Zaizen and his sister. The brother protects the sister. If the brother loses, the sister resurrects the brother. He has cards that represent the bond he cares most about, just like I have cards that represent my bonds with Cam and Sachi: Cyspirit Idealistic Idol, and Cyspirit Winning Wrestler._

Morningstar's eyes narrowed as Playmaker began his turn, summoned Balancer Lord and then Encode Talker. Why did he do that? He knew that Tindangle Hound limited the power of Link Monsters. So what was he-?

"I bet my future on this!" Playmaker said. "Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" His hand glowed blue and the Link portal appeared above his field. "The summoning conditions are at least two monsters! I set Balancer Lord and Link 3 Encode Talker in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became streams of energy that entered the left, top, bottom, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Link 4?" Akira said, surprised. Morningstar just narrowed his eyes again. He knew what Playmaker was up to now.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Firewall Dragon!" The monster that had defeated Revolver, that had defeated Morningstar, appeared on Playmaker's field, summoned to Decode Talker's Link Marker.

"A Link 4 Cyberse has appeared!" Akira said. "It's Playmaker's ace monster that defeated Revolver!"

Blue Angel starred at Firewall Dragon with surprise. This was the first time she'd ever seen such a monster. It was beautiful. Morningstar also stared, but for different reasons. That feeling he'd had when facing Firewall Dragon was back. But what was it? Was it dread? Or was it… hope?

His stare turned into a smirk when Playmaker activated Linkage Hole. He remembered that card from when Playmaker had used it on him. It wasn't fun to go against, but it was definitely a good card to have.

"Brother!" Blue Angel said worryingly when Decode Talker attacked Akira directly and sent him flying back. Fortunately, he landed on his feet.

Morningstar's smirk turned into an expression of surprise when Akira activated Tindangle Delaunay, destroyed Decode Talker, and summoned Tindangle Acute Cerberus. He had to admit, it's summoning was certainly impressive. As was the fact that it gained 3000 attack points because Tindangle Angel and Tindangle Hound were in the Graveyard.

"A troublesome monster," Morningstar muttered. "No doubt its his ace monster."

He had to admit, while Acute Cerberus was impressive, its attack was definitely over the top. His eyes widened when Playmaker activated his Doppler Phase Coating. He remembered that card from their duel too.

They widened again when Akira activated his Gergonne's End Trap Card. Not only did it prevent Acute Cerberus from being destroyed or targeted by Playmaker's cards, it also had an effect that would deal Playmaker up to 4500 points of damage. Such a powerful Trap Card… Morningstar was still angry at Akira for what he had said, but he had to admit his Deck was very powerful. Almost as powerful as his own, just with fewer cards.

He smirked when Playmaker activated Alert Lancer and attacked Akira's Tindangle Token, but scowled when Akira activated Morley's Shield, preventing him from taking damage. His scowl intensified when Akira activated Nagel's Protection, preventing Playmaker from destroying Tindangle monsters in the Main Monster Zones. That card, combined with Morley's Shield, basically meant there was no point in Playmaker attacking the tokens that Acute Cerberus summoned. Then it got worse because Nagel's Protection also doubled the damage from Acute Cerberus's attack.

"Morningstar," Blue Angel said, drawing his attention. "Do you think Playmaker can win?"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. "Do you want him to win?" he asked. "He is dueling your brother."

"I know, but… just answer the question."

Morningstar thought about it and said, "There is a card that can win this for him. A card he used against me. It's just a matter of drawing it. Even with it though, there's no guarantee. I got around it when I dueled Playmaker. I imagine your brother will find a way, too." He turned back to the duel just in time for Playmaker to Set a card.

"Looks like you can't do anything," Akira said. "But that is your destiny. Stop your revenge. Let me handle this, and return to your normal life. That's what's best for you. Go to school. Talk about the future with your friends. The days of youth are irreplaceable. Spend it with your friends. You'll cherish these memories in the future. By being obsessed with the past, time is passing you by. Don't let happiness slip away right in front of your eyes. Just like I did…"

Morningstar frowned. Akira was saying the same things he had been saying to himself the past ten years. The same things Cam had been saying to him. But… could he-?

"Brother!"

Morningstar looked up. Blue Angel had ran out into the databank. He sighed and walked out after her. Guess it was time they knew he was here.

"Aoi?" Akira said, surprised. "And… Morningstar?"

"Blue Angel…" Playmaker said, then narrowed his eyes at Morningstar. Morningstar turned from him to Ghost Girl and waved sarcastically to her. She waved back.

Blue Angel kept walking. "Before this duel ends, I want to hear the true story. What happened ten years ago? To Playmaker and Morningstar?"

Ghost Girl gasped. "Playmaker and… Morningstar? Then-."

"Yes," Morningstar interrupted. "I was there too, Ghost Girl. I was part of it." He glanced at Akira, who was startled but looking at Morningstar with sympathy.

Blue Angel spoke up again. "Playmaker, LINK VRAINS has changed dramatically since you showed up. I don't know what I duel for anymore. But if I learn what's going on, if I know what you're fighting for, I feel like I can move forward. Tell me, Playmaker." She turned to her brother. "Brother!"

"Aoi," Akira said, a worried look on his face. He understood why she wanted to know, but this story… it wasn't a good one.

"I want to know too, Playmaker," Ai interjected. "Because he knows, right? The incident was one of the reasons why Morningstar challenged you. Your secret will be revealed eventually."

Akira frowned with resignation. "I'll tell you what happened. An incident occurred ten years ago. It's called the 'Lost Incident.' Eight children went missing one by one. A certain organization kidnapped them."

"Kidnapped?" Blue Angel repeated.

"Yes," Ghost Girl, stepping up. "And two of the eight children were…"

"No way!" Blue Angel said, turning to the two boys. "Was it you, Playmaker? And you, Morningstar?" Morningstar just turned his head, unable to talk about it.

"Yasu," Cam said painfully. He did not want Morningstar to have to talk about this. It was already painful enough.

"Stop, Zaizen," Playmaker said. "I don't want others to tell my past."

"Playmaker…" Blue Angel said, facing him. Playmaker turned to face her. Unlike Morningstar, he was willing to talk about it.

"After we were kidnapped, we were imprisoned separately." Morningstar scowled, the events of that time playing back in his mind.

* * *

Yasutake opened his eyes and looked around. It was a white room, with a screen on one end with several strange symbols underneath it. And on the ground in front of the six-year-old…

" _The room contained nothing. Except for VR equipment."_

Yasutake picked up the red headset and put it on. Maybe it would give some idea about where he was.

" _The VR showed a duel arena. We were forced to duel there."_

The screen turned red and a voice said, "You lose!" Yasutake screamed with pain and surprise as he was electrocuted. He was sent flying back and fell onto his stomach, the VR headset falling off. While he was gasping with pain, he glanced up at the screen. It showed white blobs, then zoomed out to show a white and silver eye that widened before disappearing.

A small drone descended from an opening in the ceiling, carrying a juice box, a spoon, gelatin, a chocolate bar, and some vitamins. Yasutake didn't even bother reaching for the spoon. He just grabbed the gelatin with his hands and wolfed it down.

" _We could only eat, sleep and duel. This repeated everyday."_

"You lose!" Yasutake screamed with pain and fell backwards from the shock. The drone came down again, except this time it was just carrying a juice box. Yasutake stared at it, his eyes watering, and put the headset back on.

" _Everything was based on dueling. If we don't win a duel, we don't get to eat."_

* * *

"When could we leave? How long could we live?" Playmaker said, his face not showing his pain. "We just kept dueling, worried because we knew nothing."

"How horrible…" Blue Angel said, her eyes wavering. "Who would do this to children?" Then she glanced at Morningstar and gasped. His fists were clenched, and he was staring at the ground, his entire body shaking as he grit his teeth. And seeing him like this… it brought back another memory.

Yasutake Narahiko was wearing a blue VR headset, standing in a soccer field across from Naoki Shima. The other members of the Duel Club were watching them, curious to see what they could do.

But partway through, something happened to Yasutake. He started shaking, sweating, and breathing like he'd just run a marathon. Aoi's concern for him grew as she watched. When it came to his turn, he acted like a robot, like a machine that was running on autopilot. And when he won, he threw the headset off and ran off, looking like he'd just woken up from a nightmare.

Blue Angel's horror grew. Yasutake had been a victim of the incident. Wearing that VR headset and dueling with it… he must have been reliving his time in that place while he was dueling. Experiencing all that pain again… she couldn't even imagine how torturous it had been for him. And seeing Morningstar stand the same way now… Now she knew.

Yasutake wasn't Playmaker. He was Morningstar.

Playmaker continued talking. "No one told us where we were or how long we've been held captive."

Akira spoke up next. "But half a year later, the incident suddenly ended."

* * *

Yasutake screamed as he was thrown against the wall, the shocks overcoming him again. The headset fell off as he fell to the ground, limp with pain. He looked up at the screen, at the white and silver eye. He hated that eye. He was convinced that it was the one doing this to him; that it was making him duel and punishing him for losing. That was why he was surprised by what he heard.

"You can go home." He gasped, unsure if the voice was telling the truth. "You gave it your all." Yasutake tried to stand up, but the screen went blank and the eye disappeared. Just as suddenly, a door opened and light from the sun flooded the room. He looked up at the rescue workers who stood there and rushed towards him. They carried him out of the woods, and brought him to a nearby police station.

" _You were rescued."_

* * *

Morningstar came back down to earth and refocused on Akira as he was talking.

"But no one knows the culprit. The incident was covered up, so the media didn't raise a fuss."

"Brother?" Blue Angel asked. "Do you know Playmaker's identity-?"

"Hold up!" Ai said, panicking.

"Unfortunately, no," Ghost Girl answered. "Because the country's S Rank protection program protects the victims' information. Playmaker's identity isn't stored here."

"Phew. That was close."

"Zaizen, do you really think we were saved?" Playmaker asked. Akira looked surprised at Playmaker's question. "We weren't saved!" Playmaker said fiercely. Morningstar scowled as Blue Angel looked at him worryingly.

"I have the right to know what the incident's mission was." He held up one finger. "One: That incident tore apart my life. I'll learn the truth and reconnect my life that was torn apart!" He held up a second. "Two: That incident deeply hurt us and our families. Some still haven't recovered from the shock. I'll learn the truth for them and their families!"

Morningstar scowled as he thought of Sachi. Reliving these memories, and knowing that she did so everyday… He could completely understand why Playmaker wanted to learn the truth. To know that there was a reason why this had been done.

"Three!" Playmaker said, holding up a third finger. "During those hellish days, when my heart was about to break…" Morningstar thought back to those days. He knew exactly what Playmaker was talking about.

* * *

Yasutake was lying on the ground, exhausted and shaking from his last duel. The six-year-old didn't know how much more of this he could take. How long he could maintain his sanity. But then…

"You. Hey, you. Be strong." He curled into himself.

"That voice again," he muttered. He didn't want to hear it now. How could he be strong when he didn't know what was happening to him?

"Three," the voice said. "Don't forget to think of three things. Three things to live. Three things to go home. Three things to defeat the enemy. By thinking, you can still live."

Yasutake looked up. "Why do you care?" he asked. "Why do you care if I live? No one else did before."

"Because I am beside you," the voice answered. "Because I want you to live. I want you to be strong."

"Beside me?" Yasutake asked. "Are you trapped here too?"

The voice didn't answer the question. Instead, it said, "You can go home. You can go home soon."

"I can leave?" he asked, his voice breaking. It was too much to hope for. This nightmare that had become his life… It was ending?

"So don't lose hope," the voice continued. "Think of three things."

" _Whoever kept encouraging me wasn't among the rescuees."_

* * *

Morningstar pulled himself out of his memory and back to Playmaker.

"If he's still captured, I have to rescue him!" he said. "The incident ten years ago hasn't ended for me!"

He lowered his arm and adopted a sad expression. "Zaizen, I don't have what you talked about. Since my life was cut short, I have no future to talk about with my friends or irreplaceable moments."

"So I guess I'm not your friend," Ai said quietly, his tone uncharacteristically gentle.

"After the incident, to heal the wounds in my heart, I received treatment for years," Playmaker said. "I also tried hard to forget that incident. But no matter how much time passed, I couldn't forget."

Morningstar thought back to his own life over the last ten years. Cam had taken him to the orphanage with him and Sachi. The other kids tried to bring him into their games and the teachers had tried to help him, as did the therapists. But none of them could. No matter how much he talked to them, no matter what treatments he took, nothing worked. And Sachi was worse.

After Cam turned eighteen, he bought a small bakery, that would eventually become Café Junpei. Over the six years after that, he built up above it, until their house was the way it was. It was during that time that the government stopped offering therapy for Sachi and Yasutake. He had already given up on the therapy, but Cam wanted him to keep going to the treatments. He also kept encouraging him to get out of the house and make friends, talk to people.

Morningstar saw it now. It was because of Cam that he hadn't ended up like Playmaker, consumed by revenge. Cam had kept him grounded, given him a reason to look towards the future. And taking care of Sachi had taught him just how lucky he was. At the same time as he tried to move on though, the nightmares kept coming.

"Those horrible memories were burned into my eyes, feasting on my heart," Playmaker said, dragging Morningstar back in. "It became my flesh and blood that I couldn't dig out. When I realized that, I decided to face my own destiny." Morningstar understood what Playmaker was saying. It was that moment in which Yusaku Fujiki had created his Playmaker persona.

"If you think revenge is worthless, that's fine," Playmaker continued saying to Akira. "But there are things I am destined to do to move forward. I investigated the incident and found something. The Lost Incident had another name: Hanoi Project!"

"Hanoi Project?" Blue Angel repeated, surprised. "The Knights of Hanoi have something to do with the Lost Incident?"

"That's why I'm after the Hanoi," Playmaker answered.

"Hanoi Project…" Ai mused.

"I see," Akira said. "But it seems that's the extent of your knowledge."

"What do you mean?" Playmaker asked.

Akira glanced to the core behind him. "The name of the Hanoi Project's mastermind is in this data."

"What?" Playmaker shouted, his eyes wide. Ai, Blue Angel, and Morningstar all gasped.

"Mastermind?" Cam repeated with shock. "Zaizen knows who was responsible?"

"Who… is it?" Playmaker asked Akira, his expression angry. Akira just stood there and didn't answer.

"Who is it?" Playmaker repeated. "Answer me, Zaizen!"

"I can't tell you," Akira finally said. "What's the point? It'll only increase your hatred, turning you into the devil of revenge. It must end here!"

"Playmaker, you two are on parallel tracks," Ai commented.

"Seems so."

"Our opinions match for the first time! I'm touched!"

"I guess I have to stop you here," Akira said.

"Go ahead and try."

"The goddess of victory is on my side," Akira said. "Resume the duel!"

Morningstar watched as Acute Cerberus attacked, but smirked when Playmaker activated Cynet Backdoor and used the same strategy he'd used against Morningstar.

"He changed the situation with just one card?" Blue Angel said, surprised at the turnaround.

"Of course he did," Morningstar said. He'd calmed down from earlier. "That combo he just did was the same one he used against me. Like I said though, I got around it, so I imagine your brother has a way around it too."

Akira did. He activated the Field Spell Euler's Circuit, which prevented Playmaker from attacking while Akira had 3 Tindangle monsters and let him place a Tindangle monster on Playmaker's field during Akira's Standby Phase.

"Zaizen, this is a duel for justice," Playmaker said.

"Yes, I know. That's why I must win. I'll solve this incident and hold the people responsible!"

"No, you don't know anything," Playmaker interjected. "I'll win because this is a duel for justice!"

"What?"

"I don't trust anything but my own justice! My turn! Draw!"

Morningstar thought about Playmaker's statement while he played his turn. _I don't trust anything but my own justice._ He understood what he meant by that. Morningstar didn't trust anyone except himself and Cam to run their hunts. He didn't work with others, especially after the Mercury job with Ghost Girl. And Playmaker didn't trust anyone except himself to provide justice for what had been done to them.

He watched as Playmaker Link Summoned Link Spider, then Recovery Sorcerer. He raised an eyebrow. Playmaker hadn't used that monster against him. He kept watching as Playmaker Link Summoned Security Gardna and summoned it to Acute Cerberus's top Link Marker.

While Akira, Blue Angel, and Ghost Girl all gasped as Playmaker summoned Security Gardna to its current location and Ai berated Playmaker, Morningstar just narrowed his eyes. He knew Playmaker hadn't done that by accident.

"The Trap Card Gergonne's End's effect activates!" Akira declared.

"When the equipped monster has monsters next to all its links," his AI said, "by destroying those monsters and Gergonne's End, the opponent takes damage equal to the equipped monster's attack points."

"I destroy two Tindangle Tokens, Security Gardna and Gergonne's End!" Akira said. The cards he indicated disintegrated. "You take damage equal to Acute Cerberus's attack points. Go, Tindangle Acute Cerberus!" His monster let loose a blast of flames at Playmaker, causing a massive explosion.

"Playmaker…" Blue Angel said.

"That was a mistake," Morningstar said, his eyes narrowed.

"It was," Blue Angel said. "But why would Playmaker make it?"

"I wasn't talking about Playmaker."

"Eh?" she said, turning to him. He just kept staring at the field.

Sure enough, when the smoke cleared, Playmaker was still standing, his Life Points still at 500.

"No way!" Akira said, shocked that his move had failed. "Gergonne's End's effect should've…"

"But we didn't take the effect!" Ai boasted.

"When Security Gardna is Special Summoned," Playmaker explained, "effect damage becomes 0 that turn. It negated the effect damage to me!"

Morningstar was the only one not surprised by this development. But he was surprised by Playmaker bringing back Security Gardna with Recovery Sorcerer's effect.

When Ai questioned him, Playmaker said, "A duel isn't just for deciding a winner and a loser." Morningstar widened his eyes, realizing what Playmaker was up to.

Playmaker used Firewall Dragon's effect to return Tindangle Angel and Tindangle Hound to Akira's hand and reduce Acute Cerberus's attack points to 0.

"Battle! Firewall Dragon! Attack Tindangle Acute Cerberus! Tempest Attack!" As the blast of red energy headed towards Akira, Blue Angel stepped forward. When the blast hit and the smoke cleared, Akira was holding Blue Angel, shielding her from Firewall's attack as his Life Points hit 0.

"Brother!" Blue Angel cried as Akira fell.

He smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine."

Morningstar watched as Playmaker's monsters disappeared and he walked towards the databank. "As promised, I'm taking the data." While Playmaker was busy with the data bank, Morningstar walked over to Ghost Girl.

She turned to him and smiled beneath her mask. "Somehow, I'm not surprised to see you here. You used your Data Anchor to copy the backdoor program when you dueled him, didn't you?"

"Yes," Morningstar said. "And I planned to use Playmaker as a decoy just like you and Zaizen did."

"But you stopped and helped Playmaker when he needed it. Why?"

"I guess…" He turned and glanced at Blue Angel and Akira. "…I guess I was reminded of something I hold dear to myself."

Ghost Girl glanced at them too. "A sibling's bond is unbreakable, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It is." The two of them watched as Playmaker walked away from the databank. "Zaizen," he said, "stay away from the incident and from me."

"Playmaker!" Akira said, stopping said person in his tracks. "If your Firewall attacked me directly earlier, you would've won. So why?"

"Tindangle Hound and Tindangle Angel have the power to protect each other," he answered. "They represent you two. You two shouldn't be resting in the Graveyard. My revenge shouldn't drag you into the darkness. You should walk where there's light."

Before he could leave, Morningstar spoke up. "Playmaker," he said, drawing everyone's attention. "You say you don't want them to walk in your darkness, but I already do. As does my friend that I fight for." He walked over to him. "I know you don't want help. And I've refused to work with others for a long time." Ghost Girl narrowed her eyes at that. "But, you cannot stop me from fighting against Hanoi. If they are responsible for what happened to us…" He narrowed his eyes fiercely. "Then I will fight them with everything I've got, whether you like it or not."

Playmaker didn't answer. He just turned and ran for the data stream before logging out.

"Time for me to leave too," Ghost Girl said. She turned away, then turned back towards Morningstar. "Actually, there is something I need to do first." She held out a glowing diamond to Morningstar. "The data on the Hanoi Project. Take it." He did, and raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"My way of making up for past mistakes," she said. She walked up to him and whispered in his ear. "Could you tell Cam I'm sorry, Narahiko?"

Morningstar whispered back. "He'd prefer it if you said it in person, Emma."

"I know, but… some things are easier to do than others, aren't they?" She leaned away as he gave a small smile.

"That they are."

Ghost Girl turned to Akira and Blue Angel and winked. "Be nice to each other," she said before turning around and logging out.

"She made two copies of the data, didn't she?" Morningstar asked Akira. He nodded.

"Probably."

"Typical. Some things never change." Morningstar shook his head and was about to leave, but Blue Angel interrupted.

"Wait, Morningstar." He turned back. "Thank you," she said. "For helping Playmaker and me earlier. And…" She smiled at him. "…I know I can't understand what you went through, but if you need help, you just have to ask."

"I won't," he said. "Like I said before, I don't work with others." He logged out after saying that.

* * *

Yasutake leaned against the wall, tired from his duels and reliving his memories. He breathed heavily as he walked out of the room. Cam was waiting for him at the monitors.

"That was… not what I expected to happen," Cam said. He looked at Yasutake with concern. "Are you alright, Yasu? I know hearing all that again can't have been easy."

"It wasn't," Yasutake said as he fell into the chair next to Cam. "But it was necessary in a way. Now I know what Playmaker really fights for. And I'll learn the same things he'll learn." He took his Duel Disk off and placed it on the desk. "Ghost Girl gave me a copy of the data."

"I heard," Cam said, scowling. "I also heard what she said to you."

"And?"

"…I'm not sure I can ever forgive Emma… but it's a start."

"That aside, let's look at what we got," Yasutake said. He plugged his Duel Disk in and uploaded the information Ghost Girl gave him.

After a while, they hit pay dirt. "Here it is," Yasutake said, pulling up a file. It showed a tan man with long grey hair, a beard and mustache, and green eyes.

"Dr. Kiyoshi Kogami," Cam read. "Planned and executed the Hanoi Project."

"This is the man responsible for what happened to me, Sachi, Fujiki, and the others?"

"Looks like it," Cam said. He narrowed his eyes. "It also says he was a researcher at SOL Technologies."

"So SOL was behind the Hanoi Project like we thought," Yasutake said, scowling.

"No," Cam said, surprising Yasutake. "It says here Kogami worked the Hanoi Project alone, but SOL found out due to a whistleblower."

Yasutake's scowl returned. "Damn it. This project was ten years ago. SOL's staff at the time are probably all retired."

"And this file doesn't provide anyone else's names or contact info," Cam said, frowning. "And it says nothing about the purpose of the Hanoi Project."

"So all we have is a name," Yasutake said, sighing. "Well, it's better than nothing. I'll try and find this man, and when I do-."

Cam gasped. "That's… that's not possible."

"What is?" Yasutake asked him, looking at the same file as Cam. He gasped too. "No… no way."

"Dr. Kogami…" Cam said, "… died seven years ago."

They stared at the screen, then Yasutake sighed again. "We're back to square one."

* * *

In the middle of Den City, there's a place that some consider an artifact of the past. But that is what its proprietor is most proud of, and it is what keeps him in business. No matter how much technology replaces, people still have a desire to feel the real thing in their hands. That was why Kenshin Hirai was proud to operate Hirai Shoten, a rather small bookstore. It didn't have too many employees; just a few others besides himself. But he made enough money to keep it running, and he enjoyed selling books to people.

Earlier that day, though, he got an uncomfortable reminder of his past. To make it worse, it came in the form of one of the people he trusted the most in the world.

"Thank you," Kenshin said to a customer, smiling at them. "Feel free to come again soon. I'm getting a new shipment next week. There's going to be a copy of _A Tale of Two Cities_ in there."

The woman smiled at him. "Thank you. I think I might do that." She turned and left. Kenshin sighed. This was the life for him. No excitement, no dangers, just providing a service to people. It was a good life.

The door rang as the door opened. Kenshin turned to face it, a smile on his face. "Welcome to Hirai Shoten. How can I help you?"

The woman at the door smiled. "You can give me a real hello to start with, Kenshin."

He looked more closely at the woman and his smile got wider. "Kyoko! Or I suppose Dr. Taki now."

Kyoko Taki chuckled. "It's just Kyoko to you, old friend," she said as she walked up to the counter.

Kenshin looked her up and down. "You've barely aged a day, Kyoko," he said. It was true. She looked the same as she did ten years ago. The only differences he could see was that her orange and red hair was longer, and perhaps her grey eyes were a little wearier. Though that could just be due to her work at the hospital.

"You've aged, though, Kenshin," Kyoko said. "I have to say, I like the ponytail." His black hair was tied back in a ponytail that went down to the middle of his shoulder blades. He also had silver highlights in his bangs and brown eyes. Right now, he was dressed for work in a dark red dress shirt, maroon tie, and dark brown dress pants under a black blazer.

"Thanks," he said. "Mira liked it too." His smile fell as the memory of his late wife hit him.

Kyoko frowned in sympathy. "I heard. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the funeral. How's Hitomu?"

"He's seven," Kenshin said. "He's taking it the way a child should: one day at a time." He frowned. "While I'm glad to see you, Kyoko, what are you doing here? Are you looking for a new classic? I think I have a Dickens in the back or perhaps Tolstoy."

She smiled sadly. "I'm afraid I'm not here to shop. I wanted to talk to you. In private."

Kenshin thought about it. Normally he wouldn't leave the store at this time of day, but Kyoko was an old friend. He knew she wouldn't waste his time if it wasn't important.

"Juro!" he shouted. One of his employees ran up on being called.

"Yes, Mr. Hirai?"

"I'm taking my lunch break," he said, smiling at the teenager. "Keep an eye on the store, will you?"

The teen smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mr. Hirai."

* * *

"I have to say, working at a bookstore suits you," Kyoko said. The two of them were sitting at a nearby outdoor café, enjoying small coffees. "You can't have too much business, though, what with everything being online now."

"It is because everything is online now that I have a business," Kenshin said. "Many of my customers are collectors, looking for classic literature like Shakespeare and Austen. But others buy books for pleasure reading, because they like feeling a real book in their hands. There's just… something about the real thing that an e-book can't replicate."

Kyoko smiled. "Yes. I know what you mean."

Kenshin decided to get down to business. "So, what did you want to talk to me about, Kyoko? Is there someone in the hospital I know?"

"It's not about my work there," she said, gripping the sides of her coffee. "It's about… my other work."

"Ah," he said, dropping his cheerful demeanor. "With Faust and Genome."

"Yes," she said. "And… we were hoping, or at least I was, that you would reconsider joining us."

Kenshin sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Kyoko, we've been over this," he said slowly. "I can't work with you on that. I still have nightmares about what we did to those kids for the Project. Only now…"

"You see Hitomu instead," Kyoko guessed. When he didn't answer, she continued, "I don't blame you for leaving. Neither does Faust, Revolver, or our old boss. We all did what we thought was necessary back then."

"To create life," Kenshin said, smiling ruefully. "And we did, didn't we? At the cost of ruining the lives of eight children."

"And we will carry that burden the rest of our lives," she said. "We will go to our graves knowing that what we did was unforgiveable. But I am working with Revolver to undo our mistakes."

"Mistakes?" Kenshin asked, astonished at that. "Kyoko, we _tortured_ children. That is not a mistake, that is a felony."

"The mistake was creating the Ignis," Kyoko said, her conviction clear. "The Ignis are attempting to conquer the network. The doctor and Revolver have a plan that, if we succeed, could save all of humanity. And we could atone for what we started."

"But not for what we did to those kids," Kenshin said, then sighed again. "Kyoko, I get why you and Faust are helping Revolver. If it was just me, I probably would join you. But I have a son now. And whenever I think about what we did, I can't help but think: what if it had been Hitomu there? What if someone did to my son what we did ten years ago? And the thought of that breaks me inside."

"If your guilt is so strong, then maybe you should join us," Kyoko said. "Especially after recent events. You've heard of Morningstar and Playmaker?"

Kenshin frowned, confused by the change in topic. "Playmaker, yes. I watched his duels with Go Onizuka and Blue Angel. Morningstar… the name sounds familiar, but I can't remember where I've heard it."

"Morningstar is a bounty hunter in LINK VRAINS," Kyoko explained. "He dueled Go Onizuka not long after Playmaker did. One of his monikers is 'The Devil of LINK VRAINS.'"

"Considering he named himself after Lucifer, an apt title," Kenshin commented. "What do he and Playmaker have to do with our first conversation?"

Kyoko was quiet for a while as she stared at her coffee. "The two of them are victims from the incident."

Kenshin's eyes widened. "You… you're sure?"

"Without a doubt," Kyoko said. "Revolver and Specter both verified their stories. We don't know which victims they were, but they were among the children we experimented on."

Kenshin was silent for a long time, then he sighed. "Alright," he said. "I still have misgivings, but I'll join. I'll help you and Faust."

Kyoko gave him a relieved smile. "Thank you, Kenshin. With you on our side, I know we'll stop the Ignis."

Kenshin smiled back at her. He hated lying to Kyoko, but it was necessary. He wasn't agreeing to help because of the threat the Ignis posed. He was joining because of Morningstar and Playmaker. If he met either of them, he could learn about what they had been through, finally get an idea of how much damage the Project did to the children.

And, if nothing else, perhaps they would finally punish him for what he'd done.

"You'll need a pseudonym in LINK VRAINS," Kyoto was saying. "You can't use your real name."

Kenshin thought about it, then smirked. "How about Terminus?"

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Prototype Ai-C**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Morningstar**

Since there are no monsters on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Illusionist (2400/1000/6) from his hand, at the cost of its ATK becoming 1800 (Illusionist: 2400→1800). Since Illusionist was Special Summoned by its effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Prisoner to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Teleporter (500/1500/3). He uses Teleporter to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to the zone it points to, but that monster cannot attack and it is destroyed during the End Phase. He Special Summons Cyspirit Nova (1500/1000/3). Morningstar uses Cyspirit Nova to Link Summon Cyspirit Odd Outlaw (500/1/←) to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker. As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Illusionist and Cyspirit Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→) to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker. Since Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Blast. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter, banishing it to Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY. He Special Summons Cyspirit Nova (1500/1000/3).

Morningstar uses Cyspirit Nova and the Link 2 Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler to Link Summon Cyspirit Bombastic Bombardier (2600/3/↖↗→) to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker. Since it points to at least 2 monsters, Morningstar activates the effect of Bombastic Bombardier to inflict 400 damage to Ai-C for each "Cyspirit" Link Monster Morningstar controls. Morningstar controls 3 "Cyspirit" Link Monsters (Ai-C: 4000→2800 LP). Morningstar uses the Link 3 Bombastic Bombardier and Link 1 Cacophonic Caller to Link Summon Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800/4/↙↑↓↘) to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Blast, negating Datastorm Dragon's effects until the End Phase and inflicting damage to Ai-C equal to half of Datastorm Dragon's original ATK (Ai-C: 2800→1400 LP). Since it points to a Link Monster, Morningstar activates Odd Outlaw's effect, targeting cards in Ai-C's hand equal to Datastorm Dragon's Link Rating and shuffling those cards back into the owner's Deck. Then, for every 2 cards shuffled, Ai-C draws 1 card. Morningstar targets all 4 cards in Ai-C's hand, which are shuffled into the Deck and Ai-C draws 2 cards. Since Datastorm Dragon is a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar draws 1 card for every 2 cards shuffled into Ai-C's Deck. He draws 2 cards. Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Ai-C**

Ai-C draws. Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Bombardment, sending Datastorm Dragon to the GY to activate its effect. Ai-C now takes damage equal to half of Datastorm Dragon's ATK. Ai-C activates the effect of Tentacluster Explostinger in its hand, discarding it and reducing the damage to 0. During the End Phase, Morningstar will take damage equal to the damage Ai-C would have taken. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Bombardment in his GY, banishing it and Datastorm Dragon from his GY to inflict damage to Ai-C equal to Datastorm Dragon's Link Rating x 400 (Ai-C: 1400→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Prototype Ai-D**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Ai-D**

Prototype Ai-A activates the effect of Tentacluster Darkwhip in its hand, paying 500 LP to Special Summon it (100/500/2) (Ai-D: 4000→3500 LP). Ai-D then activates the Spell Card Machine Duplication to Special Summon 2 copies of a Machine monster with 500 or less ATK from its Deck. It Special Summons 2 more copies of Darkwhip (100/500/2 each). Ai-D uses the three copies of Darkwhip to Link Summon Tentacluster Nautilus (0/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Nautilus was Link Summoned, Ai-D activates its effect to Special Summon a "Tentacluster" monster from its hand to a zone it points to. It Special Summons Tentacluster Blastsucker (400/400/2) to the bottom Link Marker of Nautilus. Ai-D then activates the Spell Card Link Treasure Ticket, targeting Nautilus for its effect. Ai-D draws cards equal to Nautilus' Link Rating, meaning 3. It then sends 3 cards from the top of its Deck to the GY (Tentacluster Blastsucker and 2 Tentacluster Drillworms). Ai-D activates the Continuous Spell Card Abyss Invitation. Ai-D Normal Summons a third Blastsucker to Nautilus' bottom-left Link Marker.

Ai-D activates the effect of Nautilus, letting it destroy all monsters Nautilus points to. As a Link Monster's effect that targets it on the field is activated, Ai-D activates the effect of Blastsucker, destroying it to inflict 400 damage to Morningstar (Morningstar: 4000→3600 LP). As a player took 500 or less effect damage, the effect of Abyss Invitation activates, inflicting 200 damage to Morningstar (Morningstar: 3600→3400 LP). The effect of the other Blastsucker activates, followed by the effect of Abyss Invitation (Morningstar: 3400→3000→2800 LP).

Ai-D activates the effect of the first Blastsucker in its GY, banishing it to inflict 400 damage to Morningstar (Morningstar: 2800→2400 LP). The effect of Abyss Invitation activates (2400→2200 LP). Ai-D activates the effect of the second Blastsucker in its GY (Morningstar: 2200→1800 LP) then the effect of Abyss Invitation activates (Morningstar: 1800→1600 LP). Ai-D activates the effect of the third Blastsucker in its GY (Morningstar: 1600→1200 LP) then the effect of Abyss Invitation activates (Morningstar: 1200→1000 LP). Ai-D Sets 1 card. It ends its turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. During the Standby Phase, as Ai-D controls no monsters in the Main Monster Zones, and has no cards in its hand, it activates the effect of Tentacluster Drillworm in its GY, banishing the other Drillworm from its GY to send a random card from Morningstar's hand to the GY, then Special Summoning it in Defense Position (600/1200/3) to Nautilus's bottom Link Marker. Cyspirit Multiplier is sent to the GY.

Since Morningstar controls no monsters and Ai-D does, he Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) from his hand. Its effect activates, letting him add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke. Since Ai-D controls a Link Monster and Morningstar does not, he Special Summons Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke (200/500/2). Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Kid (300/200/1). He uses Cyspirit Kid to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Kid was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" monster, he can destroy 1 face-up card on his opponent's field. He destroys Abyss Invitation. Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to the zone it points to. He Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2). He uses Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller, Cyspirit Dancer, and Cyspirit Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400/3/↙↑→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, that monster gains 600 ATK (Pied Pikeman: 2400→3000). Since there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) from his hand. He uses Prisoner and Tunnel Tyke to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→) to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker. Since Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Sanctuary.

Morningstar activates the Field Spell Cyspirit Sanctuary, increasing the ATK/DEF of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls by 300 (Pied Pikeman: 3000→3300) (Thrilled Tunneler (1600→1900). Since Morningstar controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, he activates the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary to move 1 face-up monster to a Main Monster Zone on its controller's field. He moves Tentacluster Drillworm from Nautilus' bottom Link Marker to Pied Pikeman's top Link Marker. Morningstar activates the effect of Pied Pikeman, changing the battle position of Drillworm to destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. He destroys Ai-D's face-down card. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Multiplier in his GY, banishing Cyspirit Dancer from his GY to equip it to Cyspirit Pied Pikeman. Pied Pikeman can now make two attacks on his opponent's monsters during the Battle Phase.

Pied Pikeman attacks Tentacluster Nautilus, destroying it. Ai-D activates the effect of the Trap Card Tentacluster Ink Coating in its GY, banishing it. Until the End Phase of the turn, it takes no battle damage from attacks involving "Tentacluster" monsters. Pied Pikeman attacks and destroys Tentacluster Drillworm, but Ai-D takes no battle damage. Thrilled Tunneler attacks Ai-D directly (Ai-D: 3500→1600 LP). Morningstar activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyspirit Opening. Since his opponent took battle damage from a direct attack by a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar can Tribute one monster he controls to let that monster attack again. Morningstar Tributes Pied Pikeman to allow Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler to attack again. Thrilled Tunneler attacks Ai-D directly (1600→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Illusionist  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 2400 DEF 1000 Level: 6  
_ _If there are no monsters on the field, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand), but its ATK becomes 1800. If this monster is Special Summoned by its own effect: You can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from your Deck to your hand. This card cannot declare an attack the turn you activate this effect. You can only Special Summon "Cyspirit Illusionist" once per turn this way._

 _ **Cyspirit Nova  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Normal] ATK 1500 DEF 1000 Level: 3  
_ _This dragon has a lot of growing up to do. And when it does…_

 _ **Cyspirit Odd Outlaw  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 500 LINK-1_ ←  
 _1 "Cyspirit" Normal Monster  
_ _Once per turn, if this card points to a Link Monster: you can target cards in your opponent's hand equal to that monster's Link Rating; shuffle the targeted cards back into the owner's Deck(s), and for every 2 cards shuffled by this effect, your opponent draws 1 card. If the Link Monster this card points to is a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: draw 1 card for every 2 cards shuffled by this card's effect. This card cannot be used as Link Material the turn you activate this effect._

 _ **Cyspirit Bombastic Bombardier  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2600 LINK-3_ ↖↗→  
 _2+ "Cyspirit" monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: Inflict 300 damage to your opponent for each monster this card points to.  
_ _-2 or more: Inflict 400 damage to your opponent for each "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control.  
_ _-3: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each "Cyspirit" Link Monster in your GY.  
_ _You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspirit Bombastic Bombardier" per turn, and only once per turn. This card cannot declare an attack the turn you activate its effects._

 _ **Tentacluster Explostinger  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Machine/Effect] ATK 0 DEF 0 Level: 2  
_ _If you would take damage from an opponent's card effect, you can discard this card: reduce the damage to 0. During the End Phase of the turn you activated this effect: inflict damage to your opponent equal to the damage you would have taken. You can only use this effect of "Tentacluster Explostinger" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Bombardment Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Send 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control to the GY: inflict damage to your opponent equal to half that monster's ATK. You can banish this card and 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your GY: inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's Link Rating x 400. Your opponent cannot take effect damage the turn you activate either effect, except from the effect of "Cyspirit Bombardment."_

 _ **Tentacluster Ink Coating Normal Trap Card  
**_ _You take no battle damage from attacks involving "Tentacluster" monsters you control until the end of this turn. You can banish this card from your GY: activate the above effect. You can only activate each effect of "Tentacluster Ink" once per turn, and only one effect per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Opening Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _If your opponent takes battle damage from the direct attack of a "Cyspirit" monster: you can target 1 other monster you control; Tribute that monster, and the first monster can attack again._

* * *

 ** _Chapter Preview_**

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 8 - The Devil's Gunwoman_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to D3lph0xL0v3r, The Phantom of Rebellion, HunterHQ, JaneValentine007, sanedimentio, ClearwingYuta, Giacomo, Fenghuang0296, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 6 of Hidden Memories. Credit to sanedimentio for the creation of Cyspirit Odd Outlaw and thank you to HunterHQ and sanedimentio for giving me suggestions that resulted in Tentacluster Explostinger.

In this chapter, Morningstar infiltrated the databank and dueled Prototypes Ai-C and Ai-D. I gave previews of the first duels to HunterHQ and sanedimentio, and it was because of their comments that I wrote the second duel, so thank them for that. Sadly, I didn't want to come up with too many new Tentacluster cards, so I just came up with Explostinger and Ink Coating. Also in this chapter, we got more interactions between Morningstar, Blue Angel, and Ghost Girl. A big part of this was the revelation that Ghost Girl knows Morningstar's real name and Cam's. The reason for this is to show that Cam's and Yasutake's problems with her are not just professional, but personal as well.

But the biggest takeaway, at least to me, was Morningstar's experiences in the Hanoi Project. I assume most, if not all, of my readers are keeping up with the anime, but considering how great an impact the Incident had on Morningstar's character, I wanted to give him the same scenes we saw Yusaku in, and hear his thoughts on the matter. And really, writing that whole scene was very emotional for me.

Considering what I have planned for the next chapter, I decided to use this chapter to introduce the fourth general of Hanoi: Terminus. In real life, his name is Kenshin Hirai and he runs a bookstore. He is 33 years old and has a 7-year-old son and a wife who died recently. His son is the reason he didn't join Hanoi before, and it is because of Morningstar and Playmaker that he is joining now. Unlike Dr. Genome, Baira, and Faust, I intend to have Terminus stick around for a while so I can develop his character more.

I'll say this now: it will be a while before I start working on the next chapter. I have finals to prepare for, and while this is more fun, it does not have a deadline. This also gives more time for the poll. I have started a poll on my profile page that lists suggestions for the names of new Cyspirit Link Monsters. I'll keep the poll open for a time, but I will eventually close it or remove options that show up.

Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing my work. Please favorite and follow Hidden Memories and suggest this fanfic to your friends. I continue to look for ways to improve, so suggestions are always welcome, as are OC cards.


	8. Chapter 8: The Devil's Gunwoman

**Chapter 8: The Devil's Gunwoman**

Yasutake yawned as he walked down the sidewalk to school. He hadn't had any nightmares last night, which was making him nervous. It usually meant they'd return worse than before.

As he finished yawning, he frowned to himself. After doing a preliminary examination of the data Ghost Girl had given him, he and Cam had found out who was responsible for the Lost Incident. The man who was to blame for what happened to Yasutake, Sachi, and four other kids. Doctor Kiyoshi Kogami, a researcher at SOL Technologies, who had run the Hanoi Project without the knowledge of his superiors. For sixth months, Kogami's project had gone uninterrupted until someone talked to his bosses and shut it down. And then, three years after the project ended, Kogami died.

Yasutake wasn't sure what to make of the information. One the one hand, it helped that he now had a name to associate with his pain. On the other hand, said name belonged to a man long dead who Yasutake couldn't track down and demand answers from. Not only that, but Kogami's name had been the only one in the data. He had to have partners; no one could have set up something as big as the Hanoi Project and maintain it without help. But the identities of his co-conspirators were not there. Someone had erased their data, and Yasutake had an idea as to who was responsible.

 _Bishop_ , he thought. _You've been at SOL longer than anyone I know; even longer than Zaizen and that idiot Kitamura. And in your position, you'd know about the Hanoi Project and who was responsible._

He was tempted to call up Bishop and demand answers, but he knew that he'd get nowhere. Bishop would just deny that he knew anything about the Hanoi Project, and asking him would reveal that Yasutake had accessed SOL's databanks. Bishop didn't know who Morningstar was, but Bishop was Yasutake's biggest client and knew most of his other clients. If he confronted Bishop without evidence, Morningstar might never get work again.

Yasutake sighed. In the end, there was only one avenue left to him, but it was an unreliable one: Revolver. He'd reacted to Playmaker talking about three things and knew about the incident ten years ago. Whatever his connection was, Revolver was Yasutake's best lead. But there were three problems with that.

One: Revolver was the leader of the Knights of Hanoi. Yasutake had no way to contact them, and even if he did, he had no guarantee that Revolver would show up.

Two: He had no way of knowing if Revolver would tell him the truth. He could lie to him about the entire project and Yasutake would have no idea.

Three: Playmaker would be looking for Revolver too. That much was obvious. Yusaku had the same data that Yasutake did, and he'd likely come to the same conclusion that Revolver was the only one who could provide answers. With both of them hunting for him, Revolver would maintain as low a profile as possible.

So in the end, all Yasutake could do was wait for the Knights of Hanoi to make their move. Eventually, one of them would be able to guide him to Revolver. Until then, there was nothing he could do.

"Good morning, Narahiko."

He turned around on hearing that and saw Aoi Zaizen standing there.

"…Good morning," he said, then continued to walk to school, Aoi following him. Was this becoming a habit of hers? He really hoped it wasn't. He needed the walk to school to think about his work as Morningstar. He couldn't do that while she was there. Well, he could, but eventually she'd realize he was ignoring her and might slap him.

"I haven't seen you since the VR duel with Shima," she said. "Has anything changed?"

"I think Shima changed his Deck," Yasutake answered. "As for the others, I can't say."

Aoi didn't respond to that. They walked for a few blocks, then she spoke up. "May I ask you a question? A personal one?"

Yasutake glanced at her, but her eyes were staring ahead of her. "You can," he finally said. "But I might choose not to answer."

"…Fair enough. When I asked you about your Mekk-Knight monsters, you said they belonged to a friend of yours who couldn't duel anymore."

"…I remember," Yasutake said. "Where are you going with this?"

She didn't speak for a block, then said, somewhat tentatively, "Can they not duel anymore because… because they were part of the Lost Incident? With you?"

Yasutake stopped walking. He slowly turned his head to glare at Aoi. His face was pale, and his eyes were wide and fierce.

"How?" he said, his voice low. "How do you know about that?"

Aoi was startled by his reaction, but she stood her ground. "My… my brother told me about it. And what happened. And after remembering the VR duel, I realized you were part of the Incident. Am I wrong?"

Yasutake didn't answer her question. Instead, he leaned in close and glared at her. "Never ask me that question again," he said in the same low voice. "Ever."

Aoi unconsciously took a step back and nodded. "R-Right." Yasutake turned around and started walking to school again, this time at a faster pace than before. Aoi stood still for a while, trying to get her heartbeat under control, then she started walking again, at a slower pace than Yasutake, as she saw he didn't want to talk to her anymore.

That wasn't the reaction she'd been hoping for. When Playmaker had talked about his experiences in the Lost Incident, she'd seen Morningstar stand the same way that Yasutake had after the VR duel. She couldn't explain exactly how she put the pieces together, but she was certain Yasutake was Morningstar. So she had decided to ask him about it, partly to confirm her theory, but also to let Yasutake know that she sympathized with him.

But she hadn't expected him to get so angry with her about it. She knew about Morningstar's reputation; he was called "The Devil of LINK VRAINS." But all the times she'd seen him, he had never scared her. This time, though… she was starting to see why such a moniker was given to him.

* * *

Yasutake sat down in his seat, doing his best to ignore Aoi sitting in the row behind him. After what she asked him on the way to school, he had no desire to speak to her ever again. And what she asked… did she know he was Morningstar? She knew that he and Morningstar were both part of the incident. It wouldn't take too much for her to connect the dots. On the other hand, she might think he was Playmaker. Amusing as that would be, he had no desire to talk to her about it. Threats of being exposed aside, if his enemies found out that Blue Angel knew who he was, they would target her. He already felt guilty enough about the events with Specter. He didn't need more things on his conscience.

"Good morning, class." Yasutake looked up from his tablet as the teacher entered the classroom. "Today, I have a very special announcement. A new student is joining us today; a transfer from Kyoto."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. A new student? Well, it wouldn't affect him or his work. Still, it should be interesting to meet this new person.

The teacher turned to the door and said, "You may come in now." A girl wearing her Den Academy uniform walked into the room and stood at the front. She was tall, around the same height as Yasutake, with pale skin. She had black hair ending in purple highlights at her chin, with two strands going down to her collarbone. Her violet eyes surveyed the room.

"My name is Masako Himura," she said, bowing slightly. "Please take care of me." She smiled at the people in the room.

Yasutake was suddenly aware of a sound and glanced around the classroom. All the guys in the room – except himself and Yusaku – and a couple of the girls were staring at Masako with wide eyes and open mouths. Some of them had even gotten out of their chairs.

"Why are they staring at her?" Yasutake asked Aoi, momentarily forgetting his anger at her.

"Because she's pretty," Aoi answered. "You don't think she is?"

Yasutake turned back to Masako. She was pretty, he guessed. But it was an eerie pretty. Something about her… he narrowed his eyes. His instincts were telling him not to trust this girl.

"Miss Himura was at the top of her class back at Kyoto," the teacher was saying, either ignoring or not seeing that most of the male populace of the room were no longer paying attention to him. "Perhaps she will provide an example to the rest of you to pay more attention to your grades."

 _Doubtful_ , Yasutake thought as he turned back to his tablet. The way most of the class was staring at her, he wouldn't be surprised if everyone's grades started dropping.

"Please, take a seat next to Narahiko," the teacher said to Masako. Wait, what? Yasutake glanced up in shock as the teacher gestured to the empty seat next to him. Masako thanked the teacher, then walked over to Yasutake's bench.

"Hello," she said, smiling at him. "I'm Masako Himura. I take it you are Narahiko?"

"Yasutake Narahiko," he answered. "Welcome to Den Academy." He then turned back to his tablet, determined to ignore this girl who gave him a bad feeling. Unbeknownst to him, Masako's smile widened.

* * *

"Narahiko, would you do me a favor?"

Yasutake turned from his bag to Masako in response to her question. It was the end of class, and he'd almost managed to forget about Masako's existence until now. He also noticed that much of the class was still in the room, still staring at Masako.

"That depends on the favor," Yasutake said, his face blank. Unlike his classmates, he wasn't charmed by this girl's appearance. Some of his bounties had tried using their looks to get him to either go easy on them or let them go. After the first time, Yasutake learned his lesson.

"Hey, Narahiko!" Naoki suddenly appeared on Masako's side. Yasutake had almost forgotten Naoki was part of this class. "Don't be rude to our new classmate!" He turned from Yasutake to Masako. "I would be glad to help you in any way I can, Himura."

Masako smiled at him and said, "Thank you, but I would prefer Narahiko. I asked him first, after all." She turned back to Yasutake as Naoki sputtered. "I was wondering if you could show me around campus. After all, I am a new student, and need some help finding my way around."

"I'd help you, Himura!" another guy in the room said. Several other guys piped up, but Masako was still watching Yasutake, ignoring them.

In truth, Yasutake didn't want to show Masako around. Something about her seemed off to him. But as his gaze fell over the guys trying to get her attention, he realized he didn't have a choice. One of these idiots might try something, and he suspected it wouldn't end well for them. Better to handle it himself.

He sighed and said, "Alright. I'll show you around the campus." Masako smiled on hearing that as the guys around them groaned. He walked towards the exit with her following him, eager to get this over with as soon as possible. Neither of them noticed Yusaku in the back, staring at Masako, his eyes narrowed.

 _Be careful, Narahiko,_ he thought. _This girl is more dangerous than she looks._

* * *

"This is the cafeteria," Yasutake said, opening the door. It was a large room, with long tables spread across it. "Students gather here to eat at lunchtime. You can bring your own bento, but if you don't, they do provide food for you." The two teenagers walked over to a screen on a wall. "This is today's menu. It shows what's available and how much it costs. Every student has a food fund that is part of their tuition. You should have that as well."

"Fascinating." On hearing that, Yasutake turned and saw Masako was leaning in very close to him. Surprised, he backed up.

"Wha-what are you doing?" he asked, somewhat flustered.

"Oh sorry," she said, not looking sorry at all as she smiled at him. "I was just fascinated with your face."

"… My… face," Yasutake said, deadpan. _Alright, I'll ask the obvious question_. "Why is my… face… fascinating?"

Masako's smile grew. "I like studying the people I meet," she said. "It's always fun to learn more about people. Especially if they have secrets." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And your face tells me you have _many_ secrets."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. Was this girl implying she knew he was Morningstar? But it was what she said next that surprised him the most.

"You're not the only one with a face like that," she said. "The kind that keeps secrets. The boy in the back with the blue and pink hair had that face too. As did the girl who sat behind you." Her smile turned into a smirk. "Are the three of you in a club? One the rest of the school isn't part of?"

"…If we were, I wouldn't tell you," Yasutake said, his suspicion rising. Masako was highly observant. She was able to tell that he, Yusaku, and Aoi all had secrets within minutes of meeting them. His instincts had been right; this girl was trouble. "I think we've seen enough of the cafeteria."

He led her around the school, showing her the classrooms, computer labs, and other places. Throughout the tour, he could see out of the corner of his eye that Masako kept staring at him. Why was she doing that? Was she trying to look for a crack in his defenses and find out more about him?

Nothing memorable happened during the tour, except during their visit to the library. When Yasutake left her in the care of one of the assistant librarians – who was only too happy to help Masako – he was approached by a senior.

"Hey, is that your girlfriend?" Yasutake looked at the guy. He was a head taller than Yasutake with tan skin. His short blonde hair was swept to the right, and his royal blue eyes sparkled with humor. Yasutake could tell this was someone whose default mode was happy.

"No, just a new student I'm showing around," Yasutake answered.

"Really? Wow. You don't see many freshmen like her," the boy said. "Why are you showing her around? Are you with the admissions team?"

"She asked me after class," Yasutake said, causing the senior to smirk.

"Oh, she asked you? I take it you know what that means, right?"

Yasutake thought about it and shook his head. "No."

"What?" the guy said, surprised. "You don't? Man, it's obvious. She likes you and wants to spend time with you."

"She just met me today," Yasutake said, confused. "Why would she want to spend time with me?"

The guy sighed. "Man, you're dense. Look, some people are like that. The instant they see a particular person, they are attracted to them."

"Why would you be attracted to a person without getting to know them first?"

"I don't know, it's just something some people do." The senior narrowed his eyes and turned serious. "Look, I can tell you don't have much experience with girls, so I'm going to give you some advice on this."

"…Okay," Yasutake said. He didn't really want any advice from this guy, but Masako looked like she would be busy for a while and Yasutake figured the boy wouldn't drop the subject.

The guy spent about five minutes talking about what to expect when taking a girl to a restaurant, what to wear, how to know if she was upset. Yasutake suspected it was probably useful information, but considering his work as Morningstar, it was pointless information to him. He didn't have time for dating.

"…And if you meet her parents, make sure to always be polite," the senior finally finished, looking proud to be helping a freshman get a girlfriend.

"That was very interesting information," Yasutake said. "But I have one question."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Who are you?"

The guy blanched and fell over. He immediately got back up, an angry expression on his face. "Are you serious!?" he shouted at Yasutake. "You don't know who I am!?"

Yasutake looked the guy up and down and shook his head. "No."

The senior grit his teeth. "I'm Takeshi Akino! The Student Council President!"

Yasutake blinked. "Oh. Okay."

"That's it?" Takeshi said, his face changing from angry to annoyed. "All you have to say is 'okay?'"

"Uh… congratulations?" Yasutake said, not knowing what Takeshi wanted him to say.

Takeshi looked like he wanted to shout at Yasutake some more, but Masako chose that moment to show up, the assistant librarian trailing after her with a weird look on his face.

"This library is fascinating," Masako said, then turned to the assistant librarian and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you for showing me around. If I ever need help, I'll be sure to ask for you."

"Oh… n-no problem," he said, blushing madly. "Please, come by any time you want!" He hurried away so he could reorder his thoughts. Masako turned and smiled at Takeshi.

"Hello. I'm Masako Himura," she said, bowing her head again. "You are Takeshi Akino, yes?"

"Yes!" he said, his annoyance vanishing. "Thank you! Glad to see that even a new student knows who the Student Council President is."

"Actually, I didn't," she said, a playful smirk on her face. "I just overheard your conversation with Narahiko." She turned to Yasutake as Takeshi's face started turning red from anger and embarrassment. "Should we move on? There's so much of the school I still have to see."

"Sure," Yasutake said, heading towards the exit. He didn't want to spend more time with Masako, but it was preferable to being shouted at by Takeshi.

"You surprise me, Narahiko," Masako said after they left the library. "You haven't looked at me like the other boys have at all."

"Is that a bad thing?" Yasutake asked. "I don't tend to drool over people."

"No, it's a good thing, just unexpected," Masako said, smiling to herself. "Everywhere I go, men try to hit on me. You… are refreshing."

Yasutake glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Was she flirting with him? What a pointless effort. Between his work at Café Junpei, his double-life as Morningstar, and his schoolwork, he had no time for romance.

"It was amusing, though," she said. "Hearing that senior offer you dating advice. Do you intend to take it?"

"…Don't take this the wrong way," he said slowly, hoping not to offend her. "But… I have no interest in you."

"No offense taken. Though, I wouldn't mind if that changed." He stopped walking and turned to her. She was smiling in response to the blank look on his face as she stepped closer.

"There's something different about you," she said. "Aside from your face. You have… an intensity I've never felt before. It's… inspiring."

Okay, she was definitely flirting with him. Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "Like I said, I have no interest in you."

"And somehow, that just makes me want to know you more," Masako said, maintaining her coquettish smile. "Do you have a girlfriend? In that case, I'll back off."

Yasutake thought about lying, but decided against it. "No, I don't have a girlfriend," he said. Before she could ask him another question, the bell rang. "I need to get to another class," he said, turning his back on Masako. "Welcome to Den Academy."

* * *

Yasutake walked home, taking a different and longer route back to Café Junpei so he wouldn't run into Aoi. He was going over today's events in his head. A new student had joined his class and apparently, she found him attractive. That had never happened to Yasutake before.

He suspected he should be flattered. He knew Masako was beautiful, but something about her made him suspicious. Yasutake was attracted to women, but he'd never had a girlfriend, nor had he made any attempt to go out with one. He idly wondered if that was a side effect of the Lost Incident; had it damaged his emotions to the point where he couldn't form an attachment that strong?

He idly thought about the girls in his life and whether he found them attractive. He knew Aoi was pretty, but because of who her brother was, she was dangerous. Also, what she'd said this morning… he knew she was trying to be sympathetic to him, but it just made him angry. No, he couldn't see himself dating her. Besides, she had her own emotional problems. He didn't need to add his to hers.

Then there was Masako. The fact that he knew next to nothing about her aside, she was physically beautiful and had shown interest in him. But it would take more than that for him to consider her. His instincts were telling him she was dangerous, and they'd served him well in the past. Also, he was pretty sure that if they did go out, several of his male classmates would plot an accident for him.

Were there any other women in his life? His thoughts turned to Sachi, and he lightly blushed. Yes, Sachi was pretty, but a relationship between them was impossible. The fact that she couldn't respond to the outside world aside, she was Cam's sister. His friendship with Cam was the most important thing in the world to Yasutake. He couldn't take advantage of that friendship, even if Sachi wasn't the way she was. Still, he couldn't deny that next to Cam, Sachi was the person he cared about the most.

Yasutake shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He had more immediate and more important concerns than girls. Masako had said that he, Yusaku, and Aoi all had the same faces. The kind that keep secrets. He knew only one thing that all three of them had in common: they were all duelists in LINK VRAINS, hiding their identities from the outside world. Since she was able to recognize that, or at least guess at it, did that mean Masako was active in LINK VRAINS under a pseudonym? Possibly, but Yasutake couldn't be sure.

 _Well_ , Yasutake thought. _The way these things go, I guess I'll find out sooner rather than later._

* * *

When he entered Café Junpei, he saw that Cam's steward robot was standing behind the counter. That usually meant Cam was either out, or…

"Greetings, Master Yasutake," the robot said. "Master Cameron wishes to speak to you in the back room."

"Thank you," Yasutake said, giving the robot a small smile as he headed into the back. Cam was sitting at their workplace, frowning at the monitors. When Yasutake entered, he turned and gave a tired smile at him.

"Hey, Yasu," he said. "How was school?"

"We got a new classmate," Yasutake responded, setting his bag on the ground. He took the seat next to Cam and narrowed his eyes. "Are you alright? You have bags under your eyes."

Cam sighed. "Just stayed up later than I thought I would, going through the SOL data. I thought perhaps I would find something that we missed, some clue as to Dr. Kogami's partners."

"And?"

"Nothing. You were right that Dr. Kogami couldn't have run the project alone, but I can't find any references to who his co-conspirators were. I can't even find out who spilled the beans on the project."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "You think the whistleblower would be more willing to talk?"

"To Morningstar? Probably not. But to a victim of the Incident like Yasutake Narahiko, they might be more receptive."

Yasutake sighed. "Contemplating that is pointless until we find out more. Is there anything else going on? I could use a distraction."

Cam thought about it, then turned back to the screens. "Now that you mention it, a contract came in earlier. Low-grade, but might be worth our time." He opened a file that was annoyingly sparse. "Not much info on the target. Not even a picture of her avatar. Just her ID number and her alias: Lilith."

"Lilith?" Yasutake repeated, raising an eyebrow. "In Jewish mythology, Lilith was the first wife of Adam. She was cast out of Eden by God and became a demoness. Some of the stories even say she stole babies. Why would someone name themselves after a figure like that?"

"Why would someone name themselves after the devil?" Cam asked, casting an aside glance at Yasutake, who scowled.

"Fair enough." His eyes narrowed as he considered something. "Do you think the name is a clue? It's based on religious connotations just like Morningstar is."

"You think this Lilith is a fan of yours? Or that it's a trap?"

"Could be both. Or someone could be trying to send me a message. Who put the contract up? SOL?"

Cam shook his head. "No, it was an independent contractor. They must have been referenced to you by SOL, though. Morningstar's contact info isn't in the public directory."

Yasutake stared at the screen, thinking. "You don't have to take this one, Yasu," Cam said. "We can pass it back to SOL and forget about it."

Yasutake sighed. "I have nothing better to do, and frankly I can use a break from all the Hanoi stuff that's happened. This hunt could be refreshing. Accept the contract."

Cam looked uneasy, but he said, "I figured you'd say that. That's why I've worked on finishing that scan program you were writing when searching for Watcher. Should be ready to deploy."

Yasutake turned to the monitors and started typing. Sure enough, the scan was complete. He deployed it, and was surprised when it pinged almost instantly.

"Wow. That was quick." Yasutake narrowed his eyes. Most of the time, they had for a while; from 10 minutes to 10 hours. Since the scan found Lilith's ID this quickly, it only meant one thing. "Lilith wants to be found."

"This reeks of a trap," Cam said. "You sure you want to go, Yasu?"

Yasutake nodded. "I've accepted the contract. It goes against my honor to back down now." He stood up and walked into the sealed room. He took his Deck and placed it in his Duel Disk.

"Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

Morningstar landed in an alley and looked around him. Lilith's signal had come from this area, so she should be-.

BANG.

Morningstar ducked and rolled as a window above him shattered. He turned towards the source of the sound and gasped.

"Oh, sorry about that," the woman holding the flintlock pistol said. "I thought this one was loaded with blanks." She placed her pistol in her right hip holster and pulled another one out of the left one. She fired it at a nearby window, but the window didn't shatter.

"Ah! This is the one with blanks!" She turned back to Morningstar and smiled at him. "For the record, I wasn't trying to shoot you. I just wanted to get your attention. And those bullets wouldn't even make you bleed. The most they'd do is cause a great deal of physical pain."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "I assume you're Lilith?"

The woman's smile became wider. "Oh yes, I'm Lilith. So tell me, what do you think?" She spread her arms and twirled, showing off her avatar. "Am I not gorgeous?"

Lilith had green eyes set in a pale face with somewhat messy bright red hair that went down her back to the nape of her neck. Her outfit was made of dark brown leather, and was both lowcut and skintight. She had holsters on either side of her hips for her pistols and dark brown boots that went up to her knees.

Morningstar decided to ignore her question and said, "There's a bounty on your head, Lilith. I suggest you give up now."

She giggled at hearing that. "Oh, I don't think I will," she said. "Instead, how about you surrender to me?" Her smile turned into a smirk.

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. Before he could ask what she meant, Lilith lifted her pistol and fired at him. He rolled to the side, but found his movement restricted. Looking around him, he saw a golden field. He tried to log out, but found he could not.

"Your pistol can create a security field?" He'd never seen anyone do something like that before.

Lilith giggled again. "Oh yes. And I'm so glad you were able to show up. I figured the best way to get your attention would be to post a bounty that you wouldn't be able to ignore."

"To get my-." Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He understood what this was now. "You're a bounty hunter, like me," he said. "And someone hired you to take me out, so you put a price on yourself to draw me out."

Lilith smiled again. "Very astute, Morningstar. Yes, I was hired to defeat you. Apparently, you embarrassed someone quite a bit, so they hired me to get even with you."

"Who?"

"Uh uh," Lilith said, wagging a finger. "Client confidentiality. Though," she added, "they didn't want me to, what did you say: take you out? They just want me to defeat you in a duel and embarrass you."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes further. Who had he recently embarrassed enough to send a hunter after him? Could she be working for the Knights of Hanoi? Or-?

He sighed. Of course. It was obvious now. Still, as stupid as this situation was, he had no choice but to duel now.

"I hate it when I'm right," Cam said in Morningstar's earpiece.

"So do I," Morningstar answered. Then he turned to Lilith and said, "So, I defeat you in a duel, and I can log out?"

She giggled. "Naturally. Of course, if I win…" Her smile turned flirtatious. "You and I go out on a date."

Morningstar nearly fell over in shock. He used a finger to clean out his ear. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that last part?"

Lilith snickered. "I said that if I defeat you, we go on a date. Not in real life, of course. There's a lovely cyber café here in this server. I know we can't actually eat anything, but it's such a nice place."

"Okay, a better question. Why?"

She giggled again. "Because, silly, I'm a fan of yours. I've followed many of your exploits. How do you think I designed that security field? I based it off your Data Anchor, but felt an area of effect would work better." She looked him up and down. "So, if you win, you get to log out. If I win, you have to go out with me. Deal?"

Morningstar scowled. He didn't have much of a choice. He had no desire to go out with this woman, who he was starting to think was not entirely sane. But with her security field active, he couldn't leave.

"Deal."

* * *

The two of them rode the data stream, with Lilith in front riding a red board with pale blue wings and Morningstar following her.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Lilith: 4000 LP**

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn," Lilith said, swiping her hand in front of her and revealing her cards. She smiled to herself.

 _A perfect opening hand. With this, Morningstar will soon lose._

Nearby, someone wearing a cloak released a drone to follow Lilith and Morningstar. The drone recorded the duel, and sent it to Lilith's client.

Kitamura, sitting in his office, smiled on seeing the feed.

"Yes!" he said. "Perfect! She lured him in! Now Morningstar will pay for betraying SOL's trust and defeating my AI duelists!" He scowled as he remembered Morningstar helping Playmaker and defeating Prototypes C and D. He couldn't go to his bosses to complain about Morningstar; doing so would reveal that Playmaker had infiltrated the databank and get Kitamura fired. So instead, he decided to beat Morningstar at his own game and hired Lilith to defeat him.

"I summon Magical Musketeer Starfire!" Lilith declared. A woman wearing a black top with long blue and white skirts appeared, carrying a Derringer pistol in her right hand.

 **Magical Musketeer Starfire ATK 1300 DEF 1700 LVL: 4**

 _Magical Musketeer?_ Morningstar thought, narrowing his eyes. "I'm not familiar with that archetype, Cam," he whispered. "Are you?"

"No, but I can look it up," Cam said. He did so, then said, "Uh oh. This is going to be bad."

"Thank you for that assessment."

"Next, I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal!" Lilith declared, said card appearing on her field. "So long as this card is face-up, 'Magical Musket' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by card effects."

"That's a Trap Card," Morningstar interjected. "How did you activate it from your hand?"

Lilith smiled. "Starfire's effect lets me activate 'Magical Musket' Spell and Trap Cards from my hand during either of our turns."

 _Great,_ Morningstar thought.

"And that's not her only effect," Lilith continued. "If I activate a Spell or Trap Card in Starfire's column, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Magical Musket' monster from my Deck in Defense Position. Come to me, Magical Musketeer Caspar!" A young blonde man in red and black with a blue hand carrying a futuristic gun appeared alongside Starfire.

 **Magical Musketeer Caspar ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3**

"Two monsters, but neither has many attack points," Morningstar mused. "Is she…?"

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon!" Lilith said. "This card allows me to perform a second Normal Summon this turn. And, since I activated it in Caspar's column, I can add a 'Magical Musket' card from my Deck to my hand, so long as it doesn't have the same name as the activated card. I add Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel!"

 _She activated a card that lets her Normal Summon again, and used her monster's effect to add a monster she could summon to her hand,_ Morningstar thought. _She may be crazy, but she's definitely skilled._

"My Zakiel has an effect of its own," Lilith said. "I can Tribute Summon it by Tributing one 'Magical Musket' monster. I Tribute Starfire to summon Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel!" This monster was twice as large as Caspar, with bright red wings on its back. It looked like a demon in a black trench coat. In its blue hands, it held two large bronze guns.

 **Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 2500 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"Level 8 and 2500 attack points," Morningstar muttered. "This must be her ace monster."

"I end my turn," Lilith said, turning back to Morningstar. "So, sweetie, do you think you can beat me?"

"I'm not your sweetie."

"Oh!" she squealed. "That cold gaze of yours is so charming! I can't wait to go on a date with you!"

Kitamura sweat-dropped. What was wrong with this woman? She needed to get her priorities straight. Defeat Morningstar, embarrass him like he embarrassed Kitamura, then get paid. Why was she flirting with him?

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his hand and frowned. Lilith didn't have any face-down cards, but he was certain that didn't matter. Lilith had said Starfire let her activate "Magical Musket" Spell and Trap Cards from her hand during either of their turns. He imagined Caspar and Zakiel had similar effects. Still, that would only slow him down.

"Since you control a monster and I do not, I Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!"

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"When Swordsman is Special Summoned by its own effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Dancer, and Normal Summon her!"

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"If Dancer is Normal Summoned while I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or below 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand or Deck in Attack Position. However, the summoned monster's effects will be negated. From my Deck, I summon Cyspirit Changer!"

 **Cyspirit Changer ATK 200 DEF 100 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared in front of Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Cyspirit Changer in the Link Marker!" Changer entered the bottom-left arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!" The skeleton in overalls and a plaid shirt with small wings appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600 LINK-1** ↙

"Egregious Electrician's monster effect! Once per turn, I can move one monster from a zone it points at to another Main Monster Zone, then Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to that zone. I move Swordsman and Special Summon Cyspirit Wanderer!"

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 5**

"When Cyspirit Wanderer is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, it can lower the attack points of one of my opponent's monsters by 800! I lower Zakiel's attack points! Digital Drain!" Lilith grit her teeth as Zakiel's attack points dropped.

 **Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 2500→1700**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Dancer, Egregious Electrician, and Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the bottom-left, top, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!" The skeleton warrior in a guardsman's uniform carrying a long spear appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"Because I used Dancer to Link Summon Pied Pikeman, my monster gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400→3000**

"Pied Pikeman's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, I can change the battle position of one monster it points to and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I change your Caspar that it points at to Attack Position to destroy your Fiendish Deal!"

Caspar switched to Attack Position while Lilith's card shattered. She smirked in response.

"Oh, you shouldn't have done that, darling," she said. "If Fiendish Deal is sent to the Graveyard by my opponent's card effect, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand." She took a card from her Deck, smirked, and said, "I add Magical Musket – Last Stand to my hand."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. That card must be powerful for her to add it to her hand.

"I Set two cards," Morningstar said. "Battle! Cyspirit Wanderer, attack Caspar! Digital Desperado!" Wanderer pulled out a pistol and fired at Caspar as Lilith smirked again.

"Bad idea," she said in a singsong voice. "Caspar lets me activate 'Magical Musket' Spell and Trap Cards from my hand during either of our turns. I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Magical Musket – Cross-Domination! Now, until the end of this turn, one monster on the field has its effects negated, and its attack and defense points become 0! I target your Wanderer!"

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900→0 DEF 200→0**

"And of course, since I activated Cross-Domination in Caspar's column, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Magical Musket – Steady Hands!" She turned around and smiled at Morningstar. "Your Wanderer's attack now continues!" The bullet from Wanderer's gun blazed towards Caspar, but before it hit…

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Cyspirit Sacrifice!" Morningstar declared. "By Tributing a number of 'Cyspirit' monsters, I can draw an equal number of cards! I Tribute Wanderer to draw one card!"

Lilith smirked as Wanderer disappeared. "Clever boy, avoiding the damage. But don't think I'll let you get a new card." She tapped another card in her hand. "From my hand, I activate the Counter Trap Magical Musket – Last Stand! If you activate a Spell or Trap Card while I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can negate the activation of that card and destroy it!" Cyspirit Sacrifice shattered on Morningstar's field, but since Wanderer was a cost, it was already gone.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Because of Lilith's Counter Trap, he had no cards in his hand. But he still had moves to make. "Battle! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman, attack Magical Musket – Caspar!" Pied Pikeman charged Caspar, but Lilith was prepared for this, too.

"From my hand, I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Magical Musket – Steady Hands!" she declared. "This card makes one 'Magical Musket' monster's attack and defense points double its original attack and defense points until the end of the turn! I target Caspar with its effect!"

 **Magical Musketeer Caspar ATK 1200→2400 DEF 2000→4000**

"That isn't enough to stop Pied Pikeman's attack!" Morningstar pointed out. "Continue your attack, Pied Pikeman! Spiritual Halberd!" Pied Pikeman slashed Caspar in half, causing an explosion that made Lilith wince.

 **Lilith: 4000→3400 LP**

"No!" Kitamura screamed. "You're losing, Lilith! Do something!"

Lilith smirked at Morningstar. "Well played," she said. "I was hoping to do a little damage to you, but you blocked me. Your title is well-earned, 'Devil of LINK VRAINS.'"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. While he understood the fear factor behind that name, he didn't much care for it.

"I end my turn," he said, which made Lilith's smile grow broader.

"And with it, my Zakiel's effect activates!" she declared. "During your End Phase, I can draw cards equal to the number of 'Magical Musket' Spell and Trap Cards I activated this turn. I activated Cross-Domination, Last Stand, and Steady Hands, so I draw three cards!"

As she drew, Morningstar narrowed his eyes again. _I only dealt her a little damage this turn, and she replenished her hand. Crazy or not, her skills are professional._

"My turn! Draw!" Lilith drew, looked at her card, and smirked. "I summon Magical Musketeer Wild!" Her new monster was a large tattooed man with bandoliers of bullets across his chest and multiple weapons attached to his arms and shoulders.

 **Magical Musketeer Wild ATK 1700 DEF 900 LVL: 4**

"I don't know," Cam said in Morningstar's earpiece. "You think he has enough firepower?" Morningstar scoffed.

"Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can activate this card!" Lilith declared. "The Trap Card Magical Musket – Desperado! This card allows me to target and destroy one face-up card on the field!" Morningstar's eyes widened. There was only one face-up card that would be worth destroying to her.

"Say goodbye, Pied Pikeman!" Lilith said as Wild lifted its arms and fired a barrage of gunfire at Pied Pikeman, destroying it in an explosion. Morningstar winced. "And now Wild's effect activates! Since a Spell or Trap Card was activated in Wild's column, I can target three 'Magical Musket' cards in my Graveyard and shuffle them into my Deck." She took Cross-Domination, Last Stand, and Steady Hands from her Graveyard and placed them back into her Deck. "Then, I draw one card!"

She drew, smirked again, and said, "I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! This card lets me Special Summon one monster from either of our Graveyards. I Special Summon Magical Musketeer Caspar from my Graveyard in Attack Position!"

 **Magical Musketeer Caspar ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3**

"Next, from my hand, I activate the Trap Card Magical Musket – Dancing Needle! Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can target up to three cards in the Graveyards and banish them!"

"Graveyards?" Morningstar repeated, his eyes widening. "Meaning-."

"That's right, dear," Lilith said. "I can banish cards from your Graveyard." She opened an interface to see what cards were in Morningstar's Graveyard and smirked. "I've studied you for quite some time, and I know that many of your cards have effects that activate in the Graveyard. You also have cards that Special Summon monsters from the Graveyard. I target and banish Cyspirit Changer, Cyspirit Pied Pikeman, and Cyspirit Wanderer from your Graveyard!"

Morningstar grit his teeth. If he banished Changer, he could change all her monsters to Defense Position, and if he had shuffled Wanderer back into his Deck, he could Special Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his Graveyard. By banishing them, Lilith was reducing his options. She really was clever.

"And of course, Caspar's effect now activates!" Lilith continued. "Since I activated a Spell or Trap Card in Caspar's column, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card from my Deck to my hand." She took a card and showed it to Morningstar. "Recognize it, darling?"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Magical Musket – Last Stand. She added it to her hand to keep him from using his face-down cards against her.

"Battle!" Lilith declared. "Zakiel, attack Morningstar directly!" Zakiel lifted both of its guns and began charging them, but before they fired, Morningstar gestured to one of his face-down cards.

"Continuous Trap activate!" he declared. "Cyspirit Lineage! This card allows me to target one 'Cyspirit' monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon that monster in Attack Position! Return to me, Cyspirit Swordsman!"

Lilith smirked. "That's not going to happen, sweetie. From my hand, I activate the Counter Trap Magical Musket – Last Stand! Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can negate your card's activation and destroy it!" Cyspirit Lineage shattered from Last Stand's effect. "Continue your attack, Zakiel! Seventh Bullet!" Zakiel's guns stopped charging as they released a massive red blast at Morningstar. Morningstar held both of his arms in front of him as he weathered the attack.

 **Morningstar: 4000→2300 LP**

"Your turn, Wild!" Lilith continued. "Attack Morningstar directly with Sixth Bullet!" Wild lifted its arms and unloaded its weapons at Morningstar. Morningstar braced himself against the attack, but it eventually sent him flying off his D-Board.

 **Morningstar: 2300→600 LP**

"Yasu!" Cam shouted.

"Yes!" Kitamura shouted. "Go, Lilith! Defeat that treacherous bounty hunter scum!"

As he fell, Morningstar released his Data Anchor and anchored himself to his D-Board. He managed to use his momentum to swing himself back onto his D-Board, but he winced as he did so. Lilith's monsters hurt.

Lilith smirked at Morningstar. "I have to say, I'm a little disappointed, Morningstar. I thought you'd put up a much better fight than this." She sighed. "Oh well. Perhaps our date won't be as exciting as I had hoped." She gestured to Caspar. "Go, Caspar! Attack Morningstar directly and end this! Second Bullet!" Caspar lifted his gun and fired at Morningstar. Before the attack hit-.

"Counter Trap activate!" Morningstar declared, making Lilith gasp. "Cyspirit Barricade! I can only activate Barricade if I am being attacked directly by a monster whose attack points are greater than or equal to my Life Points. First, your attack is negated!" A barrier appeared, blocking Caspar's attack. Lilith grit her teeth. She'd been so close.

"Second, I can now Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard whose attack points are less than or equal to the damage I would have taken," Morningstar continued. "Return to me, Egregious Electrician!"

 **Egregious Electrician ATK 600 LINK-1** ↙

 _Normally, Barricade would inflict damage to Lilith equal to the difference between my Life Points and Egregious Electrician's attack points,_ Morningstar thought. _But since its attack points are equal to my Life Points, she takes no damage._

Lilith smirked and laughed. "You know what? I'm not surprised. You're famous for pulling off counters like that," she said. "But it won't help you this time. I activate my Skill! Magic Shot!" Red lines appeared over her body as she continued to speak. "At the end of the Battle Phase, since you took battle damage from at least one attack by a 'Magical Musket' monster, your Life Points are halved!"

Morningstar's eyes widened as Lilith took one of her pistols and pointed it at Morningstar. "Don't worry!" she said. "I'm pretty sure this one is filled with blanks!" She fired, and the bullet hit Morningstar in the gut. It didn't pierce him, but it did make him wince. "Oops. I was mistaken."

 **Morningstar: 600→300 LP**

"I end my turn," Lilith said, turning back to the front. "I don't think you'll get another turn after this, Morningstar. So you better make it count." She smirked as she looked at the single card in her hand. It was another copy of Magical Musket – Steady Hands. With this card, she could make any of her monster's attack and defense double their original attack and defense points. And because she had Caspar, she could add another "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand once she used it. She had this in the bag.

Kitamura growled, then calmed down. "So Morningstar survived the turn," he said. "No matter. Once she gets her turn, Lilith will end him. Maybe then, she'll get off this 'date' nonsense."

"This duel's looking pretty one-sided, Yasu," Cam commented. "It reminds me of Blue Angel's and Playmaker's duel."

"Except hopefully, my opponent won't end up as a hostage of the Knights of Hanoi," Morningstar said. "But you're right, the situation is similar. And like Playmaker did, I'll overcome this." He placed his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his card, then played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Linkage Release!" The card showed a Link portal breaking in half. "This card targets one of my banished Link Monsters and shuffles it into the Extra Deck. Then, I draw cards equal to its Link Rating. I shuffle the banished Pikeman back into my Extra Deck and draw three cards!"

He drew, then said, "Linkage Release has one more effect. During the End Phase, I take damage equal to Pied Pikeman's attack points."

Lilith widened her eyes. _That means if he doesn't win this turn, he'll take 2400 points of damage._ She smirked. _He's either confident he can win or taking a lousy bet._

As Morningstar looked at his new cards, Cam spoke up. "You sure you don't want to lose? I mean, a date would do you good. Though, I would have preferred it if Yasu was the one getting the date instead of Morningstar."

"I suspect a date with Lilith would wind up being deadly to me," Morningstar replied. "And what is it with you and my social life? Are you trying to live vicariously through me after what happened with your last relationship?"

"Oh, that was low," Cam said, half-jokingly.

"I know," Morningstar said before taking a card from his hand. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Call! This card adds one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Kid to my hand, then I Normal Summon Kid!"

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared again, this time above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Egregious Electrician and Cyspirit Kid in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the top and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 2! Cyspirit Mad Mongrel!" The massive dog with armor, a missile launcher, and a net launcher appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↑↓

"Because I used Kid to Link Summon Mad Mongrel, I can target and destroy one face-up card on your field!" Morningstar told Lilith, making her grit her teeth. "I destroy Magical Musketeer Caspar!" Her monster shattered, confusing Lilith.

"Why Caspar?" Kitamura wondered. "Zakiel and Wild both have more attack points."

"As I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon this monster. Come forth, Cyspirit Linker!" His monster was summoned to Mad Mongrel's bottom Link Marker, so now it pointed to Magical Musketeer Wild and Cyspirit Linker.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"Mad Mongrel's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Since it points to two monsters, and one is a 'Cyspirit' monster, it can target two monsters – one on your field and one 'Cyspirit' monster in my Graveyard – and treat your monster as having the same name and Type as mine. Then, I can use Mad Mongrel and your monster to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster!"

Lilith's eyes widened. "What? You're using my monster to Link Summon? That's not very nice of you!"

Morningstar ignored her as he continued. "I target Egregious Electrician in my Graveyard and Wild on your field. Now, with Wild treated as Egregious Electrician, appear! The circuit between light and darkness!"

The Link portal appeared as Morningstar continued talking. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set the Link 2 Mad Mongrel and the Magical Musketeer Wild treated as Cyspirit Egregious Electrician in the Link Markers!" Mad Mongrel broke into two and entered the top and bottom arrows as Wild's appearance changed to that of Egregious Electrician and it entered the bottom-left arrow. All three arrows turned red in response.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!" The skeleton in a blue trench coat over a black waistcoat and pants appeared as it spread its wings, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Morningstar's ace monster," Lilith muttered. "That explains why he didn't destroy Wild; he needed it to summon Rapid Revolutionary. But why destroy Caspar instead of Zakiel?" Then she gasped in realization.

 _Of course. Caspar can add a new "Magical Musket" card to my hand, but Zakiel's effect won't activate until the End Phase. He's limiting my options._ She smiled to herself. _Our playstyles aren't that different from each other, Morningstar._

"I activate the effect of Cyberse Call in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Mad Mongrel to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker!"

 **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↑↓

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Rapid Revolutionary, attack Zakiel!" Rapid Revolutionary lifted both of its pistols, but Lilith only smirked.

"You don't learn, do you? From my hand, I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Magical Musket – Steady Hands! I target Zakiel and make its attack and defense points double its original attack and defense points!"

"That means Zakiel's attack points become 3400?" Cam asked.

"No," Morningstar answered. "Zakiel's original attack points were 2500. That means…"

 **Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 1700→5000 DEF 2500→5000**

"5-5000!?" Cam sputtered. "No way!"

Lilith turned to face Morningstar. "Looks like it's my win, Morningstar! I hope you're ready for our date!"

"I'm afraid I'll have to cancel," Morningstar said, causing Lilith to gasp. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Cyspirit Power!" The card showed Rapid Revolutionary holding Pied Pikeman's spear as Pied Pikeman laid on the ground, its uniform in tatters. "This card targets one Link-3 or higher 'Cyspirit' Link Monster in the Extra Monster Zone. Then, every 'Cyspirit' monster on my field except the targeted monster is sent to the Graveyard. I target Rapid Revolutionary!" Cyspirits Linker and Mad Mongrel disintegrated as Rapid Revolutionary glowed.

"Now, Rapid Revolutionary gains attack points equal to the combined attack points of the sent monsters!" Morningstar said, making Lilith's eyes widen. "Mad Mongrel had 2000 attack points, and Linker had 1700 attack points! That means…"

"2200," Lilith whispered. "Plus 1700 plus 2000 equals 5900."

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→5900**

"Continue your attack, Rapid Revolutionary!" Morningstar shouted. "Go! Final Revolution Shot!" Rapid Revolutionary merged its pistols into an elongated rifle that it aimed at Zakiel. It charged its rifle and fired a blast of yellow energy at Zakiel. It hit Zakiel, causing a massive explosion as Lilith winced.

 **Lilith: 3400→2500 LP**

"Cyspirit Power's effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "When the monster targeted by its effect destroys a monster by battle, you take damage equal to that monster's original attack points!"

Lilith gasped. "Zakiel's original attack points were 2500! That means-!"

"You lose!" Morningstar said as Rapid Revolutionary aimed its rifle again and fired an energy blast, blue this time, at Lilith. As it hit her, she screamed and fell off her D-Board to the street below.

 **Lilith: 2500→0 LP**

"No!" Kitamura screamed, messing up his hair with his hands. "She lost! Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it…"

Morningstar landed in the street next to Lilith as she stood up gingerly, holding her hips.

"Ow, ow, ow," she muttered. She glared at Morningstar. "You could have used your Data Anchor to keep me from falling."

"You were too far away for the Anchor to reach," Morningstar said with a straight face. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Kitamura was the one who hired you, wasn't he?"

Lilith smirked. "Oh, yes, it was him. Said something about you embarrassing him personally and he wanted you to lose. Looks like he'll have to deal with disappointment."

"Idiots like him usually do," Morningstar said, then he turned away. "Do yourself a favor and don't take any other contracts on me. The end result will be the same." He logged out, leaving Lilith alone.

Her smirk turned into a smile. "Morningstar… you're just as interesting as I thought you would be. I do hope we meet again." She looked up as the figure in a cloak logged out, then logged out herself.

* * *

Yasutake leaned against the wall and felt his stomach. Lilith's shot hadn't pierced his skin, but it had left him a little bruised. He winced as he left the room. Cam looked at him worryingly.

"You okay? Physically, I mean."

"Just a little bruised," Yasutake answered. He sat down in his chair and sighed. "Well, that was a waste of time. It turned out to be a trap, just like you said it would."

"Hopefully, Kitamura doesn't send anyone else after you," Cam said. "Still, we should be a bit more cautious about what contracts we accept."

"Agreed." Yasutake sighed as Cam smirked.

"Still, though, that Lilith was something. Think you might go on a date with her the next time you meet?"

Yasutake shook his head. "I don't have time for romance, and that woman terrifies me." He scowled. "Her skills are top-notch, but that attitude of hers… Hopefully it will be a long time before I see her again."

* * *

In a small apartment at the edge of Den City, a blue sphere faded away. The girl inside sighed. "Well, that was disappointing," she said as she stood up. She winced and held her hip. That fall had hurt. A lot.

"Disappointing, but informative." She looked up and saw her partner sitting at his laptop. He turned his bald head to look at her with his silver eyes. He wore a plain black leather jacket and jeans. "If we take another contract on Morningstar, we'll be more prepared than this time."

The girl smirked. "Typical of you to look on the bright side, Tagoma." She stretched, wincing as she did so. Her home clothes – a lowcut long-sleeved black shirt and black pants - were tighter than her school uniform, but that was the way she liked it.

"Still, though, was flirting with him necessary?" Tagoma asked. "You already flirt with everyone you meet in real life, Masako. You don't need to do it in LINK VRAINS, too."

Masako's smirk widened. "Are you jealous, Tagoma? I thought you said you weren't interested in me. Or women in general."

"I'm too old for you, little girl," Tagoma said. "And I know it is partly a tactic to distract our targets, but Morningstar has been in this business even longer than we have. I doubted such a tactic would work on him, and it didn't."

Masako shrugged. "Just because something doesn't work doesn't mean it wasn't worth it. I genuinely enjoyed our duel."

"I doubt Kitamura will care." After saying that, a call appeared on his laptop, which he answered.

"You failed!" Kitamura screeched over the speaker, making Masako and Tagoma wince. "You failed! You said you could defeat Morningstar, and you didn't!"

Masako scowled at the laptop. Morningstar had been right; Kitamura was an idiot. "Nothing's ever guaranteed, Kitamura," she said, deliberately calling him by his name to annoy him. "You gave us the contract, and we completed it. Now-."

"You did not!" Kitamura shouted. "The contract was for you to defeat Morningstar, and you failed! I'm not paying you!" He ended the call before Masako or Tagoma could object.

Tagoma sighed. "Well, looks like this whole thing was a waste of time." He turned from the laptop to Masako. "And even after we took the extra effort to register you at Den Academy so we could live in this apartment for free."

Masako scowled, but before she could respond, another call came in.

"Hello?" Tagoma answered.

"Hello," the person on the other end said. They used a voice scrambler so Masako and Tagoma couldn't identity them. "Is this the bounty hunter known as Lilith?"

Masako smiled. "This is she. Is this a job offer?"

"It is. I'll send you over the amount I'm willing to pay." Tagoma received a message. Opening it, his and Masako's eyes widened at the amount. It was much higher than their normal rate.

"Nice offer," Masako said, choosing her words carefully. "But I don't jump without looking. Who do you need taken down?"

"Not taken down," the voice said. "Tracked. I want you to follow and observe a particular individual's actions in LINK VRAINS." Masako and Tagoma glanced at each other before turning back to the screen.

"Who am I tracking?"

"The person you just dueled," the voice said. "I want you to track Morningstar and record his duels."

"How did you-."

"I watched your duel by piggybacking off of your drone's feed. You should update your security." Masako scowled. She didn't like it when people criticized her work. "Do you accept the contract?"

Masako and Tagoma looked at each other. When Tagoma nodded, she nodded, then turned to the speaker and smiled. _Looks like I'll be staying in Den City a while longer. Good. It will give me a chance to find out more about Morningstar. And about that boy in class._ "I accept the contract. But before I get started, I need to know who I'm working for."

"You can call me Terminus," the voice said. "I look forward to working with you, Ms. Lilith."

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Lilith**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Lilith**

Lilith Normal Summons Magical Musketeer Starfire (1300/1700/4). While Starfire is on the field, Lilith can activate "Magical Musket" Spell/Trap Cards from her hand. She activates the Continuous Trap Card Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal. So long as Fiendish Deal is in play, "Magical Musket" monsters Lilith controls cannot be destroyed by card effects. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in Starfire's column, Lilith can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monster from her Deck in Defense Position, except Starfire. She Special Summons Magical Musketeer Caspar (1200/2000/3) in Defense Position. Lilith activates the Spell Card Double Summon, which lets her perform a 2nd Normal Summon this turn. Since she activated a Spell/Trap Card in Caspar's column, Lilith can add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel. Zakiel can be Tribute Summoned by Tributing 1 "Magical Musket" monster, so Lilith Tributes Starfire to summon Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel (2500/2500/8). She ends her turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. Since Lilith controls a monster and he does not, he Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3). As Swordsman was Special Summoned by its own effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Dancer to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2). He activates Dancer's effect to Special Summon Cyspirit Changer (200/100/1) from his Deck with its effects negated. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Changer to Link Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600/1/↙) to the Extra Monster Zone. He activates the effect of Egregious Electrician, moving the Cyspirit Swordsman it points to and Special Summoning Cyspirit Wanderer (1900/200/5) from his hand to the same zone. Since Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, Morningstar can lower the ATK of 1 of Lilith's monsters by 800. He targets Zakiel (Zakiel: 2500→1700). Morningstar uses Dancer, Egregious Electrician, and Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400/3/↙↑→) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Pied Pikeman gains 600 ATK (Pied Pikeman: 2400→3000). Morningstar activates the effect of Pied Pikeman, changing the Magical Musketeer Caspar it points at to Attack Position to destroy Lilith's Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal. Since Fiendish Deal was sent to the GY by her opponent's card effect, Lilith can add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her Deck or GY to her hand. She adds Magical Musket – Last Stand. Morningstar Sets 2 cards.

Cyspirit Wanderer attacks Caspar, but Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Cross-Domination from her hand. Since she controls a "Magical Musket" monster, she can target 1 face-up monster on the field, and until the end of the turn, that monster's ATK/DEF becomes 0 and its effects are negated. She targets Cyspirit Wanderer (Wanderer: 1900→0/200→0). Since Lilith activated a Spell/Trap Card in Caspar's column, she can add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds Magical Musket – Steady Hands. Morningstar activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyspirit Sacrifice, Tributing Cyspirit Wanderer to draw 1 card. Lilith activates the Counter Trap Card Magical Musket – Last Stand from her hand, negating the activation of Morningstar's Spell/Trap Card and destroying it while she controls a "Magical Musket" monster. Cyspirit Wanderer is Tributed, but Morningstar does not draw a card. Pied Pikeman attacks Caspar, but Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Steady Hands from her hand, targeting Caspar. Caspar's ATK/DEF becomes double its original ATK/DEF (Caspar: 1200→2400/2000→4000) until the end of the turn. The attack continues and Caspar is destroyed (Lilith: 4000→3400 LP). During Morningstar's End Phase, the effect of Zakiel activates, and Lilith can draw cards equal to the number of "Magical Musket" Spell/Trap Cards she activated this turn. She activated 3, so she draws 3 cards.

 **Turn 3: Lilith**

Lilith draws. She Normal Summons Magical Musketeer Wild (1700/900/4). She activates the Trap Card Magical Musket – Desperado from her hand, destroying 1 face-up card on the field because she controls a "Magical Musket" monster. She destroys Pied Pikeman. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in the same column as Wild, Lilith can target 3 "Magical Musket" cards in her GY and shuffle them into the Deck. She shuffles Cross-Domination, Last Stand, and Steady Hands back into her Deck. Then she draws 1 card. Lilith activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Magical Musket – Caspar (1200/2000/3) from the GY in Attack Position. She then activates the Trap Card Magical Musket – Dancing Needle. Since she controls a "Magical Musket" monster, she can target and banish up to 3 cards in the GYs and banish them. Lilith banishes Cyspirit Changer, Pied Pikeman, and Wanderer from Morningstar's GY. Since she activated a Spell/Trap Card in Caspar's column, Lilith can add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds Last Stand to her hand.

Lilith attacks directly with Zakiel, but Morningstar activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Cyspirit Lineage and targeting Cyspirit Swordsman in his GY, attempting to Special Summon it in Attack Position, but Lilith activates the Counter Trap Last Stand in her hand, negating the activation of Cyspirit Lineage and destroying it. Zakiel's attack continues (Morningstar: 4000→2300 LP). Wild attacks directly (Morningstar: 2300→600 LP). Caspar attacks directly, but since he is being attacked directly by a monster whose ATK is greater than or equal to his LP, Morningstar activates the Counter Trap Card Cyspirit Barricade, negating Caspar's attack and Special Summoning 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY whose ATK is less than or equal to the damage he would have taken. He Special Summons Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600/1/↙). Lilith would take damage equal to the difference between Egregious Electrician's ATK and Morningstar's LP, but they are equal, so she takes no damage. At the end of the Battle Phase, Lilith activates her Skill, Magic Shot. Since Morningstar took damage from at least 1 attack by a "Magical Musket" monster, his LP are halved (Morningstar: 600→300 LP). Lilith ends her turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Linkage Release, which lets him target 1 of his banished Link Monsters, shuffle it into his Extra Deck, then draw cards equal to its Link Rating. But during the End Phase, he'll take damage equal to that monster's ATK. He shuffles Pied Pikeman back into his Extra Deck and draws 3 cards. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call, letting him add 1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Kid to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Kid (300/200/1). He uses Egregious Electrician and Kid to Link Summon Cyspirit Mad Mongrel (2000/2/↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because Kid was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can target and destroy 1 face-up card on his opponent's field. He targets and destroys Magical Musketeer Caspar. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700/800/4) to Mad Mongrel's bottom Link Marker. He then activates the effect of Mad Mongrel. Since it points to 2 monsters, and 1 is a "Cyspirit" monster, it can target 2 monsters, one on the opponent's field it points to and one "Cyspirit" monster in Morningstar's GY, treat the monster on the field as having the same name and Type as the monster in the GY, then use it and Mad Mongrel to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster. Morningstar targets Egregious Electrician in his GY and Wild on Lilith's field. Morningstar uses the Link 2 Mad Mongrel and Wild treated as "Cyspirit Egregious Electrician" to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200/3/↙↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone.

Morningstar activates the effect of Cyberse Call in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Mad Mongrel (2000/2/↑↓) from his GY to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker. Rapid Revolutionary attacks Zakiel. Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Steady Hands from her hand, targeting Zakiel and making its ATK/DEF double its original ATK/DEF until the end of the turn (Zakiel: 1700→5000/2500→5000). Morningstar activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyspirit Power, targeting Rapid Revolutionary for its effect. Every "Cyspirit" monster Morningstar controls except Rapid Revolutionary is sent to the GY, and Rapid Revolutionary gains ATK equal to their combined ATK. Linker and Mad Mongrel are sent to the GY (Rapid Revolutionary: 2200→5900). Rapid Revolutionary destroys Zakiel (Lilith: 3400→2500 LP). Since the monster targeted by Cyspirit Power destroyed an opponent's monster by battle, Lilith takes damage equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK (Lilith: 2500→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Linkage Release Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 of your banished Link Monsters: shuffle the targeted monster back into your Extra Deck and draw cards equal to that monster's Link Rating. During the End Phase, take damage equal to the targeted monster's ATK._

 _ **Cyspirit Power Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 Link-3 or higher "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control in the Extra Monster Zone: Send every face-up "Cyspirit" monster you control, except the targeted monster, to the GY; the targeted monster gains ATK equal to the combined ATK of the sent monsters until the End Phase. Also, until the End Phase, each time it destroys an opponent's monster by battle: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK. You can only activate 1 "Cyspirit Power" per turn. During the End Phase of the turn you activated this card: destroy every monster you control._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 9 – The Knight of LINK VRAINS_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to ClearwingYuta, HunterHQ, D3lph0xL0v3r, Guest, Guest, and sanedimentio for reviewing Chapter 7. And thank you to darkblade456 for suggesting a new Trickstar, but its too late. Sorry. In response to ClearwingYuta's question, I won't answer what Terminus' fate is. I want it to be a surprise.

In response to Guest's suggestion of a duel between Morningstar and Revolver, I do have an idea for that, but I want to wait until the Another Arc is over before I get specific.

And in response to sanedimentio's comment about a Tag Duel, I honestly never considered that. I don't like the Altergeist archetype, and after the really intense duel between Morningstar and Playmaker, I wanted to write a really simple duel, both to release pressure on myself and show that despite losing, Morningstar was still one of the most powerful duelists in the series.

Okay, this chapter introduced us to Lilith, aka Masako Himura, a new student at Den Academy and a bounty hunter like Morningstar, only with looser morals. And yes, her friend Tagoma is named after a minor Dragon Ball Super villain. Not exactly original, but his name was stuck in my head for a while. Sue me.

Design-wise, I based Masako's real-life appearance off of the Caretaker of Spacetime from Code Geass: Akito the Exiled, because she had a very awesome design. I originally based her LINK VRAINS appearance off of Grell Sutcliffe from Black Butler, but in the end, I changed it so she would resemble Magical Musketeer Calamity. Personality-wise, one of my inspirations was Kurumi Tokisaki from Date A Live, which, aside from Lilith's deck, is why Lilith has flintlock pistols.

This chapter takes place during Episode 21 of the anime, so it is sort of a breather chapter. The next chapter will start the Another Arc, and introduce a new character I'm excited to write. For spoiler reasons, I won't say more than that, except that Lilith will return to being involved in a later chapter.

I'm sorry if this chapter seemed rushed; I spent most of the weekend working on it, and I was fighting an annoying cold while doing so. But I wanted to publish this chapter by a certain date so I could say something I've been wanting to say.

Merry Zarcmas, everyone!

I am way too happy saying that.

Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Tell me what you think of Lilith as a character and as a duelist, and how I should move her character forward. Since the anime is still ongoing, I don't have the best long-term plan story-wise, but I do plan ahead by three chapters or so.


	9. Chapter 9: The Knight of LINK VRAINS

**Chapter 9: The Knight of LINK VRAINS**

Morningstar looked out over LINK VRAINS. It appeared to have recovered fully from Revolver's attack, and people were dueling all over. Most of them were amateurs, coming to LINK VRAINS for the first time or hoping to test their skills against people of similar skillsets to practice for becoming Charisma Duelists.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here." He turned and saw Ghost Girl walking up to him.

"Nor was I expecting to see you," he said, turning back to look at the duelists as she stood next to him. "Or are you here for me?" he wondered. "Kitamura hired a bounty hunter to take me out recently."

"I heard," Ghost Girl said, smiling under her mask. "Lilith, right? She has a reputation for being somewhat… unstable."

"You can say crazy," Morningstar said, then narrowed his eyes. "I'm pretty sure she isn't, though. Her moves were professional. I think she acts that way to throw her targets off their game."

"Possibly. I do know some professionals who use similar strategies."

He gave her an aside glance. "Seriously, though. Are you here for me? Did Kitamura hire you to take me out, too?"

Ghost Girl scoffed. "Like I'm stupid enough to take out a bounty on _you_ ," she said. "Your reputation is one of the fiercest in LINK VRAINS. No one other than Lilith is crazy enough to take a contract on you."

"So he did make you an offer."

"I did not say that," she said. After a moment of silence, she said, "What are you doing here? It's not like you to just come to LINK VRAINS and watch people duel."

"I'm waiting," Morningstar said. "The Knights of Hanoi will be making their move eventually, and LINK VRAINS will be their first target. I imagine Playmaker is having similar thoughts."

"…So you were serious?" she asked, somewhat quiet. "You're going to fight the Knights of Hanoi?"

"Is that concern in your voice, Ghost Girl?" he asked. "That's not like you."

"You are one of the few things in my line of work that I consider permanent," she said. "Our employers may be demoted, fired, or forced to retire, but you'll always remain. It's… a comforting thought."

He turned to face her fully. "You want something," he said bluntly. "What?"

She smiled under her mask again. "Must you be so suspicious?" she asked. "Can't I just say I like having you around and mean it?"

"After that fiasco at Mercury, you're lucky I haven't used my security net on you."

"…How long are you going to hold that over my head?" she asked, exasperated. "I said I was sorry. Repeatedly, in fact."

"Naturally, I'm going to hold it over you the rest of your life," he said. Before she could respond, the area suddenly grew dark.

"What the-?" Ghost Girl said, looking up at the sky. "Is that-?"

"An eclipse?" Morningstar said, just as surprised as her. "In LINK VRAINS? That's never happened before. Do you think it's an event?"

Ghost Girl glanced at some of the nearby buildings, which flickered. "I don't think so. It's probably a bug or virus." She looked back up at the eclipse. "Is this the Knights of Hanoi? Or is it a new threat?"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Whatever it is," he said. "I get the feeling Playmaker and I will be drawn into it."

Ghost Girl sighed. "So, what else is new?"

* * *

School was quickly becoming Yasutake's least favorite part of the day. Granted, it had never been his favorite, but it had been better before Masako Himura joined the class. Apparently, she thought he was "interesting" and kept asking him questions; about the school, the people around them, and himself. He did his best to answer the questions about school, redirect the questions about other people to those said people – who were usually happy enough to tell Masako themselves – and not answer the questions about himself. She also kept smiling at him and batting her eyelashes, though he didn't understand what about him made her happy and why she kept blinking. Did she have dry eyes or something?

To her credit though, Masako wasn't too pushy. If Yasutake said he didn't want to talk about something, she would stop prying, at least for a while. She also had the decency not to talk during classes, during which she was remarkably studious, only looking away from the teacher and her tablet occasionally to give Yasutake sidelong glances and knowing smirks. What she was knowing, he had no idea.

Her positive traits aside, it didn't help that she spent almost every second out of class by his side, annoying him to no end and convincing most of their class that there was something between them, which there wasn't. Yasutake was starting to feel like he was the center of attention, with most of his male classmates – and some of his female classmates – glaring at him when they saw him. For someone who enjoyed anonymity and avoiding attention, this was particularly frustrating. Thankfully however, none of his classmates had tried anything. He had no real desire to get into fights.

"I'm disappointed in you, Narahiko." He looked up from his tablet at Masako as she said that, a small frown on her face as she looked at her own tablet. The two of them were sitting in the library, studying for a calculus test.

"What specifically are you disappointed in?" he asked, not really caring, but knowing she wouldn't leave the subject alone.

"I've asked you a lot of questions about yourself," she said. "But you haven't asked me any questions about myself."

"That's because I don't care," he said bluntly. "I thought the lack of questions made it obvious."

Her frown turned into an amused smirk. "If you didn't care, you would have told me to leave you alone," she said in an amused tone. "You've told me not to ask certain questions and you've ignored me, but you haven't told me to go away."

"A friend insists that I be polite at school," he responded. "Telling you to go away would fall under impolite."

"So you do have friends," she said. "Good. Everyone should have someone they can trust unconditionally."

He looked up at her again. Her face had turned sad, but he wasn't sure whether it was real or an act.

"What do you mean by that? Is there someone you trust unconditionally?"

Her face rearranged itself into her typical expression of mild amusement. "Maybe. Though-."

"Narahiko."

The two of them turned to the sound of the voice. It was Aoi Zaizen, holding a book.

"Yes? What is it, Zaizen?"

"I need your help with something. A problem I don't understand."

Yasutake thought about saying no, but decided to help. He didn't like Aoi that much, but he liked her more than Masako.

"Excuse me," he said to Masako, who smiled at the two of them.

"Have fun, you two," she said as they walked over to a different table.

"What problem are you stuck on?"

"This one," Aoi said, pointing to question 42. "I'm not very good at understanding derivatives and limits."

He looked over the problem, then to his own notes. He hadn't reached 42 yet. This would be a good opportunity for him to work on it, though.

As he did, Aoi spoke up. "Is there something between you and Himura?"

He glanced at her and saw her face was blank. "No," he answered. "I know what people are thinking, but there's nothing between us. She just likes asking me questions."

"About what?"

"School, other people, myself."

"Do you answer them?"

"Some of them."

Aoi was quiet again, then said, "I am sorry, about… what I said on the sidewalk that day."

He glanced at her, then back at his tablet. "Don't be. I overreacted. I wasn't expecting you to know about the Incident."

"I just… I wanted you to know that I sympathized with you. That I'm sorry you had to go through that."

He sighed and put his tablet down. "You're not the first person to say that. Do me a favor, and do the one thing none of the others ever did."

"What's that?"

Stop it," he said, surprising her. "I've heard people offer me their sympathies for ten years. Therapists, teachers, cops, rescue workers. The one thing they all had in common?" His eyes narrowed. "They did not go through it."

He picked his tablet up. "I get the feeling you haven't had the easiest life, Zaizen, but do me a favor and don't pretend to understand what happened. You can't understand unless you went through it. So, please, drop it, and never speak of it again."

She watched him for a while, then nodded. "Alright." She turned back to her homework, and there was silence between them for a few minutes before Aoi broke it.

"There is something else I wanted to talk to you about," she said.

"What?"

"Be careful," she said. When he looked up, she said, "You've noticed that there are less people in class, lately?"

"…No," he lied. He was pretty sure he knew what she was getting at, but he felt it best to maintain the appearance of ignorance.

"Well there are," she continued. "There are rumors going around that they've been turned into Anothers."

"Anothers?"

She frowned at him. "Don't pretend to be stupid," she said in an annoyed tone. "I know you're smarter than that."

"Oh. Okay."

She sighed. "Supposedly, these people are dragged into LINK VRAINS and leave their bodies behind. They're called Anothers because they're in another world."

"I heard about that," Yasutake admitted. "Why are telling me about this?"

"Because I took a look at the victims," Aoi said. "For… personal reasons."

Yasutake's expression didn't change, but he felt a pang of sympathy. When he heard about the Another victims, his first thought was comparing their fates to Blue Angel's. Of course Aoi would develop an interest in them, having been the first to experience it.

"And there was one thing I noticed about the victims," she continued. "They all used the card-insert Duel Disk. Like you do."

His eyes softened in understanding. "You think I might become one of these Anothers."

"Yes. I wanted to warn you not to wear your Duel Disk."

Yasutake understood what Aoi was doing. She was concerned he might become an Another, so she was giving him a warning to try and protect him. As it was, he didn't need it. He'd first heard about the Anothers not long after it started. Cam had managed to find footage showing someone being forcefully logged into LINK VRAINS. They figured people's Duel Disks were being hacked from the outside. Yasutake was certain he didn't have to worry about it; his Duel Disk had far more security than others of its kind, meaning it would take a lot more effort to break into.

"I'm fairly certain that whoever's doing this," Aoi said, drawing Yasutake back to earth, "is looking for Morningstar and Playmaker. Both of them use the card-insert Duel Disk. I don't want you to become collateral damage in their search."

"I'll be careful," Yasutake said. "Do you know anything else about the Anothers?"

"No, but… could you do me a favor and warn Fujiki about them?"

"Fujiki?" Yasutake said, surprised at her request. "Couldn't you warn him yourself?"

Aoi was silent for a while, then said, "I don't think I have the right to talk to Fujiki about this. After what I said to him…"

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Aoi sighed. "You remember when you and I first talked, and I asked why you joined Duel Club?"

Yasutake understood immediately what she was getting at. "You asked Fujiki the same thing."

"I did, and… I assumed he was like the rest, using me to get a job at SOL. And I dismissed him. Rather rudely, in fact. But… after I did, when I was in trouble, he helped me. He didn't have to, and after what I said to him, I wouldn't have blamed him for disliking me, but he still helped me. I owe him for that, but… I'm not sure if I can face him again, knowing that I was wrong about him."

 _I don't think Fujiki really cares about you owing him,_ Yasutake thought. Yusaku probably hadn't thought too much about bringing Aoi to the hospital, but it was clear Aoi was thankful to him for that. And… there was something else in her tone, something he couldn't figure out…

Out loud, he said, "I'll try and talk to him about it. But he probably already knows." That was likely the truth; Aoi was probably right in that whoever was behind the Anothers was looking for Morningstar and Playmaker. Yasutake had left his Duel Disk at home today, but he was certain Yusaku had ways to protect himself.

Before they could talk any more, someone came up to him. "Hey, school's over. The two of you should be heading home, shouldn't you?" Yasutake looked up and saw a tan-skinned senior with blonde hair.

Aoi spoke up before he did. "Who are you?" The guy blanched and fell over.

"Again?!" he shouted upon standing up, startling Aoi. "Do none of you freshmen pay attention to what happens in your school!? I'm Takeshi Akino, the Student Council President!"

"…Oh," Aoi said in a small voice.

Takeshi growled and stalked off. "Don't be upset," Yasutake said. "I didn't know who he was, either."

* * *

Yasutake walked into Café Junpei and headed straight into the back. The robot was at the counter, which meant Cam was in the back room.

"Hey, Yasu," Cam said. "I've been looking at the Another victims, and I managed to find out a few things."

"Like what?"

"Three things, to be exact," Cam said, smirking to himself. "One: they all have exceptional dueling skills. Two: they all use the card-insert Duel Disk. Three: they are all hackers."

Yasutake scowled at Cam. "You've been waiting to do that, haven't you?"

"You say it so many times, I figured I'd say it at least once," Cam said, amused. "Anyway, what does those three things tell you?"

"That whoever is responsible is looking for Playmaker. Or me."

"Yeah," Cam said. "You think Fujiki will be alright?"

"He'll be fine," Yasutake said. "He pretends to be an amateur duelist and no one except us knows he is a hacker. He won't become an Another victim."

"Unless they limit their parameters to just the old-style Duel Disks," Cam said. "Then he'll be in trouble."

"Even if they do, Fujiki is smart. He won't take his Duel Disk out with him too often. As for myself, my Duel Disk is specially modified with security enhancements."

"No kidding," Cam said. "I've hacked into banks less secure than your Duel Disk."

"When did you hack into a bank?"

"I have to do something in my off-time," Cam said as he smiled. Then he frowned when one of their monitors started flashing red. "Oh, not again."

"What is it?" Yasutake asked. When Cam opened a window, his eyes widened. "This is-."

"Yep," Cam said wearingly. "The Knights of Hanoi. They've been appearing everywhere since this morning. Attacking duelists on data streams, turning them into Anothers." He scowled in disgust. "These people are nothing more than thugs."

Yasutake sighed and headed into the sealed room. "So the Knights of Hanoi are responsible for the Anothers. Well, someone has to stop them," he said. "I'm sure Playmaker will, but until he shows up, I'll deal with them."

* * *

Morningstar landed in an alley and saw several people running away, with three Knights chasing after them. Before he could intercede-.

"Stop! Hold, in the name of justice!"

The Knights turned, as did Morningstar, though he stayed in the alley. The speaker was a tall young man in silver armor that covered him from neck to foot. His face was tan, with long curly blonde hair that fell past his shoulders. He wore a long green cape and his fierce grey eyes were aimed at the Knights.

"The three of you," he growled. "You dare to call yourself Knights? You are no Knights. Knights fight for honor and justice. You are nothing more than thugs and vagabonds!" He pointed dramatically at the three. "As a true Knight of justice, I will take all of you on, and defeat you!"

No one spoke for three seconds, then the Knight of Hanoi in a purple mask said, "Who are you?"

The guy fell over, then stood back up. "What do you mean, who am I!? Do none of you recognize me!?"

"No," the Knight in a yellow mask said.

"Nope," the one in an orange mask said.

Their opponent growled, then shouted, "I am Galahad! I am the #5 Charisma Duelist in all of LINK VRAINS! How could you not know who I am!?"

"I, uh…" Purple said sheepishly. "… don't watch Charisma Duelists."

"And I only watch Blue Angel and Go Onizuka," Yellow supplied.

Orange shrugged. "Maybe you're just not that popular?"

"Not that popular?" Galahad growled. "I'll show you just how popular I am! Like I said, I'll take all of you on!"

"Ha!" Purple laughed. "You wish to duel all three of us at once? You must be crazy if you think you can win!"

"I am not crazy," Galahad said. "As I said before, I am a knight of honor and justice. I will not stand by while you hooligans disparage the title of 'Knight!'" He activated his Duel Disk. "Prepare yourselves!"

 _A three-on-one duel?_ Morningstar thought. A part of him knew he should step in and make things a bit more even, but a larger part wanted to see just what this Galahad could do.

"Cam," he whispered. "Have you heard of Galahad?"

"Yeah, he's a Charisma Duelist," Cam answered. "He's a favorite among the older generations."

"What Deck does he use?"

"He uses at least two distinct archetypes, but his Deck mostly focuses on battle damage."

Galahad faced off against the three Knights of Hanoi. "For this duel," he said. "The three of you will share a field and 4000 Life Points, while I take every second turn."

"That's fine with us," Yellow said, smirking to himself. _With the Decks we've built, this washed-up Charisma Duelist doesn't stand a chance._

"Duel!" the four duelists shouted.

 **Galahad: 4000 LP**

 **Knights of Hanoi: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn," Purple said, waving his hand in front of him to see his cards. He grinned with sadistic delight. "Since I control no monsters, I Special Summon Steelswarm Cell!" A black beetle appeared with a symbol on its back.

 **Steelswarm Cell ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Then, I summon Steelswarm Caller!" A humanoid black insect with orange wings appeared.

 **Steelswarm Caller ATK 1700 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon!" Purple declared. "This card allows me to perform a second Normal Summon this turn. I Tribute Caller and Cell to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Longhorn!" A massive black and grey humanoid beetle monster with large wings appeared and took Caller's and Cell's places on the field.

 **Steelswarm Longhorn ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 9**

"3000 attack points just like that," Morningstar muttered as he watched the duel. "This strategy is very similar to when I fought Hanoi."

"And now for the fun part," Purple said, grinning to himself. "Since I Tributed Steelswarm Caller to Tribute Summon Longhorn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Steelswarm' monster from my Deck! Come to me, Steelswarm Sentinel!" A humanoid beetle with a helmet and magnifying glass over its right eye appeared alongside Longhorn.

 **Steelswarm Sentinel ATK 1100 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"As long as Sentinel is in face-up Attack Position," Purple explained, "All Special Summoned Level 5 or higher monsters on the field cannot activate their effects. And since Longhorn was Tribute Summoned, I can pay 1000 Life Points to destroy one monster on the field each turn." He tapped the last card in his hand. "I Set one card. I end my turn. Now then," he smirked maliciously, "what are you going to do, Mr. Knight?"

* * *

Revolver looked out over the chaos as his Knights forced people into duels.

"Over a thousand people have joined the Knights of Hanoi, but they're mostly hoodlums," he said with disgust. "They're only infatuated with Hanoi for opposing LINK VRAINS. They're only in it for self-promotion." If only they knew what Hanoi's endgame was…

"They tarnish the Knights of Hanoi's reputation." Revolver turned and saw two people – a man with dark blue and light blue hair wearing a white lab coat with black lines and a silver-yellow eyepiece over his left eye, and a woman with red and orange hair wearing a sleeveless white lab coat with pink lines and a silver-yellow eyepiece over her left eye – materialize in front of him. Their names were Faust and Baira, and they were two of Revolver's lieutenants.

"You came," Revolver said as he walked over to them.

"Now is the time to carry out Dr. Kogami's wishes," Faust said.

"Our mission is to kill the Ignis," Baira added.

"Dr. Genome is already making his move," Faust said.

"We gave him the Data Gale," Baira said.

"And what about Terminus?" Revolver asked. "Where is he?"

"He said there was something he wanted to see," Faust answered. "I'm afraid I don't know what he meant."

* * *

At the top of a building, a man in a white lab coat with red lines appeared. He had black hair tied back in a ponytail and silver highlights in his bangs. His left eye was colored red because of the yellow and silver mask he wore over it. Terminus looked down from the building and scowled. He didn't think much of the new members of Hanoi. They were nothing more than thugs, looking for glory. They were barely worth the time he, Baira, Dr. Genome, and Faust had put in training them.

And now, three of them had gotten into a fight with someone calling himself "a Knight of justice." Terminus hadn't paid too much attention to the Charisma Duelists aside from the two most famous, but if this Galahad was confident enough in his abilities to take on three Knights of Hanoi at once, he suspected this duel would prove interesting.

Back at the duel, Galahad laughed. "Typical of villains. Especially of their servants," he said, smirking at the Knights. "You think raw power is all you need to win. Against amateur duelists and the innocent, such monsters serve your purpose. But against a superior duelist like myself, your tactics are as easy to break as a twig."

"What?" Purple growled, offended.

"My turn! Draw!" Galahad looked at his card and smiled. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Spiral Spear Strike!" He declared, playing his card.

"A Continuous Spell?" Purple asked, surprised at Galahad's opening move.

"This Spell Card is the centerpiece of my offensive," Galahad said. "And this next card is my first attack: the Spell Card: Block Attack! This card allows me to switch one monster on the field to Defense Position!"

"What?" Purple said, shocked at Galahad's card.

"I change your Longhorn to Defense Position!" Longhorn took a knee and placed its arms in front of itself.

"Damn it!" Purple said, enraged. "Longhorn's defense points are 0!"

"Like I said, your tactics are easy to break," Galahad said. "Next, I Set three cards. And now, I summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight!" A green warrior in blue armor carrying two red lances riding a purple horse appeared on Galahad's field.

 **Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"Y-You can't summon that!" Orange protested. "That's a Level 7 monster! You have to Tribute at least two monsters to summon it!"

"Do I?" Galahad asked, making the Knights nervous. "When Swift Gaia is the only card in my hand, I can Normal Summon it without Tributing!"

Purple growled, but Yellow said, "Don't panic. He can destroy Longhorn, but it is in Defense Position. We won't take damage. The most damage he can inflict is from attacking Sentinel, and that will only be 1200."

"I'm afraid not," Galahad said. "You seem to have forgotten my Continuous Spell. You see, my Spiral Spear Strike is a very special card. If my Swift Gaia attacks a Defense Position monster, Spiral Spear Strike inflicts piercing battle damage!"

"What?" the three Knights said in unison, shocked at such an effect.

"Battle! Go, Swift Gaia, attack Steelswarm Longhorn! Spiral Shaver!" Swift Gaia charged at Longhorn and struck it with one of its lances. Longhorn cried out as it exploded, as did Purple when he was thrown back from the force of Swift Gaia's attack.

 **Knights of Hanoi: 4000→1700 LP**

"I have drawn first blood in this battle," Galahad said. "I shall now end my turn. So, tell me, false Knights, are you ready to surrender? For your kind, surrender is the only recourse."

Morningstar was impressed. Galahad had cleverly manipulated his opponent's monster into a position in which it could be destroyed and inflict maximum damage. Still, that strategy wouldn't work against Link Monsters; they couldn't exist in Defense Position.

Terminus was likewise impressed. While this Galahad was loud, he was also highly skilled at manipulating both his monsters and his opponent's. He could be a dangerous foe if left unchecked.

"Surrender?" Purple growled. "We are members of the Knights of Hanoi! We do not surrender!" He turned to Yellow and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Take your turn and end this fool!"

"Right! My turn! Draw!" Yellow looked at his cards, then gestured to his field. "I activate the Trap Card Infestation Ripples! By paying 500 Life Points, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Steelswarm' monster from my Graveyard! Return, Steelswarm Caller!" Caller reappeared as Yellow received a slight electrical shock.

 **Knights of Hanoi: 1700→1200 LP**

 **Steelswarm Caller ATK 1700 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Now, I Tribute Caller to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Girastag!" Caller disappeared and was replaced by a giant black and orange monster that had a cannon for an arm and one at the end of its tail.

 **Steelswarm Girastag ATK 2600 DEF 0 LVL: 7**

"I know what you're thinking," Yellow sneered. "How did I summon a Level 7 monster by Tributing only one monster? It's because Girastag's effect lets me Tribute Summon it by Tributing one 'Steelswarm' monster. And since I used Caller to Tribute Summon Girastag, it's effect activates, and I Special Summon Steelswarm Gatekeeper from my Deck!" A four-legged monster in black armor appeared alongside Girastag and Sentinel.

 **Steelswarm Gatekeeper ATK 1500 DEF 1900 LVL: 4**

"And now it's Girastag's turn!" Yellow proclaimed. "If Girastag is Tribute Summoned using a 'Steelswarm' monster, I can target one card you control, send it to the Graveyard, and gain 1000 Life Points. Say good-bye to your Swift Gaia!" Gaia disintegrated as Galahad scowled.

 **Knights of Hanoi: 1200→2200 LP**

"I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon!" Yellow said. "And use it to Tribute Sentinel to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Moth!" Sentinel was replaced by a large black and green monster with moth-like wings and a long tail.

 **Steelswarm Moth ATK 2400 DEF 0 LVL: 6**

"Since I Tribute Summoned a 'Steelswarm' monster while my Gatekeeper was face-up," Yellow said. "I can perform another Normal Summon this turn. Sadly, I don't have any monsters to play. But I can still activate Steelswarm Moth's effect. If Moth is Tribute Summoned using a 'Steelswarm' monster, I can pay 1000 Life Points to target two cards you control and return them to your hand." He pointed to Galahad's Continuous Spell Card. "I target your Spiral Spear Strike and one of your face-down cards!" He winced from the electric shock as Galahad took the two cards back.

 **Knights of Hanoi: 2200→1200 LP**

Yellow smirked. "If you think I'm letting you keep those cards," he said. "You have another thing coming. I activate the Spell Card: Hand Destruction! This forces both of us to discard two cards, then draw two cards! So say goodbye to your Spiral Spear Strike!"

Galahad discarded Spiral Spear Strike, alongside the Mirror Force Trap Card he had Set earlier. Yellow in turn discarded his Quick-Play Spell Card First Step Towards Infestation and his Steelswarm Genome. As the two drew, both smiled at seeing their cards.

"Now that that irksome card is gone, it's time to get rid of you!" Yellow shouted. "Girastag, attack Galahad directly!" Girastag charged the blaster that was its right hand and fired at Galahad. Before it hit-.

"Trap activate!" Galahad declared. "Draining Shield! This card negates your attack and increases my Life Points by Girastag's attack points!" Yellow growled as a barrier appeared and blocked Girastag's attack.

 **Galahad: 4000→6600 LP**

Yellow growled. "You think that changes anything?" he shouted. "Moth, attack Galahad directly!" Moth charged and struck Galahad, making him wince.

 **Galahad: 6600→4200 LP**

"And now it's Gatekeeper's turn. Gatekeeper, attack Galahad directly!" Gatekeeper charged and swiped Galahad with one paw.

 **Galahad: 4200→2700 LP**

"Now, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystik Wok!" Yellow said. "By Tributing a monster, I gain Life Points equal to that monster's attack points! I Tribute Girastag to gain 2600 Life Points!" Girastag disintegrated into light.

 **Knights of Hanoi: 1200→3800 LP**

"What are you doing?" Orange asked Yellow. "That was our strongest monster!"

"You think that matters to him?" Yellow answered. "His last attack changed our monster to Defense Position. We need as many Life Points as possible in case he does it again!"

He turned back to Galahad and said, "I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Avarice! This lets me shuffle five monsters in my Graveyard back into the Deck and draw two cards. I target Steelswarm Caller, Cell, Genome, Girastag, and Sentinel in my Graveyard and shuffle them back into mine and my partner's Decks." Yellow and Purple took their cards from the Graveyard, then Yellow drew. "I Set two cards and end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Galahad looked at his card and smiled. "You may have bested one of my greatest knights, but this turn, I will call forth one of my champions!"

"Champions?" Yellow repeated.

"Trap activate!" Galahad declared. "Beginning of Heaven and Earth! This card allows me to reveal three monsters from my Deck and have you randomly pick one of them."

"What?" Yellow said, surprised. "What is the point of that card?"

"The point is that if you pick a 'Black Luster Soldier' monster or a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster, that monster is added to my hand, and the other cards are sent to the Graveyard," Galahad explained. "If, however, the card you choose is not a 'Black Luster Soldier' monster or a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster, then all three cards are sent to the Graveyard."

He took three cards from his Deck and showed them to Yellow. "These cards are Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight, Curse of Dragonfire, and Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight. Now, choose!" The cards on his field disappeared as the three cards he chose appeared on his field, face-down.

Yellow grit his teeth. Among the cards Galahad had chosen, only one was not a "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster. That meant he had a 1-in-3 chance of sending those cards to the Graveyard. "I choose the left one!" he declared, pointing to that card.

It lifted up and revealed… Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight. Yellow grit his teeth again. Damn it!

"As you chose Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight, it is added to my hand," Galahad said, taking said card and adding it to his hand. "And now, Charging Gaia and Curse of Dragonfire are sent to the Graveyard."

"…Even so," Yellow said slowly. "You might have a new monster, but it isn't strong enough to defeat my Steelswarm Moth!"

"You are correct," Galahad said. "Lord Gaia is not strong enough. Not yet."

"What?" Yellow said again.

"When I control no monsters and my opponent does, I can Special Summon Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight!" Gaia reappeared, only with bigger lances, and instead of a horse, he was riding a yellow dragon with headgear.

 **Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"And now I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn!" Galahad declared. "And with it, I shall Special Summon my Curse of Dragonfire from the Graveyard!" A red dragon made of bones appeared in a burst of flames on Galahad's field and shrieked a high-pitched screech.

 **Curse of Dragonfire ATK 2000 DEF 1500 LVL: 5**

"Neither of those monsters is strong enough to destroy my Moth," Yellow objected. "Or… are you Link Summoning?"

"No," Galahad said, confusing the Knights. "People these days… they get so obsessed over the newest toys and the latest technology, that they forget all about what came before. In so doing, they weaken themselves and make it easier to surprise them."

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. What was Galahad talking about? Terminus was likewise confused. Their mutual confusion was cleared up by Galahad's next words as he gestured to Curse of Dragonfire.

"Curse of Dragonfire's monster effect! Once per turn, I can use monsters I control, including itself, to perform a Fusion Summon!"

"What?" Yellow shouted, shocked out of his mind. "A Fusion Summon!?"

"Appear, the vortex of champions!" Galahad spread his arms as his left hand glowed red and his right hand glowed blue. A portal appeared behind him, made of red and blue energy that swirled into the center.

"Materials confirmed!" Galahad chanted. "The summoning conditions are one 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster and one Dragon monster! I fuse together Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragonfire!" His monsters turned into energy that entered the vortex behind Galahad, swirling their energy and creating a bright light at the center. Galahad clasped his hands together in front of him.

"Fusion Summon! Rise! Level 7! Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion!"

A new monster emerged from the vortex behind Galahad. It flew up into the air, then flew back down and took its place in the Extra Monster Zone. It looked like Gaia the Fierce Knight, except instead of riding a horse, he was now riding Curse of Dragonfire.

 **Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion ATK 2600 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"A Fusion Monster?" Purple said with shock.

"I thought people didn't use Fusion Monsters anymore," Orange muttered. Morningstar had to agree with the Knight's sentiment on that. In all his time as a bounty hunter, he'd only seen Fusion Monsters on the black market, and in those cases, people usually just traded them for Link Monsters. Ever since Link Monsters were released and the Master Rules changed, Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters had all fallen out of favor. And Ritual Monsters had fallen mostly out of use even before then.

Suddenly, Yellow broke the tension by laughing loudly. "Are you kidding me?" he asked Galahad. " _This_ is your big play? An outdated summoning technique? What good will that do you?"

Galahad scoffed. "Typical of evil, looking down on something just because its old. Well, there's a lesson you need to learn." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "The oldest things in the world are often the most dangerous."

He gestured to his new monster. "Sky Galloping Gaia's monster effect! When this card is Special Summoned, I can add one 'Spiral Spear Strike' from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand! I add the Spiral Spear Strike in my Graveyard to my hand, and then, I activate it!"

"What good does that do you?" Yellow sneered. "That card only works with three specific monsters. Even then, it only works if our monsters are in Defense Position."

"You are right on the second point," Galahad conceded. "But you are wrong on the first. You see, Sky Galloping Gaia's effect treats its name as 'Gaia the Dragon Champion' while it is on the field, and Gaia the Dragon Champion just so happens to be one of the monsters Spiral Spear Strike affects."

"It still doesn't matter," Yellow said, his sneer turned into a scowl. "Your card still only works if our monster is in Defense Position!"

"Let's test that theory," Galahad said. "Battle! Sky Galloping Gaia, attack Steelswarm Gatekeeper!" Sky Galloping Gaia charged Gatekeeper, but Yellow was ready.

"You fool! Trap activate! Staunch Defender!" He sneered at Galahad as he explained, "This card forces all monsters you control to attack the monster I choose! And I decide that your Sky Galloping Gaia will attack Moth!"

He then gestured to his other face-down. "But wait, there's more! I activate the Trap Card Infestation Tool! With this card, I send the Steelswarm Scout from my Deck to the Graveyard and increase the attack points of one 'Steelswarm' monster I control by 800 until the End Phase! And I choose my Steelswarm Moth!"

 **Steelswarm Moth ATK 2400→3200**

"Now," Yellow sneered, "Your Fusion Monster will fall against my Moth! Experience your defeat!"

Galahad only smirked. "I think I'll have to wait on that."

"What?"

"Sky Galloping Gaia's monster effect!" Galahad declared. "When Sky Galloping Gaia attacks an opponent's monster, I can change that monster's battle position!"

"What!?" Yellow screamed again.

"I change your Moth to Defense Position!" Moth placed both of its arms in front of itself as it switched to Defense Position.

"And because Sky Galloping Gaia is treated as Gaia the Dragon Champion, it can inflict piercing battle damage due to Spiral Spear Strike!" Galahad shouted. "And since your Moth has 0 defense points, that means…"

"2-2600 points of damage," Yellow whispered, sweat pouring down his face.

"That's right. Go, Sky Galloping Gaia! Double Dragon Lance!" His monster flew into the air, then divebombed Moth. It was surrounded by red flames as it pierced Moth, destroying it in an explosion and sending Yellow flying backwards, screaming his head off.

 **Knights of Hanoi: 3800→1200 LP**

"Perhaps now you will think twice about insulting 'outdated' summoning methods," Galahad said as Orange and Purple helped Yellow stand up. "Spiral Spear Strike has one more effect. If Gaia the Dragon Champion inflicts battle damage via its effect, I can then draw two cards, but I must discard one of them."

He drew and looked at them. He narrowed his eyes. This one… it went against his instincts to discard it, but if the Knights destroyed the other card, then… Yes, this could work.

He discarded one, then said, "I Set one card. I end my turn."

Terminus couldn't help but admire Galahad. He clearly had a love of the older summoning methods. As a man who ran a bookstore in an increasingly technological world, it warmed his heart to see the old ways respected.

"This is a man who enjoys the classics," he murmured and smiled. "People like that… are disappointingly rare."

"How dare you," Yellow growled as he glared at Galahad. "You!" he turned to Orange. "Defeat him! He cannot get away with mocking Hanoi like this! Damaging us with a useless summoning method… it is unforgivable!"

"Right!" Orange said, nodding in agreement. "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his card, then gestured to the field. "At the start of my Main Phase 1, I can activate the effect of the Steelswarm Scout in my Graveyard! As I control no Spell or Trap Cards, I can Special Summon this monster in Attack Position!" A little monster with goggles and a helmet appeared, alone on the Knights' field.

 **Steelswarm Scout ATK 200 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"As a consequence of this, I cannot Special Summon this turn," Orange said. "I summon Steelswarm Genome!" A ghoul-like monster covered in black scales appeared alongside Scout.

 **Steelswarm Genome ATK 1000 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon!" Orange declared. "And now, I activate Genome's effect! It can be treated as two Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a 'Steelswarm' monster. And this particular monster can only be Tribute Summoned by Tributing three 'Steelswarm' monsters. I Tribute my Genome and Scout to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Hercules!" A massive black and golden monster appeared as Genome and Scout disappeared. It reminded Morningstar of a beetle.

 **Steelswarm Hercules ATK 3200 DEF 0 LVL: 10**

"Yes!" Yellow cheered. "A Level 10 monster! This duel is ours!"

"Before I attack, I think I'll even the score," Orange said. "And activate the Equip Spell Card: Cursed Bill! I equip this card to your Sky Galloping Gaia!" Sky Galloping Gaia gained a purple aura as Galahad glared at Orange.

"What have you done to my monster? Explain yourself!"

"You'll see soon," Orange sneered. He then gestured to Hercules. "Steelswarm Hercules's monster effect! Once per turn, I can pay half my Life Points to destroy all other cards on the field!" Galahad's and Morningstar's eyes widened on hearing that.

"Go, Hercules! Destroy everything!" Hercules let loose a sonic wave that made every card on the field – Cursed Bill, Sky Galloping Gaia, Spiral Spear Strike, Steelswarm Gatekeeper, and Galahad's face-down card – disintegrate. Orange winced somewhat as his Life Points were halved, but he maintained his sneer of disdain.

 **Knights of Hanoi: 1200→600 LP**

"Now it's time for payback," Orange said. "When the monster equipped with Cursed Bill is destroyed and Cursed Bill is sent to the Graveyard, that monster's controller takes damage equal to that monster's defense points!"

"What?" Galahad said, his eyes widening again.

"Sky Galloping Gaia had 2100 defense points," Orange reminded him. "So you take 2100 points of damage!" Cursed Bill reappeared and blasted Galahad with dark energy, making him yell with pain as he fell to his knees.

 **Galahad: 2700→600 LP**

"Now their Life Points are equal," Morningstar commented. "And Galahad has no cards in his hand." He decided now. This was the time to intervene.

"Battle!" Orange declared. "Hercules-." He gasped as someone walked out of the alley.

"That is enough," Morningstar said, glaring at the Knights.

"M-Morningstar," Yellow said, staring at the bounty hunter with fear.

"Morningstar," Galahad muttered, looking at the youth with surprise. Had he been watching this duel the entire time?

"Morningstar," Terminus muttered, resting his hand in his chin. This was unexpected. But this could prove advantageous to him.

"What are you doing here?" Purple asked Morningstar.

"As I said, that is enough," Morningstar said. He turned to Galahad. "You've done well, Galahad. But the fight against Hanoi is not yours. Cancel this duel and leave it to me."

"Don't be absurd!" Orange shouted. "You think we'll cancel this duel just because you said so!"

Morningstar turned to the Knights and made all three flinch with his glare. "Yes, I do."

"No."

Morningstar turned to Galahad in response to his words, surprised at them. "But Galahad-."

"I said no," Galahad said, standing up. "I am not letting you fulfill your narcissistic tendencies."

Narcissistic?" Morningstar repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

Galahad scoffed. "You and Playmaker… You think you alone have the right to face Hanoi. How egotistical. The Knights of Hanoi are more than just an affront to the title of Knight. They threaten all of LINK VRAINS."

He glared at Morningstar with undisguised fierceness. "I don't know why you or Playmaker fight Hanoi, but know this: this is not just your fight. This is the fight of everyone who wishes to protect LINK VRAINS. And I will not stand by and let Hanoi do what they want. I will fight, as hard as I can, to my last breath if need be, to do the right thing."

He turned from Morningstar to the Knights. "Do you hear me, Hanoi? I will not lose! I will protect LINK VRAINS from you hoodlums!"

"You'll lose," Morningstar said in a quiet voice. "And then what will happen to you?"

"I'll probably become an Another," Galahad shrugged. "I don't much care what happens to me." He looked Morningstar in the eyes. "I suspect that's something we have in common." Morningstar looked back until he turned away and sighed.

"Can you win this duel?"

Galahad smiled. "Without a doubt," he said.

"Then do it." Morningstar stepped to the side and leaned against the nearest building.

Orange burst out laughing. "You think you can win this? You're facing down a 3200 attack point monster with only 600 Life Points and no cards on your field! What part of that says, 'I can win?'"

Galahad smirked. "Attack me and find out."

"Fine then! Steelswarm Hercules, attack Galahad directly!" Steelswarm Hercules gathered dark energy in its hands and fired it at Galahad. Before it hit-.

"I activate the effect of the Sphere Kuriboh in my hand!" Galahad declared. "If an opponent's monster declares an attack, I can send this card from my hand to the Graveyard and change your monster to Defense Position!"

"What?" Orange said, surprised as Hercules switched to Defense Position and its energy attack dissipated.

"It looks like you won't be defeating me this turn," Galahad said. He turned to Morningstar. "I told you I would not lose."

"And you were right," Morningstar said, keeping a blank face. "Now prove you can win."

"This isn't over!" Orange growled. "I Set two cards. I end my turn."

"My turn!" Galahad said. "Draw!" He drew, looked at his card, and widened his eyes in surprise.

"Continuous Trap activate!" Orange declared. "Final Attack Orders! This card changes all face-up monsters to Attack Position and prevents their battle positions from being changed!" Hercules stood up as it switched to Attack Position.

Orange smirked at Galahad. "With this Trap Card, you can't switch Hercules to Defense Position with your card effects. Meaning you can't defeat it as easily as you did with our previous monsters."

 _And if you manage to summon a stronger monster and attack,_ Orange thought, _my Hate Buster Trap Card will destroy both our monsters and deal you damage equal to your monster's attack points. It doesn't matter what you play this turn. You'll lose!_

"This situation looks bad," Morningstar commented. "You sure you can win?"

Galahad smiled at him. "Now that I have this, I am." He gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of the Trap Card Super Soldier Rebirth in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can return one 'Black Luster Soldier' monster in my Graveyard and return it to my hand!"

"What?" Orange said, surprised. "You don't have any 'Black Luster Soldier' monsters in your Graveyard!"

"Yes, I do," Galahad said. "Remember when I used Spiral Spear Strike?"

Orange gasped. Galahad had discarded a card when he drew by Spiral Spear Strike's effect.

"Y-You mean-?"

"Yes," Galahad confirmed. "The card I discarded then was Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier, which I now return to my hand!" He took the card from his Graveyard, then played a card in his hand.

"I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Super Soldier Synthesis!" Galahad declared, shocking everyone present.

"What?" Yellow said. "First Fusion, now Ritual?"

"Appear, the altar of champions!" Galahad shouted as his left hand glowed light blue and his right hand glowed dark blue. The area around them changed so that it looked like they were in outer space. In front of Galahad, a glowing figure appeared.

"What-what is this?" Purple asked.

"Materials confirmed!" Galahad chanted. "The summoning conditions are one Light and one Dark monster, with one coming from my hand and one from my Deck, whose total Levels exactly equal 8! I send the Level 4 Beginning Knight in my hand and the Level 4 Evening Twilight Knight in my Deck to the Graveyard!"

A small warrior wearing blue and gold armor carrying a curved blade and a shield appeared on one side of the glowing figure. On the other side appeared a small warrior in white and light blue armor, carrying a similar sword and shield. The two monsters became dark blue and light blue energy respectively that entered the glowing figure in the center, which glowed with bright light as a result.

"Ritual Summon! Come forth! Level 8! Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier!"

The light burst, and a new monster appeared. It was a warrior in vibrant red and gold armor, carrying a small red shield with a ruby in the center and a large sword shaped like dragon's teeth.

 **Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"Fusion Summoning, and now Ritual Summoning," Terminus mused. "You are full of surprises, Galahad."

"B-Black Luster Soldier?" Purple said, shivering with fear. "T-That monster… that's one of the legendary monsters, isn't it?"

"This particular monster, no it isn't," Galahad answered. "But it is even more dangerous. Especially since I used Beginning Knight to Ritual Summon it."

"What?" Orange said, getting over his shock. "What do you mean?"

"A 'Black Luster Soldier' monster that is Ritual Summoned using Beginning Knight gains certain effects," Galahad explained. "Including the ability to banish one monster my opponent controls once per turn."

"WHAT!?" the Knights shouted in unison, shocked at such a powerful effect.

"Go, Black Luster Soldier!" Galahad declared. "Banish Steelswarm Hercules!" Super Soldier pointed its sword at Hercules and zapped it with red energy. Hercules shouted with pain as it disappeared from the field and left the Knights defenseless.

"Oh no!" Orange said, panicking. His Hate Buster Trap Card only worked when a Fiend monster battled. It wouldn't work against a direct attack!

"Battle!" Galahad declared. "Super Soldier, attack these false Knights directly! Superior Chaos Blade!" Super Soldier charged the Knights, who turned to run in fear of the fearsome knight. It slashed them, making all three scream and blowing them away with the force of its attack.

 **Knights of Hanoi: 600→0 LP**

"The three of you don't even deserve to call yourselves duelists!" Galahad shouted. "And tell the rest of your kind to leave LINK VRAINS alone!"

Morningstar approached the Knights and stepped on Purple's chest.

"Revolver," he said. "Tell me where he is."

"Why would I tell you that?" Purple growled. Morningstar increased the pressure, making him gasp.

"I can push much harder," Morningstar said. "Now tell me."

"R-Revolver-."

Terminus sighed and opened a screen. He swiped right. "Erase."

Purple screamed as his body turned into black data and disappeared. Morningstar gasped and removed his foot as it happened and glanced at the other two Knights, both of whom vanished just as Purple did. On the building above, Terminus turned and teleported back to Hanoi's corner of the network.

"What the hell was that?" Galahad asked, joining Morningstar.

"They were purged," Morningstar answered, narrowing his eyes. "Someone didn't want them talking."

"Who?"

"Revolver. Or perhaps one of his lieutenants," Morningstar said, remembering Spectre. "Whoever it was, I'll find them."

"Hmm," Galahad said. "Morningstar." Morningstar turned to Galahad as he said that. "I don't know why you fight Hanoi," he said. "But respect that I will do so as well. You and Playmaker cannot handle this yourselves. And I imagine I won't be the only one fighting against Hanoi."

Morningstar thought about Blue Angel, Akira, and Ghost Girl, all of whom knew what the Knights of Hanoi were tied to. He couldn't imagine Ghost Girl fighting Hanoi without expecting a reward, but the others… "I doubt you will be."

Galahad smiled. "I'll see you later, Morningstar." He logged out.

"Well, that was interesting," Cam said into Morningstar's earpiece. "It's been a while since I've seen Fusion Summoning. Even longer since I've seen Ritual Summoning."

"Galahad's Deck revolves around multiple methods of summoning," Morningstar noted. "That makes him an unpredictable opponent."

"Maybe," Cam said.

"…Do you think he's right, Cam?" Morningstar asked. "Are Playmaker and I being egotistical taking on Hanoi ourselves? Not letting others help us?"

"…That's not how I see it," Cam said. "I see it as keeping others from getting hurt. That's how Playmaker sees it, I think."

"Maybe," Morningstar conceded. "Still… Galahad wasn't wrong. It is egotistical of us to assume the responsibility of protecting LINK VRAINS ourselves. And if Hanoi is increasing in numbers, then we'll need to increase our own numbers as well."

"Are you saying we recruit people? How do we do that? Put an advertisement on the web? 'Duelists wanted. Must be willing to risk life and limb to protect LINK VRAINS from psychotic child snatchers and stupid thugs. Must also be capable of working with anti-social belligerent co-workers.'"

Morningstar scoffed. "I don't think I'd call myself 'belligerent.'"

Before Cam could respond, an alarm went off. "What the-?" He looked at the screens, then said panicking into the earpiece. "Yasu, you need to log out. Now!"

"Why? What's-?" He got his answer almost immediately. The winds around him picked up. He looked up and gasped. The area he was in was surrounded by a transparent dome. He saw thin purple tornados emerge from holes in the dome and connect to the ground, generating high-speed wings.

"What?" Morningstar said, his eyes wide. "What is this?"

* * *

In a small house near the port of Den City, a blue sphere fades away. The young man inside it opens his eyes and blinks repeatedly. He stands up and stretches, wincing as he does so.

"Damn it," he said, holding his side. "For amateurs, those Knights of Hanoi aren't bad. Maybe I should have challenged them one at a time instead of all at once." He walked out of the living room and was about to head upstairs when he saw his laptop was flashing. He walked over to it and sat at the island in the kitchen. He opened it and saw he had a missed call from…

His face fell. He hated missing calls from that person. He quickly called them back, hoping they would pick up. Thankfully, they did on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Eiji," the young man said, smiling to himself. "It's me. It's your big brother."

"Takeshi?" Eiji said on the other end excitedly. "I was worried when you didn't answer. Where were you?"

"I was busy with something," Takeshi answered. His brother didn't know about him being Galahad. He didn't want Eiji to worry about him. "How are you? Did the doctors say anything new?"

"No, they didn't," Eiji said, his tone falling. "They said you should come by sometime to talk to them."

"Oh," Takeshi said, his own voice falling. Eiji had been sick for quite some time. Takeshi had become a Charisma Duelist to pay for his brother's hospital bills. "Hey, let's not worry about that right now. I'll come by later. I'll bring dinner. I'm sure you're sick of hospital food."

"It's not too bad," Eiji said. "The pork is overcooked, but the rice is… decent."

Takeshi laughed. "I'll bring you some fresh tempura from that place you love. Over by the public viewing plaza. Maybe I'll catch a duel with Go Onizuka or Blue Angel to tell you about."

"Would you?" Eiji said excitedly. "Maybe you could catch one of Galahad? I haven't seen him duel in a while."

Takeshi's smile widened. "Maybe. I'll see what's there. I'll be there soon, Eiji. Goodbye. I love you."

"I love you too, big brother."

Takeshi ended the call and slumped in the chair. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. Yes, a Charisma Duelist made lots of money, but hospital bills were expensive. Especially for a 12-year-old kid. It didn't help that their father had abandoned them before Eiji had been born and their mother had left a couple years ago, leaving Eiji and Takeshi to fend for themselves. It had taken everything Takeshi had to get them this little house and make sure Eiji was taken care of. But now Eiji was sick, and Takeshi didn't know how long he could keep up the payments.

No. Takeshi set his gaze and hardened his heart. It didn't how matter how tough things got, or what he had to pay. He would not let his brother die. He would not lose the only family he had left.

* * *

 **Galahad vs. 3 Knights of Hanoi**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel. The KoHs share a field and 4000 Life Points, while Galahad takes every second turn.

 **Turn 1: KoH 1**

Since KoH 1 controls no monsters, he Special Summons Steelswarm Cell (0/0/1). He then Normal Summons Steelswarm Caller (1700/0/4). He activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting him perform a 2nd Normal Summon this turn. He Tributes Caller and Cell to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Longhorn (3000/0/9). Since a "Steelswarm" monster was Tribute Summoned by Tributing Steelswarm Caller, KoH 1 can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Steelswarm" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons Steelswarm Sentinel (1100/0/3) in Attack Position. So long as Sentinel is in Attack Position, Special Summoned Level 5 or higher monsters on the field cannot activate their effects. He Sets 1 card (Infestation Ripples). He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Galahad**

Galahad draws. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Spiral Spear Strike. He then activates the Spell Card Block Attack, switching Steelswarm Longhorn to Defense Position. He Sets 3 cards. Since it is the only card in his hand, Galahad can Normal Summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight (2300/2100/7) from his hand without Tributing. Swift Gaia attacks and destroys Steelswarm Longhorn, with the effect of Spiral Spear Strike inflicting piercing battle damage (KoHs: 4000→1700 LP). Galahad ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: KoH 2**

KoH 2 draws. He activates his face-down Trap Card Infestation Ripples. He pays 500 LP (KoHs: 1700→1200 LP) to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Steelswarm" monster from his GY. He Special Summons Steelswarm Caller (1700/0/4). He Tributes Caller to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Girastag (2600/0/7) by its effect. As Caller was used to Tribute Summon a "Steelswarm" monster, KoH 2 can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Steelswarm" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons Steelswarm Gatekeeper (1500/1900/4) in Attack Position. As Girastag was Tribute Summoned by Tributing a "Steelswarm" monster, KoH 2 can target 1 card his opponent controls, send it to the GY, and gain 1000 LP. He targets and sends Swift Gaia to the GY (KoHs: 1200→2200 LP). KoH 2 activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting him perform a 2nd Normal Summon this turn. He Tributes Sentinel to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Moth (2400/0/6). As Moth was Tribute Summoned using a "Steelswarm" monster, KoH 2 pays 1000 LP (KoHs: 2200→1200 LP), targets up to 2 cards Galahad controls, and returns them to Galahad's hand. He targets Spiral Spear Strike and 1 of Galahad's face-down cards, returning them to Galahad's hand.

KoH 2 activates the Spell Card Hand Destruction, making both players send 2 cards from their hand to the GY and draw 2 cards. KoH sends First Step Towards Infestation and Steelswarm Genome to the GY and draws 2 cards. Galahad discards Spiral Spear Strike and Mirror Force from his hand to the GY and draws 2 cards. KoH 2 attacks directly with Girastag, but Galahad activates his face-down Trap Card Draining Shield, negating the attack and gaining LP equal to Girastag's ATK (Galahad: 4000→6600 LP). KoH 2 attacks directly with Moth (Galahad: 6600→4200 LP). KoH 2 attacks directly with Gatekeeper (Galahad: 4200→2700 LP). KoH 2 activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Mystik Wok, Tributing Girastag and gaining LP equal to its ATK (KoHs: 1200→3800 LP). He activates the Spell Card Pot of Avarice, targeting Steelswarm Caller, Cell, Genome, Girastag, and Sentinel in his GY. He shuffles them back into his and KoH 1's Decks and draws 2 cards. KoH 2 Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Galahad**

Galahad draws. He activates his face-down Trap Card Beginning of Heaven and Earth, which lets him reveal 3 monsters from his Deck and have his opponent randomly pick 1. If they pick a "Black Luster Soldier" monster or "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster, that monster is added to Galahad's hand and the rest are sent to the GY. If they do not, then all cards are sent to the GY. Galahad reveals Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight, Curse of Dragonfire, and Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight. KoH 2 picks the middle one, revealing Lord Gaia and adding that card to Galahad's hand while Charging Gaia and Dragonfire are sent to his GY. Since KoH 2 controls a monster and he does not, Galahad Special Summons Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight (2300/2100/7) in Attack Position. He activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Curse of Dragonfire (2000/1500/5) from his GY in Attack Position. He activates the effect of Dragonfire, letting him perform a Fusion Summon using monsters he controls as Fusion Materials. Galahad fuses Dragonfire and Lord Gaia on his field to Fusion Summon Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion (2600/2100/7) in Attack Position to the Extra Monster Zone. As Sky Galloping Gaia was Special Summoned, Galahad activates its effect to add Spiral Spear Strike from his GY to his hand. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Spiral Spear Strike.

Sky Galloping Gaia attacks Gatekeeper, but KoH 2 activates his face-down Trap Card Staunch Defender, selecting Moth for its effect and forcing Sky Galloping Gaia to attack it. He then activates his face-down Trap Card Infestation Tool, sending Steelswarm Scout from his Deck to the GY to increase Moth's ATK by 800 (Moth: 2400→3200). Galahad activates the effect of Sky Galloping Gaia, changing the Moth it is attacking to Defense Position. Moth is destroyed. Because of Spiral Spear Strike's effect, Sky Galloping Gaia inflicts piercing battle damage, as Sky Galloping Gaia's effect treats its name as "Gaia the Dragon Champion" (KoHs: 3800→1200 LP). As "Gaia the Dragon Champion" inflicted battle damage via the effect of Spiral Spear Strike, Galahad draws 2 cards, then discards Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier. Galahad Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: KoH 3**

KoH 3 draws. At the start of his Main Phase 1, he activates the effect of Steelswarm Scout in the GY, Special Summoning it in Attack Position as he controls no Spell/Trap Cards (200/0/1). He Normal Summons Steelswarm Genome (1000/0/2). He activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting him Normal Summon a 2nd time this turn. He Tributes Genome and Scout, with the effect of Genome treating it as 2 Tributes, to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Hercules (3200/0/10). He then activates the Equip Spell Cursed Bill, equipping it to Sky Galloping Gaia. KoH 3 activates the effect of Hercules, paying half his LP (KoHs: 1200→600 LP) to destroy all other cards on the field. Cursed Bill, Sky Galloping Gaia, Spiral Spear Strike, Steelswarm Gatekeeper, and Galahad's face-down Super Soldier Rebirth are destroyed. Since the monster equipped with Cursed Bill was destroyed and Cursed Bill was sent to the GY, Galahad takes damage equal to Sky Galloping Gaia's DEF (Galahad: 2700→600 LP). Hercules attacks Galahad directly, but Galahad activates the effect of the Sphere Kuriboh in his hand, sending it the GY to change Hercules to Defense Position. KoH 3 Sets 2 cards (Final Attack Orders and Hate Buster). He ends his turn.

 **Turn 6: Galahad**

Galahad draws. KoH 3 activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Final Attack Orders, changing all face-up monsters to Attack Position and preventing their battle positions from being changed. Galahad activates the effect of the Trap Card Super Soldier Rebirth in his GY, banishing it to add Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier from his GY to his hand. Galahad activates the Ritual Spell Card Super Soldier Synthesis, which lets him Ritual Summon any "Black Luster Soldier" Ritual Monster from his hand or GY by sending 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster from his hand and Deck to the GY, so long as their total Levels equal 8. He sends the Beginning Knight in his hand and the Evening Twilight Knight in his Deck to the GY to Ritual Summon Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier (3000/2500/8) from his hand in Attack Position.

Galahad activates the effect of Super Soldier that it gained from Beginning Knight, targeting Hercules and banishing it. Galahad attacks directly with Super Soldier (KoHs: 600→0 LP). Galahad wins.

* * *

 _ **Beginning of Heaven and Earth Normal Trap Card**_

 _Reveal 3 monsters from your Deck, including at least 1 "Black Luster Soldier" monster or "Gaia The Fierce Knight" monster, and have your opponent randomly pick 1. If they picked a "Black Luster Soldier" monster or Gaia The Fierce Knight" monster, add it to your hand and send the rest to the GY. Otherwise, send them all to the GY. You can only activate 1 "Beginning of Heaven and Earth" per turn._

 _Note: In the OCG and TCG, this card specifies revealing Warrior monsters. I'm sad to say I didn't realize this until I started writing, so I decided to give it an anime effect where the monsters you reveal can be of any type. It's a lot easier than inventing a new card._

* * *

 ** _Chapter Preview_**

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 10 - The War Begins_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to HunterHQ, ClearwingYuta, Ethan Kironus, D3lph0xL0v3r, and Ninjacya321 for reviewing the last chapter.

In response to ClearwingYuta's question about giving Morningstar new Link Monsters, I have an idea about that, but I need to wait for the anime before I can implement it. I do know of at least two Link Monsters Morningstar has yet to show off yet, so look out for them.

In response to Ethan Kironus's question about Ghost Girl and Cam, I will not answer that. Spoilers.

Oh, and thank you D3lph0xL0v3r. I had no idea what a Dragon Lady was, and now that I do, I can see why it fits Lilith. I'll try to tone her down a bit.

And in response to Ninjacya321's review, thank you. What you said means a lot, especially as I continue to improve my work. I do like the idea of showing some focus on Yusaku, which was why I had the scene with Aoi where she is worried about Yusaku. Also, I'm a YusakuxAoi shipper, and they don't have enough scenes in the anime.

Also, I want to give a HUGE thank you to Frost190. I ran my duel and my new Fusion chant past her, and she liked both of them. I highly recommend reading her Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V fanfic Presage of Malevolence if you are not already reading it, as her character work and humor are amazing, as are her original card designs.

This chapter introduced us to Galahad, the #5 Charisma Duelist in LINK VRAINS. We already met his real-life self, Takeshi Akino, in the last chapter, but it was here that we learned he was Galahad. Galahad uses a combination of the Gaia the Fierce Knight and Black Luster Soldier archetypes. The reason for this is because aside from Burning Abyss, the Gaia archetype is the only one capable of all the Extra Deck summoning methods, and adding the Black Luster Soldier archetype adds Ritual Summoning to the mix. I might have considered using the Burning Abyss archetype, but OPFan37 already ran a duel with Burning Abyss in Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross-VRAINS, and I wanted to differentiate mine from his. Not to mention that the Gaia and Black Luster Soldier archetypes go back to the original series, and writing them gave me feelings of nostalgia.

We also learned that Takeshi has a younger brother in the hospital dying from an illness. I added Eiji to add more depth to Takeshi, and to draw parallels to characters in the past who also had sick siblings, like Joey and Kite. Personal drama aside, I feel confident enough to say that Takeshi and Galahad will both have a running gag where people don't know who he is. I couldn't resist continuing that.

Another thing I was excited to write for this chapter was the new summoning chant for Fusion Summoning. I wrote it to draw parallels with the Link Summoning chants, which I repeated with Galahad's Ritual chant. I will do the same for his Synchro and Xyz Summoning when they appear. I also have some ideas for additional OCs, but I need to wait for the anime to make sure of where to put them.

This chapter takes place during Episode 22 of the anime, when Go first confronts Doctor Genome, which we see at the very end. Because the anime has a certain pace, and I've been going pretty fast with this fanfic, I'm going to try to slow down so the anime can get ahead of me. This will mean more chapters as well as more opportunities to expand on characters like Galahad, Lilith, and Terminus. At the same time, it likely also means the chapters will be shorter, which I'm not complaining about.

Thank you for reading Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories - Chapter 9. Please tell me what you think of Galahad and my new summoning chants. As always, please post a review, and I hope you enjoyed reading Chapter 9!


	10. Chapter 10: The War Begins

**Chapter 10: The War Begins**

Terminus stood in Hanoi's sanctuary and looked at the two screens in front of him. The left one showed the events happening in LINK VRAINS. Right now, his comrade Dr. Genome had started a Speed Duel with Go Onizuka. From Terminus's memory, they were about equally skilled, so he couldn't say who would win. As for the other…

He turned to the right screen. It was a list of Morningstar's known duels and summaries of them. It listed duels against a Knight of Hanoi, Go Onizuka, Watcher, Spectre, and Lilith. Terminus was certain Morningstar had had other duels, but these were the only ones Hanoi had data on.

He had to admit, he was impressed with Morningstar's skills. He had managed to defeat one of the most powerful Charisma Duelists out there and Revolver's right-hand. But something about the latter confused him.

"Terminus." He turned and saw Spectre materialize behind him. "Why are you here? I assumed you would be with Baira and Faust, observing Dr. Genome's duel."

"I am," he answered, gesturing to the left screen. "But I figured I'd take this time to study one of our opponents." Spectre stepped up and looked at the right screen.

"Ah, Morningstar. A dangerous opponent. He even defeated the custom card that Master Revolver made to deal with him. And he did so easily."

"I wished to speak to you about that, actually," Terminus said, interrupting Spectre's musings. "I've seen your real Deck; you didn't use it against Morningstar. Why?"

Spectre smiled. "Two reasons. The first was because Master Revolver wished for me to test Neo Cracking Dragon against a worthy opponent. He wanted me to determine if it was viable for our members to use."

"And?"

"It is not. Difficulty to summon aside, it is only really powerful against Link Monsters. Therefore, it would only hurt Morningstar and Playmaker, two duelists who rely heavily on Link Monsters. And since Morningstar overcame it, Master Revolver saw no reason to believe that Playmaker would not do the same." Spectre's eyes narrowed. "No, we have more effective tools than Neo Cracking Dragon. And they are much easier to use."

"I see. And the second reason you didn't use your Deck?"

"Because even though Playmaker would not be seeing me duel, Master Revolver feared that Morningstar would form an alliance with Playmaker. He had me use one of our standard Decks so to keep my strategies hidden from Morningstar and Playmaker. That way, when the time comes, I can throw Morningstar off his game if I duel him again."

"This was before Dr. Kogami set his plan in motion," Terminus said, frowning. "Revolver thought that far ahead?"

"He anticipated the possibility of failure, as small as it may have been," Spectre said. "He figured maintaining an element of surprise for the future would be a good idea." Spectre looked at the right screen again. "So, tell me; what have you concluded from studying Morningstar?"

"That his reputation as 'the Devil of LINK VRAINS' is earned," Terminus said. "His strategies revolve primarily around Link Summoning; I have yet to see a single monster from his Main Deck with over 2000 attack points. Still, he does have cards that increase his monsters' attack points." He brought up an image of Cyspirit Lancer.

"Most of his monsters and Spell Cards revolve around swarming and Special Summoning from the Graveyard," Terminus continued. "Since his Cyspirit Link Monsters gain effects depending on how many monsters they point to, this is a necessary addition to his arsenal. He also makes use of cards that enable multiple attacks, since cards like his Datastorm Dragon have effects that benefit the more they can attack. His Trap Cards, on the other hand, are primarily defensive in nature, with some also having searching abilities. This protects him from taking damage, while he also gets the cards he needs to undertake his best strategies."

"We observed during his duel with Watcher that he makes use of cards that manipulate the opponent's field as well," Spectre noted.

"Yes, I saw that too. His Mad Mongrel and Thrilled Tunneler both have removal effects that bypass standard anti-destruction efforts. Rather clever of him." Terminus narrowed his eyes. "In summary, Morningstar's Deck is capable of multiple strategies that are meant to keep his opponents guessing. But he does have one major weakness. One you exploited against him, at least temporarily."

"His Cyspirit Link Monsters all require Cyspirit monsters," Spectre said, understanding where Terminus was going with this. "Yes, I hindered him, however briefly, when I used my Dragonoid Generator. But he had a card to get around that effect."

"Yes, he did. I wonder how he would do against Faust and his Motor Worms," Terminus mused. He then turned to the left screen. "In any event, I should watch Genome's duel with Go Onizuka. If Genome fails, I might have to pick up the slack."

* * *

Morningstar looked around him at the black tornadoes and the transparent dome. "Cam, what is this?" he asked into his earpiece. In the back room of Café Junpei, Cam scowled.

"I'm not sure, Yasu. The readings are strange. It looks like someone intensified the Data Storm in that area. If I'm right, that means you should be able to ride your D-Board in this area without actually being on a data stream." His scowl intensified. "Our systems are identifying the program as a 'Data Gale.'"

"A method to intensify Speed Duels," Morningstar said, then scowled. "But it's doing more than that. I can't log out. Whatever this dome is, it's keeping me trapped here."

"I-. Hang on," Cam said, going to a different screen. He opened the news on LINK VRAINS. He'd turned it off to focus on Galahad's duel, but now he figured that the main station would show what was going on. And he was right.

"Uh oh."

"What is it?"

"Go Onizuka's dueling a Knight of Hanoi," Cam told him. "Someone going by the name of Dr. Genome. It looks he was the one who activated this thing."

"Go Onizuka?" Morningstar repeated, surprised. "I haven't heard anything about Go since I dueled him. Is the news saying why they're dueling?"

Cam scowled. "It's an ante duel," he said. "If Onizuka wins, he gets the Another removal program."

"Well that's good."

"Yeah, but what Onizuka is offering isn't. He said that he knows who Playmaker is."

Morningstar's eyes widened. "What? He knows Playmaker's identity?" _Did Fujiki make a mistake around Onizuka?_

"I don't know. Most likely, it's just a lie to get Dr. Genome's attention. But if it's true…"

"…Where are they?" Morningstar asked Cam. "They have to be in this dome with me, right?"

"They are. Their duel just started. You should be able to find it if you look around."

"Got it. I'll see if I can find them." Morningstar pointed his Duel Disk towards the top of a nearby building and fired his Data Anchor. He used it as a grappling hook to pull himself up to the top. If Go was dueling a Knight of Hanoi, it would be easier to find them from a greater height.

After about five minutes of jumping over the rooftops, Morningstar finally found Go and his opponent, and- what the? Morningstar rubbed his eyes. He was sure he was seeing this wrong. He opened his Duel Disk's camera and zoomed in on Go's face. No, his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Go was wearing a black and white mask with a mane of teal hair. And the monster he had, which Morningstar recognized as Gouki Thunder Ogre, was also wearing a mask.

 _What is Onizuka doing?_ Morningstar wondered. Deciding he needed a closer look, he released the drone from his Duel Disk and set it to record both audio and visual. He then set it off after Go and his opponent, who Morningstar could now see had green hair and a yellow and silver mask covering his left eye, and a monster identified as Helixx Marmotroll on his field.

"Show me Dark Onizuka's DNA," Dr. Genome said. That was the first thing the drone picked up. Dark Onizuka? Seriously? That was such a tacky name.

"You won't be so calm anymore!" Go said. "I activate the Spell Card: Gouki Poison Mist! Take this!" Morningstar couldn't help but snicker when Go spat purple liquid in Dr. Genome's face. Okay, the name "Dark Onizuka" was lame, but that was a good move.

Morningstar watched as Go used his Thunder Ogre's effect to Normal Summon Gouki Riscorpio, then have it throw Riscorpio at Marmotroll. Morningstar understood what Go was doing; because Riscorpio was at Thunder Ogre's Link Marker when it was destroyed, Thunder Ogre became stronger. Go had taken a little damage to increase his monster's attack points. Risky, but clever. He also found out that the mask Thunder Ogre was now wearing was not just decorative; it also dealt Dr. Genome damage when Thunder Ogre's effect activated. Not a bad strategy.

Morningstar frowned to himself. He remembered Go's strategy from their duel; let himself take damage to make his opponents look stronger, then overpower them with battle damage. Go wasn't playing the same strategy this time.

"Cam, what happened before I showed up?" he asked over the earpiece. "When did Onizuka put that mask on?"

"Right when he activated the Equip Spell Card: Gouki Dark Mask and turned Thunder Ogre into Dark Thunder Ogre," Cam answered. "He said the mask was him signaling a heel turn."

"A heel turn?"

"It's a wrestling term," Cam explained. "It's when the good guy, or the face, becomes a bad guy, or the heel. Onizuka seems to have invoked a heel turn to show his dueling has changed since his duels with you and Playmaker."

"So it would seem." Morningstar turned back to the duel, just as Go used his Skill to bring back Riscorpio to repeat his combo. He had to admit that while Dr. Genome seemed despicable from what Morningstar had seen, he had good control of a D-Board, as he maneuvered around the buildings to keep from crashing into them.

Morningstar scowled when Thunder Ogre – no, Dark Thunder Ogre – punched through a building to destroy Marmotroll. He knew it was virtual reality, but that collateral damage was so unnecessary.

He listened through the drone as Dr. Genome and Go Onizuka conversed. "Your heel fighting style is quite fun!"

"I've evolved into Dark Onizuka!" Go shouted.

Dr. Genome laughed at that. "You evolved because you lost against Playmaker?"

"Him and Morningstar," Go clarified. "It's frustrating, but true. That's when everything changed."

Go looked downwards as he became introspective. "The children in the orphanage idolized me again after my duel with Playmaker. Playmaker has changed this generation. Vowing to defeat him, I thoroughly studied him. And I learned that my style was last generation. However, my dueling is to entertain people!"

Go raised his head to glare at Dr. Genome. "And I made up my mind! I'll adopt a dark fighting style and do anything to win! The crowd yearns for overwhelming power! That is my entertainment!"

Morningstar frowned at that. He didn't know why, but Go's speech… it made Morningstar feel sad. Throwing away how you duel in order to please the crowd… Morningstar saw nothing wrong with adapting your dueling to fit the times, but for someone like Go, he understood that changing his style must have been difficult.

His thoughts were interrupted by Dr. Genome laughing. "I hear that story a lot. When the strong lose, they start to worry. But that means nothing. The only important thing is whether you have excellent DNA or not." Dr. Genome's D-Board became even with Go's. "Even if you become a heel, your DNA hasn't changed. Your destiny, your duel, everything is predetermined!"

"Stop joking!" Go shouted. "I'll decide my destiny and my duel!"

Dr. Genome smirked. "I'll show you the limits to your DNA. My turn! Draw!"

Morningstar scowled at Dr. Genome's words. This guy was obsessed with DNA. He'd heard him say he was a DNA researcher, but some things were not determined by genetics. As far as Morningstar knew, personality was determined by the environment, not by DNA. Or was DNA some kind of weird euphemism for something else?

He watched as Dr. Genome activated a Spell Card to bring back his Marmotroll and another copy of it. The doctor then used his two monsters to Link Summon Helixx Gothiclone, which Morningstar noticed looked like a humanoid ram.

He raised an eyebrow when Gothiclone attacked Dark Thunder Ogre. A 0 attack point monster attacking a 3000 attack point monster? His confusion increased when Gothiclone's attack points became the same as Dark Thunder Ogre's and the battle ended in a tie, with both monsters falling to the ground.

"This also happened in your duel against Playmaker," Dr. Genome noted. "Your appearance may have changed, but your DNA hasn't evolved." Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise when Dr. Genome revealed the second half of Gothiclone's effect and dealt Go 1200 points of damage. So that was his goal!

Dr. Genome ended his turn, and Go began his. "You said that DNA predetermines a person's destiny and his duel," Go said. "But those are your limits! I'll show you your limits!"

Dr. Genome smirked. "Interesting."

Morningstar watched as Go summoned another Riscorpio and Twistcobra. He recognized this move from his duel with Go, but because of Gothiclone's effect, it was pointless to raise Thunder Ogre's attack points. So why-?

His attention was drawn by a new sound over the drone. What was that? He turned the camera and his eyes widened with surprise. Oh no.

Morningstar quickly accessed his D-Board and rushed over to Go's location.

"From my hand, I activate-!" That was as far as Go got before his D-Board was hit from behind. "What the-?" He managed to stay on his D-Board and keep it upright, but he turned to see what had happened. He growled on realizing what had happened.

"Go Onizuka!" The Knight of Hanoi in a green mask shouted at him. "You'll pay for embarrassing us!" His partner in an orange mask then turned a corner from a nearby building and tried to ram Go, but Go was able to evade him.

 _These are the guys I stopped earlier,_ Go thought. _But there were three of them. Where-?_

"I've got you!" He turned and saw a Knight in a blue mask charge him from the side. He was too close for Go to evade. But before he hit-.

A red cord lashed out and wrapped itself around the front of the Knight's D-Board and pulled it downward. The Knight was catapulted off his board and went flying. Go ducked as the Knight soared overhead into a nearby building.

"Who dares interfere!?" The Knight in orange shouted. Then he gasped. "Y-You!" Go turned and gasped.

The Data Anchor returned to Morningstar's Duel Disk as he rode his D-Board beneath Go and Dr. Genome. "Don't interfere with this duel, you cowards," Morningstar said, his contempt for the Knights' behavior evident. "If you wish to duel, then duel me!"

"Morningstar!" Go said, his voice filled with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Keeping these pests off your back," Morningstar said as his D-Board rose to Go's level. "This guy has the Another removal program?"

"Indeed I do," Dr. Genome said, answering Morningstar's question. "I must say, it's an honor to meet a duelist of your strength, Morningstar. Once I defeat Dark Onizuka, I'll defeat you and take your DNA. With the DNA of the 'devil of LINK VRAINS' in my possession, I could form the greatest DNA creation of all time!"

"Fascinating," Morningstar deadpanned. "I'll leave this to you," he said to Go. He then turned his D-Board as the Knight in orange tried to ram him.

"Damn it!" the Knight said. "Stay still!"

"Okay," Morningstar said, bringing his D-Board close to Orange's D-Board. He raised his Duel Disk and pressed a button. A golden net sprung forward and ensnared Orange.

"Hey! Let me go!" Orange fell off his board and dangled from Morningstar's Duel Disk.

"As you wish." Morningstar swung his arm and pressed the release button. Orange was sent flying – still in the net – into a rooftop pool. Morningstar then turned to the Knight in a green mask, but was too slow to evade the card Green threw.

"Ah!" Morningstar gasped as the card shocked him. "What was that?"

Green smirked. "That program forces us into a duel! Let's have fun, Morningstar!"

Morningstar showed Green his own smirk, which scared Green. "Alright. But I don't think you'll enjoy it."

Between two nearby buildings, Lilith looked out. "I wasn't expecting Morningstar to interfere in Onizuka's duel," she commented. "Playmaker, certainly, but not Morningstar. Guess he's getting soft."

"Whatever his reason, this is a chance to do your job," Tagoma said over her earpiece. "Observe and record this duel, then Terminus pays us."

"Right," Lilith said as she pressed a button on her Duel Disk. She frowned to herself. Terminus was paying well, but she wished she knew more about him. She hated working for people she didn't know. She made a note to herself to try and get more information on Terminus.

In the public viewing plaza, Yusaku narrowed his eyes. "That was close," Kusanagi commented. "Good thing Morningstar was there."

"What was he doing there?" Ai wondered. "Was he watching and decided to interfere?"

"Who knows?" Yusaku said. "Dark Onizuka's duel is more important right now."

Just outside of the plaza, Takeshi Akino left a nearby tempura restaurant, carrying a take-out bag. He looked towards the television screens and widened his eyes.

"Go Onizuka and Morningstar are fighting the Knights of Hanoi?" he wondered aloud. He smiled to himself. _Good luck, gentlemen,_ he thought as he turned and walked towards the hospital.

* * *

Morningstar and Green sped some distance away from Go and Dr. Genome. _I'm getting used to this weird dome,_ Morningstar thought. _Makes steering a lot easier, actually._

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4000 LP**

In Hanoi's sanctuary, Terminus scowled at the screen showing Morningstar and his opponent. He hadn't expected Morningstar to show up to support Go, but he had. Evidently, Morningstar wasn't as heartless as his reputation would suggest.

Still, this was a good opportunity to learn more about Morningstar's dueling. Terminus imagined Lilith would also be watching and recording. Her data might show him something he missed watching from here.

"I'll take the first turn!" Green declared, looking at his hand. "I summon Evilswarm Castor!" A brown and white warrior with a red cape appeared on Green's field.

 **Evilswarm Castor ATK 1750 DEF 550 LVL: 4**

"The turn that Castor is Normal Summoned," Green continued, "I can Normal Summon one 'lswarm' monster in addition to my Normal Summon. I summon Steelswarm Scout!" A little humanoid monster with goggles appeared alongside Castor.

 **Steelswarm Scout ATK 200 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"A monster with only 200 attack points?" Morningstar mused. He narrowed his eyes. "That means-."

"Appear, our future circuit!" Green declared. The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'lswarm' monsters! I set Evilswarm Castor and Steelswarm Scout in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the Link portal as the top and bottom arrows turned red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Steelswarm Origin!"

Green's Link Monster was… well, it was a head. It was a giant dark blue head with three horns, sharp teeth, and dark eyes. Morningstar scowled at the monster as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Steelswarm Origin ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↑↓

"Steelswarm Origin?" Morningstar muttered. "I've never heard of this monster…"

"I Set one card," Green said. "I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, then looked up Origin's effects. His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed.

 _I see,_ he thought. _This monster prevents either of us from summoning monsters from the Extra Deck to Main Monster Zones, except to the ones it points to. That means I can only have two Link Monsters on the field at a time._

That effect annoyed him, but he had to admit it was a good tactic. Against a duelist like himself, or one like Playmaker, such an effect would limit their options. Or at least, it would make them work to adapt.

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Call!" Morningstar said. "This card adds one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Swordsman to my hand!" He did so, then said, "If I control no monsters and you do, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman from my hand!" The skeleton warrior carrying blue futuristic swords appeared.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"When Swordsman is Special Summoned by its own effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar said. "I add Cyspirit Lancer to my hand, and then I'll summon my Lancer!" The skeleton carrying a lance and shield appeared alongside Swordsman.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Lancer's monster effect! While it is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points! Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1500**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared in the air above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Cyspirit Swordsman in the Link Marker!" Swordsman entered the portal, and the bottom arrow lit up.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit with two short wings appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500→800 LINK-1** ↓

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker. However, that monster cannot declare an attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. I Special Summon Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a pink leotard appeared at Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000→1300 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"When there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon this monster! Appear, Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a blue and white prisoner's uniform appeared, summoned to Steelswarm Origin's top Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600→1900 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared once again above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cacophonic Caller, Dancer, and Prisoner in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the Link portal, causing the bottom-left, top, and bottom arrows to turn red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Come forth! Link 3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!" The skeleton in a blue trench coat and silver tricorne hat appeared and raised both of its pistols as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone with Cyspirit Lancer at its bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2500**

"If Cyspirit Dancer is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, that monster gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2500→3100**

"And when Cyspirit Prisoner is sued to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add 1 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar continued. "I add Cyspirit Linker to my hand. And because I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Linker!" The skeleton in black armor with gauntlets appeared, summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700→2000 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"This monster can also be Special Summoned when I control a 'Cyspirit' monster," Morningstar continued. "Come, Cyspirit Navigator!" The skeleton in a pirate's outfit appeared, summoned to Steelswarm Origin's top Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300→1600 DEF 1100 LVL: 3**

"Four monsters all at once?" Green muttered.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal once again appeared in the air above Morningstar.

"What?" Green said, shocked. "A third Link Summon?"

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Linker and Cyspirit Navigator in the Link Markers!" The named monsters entered the Link portal, turning the left and right arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" The skeleton with a massive drill for a right arm appeared, summoned to Steelswarm Origin's top Link Marker and pointing to Cyspirit Lancer.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→1900 LINK-2** ←→

Green laughed. "Too bad for you. Steelswarm Origin prevents either of us from Special Summoning monsters from the Extra Deck to the Main Monster Zones unless Origin points to them. That means you can't Link Summon anymore!"

"I know," Morningstar said. He was also aware of Origin's other effects. But he hadn't summoned Thrilled Tunneler to battle Origin. Because it pointed to Lancer, Thrilled Tunneler could attack Green directly. The damage would be halved, but that was alright. Combined with Lancer and Rapid Revolutionary, Morningstar could inflict over 2000 points of damage this turn.

"I Set one card," Morningstar said, doing so. "Battle!" he then declared. "Rapid Revolutionary, attack Steelswarm Origin! Revolution Shot!" Rapid Revolutionary pointed one of its pistols at Origin and charged it, but Green was ready.

"Trap activate!" Green declared. "Impenetrable Attack! During the Battle Phase, this card allows me to activate one of two effects. I can either prevent one monster from being destroyed by battle or card effects during this Battle Phase, or I can take no battle damage during the Battle Phase." He smirked at Morningstar. "I choose to take no battle damage!"

"You might not be able to damage him, but you can still destroy his monster," Cam said in Morningstar's earpiece.

"No, I can't."

"What?"

Rapid Revolutionary finally fired at Origin. The blast hit, but after the smoke cleared, Origin was revealed unharmed.

Green laughed at Morningstar's failure. "So long as Origin points to a monster, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects! Thanks to your Thrilled Tunneler, my monster isn't going anywhere!"

"Damn it," Cam muttered. "I thought you had it."

"This duel is far from over," Morningstar said. "I end my turn."

The two duelists turned around a building and zoomed low over the streets. The Knight turned and smirked at Morningstar. "Guess your reputation is exaggerated, Morningstar," he said. "I look forward to defeating you this turn."

The Knight then gestured in front of himself. "I activate my Skill! Double Draw! During the Draw Phase, instead of drawing one card, I draw two!" He drew two cards as Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He remembered that the Knight Playmaker had dueled had used the same Skill. Did all Knights of Hanoi use Double Draw?

Green smirked as he looked at his cards. "A perfect draw," he muttered. He then gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Steelswarm Scout in the Graveyard! At the start of my Main Phase, I can Special Summon Scout as I control no Spell or Trap Cards!" The little black monster with goggles reappeared.

 **Steelswarm Scout ATK 200 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"And now I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Offerings to the Doomed!" Green declared, which made Morningstar's eyes widen. "At the cost of skipping my next Draw Phase, I can destroy one monster on the field! Say goodbye to your Rapid Revolutionary!" A purple portal appeared beneath Rapid Revolutionary, out of which bandages came and wrapped themselves around Rapid Revolutionary. They pulled Morningstar's monster down and destroyed it. Morningstar grit his teeth.

"Steelswarm Origin's monster effect!" Green declared. "Once per turn, if monsters on the field were destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon Level 4 or lower 'lswarm' monsters from my Deck in Defense Position, up to the number of monsters destroyed. One monster was destroyed, so I can Special Summon one 'lswarm' monster. I Special Summon Steelswarm Genome!" Morningstar recognized the black ghost-like monster from Galahad's duel. This wasn't good.

 **Steelswarm Genome ATK 1000 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

"Steelswarm Genome can be treated as two Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a 'Steelswarm' monster!" Green said. "I Tribute the Genome treated as two monsters and Steelswarm Scout to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Hercules!" His two monsters disappeared as a giant black and gold monster took their place, summoned to Origin's bottom Link Marker.

 **Steelswarm Hercules ATK 3200 DEF 0 LVL: 10**

"Uh, Yasu? Isn't that-?"

"The monster Hanoi used against Galahad," Morningstar finished. "Yes, it is, Cam."

"Perfect."

Green smirked. "This is the end for you, Morningstar! I activate Hercules's effect! By paying half my Life Points, all other cards on the field are destroyed!"

"Won't he destroy his Link Monster with that effect?"

"No," Morningstar said. "Since Origin points to a monster, in this case, my Thrilled Tunneler and his Hercules, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects."

"Oh, damn it."

Hercules let loose a sonic blast, tearing apart Cyspirit Lancer, Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler, and Morningstar's face-down card, which revealed itself as Cyspirit Break. Origin, however, remained on the field, since it pointed to Hercules.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4000→2000 LP**

Green smirked. "That move may have cost me 2000 Life Points, but now you are defenseless!"

"Are you sure about that?" Green gasped on hearing that.

"I activate my Skill!" Morningstar declared, the silver stripe on his suit glowing. "Cyberse Revolution! When a Cyberse monster on my field is destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon one Cyberse monster from my Deck, so long as its Level is less than the Level of the destroyed monster!"

"You can't do that!" Green protested. "Thrilled Tunneler was a Link Monster, so it didn't have a Level!"

"But Cyspirit Lancer did," Morningstar reminded Green, making him gasp. "Lancer was a Level 4 monster, so I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck. I summon Cyspirit Teleporter in Defense Position!" The skeleton in grey armor holding a baton appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

Green grit his teeth. "You might survive this turn, but I will still win! I Set one card. Battle! Steelswarm Origin, attack Cyspirit Teleporter!" Origin blasted Teleporter with black energy from its mouth, destroying it and leaving Morningstar defenseless.

"Your turn, Hercules! Attack Morningstar directly!" Hercules gathered dark energy in its hands and blasted Morningstar. Morningstar glared fiercely at the energy as it traveled towards him and-.

It hit him. Morningstar screamed with pain as he was sent flying off his D-Board and crashing into a building. He finally came to rest after crashing through five walls.

 **Morningstar: 4000→800 LP**

"Yasu!" Cam shouted into the earpiece. "Are you alright?"

"No," Morningstar said, wincing as he stood up. "But I can keep fighting." He ran through the hole he'd made and jumped out, back onto his D-Board.

"I end my turn," Green said, smirking at Morningstar. "You can't win this, Morningstar! Before Hercules and Origin, you've failed!"

"Have I?" Morningstar asked, smirking. "I think you'll find you are the one who has failed."

"What?"

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card, then played it. "I activate the Field Spell: Cyspirit Sanctuary! While this card is face-up on the field, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack and defense points! Furthermore, if I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. I use Sanctuary's effect to Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer!" His Lancer reappeared, summoned to the center Main Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4**

"And because Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400**

 _So now all his monsters gain 600 attack points,_ Terminus thought as he watched the duel. _Even though none of his non-Link Monsters exceed his Link Monsters' attack points, he uses multiple card effects to increase their strength. Clever._

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Break in my Graveyard!" Morningstar continued. Green grit his teeth. He recognized that card as the Trap Card his Hercules had destroyed. "By banishing Cyspirit Break, I can Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard. Return, Rapid Revolutionary!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2800 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Next, I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard," Morningstar said. "By banishing Teleporter, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Come back, Cyspirit Dancer!" Dancer reappeared, summoned to Steelswarm Origin's top Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1600 DEF 200→500 LVL: 2**

"He has only played one card from his hand, yet he summoned a field full of monsters," Green muttered. "This isn't good."

"Appear, the circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared once more, this time above a building as Morningstar flew over it. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' Effect Monsters! I set Cyspirit Dancer and the Link 3 Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the portal, turning the bottom-left, top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!" A white dragon skeleton appeared and roared as skin grew over it. The dragon had grey skin with red and silver wings and four horns on its head. It roared once more as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone with Cyspirit Lancer at its bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800→3400 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"Since I used Dancer to Link Summon Datastorm Dragon, Datastorm Dragon gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 3400→4000**

"4-4000 attack points?" Green said, his voice filled with surprise.

"I activate the effect of the Spell Card: Cyberse Call in my Graveyard," Morningstar said. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon one Cyberse monster from my Graveyard. Return to me, Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!" His skeleton in a blue trench coat reappeared, summoned to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2800 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Finally, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Cyspirit Multiplier," Morningstar continued. "And equip it to Datastorm Dragon. With this card's effect, Datastorm Dragon can now make two attacks against my opponent's monsters during the Battle Phase."

Green grit his teeth again. With that dragon being able to make two attacks, it could destroy both of his monsters and deal serious damage. Or it would, if not for Green's face-down.

"Battle! Datastorm Dragon, attack Steelswarm Hercules! Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon blasted Hercules with blue energy. Before it hit…

"Trap activate!" Green declared. "Mirror Shade! By paying half my Life Points, I take no battle damage this turn!" The attack continued and destroyed Hercules, but Green didn't feel the force of the attack.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 2000→1000 LP**

"Haha," Green laughed. "With this Trap Card, you can't defeat me this turn!"

Cam laughed in Morningstar's earpiece. "This guy hasn't done his homework, has he?"

"Evidently not," Morningstar continued, a small smirk on his face. "Cyspirit Multiplier allows Datastorm Dragon to attack twice. Go, Datastorm! Destroy Steelswarm Origin! Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon gathered blue energy in its mouth again and blasted Origin, destroying it. But due to his Trap Card, Green took no battle damage.

The Knight laughed. "You may have destroyed my monsters, but now you can't do anything. And once I get my turn-."

"You won't."

"Huh?" Green said, looking back and noticing Morningstar's smirk. "W-Why are you smirking?"

"Because I've just won," Morningstar said. "Datastorm Dragon has an effect that activates at the end of the Battle Phase if it points to two monsters – which it does." The field layout appeared, showing Datastorm Dragon linked to Lancer and Rapid Revolutionary. "At the end of the Battle Phase, Datastorm Dragon inflicts damage to you equal to the number of monsters Datastorm Dragon destroyed this turn multiplied by 500."

"What!?" Green said, shocked. "But… but Datastorm Dragon destroyed two monsters. And two times 500 equals-."

"1000," Morningstar finished. "Exactly how many Life Points you have left." He gestured to Datastorm Dragon. "Go, Datastorm Dragon. End this! Digital Deletion!" Datastorm Dragon gathered red energy in its mouth, then fired it at Green.

"No! Wait-!" Green pleaded, then he was hit with the blast. He screamed as he fell off his D-Board onto a nearby rooftop.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 1000→0 LP**

Morningstar leapt from his D-Board next to the Knight. "Tell me," he began. "Where is Revolver?"

"Why would I tell you?" the Knight asked, wincing as he sat up. Morningstar's response was to fire his security net at the Knight and dangle him off the side of the building.

"H-Hey! Let me go!"

"Are you sure?" Morningstar asked, lengthening the cable and causing the Knight to drop a foot.

"Ah! Okay! Okay! Don't let me go!"

"Where is Revolver?" Morningstar repeated.

"I don't know!" the Knight said. "I-! Aah!" Morningstar's eyes widened as the Knight dissolved in the net. Back in Hanoi's sanctuary, Terminus scowled at the screen. He was getting sick of purging these fools.

"Damn it," Morningstar muttered, reeling his net back in. "They purged this one, too."

"Hanoi really doesn't want you finding out where Revolver is," Cam commented.

"I figured that out." Morningstar knit his eyebrows and frowned in concentration. "Cam, do you think we could make some sort of anti-purge program to keep them around long enough to interrogate? Something we could attach to the Knights like the card this guy threw at me."

"…Maybe," Cam finally said. "But it would take some time. Though, it would take less time if I called in some help."

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. "Ghost Girl? You're willing to work with her?"

"NO!" Cam shouted, making Morningstar wince. "No, I wasn't talking about her. I still have that sample of the backdoor program Playmaker's ally used to get him out of the duel with Go Onizuka. I can contact them and get their help with this. Between both of our groups, we should be able to come up with something much faster than just us working alone."

Morningstar thought about it and nodded. "Alright. Contact them. An anti-purge program would help Playmaker just as much as it would help me." He then looked up and noticed something. "The dome's gone," he commented. "I guess that means Onizuka won his duel."

"Yep," Cam said, glancing at the news. "Playmaker showed up, too. But after he did, Onizuka summoned a Link-4 monster: Gouki the Master Ogre."

"The Master Ogre?" Morningstar repeated. He narrowed his eyes. "After this, I need to talk to Onizuka. And if Playmaker is there too, it's time we talked as well." He got back on his D-Board and raced towards the coordinates Cam sent him.

* * *

Go leaned over Dr. Genome and reached into his jacket. He pulled out a glowing green card.

"I'm taking the virus removal program, as promised," Go told Dr. Genome.

"Good guy to heel, heel to good guy," Dr. Genome said, frowning as he turned to Go. "You call that evolving?"

"I make the evolution process entertaining," Go said. "That's why I'm the world's #1 entertainer – Go Onizuka!"

Dr. Genome laughed. "You'll regret defeating me," he said. After saying that, his body turned black and broke into pieces of data. He'd been purged, just like the Knights before him.

In Hanoi's sanctuary, Terminus crossed his arms and sighed. He understood why this had to happen, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

 _Genome, once we've obtained the Ignis from Playmaker,_ he thought. _I'll bring you back. Baira, Faust, and I will see to it._

Go Onizuka stood in the intersection of the street, while Playmaker stood behind him. Both looked up as Morningstar jumped down from a nearby building and joined them. He gave them each a blank face.

Go briefly gave his attention to Morningstar, but then gave it back to Playmaker. "Playmaker," he said. "You said you came to laugh at me." He then turned so he looked at Playmaker out of one eye. "But that was a lie to motivate me." He turned to fully face Playmaker. "Am I wrong?"

 _Really?_ Morningstar thought, keeping his face blank. _Really, Fujiki? You came to LINK VRAINS to laugh at Onizuka? That was the best motivational lie you could come up with?_

"Who knows," Playmaker said, his eyes closed.

"I will defeat you someday!" Go vowed. "But the Knights of Hanoi are destroying LINK VRAINS! I'll crush them first! Feel free to join me."

"Right," Playmaker said. Morningstar raised an eyebrow. Was Playmaker accepting help? He thought Playmaker didn't want others to get hurt. Or perhaps he recognized the same truth that Morningstar acknowledged; that Go would fight Hanoi with or without Playmaker.

Go turned to Morningstar. "What about you, Morningstar? You saved me from those insects who interrupted my duel with Dr. Genome. Will you fight with us?"

Morningstar was silent for a few seconds, then turned around. "The last time I worked with partners," he said. "I ended up betrayed. I had to fight my way out of a nearly hopeless situation. After that, I vowed not to work with anyone again."

He was silent again, but then turned back to Go. "But you're going to fight Hanoi whether I agree to work with you or not. The same is true of Playmaker. And if we coordinate our efforts and share information, we can fight Hanoi more efficiently." He nodded to Go. "I'll fight with you. But-." he turned to Playmaker. "I signed a contract for your AI, and I am a man of my word. Eventually, I will retrieve it. Until then, it is best to work together."

Playmaker nodded. "Right."

Go then turned to his left. "What about you, Blue Angel?" he asked. Morningstar and Playmaker both turned to look as Blue Angel turned the corner, a serious expression on her face. She looked at Morningstar and gave a small smile. He didn't change his expression as Playmaker turned around. They were ready. To fight against Hanoi.

* * *

On top of a nearby building, Lilith frowned down at the scene. "Well this is unexpected," she muttered. "Who would have thought the legendary Morningstar would be willing to work with others? Especially someone who he has an active contract on."

"He has gotten soft," Tagoma commented over her earpiece. "It would be more beneficial to himself to take advantage of the chaos Hanoi is causing to take Playmaker's AI. It's what you and I would do. Still," he added. "This is good for us. If he duels against Hanoi, we'll be able to watch and learn. Fulfill Terminus's contract."

"I suppose that's true," Lilith said, frowning to herself. "Still…" Her frown deepened. _Why are you doing this, Morningstar?_ she thought. _Why is a bounty hunter fighting against Hanoi? There's no payment involved, no reward. Why are you doing this?_

 _Or maybe… you're doing it because… because it's the right thing to do?_ Lilith didn't know what to think of that. Such selflessness… To survive she'd always had to be selfish, to put herself and Tagoma first. She couldn't understand how someone could put others first.

But… that didn't make it a bad thing. She smiled to herself. _Morningstar,_ she thought. _You really are interesting, aren't you?_

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Knight of Hanoi**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: KoH**

KoH Normal Summons Evilswarm Castor (1750/550/4). Since Castor was Normal Summoned, KoH can Normal Summon 1 "lswarm" monster in addition to his Normal Summon/Set. He Normal Summons Steelswarm Scout (200/0/1). KoH uses Castor and Scout to Link Summon Steelswarm Origin (2000/2/↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call, which adds a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Swordsman to his hand. Since he controls no monsters and KoH does, he Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3). As Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Lancer to his hand. He Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100) (Swordsman: 1200→1500). Morningstar uses Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500→800/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. He activates Cacophonic Caller's effect, which lets him Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to the zone Cacophonic Caller points to, but that monster cannot declare an attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. He Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000→1300/200/2) in Attack Position to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker. Since there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600→1900/2100/5) in Attack Position to Origin's top Link Marker. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller, Dancer, and Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200→2500/3/↙↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, that monster gains 600 ATK (Rapid Revolutionary: 2500→3100). Because he used Prisoner to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Linker from his Deck to his hand.

Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Linker to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker (1700→2000/800/4) and Cyspirit Navigator to Origin's top Link Marker (1300→1600/1100/3) from his hand. He uses Linker and Navigator to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler to Steelswarm Origin's top Link Marker (1600→1900/2/←→). Morningstar Sets 1 card (Cyspirit Break). Rapid Revolutionary attacks Origin, but KoH activates his face-down Trap Card Impenetrable Attack, choosing to activate its second effect to take no battle damage during the Battle Phase. Rapid Revolutionary's attack continues, but because Origin points to a monster, it cannot be destroyed by battle. Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: KoH**

KoH activates a Skill, Double Draw, letting him draw 2 cards during his Draw Phase instead of one. He draws. At the start of his Main Phase, he activates the effect of Steelswarm Scout in the GY, Special Summoning it in Attack Position as he controls no Spell/Trap Cards (200/0/1). KoH activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Offerings to the Doomed, which lets him destroy 1 face-up monster on the field at the cost of skipping his next Draw Phase. He destroys Rapid Revolutionary. KoH activates the effect of Steelswarm Origin. Since a monster on the field was destroyed by battle or card effect, KoH can Special Summon Level 4 or lower "lswarm" monsters from his Deck in Defense Position, equal to the number of monsters destroyed. 1 monster was destroyed, so he can Special Summon 1 monster. He Special Summons Steelswarm Genome (1000/0/2) in Defense Position. KoH Tributes Genome and Scout, with the effect of Genome treating it as 2 Tributes, to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Hercules (3200/0/10) to Origin's bottom Link Marker. KoH activates the effect of Hercules, paying half his LP (KoH: 4000→2000 LP) to destroy all other cards on the field. Lancer, Thrilled Tunneler, and Morningstar's face-down card are destroyed. Origin would also be destroyed, but because it points to a monster, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, and neither player can target it with card effects.

Since a "Cyspirit" monster on his field was destroyed by battle or card effect, Morningstar activates his Skill, Cyberse Revolution. Morningstar can now Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster from his Deck whose Level is less than the Level of the destroyed monster. He Special Summons Cyspirit Teleporter (500/1500/3) in Defense Position. KoH Sets 1 card. He attacks Teleporter with Origin, destroying it. Hercules attacks directly (Morningstar: 4000→800 LP). KoH ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Field Spell Cyspirit Sanctuary, increasing the ATK/DEF of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls by 300. Since he controls no monsters, he activates its effect to Special Summon a "Cyspirit" monster from his GY. He Special Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800→2100/0→300/4) in Attack Position. As Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 2100→2400). Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Break in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY. He Special Summons Rapid Revolutionary (2200→2800/3/↙↑↓). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY. He Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000→1600/200→500/2) to Origin's top Link Marker. Morningstar uses Dancer and the Link 3 Rapid Revolutionary to Link Summon Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800→3400/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, that monster gains 600 ATK (Datastorm Dragon: 3400→4000). Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyberse Call in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster from his GY. He Special Summons Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200→2800/3/↙↑↓) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker. Morningstar activates the Equip Spell Card Cyspirit Multiplier, and equips it to Datastorm Dragon. Now, Datastorm Dragon can make 2 attacks against KoH's monsters during the Battle Phase.

Datastorm Dragon attacks Hercules, but KoH activates his face-down Trap Card Mirror Shade. He pays half his LP, and he takes no battle damage this turn (KoH: 2000→1000 LP). The attack continues, and Datastorm Dragon destroys Hercules. Datastorm Dragon attacks and destroys Origin. At the end of the Battle Phase, the effect of Datastorm Dragon activates. Since it points to at least 2 monsters, KoH takes 500 damage for each monster Datastorm Dragon destroyed this turn. It destroyed 2, so KoH takes 1000 damage (KoH: 1000→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 11 - The War of Hanoi_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to mekyaku, HunterHQ, Nirvash Neo, ClearwingYuta, Ninjacya321, D3lph0xL0v3r, JaneValentine007, Unknowedz, and FanficCrossoverMaster15 for reviewing Chapter 9 of Hidden Memories.

To answer mekyaku's review, if you wish to suggest Link Monsters, you are more than welcome to. However, I have three Cyspirit Link Monsters that will appear. I will not say their names, but they begin with A, S, and W. So if you make suggestions, do not use those ones.

In response to Nirvash Neo's review, I know that the Odd-Eyes archetype is capable of all the summoning methods except Link, which is why I chose the Gaia archetype, as it does have access to Link Summoning in addition to Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz. As for Aoi telling Yasutake she knows he's Morningstar, I have an idea about that, but I won't share. Spoilers.

And to answer FanficCrossoverMaster15's question, yes, Galahad can use Synchro and Xyz, and will use both in a later chapter.

This chapter takes place during Episode 23 and the first half of 24. The next chapter will take place during the latter half of 24 and detail the fight with the ground forces of Hanoi. Also, to give the anime more of a head start, I've decided to establish a certain update schedule. I will attempt to update every 2 weeks so that the anime has time to gain ground on me, and I will update on Wednesday after a new episode comes out. So, to specify, Chapter 11 will come out no earlier than January 17th.

Also, I have decided that I am going to close the poll for Cyspirit Link Monster names. But before I do so, I will announce the results: 4 votes for Quixotic Queen, 2 votes for Jubilant Jester, 2 votes for Knowledgeable Knight, 2 votes for Vivacious Vixen, and 1 vote for Xenodochial Xiphosura. I will not say which ones will appear, but these ones are the ones at the top of the list. Of course, suggestions are always welcome, including name changes for these monsters.

Now, I would also like to take this time to ask for suggestions for improved boss monsters for Galahad and Lilith. Lilith's ace monster is Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel, and if anyone wants to suggest an upgraded form of Zakiel, preferably a Link Monster version, it would be appreciated. As for Galahad, the Synchro Monster Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth and the Link Monster Gaia Saber, the Lighting Shadow have no effects. Therefore, I would like suggestions for an improved Gaia Knight Synchro Monster or an improved Gaia Knight Link Monster to make him more powerful. I cannot say when these upgraded forms will appear, but I would like them to have such monsters in reserve.

As always, thank you for reading Chapter 10 of Hidden Memories. I know the duel wasn't much this chapter, but I plan to make up for it next chapter. How? You'll have to wait and see! Please post a review of what you thought of the chapter and what you would like to see in the future. As always, constructive criticism is accepted.


	11. Chapter 11: The War of Hanoi

**Previous Chapter Updates**

I'm putting this at the beginning of the chapter so people know about it: I went back to Chapter 2 to change the effect of Cyspirit Lineage so that it cannot target Link Monsters. The reason will become evident in Chapter 13. Also, I originally had Tagoma as the same age as Masako and Yasutake, but I've changed his appearance and his age so that he's in his mid-30s. The reason for that will become evident in later chapters. For those wanting his new appearance, go back to the end of Chapter 8.

* * *

 **Chapter 11: The War of Hanoi**

Aoi walked down the street to school, feeling conflicted. She was thinking about what happened yesterday. Go had defeated Dr. Genome and retrieved the removal program for the Another virus. He'd saved a friend in the hospital. And during the duel, other Knights of Hanoi had tried to attack him, only to be stopped by Morningstar. And when it looked like Go would lose, Playmaker had shown up, and motivated Go by lying to him.

Afterwards, Go, Morningstar, and Playmaker had all decided to fight Hanoi together. Aoi had planned to fight alongside them, but…

She had walked away.

Aoi wasn't entirely sure why. Hanoi's actions were nothing short of reprehensible, and she knew they needed to be stopped. She had the skills necessary to do so, and the motivation, after her own experience as a victim of Hanoi's virus. So why was she hesitating to fight?

 _Against an enemy like Hanoi, you cannot have doubts, about yourself or your reasons._

Aoi frowned as she remembered Morningstar's words. He had said that before their duel, and had said he wanted to challenge her to help her find a new reason to duel. But… what was that reason? Was it her doubt over why she dueled that was holding her back? Was it because she was afraid of becoming an Another and hurting her brother again? Or was it because… because she knew she only dueled for herself, while the others dueled for selfless reasons?

"Zaizen!"

Aoi looked up and saw she had arrived at the outskirts of Den Academy. She turned at the sound of her name and saw the last person she expected to talk to her. Masako Himura walked up to her and smiled at her.

"Good morning," she said as she fell into step with Aoi. "I was wondering if you've seen Narahiko?"

Aoi raised an eyebrow. Why would she know where Yasutake was? "No, I haven't," she said. Masako looked downcast at her answer.

"Oh, I see. I thought you would know, given the two of you are friends."

"Friends?" Aoi repeated. "I don't think-."

"Aren't you?" Masako asked, frowning in confusion. "He talks to you more readily than he talks to anyone else on campus. The only reason he talks to me is because I pester him."

"That's why he talks to me, too." It was true. In all their conversations, she was the one who always initiated them. The only time he initiated communication between them was when he challenged her to a duel.

"And yet, it is obvious the two of you have some kind of bond," Masako said, her frown turning into an amused smirk. "His face is different when you talk to him. Are the two of you… _close_?" Her emphasis on the last word suggested several different meanings.

Aoi found her cheeks turning red. "N-No," she stammered. "W-We're just classmates. Honestly, I figured he and you were-."

"I'm aware of that rumor," Masako said, her expression turning annoyed as she looked to the side. "Honestly… whenever a guy and girl spend time together, people assume they must be dating. It's ridiculous. Though, given what I just asked, I'm not one to talk." She turned back to Aoi, her expression amused again. "But judging by your reaction, you do have some thoughts about him. Am I wrong?"

Aoi didn't answer right away. If she was being honest with herself, she wasn't sure what she felt about Yasutake Narahiko. As Morningstar, he had helped her, and she liked how he looked at her as an individual person, instead of just Akira Zaizen's little sister. But she couldn't say that she liked him as more than a friend. Being realistic, she wasn't even sure if she could call him a friend at all. He was distant to everyone, not just her, and it was obvious that he disliked interacting with people.

She did want to call him a friend, but "acquaintance" was probably more accurate.

"I don't like him in the way you are suggesting," Aoi finally said. "But I do appreciate his point of view. He's… different from everyone else."

"…I know what you mean," Masako said, her gaze turning introspective. "Ever since I transferred to this school, most of the male students has been hitting on me." _And a few of the female students,_ she thought amusedly. "The same thing happened back in Kyoto; no matter where I went, boys always stared at me. The attention is nice for a while, but eventually you get sick of it. Narahiko is the first boy in a long time who looks at me differently."

She frowned. "He doesn't look at me like I'm an object of desire. He looks at me like I'm a person, like an actual human being… I haven't met many people who have looked at me like that."

Aoi looked at Masako out of the corner of her eye. What was she talking about? Aoi knew next to nothing about Masako's past; only that she transferred to Den Academy from Kyoto. She suspected Masako had a perverse sense of humor: she usually seemed amused by their fellow students' attempts to get closer to her. Was that a façade? Was she hiding her own pain?

"Well," Masako said abruptly. "Since Narahiko isn't here, why don't you and I hang out? I haven't had many female friends before."

"What?" Aoi said, startled. She then narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "So what is it you want? A new Duel Disk?"

Masako blinked. "Uh, no. I already got the new Duel Disk. Why would I need a second?" That was a lie; she already had two: one to wear at school, and one to wear as Lilith in LINK VRAINS.

"A job at SOL Technologies, then?"

"Ugh, no," Masako said, making a disgusted face. "Why would I ever want to work for that pig Kitamura?" _Again_ , she thought.

Aoi blinked. That wasn't the reaction she was expecting. "You know Kitamura?"

"Only through reputation," Masako lied again. "And really, I'd rather be unemployed than work for him." Her eyes widened in pretend terror. "Wait, why are you asking me these questions? Are you telling me that if I talk to you, SOL will hire me? Does that mean I'll have to answer to that fool Kitamura for the rest of my life? Have I doomed myself simply by attempting to be friendly to you?"

"What?" Aoi asked, blinking repeatedly. She had no idea what Masako was talking about. Then she looked closer and saw the corners of Masako's mouth twitch upward. "Y-You're making fun of me!"

"Of course not," Masako said, smiling placatingly even though her eyes still showed her amusement. "I am joking, but it's not at your expense." Her expression turned serious. "Being serious though, why would you ask if I wanted a job at SOL?"

"Well… it's the reason most people talk to me," Aoi said, feeling flustered. How could this girl change her mood so quickly? Was she in a drama club?

"What do you mean?" Masako asked, looking confused.

"You… you do know who my brother is, don't you?" Aoi asked.

Masako shook her head. "No. Why? Does he work at SOL?"

"Yes," Aoi answered. "He used to be the security chief, but he was demoted recently."

"And…" Masako's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, I see. People approach you in the hope they can get a job at SOL in the future."

"…Yes," Aoi admitted. "Though… Narahiko didn't. He was the first person I met who didn't want that."

Masako smiled. "Then I'll be glad to be the second person who doesn't want that," she said. "Zaizen, I get the feeling you're a good person. I would like to be friends with you. If you don't want that, that's fine with me. But I don't care about your brother. I care about the person standing in front of me."

Aoi felt her cheeks turning red again. What… what was with this girl?

"W-Well," she said. "I-If you want to talk to me… I wouldn't object to it."

Masako's smile widened. "Thank you, Zaizen," she said. She turned from Aoi and saw the two of them were standing just outside the entrance to Den Academy's main building. "I have to get to my quantum mechanics class," she said. "I'll talk to you later, Zaizen."

"R-Right," Aoi said, turning to the left, towards her Duel Club meeting. Masako turned right and frowned to herself. She had to ask herself… why had she done that?

She and Tagoma had originally come to Den City so she could hunt Morningstar. They were low on funds, so Masako had registered as a student at Den Academy, which let them stay at their apartment for free. Besides, she needed to finish her schooling. They hadn't planned to stay in Den City too long; just for a few weeks, maybe a month at the most. And while she was at Den Academy, she decided she would have some fun; tease the boys, make the girls jealous, that sort of thing.

Then she had been hired by Terminus to observe Morningstar's dueling. She knew it would be a long job, so she decided to throw herself into her school life. Masako hadn't had much of an upbringing, but she had always been intelligent. She also decided to interact with her classmates more. For the first time in her life, she decided to at least attempt to make friends. Only to encounter someone who she wanted to be a friend, but who clearly wasn't interested.

 _Yasutake Narahiko_ , Masako mused. She wasn't sure what drew her to Yasutake in the first place. Maybe it was his demeanor; she was used to boys making fools of themselves in their efforts to impress her. Yasutake was the first boy in a long time not to do that. Or it could be because he distanced himself from everyone; for most of her life, Masako had been drawn to people like that – people who put distance between themselves and others. Took one to know one, right?

There was one other thing she suspected attracted her to Yasutake: his eyes. Not the color, but what was beyond that. She could see pain in his eyes. A deep, unspeakable pain. His eyes told her that he was someone who had suffered greatly in life. Was his pain like hers? Was she drawn to him because she felt in him a kindred spirit?

Masako smiled sadly to herself. _You sound like a smitten schoolgirl_ , she thought. She knew what Tagoma would say to her: _Focus on the mission, little girl. Feelings are irrelevant. You will leave them in the end. There is no point in becoming attached._

She had followed that advice for the past eight years, ever since Tagoma found her. It had served her well; not having to worry about becoming attached meant not having to care about how she hurt people. So why was she ignoring that advice now?

But Yasutake wasn't the only person she noticed. Aoi Zaizen also drew her attention. From first impressions, and her talk with her, Masako could tell that Aoi wanted to make friends, but was distrustful of other people. Even if Masako had to leave eventually, she wanted to help Aoi get out of her shell; the girl reminded Masako of herself before she met Tagoma.

Masako sat down at her desk in her quantum mechanics class. The lesson started soon after, and it didn't take Masako long to notice that Yasutake, who took this class with her, wasn't there. She wondered if he was sick. And if he wasn't, then what could he be doing?

* * *

Yasutake shook his head. "No," he said. "Absolutely not."

"Oh come on," Cam said, pouting. "I thought you said the disguise program was a good idea."

"It is. But not with this avatar."

"What's wrong with it? It would certainly draw Hanoi's attention to you."

Yasutake was beginning to lose his patience. "I don't care how effective it is," he said, his voice rising. "I will not disguise myself as a girl!"

The two of them were sitting in the back room of Café Junpei. Because of Hanoi's increased activity, Yasutake had decided not to go to school today so he could focus on protecting LINK VRAINS. He suspected Yusaku would be doing the same thing.

After watching the footage of Go's duel with Dr. Genome and seeing him use a program to disguise himself as Playmaker, Cam and Yasutake decided to make their own version. Such a tool would be very useful, even after the Another crisis ended. Unfortunately, Cam had decided to use said program to play a joke on Yasutake and had loaded a schoolgirl disguise.

"You have no sense of humor," Cam said, trying and failing to suppress his smile. "Just think of it: you run down the street, looking panicked and upset, and when a Knight confronts you, thinking you are a damsel in distress… you drop the disguise and scare the crap out of him!"

"Do you have any idea what could happen to my reputation if I disguise myself as a girl?" Yasutake asked Cam as he turned to the screen. It showed a pretty girl with short pink hair in a school uniform. "I'll be mocked by the online community."

"You didn't care about that when you refused to duel Blue Angel."

"That was different. This is a matter of pride." Yasutake turned back to Cam. "I'm not disguising myself as a girl. Did you download any other disguises?"

Cam sighed, disappointed in his partner. "Yeah, I downloaded a few others." He pressed a button, causing a new image to appear. It was a tall man with purple eyes, fair skin, and spiked blonde hair. He wore a long white trench coat and grey pants. Yasutake raised an eyebrow as the image lifted his right arm to the sky.

"There is only one King!" the image said in a deep, dramatic voice. "And that is me!"

Yasutake shook his head. "I thought the point of this was to make me look _unthreatening._ This guy is… a bit much."

"Fair enough," Cam said, nodding grudgingly. "Should I delete it?"

Yasutake thought about it and shook his head again. "No. I could probably give this one to Onizuka. He'd like it a lot. Any others?"

Cam pressed the same button, causing the man to disappear and an image of a very muscular man in a black and grey costume with a cape to appear.

"I'm Batman!" the image said in a growling voice.

Yasutake scowled and glared at Cam. "Were you looking at Internet memes when you came up with these?"

Cam chuckled nervously. "I, ah… I… don't think I can answer that honestly." He hurriedly pressed another button and replaced the Caped Crusader's image with another. Yasutake looked it up and down and nodded.

"Perfect," he said. "This one will work magnificently."

"Figured you'd say that," Cam muttered as Yasutake downloaded the disguise to his Duel Disk. Cam turned to the news feed and scowled. "You'd better hurry," he said. "Hanoi is turning more and more people into Anothers."

"Right," Yasutake said, disconnecting his Duel Disk from the computer. He headed into the sealed room and placed his Deck into his Duel Disk.

"Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

A Knight of Hanoi wearing a grey mask with light blue lines laughed after defeating a duelist with Hack Worm. Honestly, this was more fun than he had thought it would be. So, where was his next victim?

He looked down from the data stream at the streets below. "Oh?" he said, noticing something. A black and white penguin was waddling down the street, heading for an alley. The Knight smirked. Looks like he found his next prey.

The Knight jumped down from the data stream at the alley's entrance. The penguin, having reached a dead end, turned and faced the Knight.

The Knight smirked evilly. "Nowhere to run," he said. "Duel me!"

"I was hoping you'd ask," the penguin said.

"What?" the Knight said, startled. The penguin glowed yellow and started to change forms. After a second, its owner's true avatar revealed himself.

"Morningstar!" the Knight shouted, shocked and surprised. Oh crap.

"You Knights of Hanoi are starting to annoy me," Morningstar said as he walked towards the Knight. "I'm going to take those frustrations out on you." He narrowed his eyes. "Speed Duel!"

Back in the monitor room, Cam smirked. Oh, the look on that Knight's face was priceless. Would have been better if Morningstar's disguise had been that pink-haired girl, but still, it was good. He turned to the news and his smirk became wider. _Looks like Yasu isn't the only one who found an opponent,_ he thought.

Farther down the data stream, Go Onizuka rode his D-Board, chased by a Knight in a grey mask with red lines.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Go Onizuka: 4000 LP**

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn!" Red said, waving his hand in front of him to reveal his cards. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Heavy Metal Raiders! And since you control no monsters, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand! Hack Worm!" A light brown serpentine monster with green lines running up and down its body appeared on Red's field.

 **Hack Worm ATK 400 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"By using the same effect, I Special Summon another Hack Worm!"

 **Hack Worm ATK 400 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"It's time to end this duel!" Red shouted. "I Tribute my two Hack Worms to Tribute Summon! Come forth, Cracking Dragon!" The giant black mechanical dragon with six wings attached by green lights appeared on Red's field, taking the place of both Hack Worms.

 **Cracking Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 8**

"I end my turn," Red said, then sneered at Go. "Prepare to lose, Onizuka!"

"Ha!" Go scoffed. "A true hero does not lose to vermin like you! My turn! Draw!" He drew, then looked up information on Heavy Metal Raiders.

"The first time a Dark Machine monster you control would be destroyed by battle each turn, it is not destroyed," his AI read. "And if you take battle damage from said battle, the monster gains attack points equal to the damage inflicted. And if a Dark Machine monster you control destroys a card either by battle or its effect, you can Special Summon one Dark Machine monster from your hand."

"I see," Go said, narrowing his eyes. "His Field Spell will do more than protect Cracking Dragon from my Link Monsters; it will also make it more powerful when I attempt to destroy it." Of course, there were ways around that. And Go was about to take advantage of them.

"I summon Gouki Suprex!" Go said, touching one of his cards. The blue ogre with claws on its gauntlets appeared.

 **Gouki Suprex ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Haha!" Red laughed. "Cracking Dragon's effect activates! Since you Normal or Special Summoned exactly one monster, that monster loses 200 attack points times its Level until the end of the turn, and you take the same amount as effect damage! Crack Fall!" Cracking Dragon released wind, striking Go and Suprex, and making the former wince.

 **Gouki Suprex: 1800→1000**

 **Go: 4000→3200 LP**

Go growled. "When Suprex is Normal Summoned," he said. "I can Special Summon a 'Gouki' monster from my hand. Come forth, Gouki Twistcobra!" A green ogre with snakes attached to its head appeared alongside Suprex.

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"Since you summoned another monster, Cracking Dragon's effect activates again!" Red reminded Go. "Crack Fall!" Cracking Dragon's winds struck Go and Twistcobra.

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600→1000**

 **Go: 3200→2600 LP**

Go growled again. That dragon's effect was annoying. "I activate the effect of the Gouki Headbatt in my hand!" he declared. "By sending another 'Gouki' monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Headbatt in Defense Position and increase another 'Gouki' monster's attack points by 800!" He clicked on the Gouki Riscorpio in his hand, sending it to the Graveyard. "I target Twistcobra, and Special Summon Headbatt!" A purple and red ogre appeared alongside Suprex and Twistcobra as Twistcobra glowed red.

 **Gouki Headbatt ATK 800 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1000→1800**

"You never learn!" Red shouted. "Cracking Dragon's effect activates once more! Crack Fall!" The winds struck Headbatt and made Go wince.

 **Gouki Headbatt ATK 800→400**

 **Go: 2600→2200 LP**

"You can't take much more of this, Onizuka!" Red gloated. "Your Life Points are almost half gone!"

Go smiled. "So long as I have a single Life Point, I will win!" he declared. He then gestured to the sky. "Appear, my circuit!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared in front of him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two 'Gouki' monsters! I set Gouki Headbatt, Twistcobra, and Suprex in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the Link portal, turning the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Gouki The Great Ogre!"

The monster that appeared was a large ogre in grey and red armor with a bearskin cape carrying an axe. The Great Ogre roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Gouki The Great Ogre ATK 2600 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"Link Monsters do not have Levels," Go reminded Red. "That means your Cracking Dragon's effect won't work on The Great Ogre!" _Of course,_ he thought. _Since Cracking Dragon has 0 defense points, The Great Ogre's effect won't work on Cracking Dragon, either._ The Knight growled at Go's words.

"I activate the effects of the 'Gouki' cards that were sent from the field to the Graveyard," Go said. "I can add 'Gouki' cards besides themselves from the Deck to my hand." He added Gouki Octostretch, Gouki Re-Match, and Gouki Serpent Splash to his hand. He smirked on seeing his cards.

"I activate the Spell Card: Gouki Re-Match!" Go declared. "This card Special Summons two 'Gouki' monsters from my Graveyard with different Levels in Defense Position! I summon Gouki Riscorpio and Gouki Twistcobra!" Twistcobra reappeared, accompanied by a red ogre with scorpion claws and a scorpion tail.

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"You fool!" Red said, sneering at Go. "Have you forgotten Cracking Dragon's effect! You're about to take 1600 points of damage!"

"Are you sure about that?" Go asked, making the Knight gasp. "Cracking Dragon's effect only activates when exactly one monster is Summoned. As I summoned two monsters, its effect doesn't activate!" The Knight gasped again at that revelation.

"Twistcobra's monster effect!" Go declared. "By Tributing a 'Gouki' monster, I can increase the attack points of a 'Gouki' monster by that monster's attack points until the end of the turn! I Tribute Riscorpio to increase The Great Ogre's attack points by 2300!" Riscorpio broke into pieces as The Great Ogre glowed red.

 **Gouki The Great Ogre ATK 2600→4900**

"Because Riscorpio was sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can add one 'Gouki' card from my Deck to my hand," Go said. He added a second copy of Gouki Suprex to his hand.

Red sneered to himself. _Yes, that's right. Increase The Great Ogre's attack points,_ he thought. _Heavy Metal Raiders will protect Cracking Dragon and then make it even stronger, while your Twistcobra's effect will end this turn. And next turn, I will win!_

Go smirked. "I know what you want," he said, startling the Knight. "You expect me to attack Cracking Dragon with The Great Ogre, then you'll use Heavy Metal Raiders' effect to protect Cracking Dragon and make it stronger."

The Knight grit his teeth. "So what if I am? What other move do you have?"

"This move," Go said, taking a card from his hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Gouki Serpent Splash! This card targets a 'Gouki' Link Monster I control whose current attack points are higher than its original attack points, and inflicts damage to you equal to the difference!"

"What?" Red said, his surprise evident.

"The Great Ogre's current attack points are 4900, and its original attack points were 2600," Go reminded Red. "That means you take 2300 points of damage!" Go's Spell Card blasted Red, causing him to cry out in pain.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4000→1700 LP**

"I cannot conduct my Battle Phase the turn I activate Serpent Splash," Go revealed to the Knight. "I Set 1 card, and end my turn. And since it is the end of my turn, Twistcobra's effect ends and The Great Ogre's attack points return to 2600."

 **Gouki The Great Ogre ATK 4900→2600**

Cam whistled at Go's move. Very good. He looked at the effect of Heavy Metal Raiders at the beginning of his turn, so he knew what moves to make to get around its effect. And as a result, he had inflicted even more damage than he would have if he had attacked, and kept Cracking Dragon from getting more powerful.

The Knight growled. "You'll pay for that!" he shouted. "I activate my Skill! Double Draw! During my Draw Phase, I can draw two cards instead of one!" He drew his two cards and smirked. With these two cards, he would win!

"I activate the Spell Card: DDoS Attack! With this card's effect, I send the other two copies of this card from my Deck to the Graveyard. And you're dealt 100 points of damage for each card sent to the Graveyard times the Level of a Machine monster I control!"

Go grit his teeth. He remembered that card from Playmaker's duel with Hanoi.

"Cracking Dragon is Level 8," Go's AI said. "With two DDoS Spell Cards sent to the Graveyard, this effect will inflict 1600 points of damage."

"Take this!" Red said as his card released a blast of energy at Go. Before it hit-.

"I activate the effect of the Gouki Octostretch in my hand!" Go declared. "By discarding this card, I can halve one instance of battle damage or effect damage! I halve the damage from your Spell Card!" The blast hit Go, but it wasn't as strong as it could have been.

 **Go: 2200→1400 LP**

Red grit his teeth, but continued his turn. "Battle! Cracking Dragon, attack Gouki Twistcobra! Traffic Blast!" Cracking Dragon blasted Twistcobra with blue fire, destroying it.

"Twistcobra's effect activates!" Go said. "I can add one 'Gouki' card from my Deck to my hand!" He added Gouki Hugbear to his hand.

"Heavy Metal Raiders' effect now activates!" the Knight declared in response. "Since a Dark Machine monster destroyed a monster by battle or its effect, I can Special Summon a Dark Machine monster from my hand." He sneered. "And I have the perfect monster to summon."

"What?" Go said, narrowing his eyes. What was this Knight up to?

"I summon a second Cracking Dragon!" Red declared as another Cracking Dragon appeared alongside the first.

 **Cracking Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 8**

Go grit his teeth. He had been planning to activate his Skill to bring back Twistcobra, but with another Cracking Dragon on the field, that wasn't a good idea. Both of them would use their effects to reduce Twistcobra's attack points to 400 and lower Go's Life Points to 200. Then all Red had to do was attack The Great Ogre, and even if its effect protected it, Go would lose from the damage.

"You might survive this turn, but you will be greatly weakened," Red gloated. "Battle! My second Cracking Dragon will now destroy The Great Ogre! Traffic Blast!" Go watched as blue fire approached The Great Ogre, but before it touched his monster-.

"Trap activate!" Go declared. "Gouki Near-Fall!" The card showed Gouki The Great Ogre pinning Battlin' Boxer Headgeared to the floor of a wrestling arena. "This card equips itself to a 'Gouki' monster I control, and the first time that monster would be destroyed by battle or card effects each turn, it is not destroyed! I equip Near-Fall to The Great Ogre!" The blue flames hit The Great Ogre, but the monster remained on the field.

"But you will still take damage!" Red reminded Go. The flames hit Go, making him wince from the pain.

 **Go: 1400→1000 LP**

"I end my turn," Red said. "With two Cracking Dragons on my field, if you summon any monsters, you'll take twice the damage from before!"

Go smirked. "Maybe, maybe not," he said. "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his card and smiled. "I summon another Gouki Suprex!" The blue ogre reappeared on the field, summoned to The Great Ogre's bottom Link Marker.

 **Gouki Suprex ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

Red laughed. "You fool! Your Suprex is Level 4! That means you'll take 800 points of damage from my first Cracking Dragon! And with my second Cracking Dragon, you'll take another 800 points of damage. You lose! Crack Fall!" Both Cracking Dragons released wind, but Suprex's attack points didn't change.

"What?" Red said, shocked. "Why didn't your monster lose attack points?"

"Because of Gouki Near-Fall," Go explained. "So long as it remains face-up on the field, the attack points of 'Gouki' monsters cannot be changed by card effects!" Red gasped. That meant he couldn't reduce Suprex's attack points and he couldn't damage Go! What was worse, it also meant Go could summon any monster he wanted without fear of repercussions.

"Suprex's monster effect!" Go declared. "When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one 'Gouki' monster from my hand! I summon Gouki Hugbear!" A new ogre appeared, summoned to The Great Ogre's bottom-left Link Marker. It had blue skin, red braids, and wore bear skin over most of its body and had a bear skin cape.

 **Gouki Hugbear ATK 2400 DEF 0 LVL: 6**

"A new 'Gouki' monster?" Red said with surprise.

"And this one has a very special effect," Go said. "If Hugbear is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Gouki' card, I can target one monster you control and halve its attack points until the end of the turn!" The Knight grit his teeth. "I target Cracking Dragon number one!" The first Cracking Dragon glowed red as its attack points decreased.

 **Cracking Dragon ATK 3000→1500**

"It's time to end this duel!" Go declared as he pointed ahead of him. "Appear, my circuit!" His hands glowed blue as the Link portal appeared in front of him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Gouki' monsters! I set Gouki Suprex and the Link 3 The Great Ogre in the Link Markers!" His monsters became streams of blue and brown wind that entered the bottom-left, top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Gouki The Master Ogre!"

Go's most powerful Link Monster appeared. The ogre had mostly blue armor with gold shoulder pads, gauntlets, and leg guards. It spread its blue cape, swung its massive axe and roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Gouki The Master Ogre ATK 2800 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"L-Link 4?" Red said, startled at the powerful monster. He quickly regained his composure. "I-It doesn't matter. My Field Spell prevents you from destroying my Cracking Dragons. And if you attack, they will only get stronger!"

"Is that so?" Go asked, smirking. "Gouki Suprex went to the Graveyard, so its effect activates, and I add a new 'Gouki' card from my Deck to my hand!" He drew, and smirked on seeing what it was.

"I activate the effect of the Gouki Headbatt that I just added to my hand!" Go declared. "I discard the Twistcobra in my hand and target The Master Ogre. Now, Headbatt is Special Summoned in Defense Position, and The Master Ogre gains 800 attack points!" A second Headbatt appeared on the field, summoned to The Master Ogre's bottom Link Marker.

 **Gouki Headbatt ATK 800 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

 **Gouki The Master Ogre ATK 2800→3600**

Red laughed. "Have you forgotten the situation? Since The Great Ogre left the field, so did Gouki Near-Fall. That means my Cracking Dragons can both use their effects! Double Crack Fall!" Winds released from both Cracking Dragons struck Headbatt and Go, making the latter cry out.

 **Gouki Headbatt ATK 800→400→0**

 **Go: 1000→600→200 LP**

"If you summon another monster, you'll lose!" Red boasted. Go smiled in response.

"Well then, I'll have to win with the monsters on my field!" he declared, then gestured to his Link Monster. "The Master Ogre's monster effect! Once per turn, I can return all 'Gouki' monsters it points at to my hand! I return Headbatt and Hugbear to my hand!" His two monsters disappeared. "For every monster I return to my hand, I negate the effects of one of your cards until the end of the turn!"

"What?" Red said, surprised. He looked up in surprise as Hugbear briefly appeared, wrapping its arms around his second Cracking Dragon. Headbatt in turn had wrapped itself around Red's Field Spell.

"I choose to negate the effects of Heavy Metal Raiders and the second Cracking Dragon!" Go declared, shocking the Knight.

"B-But that means…"

"It means your monsters cannot avoid destruction!" Go said.

"The Master Ogre must attack the monster with the highest attack points first," Go's AI told Red. "But it can attack all monsters you control once each."

"WHAT!?" Red shouted.

"Battle! The Master Ogre, attack the second Cracking Dragon!" The Master Ogre charged the said monster and kicked it in the head. The Master Ogre leaped further into the air, then used its cloak to form a funnel that struck Cracking Dragon, destroying it. Red cried out in pain as his monster was destroyed.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 1700→1100 LP**

"This is the end!" Go declared. "The Master Ogre! Go! Attack the first Cracking Dragon!" The Master Ogre pulled out its axe, which it swung at Cracking Dragon. It stuck the axe in its head, and pulled downwards, cutting said monster in half in a massive explosion. Red was sent flying and screaming from his D-Board as he lost.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 1100→0 LP**

* * *

In the public viewing plaza, the crowds were cheering on Go's victory against the Knight of Hanoi.

"Nice, Onizuka!" one boy cheered.

"I can't stay on the sidelines!" his friend next to him said, reaching into his pocket.

"What are you doing?" the first boy asked, confused.

"I'll also defeat the Hanoi and become famous!" his friend declared.

"H-Hey!" the first boy said, startled as his friend ran off. "That's not a good idea!"

The boy materialized in LINK VRAINS, a confident smile on his face. Unfortunately, he had materialized with nothing under his feet, facing a Data Storm tornado. He panicked and flapped his arms wildly before he landed on a D-Board that materialized for him.

The boy took a calming breath as he steadied his feet, then turned to the left as he heard something. A Knight of Hanoi in a grey and purple mask approached from around the corner of a building, a sadistic smirk on his face.

"T-They're really here!" the boy said, panicking. Before he could say anything else, someone else on a D-Board approached him. He turned and saw Playmaker.

Playmaker turned to the boy and addressed him. "This place is dangerous. Go home," he said.

"Playmaker…" the boy said weakly, his knees giving out under him. He watched as Ai appeared from Playmaker's Duel Disk.

"You should do what he says," Ai said in an amused tone.

"Okay," the boy said, still weakly. As the boy left, Playmaker turned to the Knight of Hanoi.

"I'll take you on," Playmaker said.

Purple smirked and said, "As I hoped!"

Back in the public viewing plaza, the boy turned as his friend came back, disheveled and shaking.

"That was fast," he commented.

"T-That was scary," his friend said, falling to his knees.

Playmaker and Purple turned the corner.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Playmaker: 4000 LP**

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4000 LP**

"I'll have the first turn!" Purple declared. "I can Special Summon this monster if I control no monsters. Come out, Steelswarm Cell!" A small black bug materialized on Purple's field.

 **Steelswarm Cell ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"That monster is a Fiend but looks like an Insect," Ai noted. "It's the worst of both worlds!"

"Be quiet," Playmker said.

Purple wasn't done with his turn yet. "I summon Steelswarm Scout!" A little bug-like man with goggles appeared alongside Cell.

 **Steelswarm Scout ATK 200 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

Purple smirked. "And with this, your defeat is certain!" he declared. "Appear, our future circuit!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'lswarm' monsters! I set Steelswarm Cell and Scout in the Link Markers!" The said monsters entered the Link portal and caused the top and bottom arrows to turn red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Steelswarm Origin!" The same monster that Morningstar had fought yesterday appeared, summoned to Purple's Extra Monster Zone.

 **Steelswarm Origin ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↑↓

"I Set one card," Purple said. "I end my turn." He smirked at Playmaker. This was going to be fun!

Playmaker looked at the effects of Origin and scowled. This monster was going to prove troublesome to defeat.

"My turn! Draw!" he said.

* * *

"Egregious Electrician, attack my opponent directly!" Morningstar declared. "Horrible Lightning!" Egregious Electrician pulled a plug out of its power box and pointed it at the Knight with a grey and light blue mask. It fired a blast of yellow lightning, shocking itself and Morningstar's opponent. The said Knight fell off his D-Board as he lost. He hit the ground hard, and Morningstar jumped off his D-Board to stand next to his opponent.

"Defeated by a Link 1 monster," Blue muttered. "How could this get more embarrassing?"

"I could have defeated you with a Kuriboh," Morningstar answered. "Now tell me: where is Revolver?"

"I don't know," Blue answered. "He didn't give us our orders."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Then who did?"

"I-." That was all the Knight could say before he broke apart into pieces. Morningstar growled.

"They purged this one, too," he grumbled. "Cam, any progress on that anti-purge program?"

"I'm working with Kus- Playmaker's ally on that," Cam answered. "We have a framework for it, but it's going to take time. You can't rush brilliance."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "You almost said a name," he noted. "Do you know who's helping Playmaker?"

"Nope," Cam said, his voice higher than normal.

Morningstar sighed. "I hate it when you lie to me, Cam," he said. "If you promised to not tell me their name, I'd understand."

"I didn't promise that, it's just… Look, we can talk about this later. There's Knights of Hanoi everywhere."

"Fair enough," Morningstar said, turning back to the data stream. "Let's see if the next one is better than this one was."

* * *

"I summon Lady Debugger!" Playmaker said, placing a card on his Duel Disk. The monster that appeared on his field resembled a humanoid mechanical ladybug.

 **Lady Debugger ATK 1700 DEF 1400 LVL: 4**

"If Lady Debugger is Normal Summoned, I can add one Level 3 or lower monster from my Deck to my hand," Playmaker explained. "I add Dotscaper to my hand."

"It won't help you!" the Knight shouted. "Trap activate! Hidden Soldiers! When you Normal Summon a monster, this card lets me Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Dark monster from my hand. I Special Summon Steelswarm Gatekeeper in Defense Position!" A monster resembling a bear in black armor appeared on Purple's field, summoned to Origin's bottom Link Marker.

 **Steelswarm Gatekeeper ATK 1500 DEF 1900 LVL: 4**

"That's not good," Ai noted. "With that Link Monster pointing to Gatekeeper, we can't destroy it."

"Maybe not," Playmaker said. "But I can still damage him." He took another card from his hand. "I activate the effect of the Bitlooper in my hand. By discarding a Level 2 or lower monster, I can Special Summon Bitlooper! I discard Dotscaper, so come forth, Bitlooper!" A monster resembling a mechanical white knight appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Bitlooper ATK 1500 DEF 2000 LVL: 4**

"Because Dotscaper was sent to the Graveyard, its effect now activates!" Playmaker declared. "I can Special Summon this card!" The monster that looked like it was made of Legos appeared, summoned to Origin's top Link Marker.

 **Dotscaper ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker's right hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared in front of him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect Monsters! I set Bitlooper, Dotscaper, and Lady Debugger in the Link Markers!" His monsters became streams of wind that entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Decode Talker!" The warrior in blue armor carrying a giant purple sword appeared, summoned to Playmaker's Extra Monster Zone.

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"I activate the effect of the Link Infra-Flier in my hand!" Playmaker declared. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon this card to Decode Talker's Link Marker!" A mechanical blue, red, and silver kite appeared, summoned to Decode Talker's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Link Infra-Flier ATK 0 DEF 1800 LVL: 2**

"Decode Talker's monster effect!" Playmaker continued. "If Decode Talker points to a monster, it gains 500 attack points! Power Integration!"

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300→2800**

"If I control a Cyberse monster whose current attack points are different from its original attack points, I can activate this card. The Spell Card: Cyberse Cache! This card allows me to draw two cards!"

Playmaker drew, then said, "I Set one card." He pointed at Origin. "Battle! Decode Talker, attack Steelswarm Origin! Decode End!" Decode Talker's sword lengthened as it charged Origin.

"Pointless!" Purple said, sneering at Playmaker. "So long as Origin points to a monster, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects!" Decode Talker's sword struck Origin, but it held firm.

"That may be true," Ai said. "But you still take damage!" Purple winced from the shockwaves of Decode Talker's attack.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4000→3200 LP**

"I end my turn," Playmaker said.

"That makes it my turn," Purple said. "And I'll start by activating my Skill! Double Draw! During my Draw Phase, I draw two cards instead of one!" He drew his two cards and smirked. Oh, this was a perfect hand.

"At the start of my Main Phase, the effect of the Steelswarm Scout in my Graveyard activates!" the Knight announced. "Since I control no Spell or Trap Cards, I can Special Summon Scout in Attack Position!"

 **Steelswarm Scout ATK 200 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"This next monster can be Tribute Summoned in face-up Attack Position by Tributing one 'Steelswarm' monster," Purple told Playmaker. "I Tribute Scout to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Girastag!" Scout disappeared, and its place was taken by a giant black and orange monster with an arm cannon.

 **Steelswarm Girastag ATK 2600 DEF 0 LVL: 7**

"Girastag has another effect that activates when it's Tribute Summoned by Tributing a 'Steelswarm' monster," the Knight continued. "I can send one card you control to the Graveyard and gain 1000 Life Points!"

Playmaker's eyes widened as Purple gestured to his field. "I send your Decode Talker to the Graveyard!" Decode Talker shattered as the Knight glowed yellow.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 3200→4200 LP**

"He took out our best monster and increased his Life Points?" Ai commented. "That's not fair!"

"He's not done," Playmaker said.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"I'm far from done summoning monsters!" Purple announced. "Since I Tribute Summoned a 'Steelswarm' monster while Gatekeeper was on the field, I can perform an additional Normal Summon or Set!"

"Eh? Another Normal Summon?"

"I Tribute Steelswarm Gatekeeper to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Moth!" Gatekeeper disintegrated, as a black and green monster with a cape shaped like wings and a tail appeared, taking Gatekeeper's place at Origin's bottom Link Marker.

 **Steelswarm Moth ATK 2400 DEF 0 LVL: 6**

"Steelswarm Moth's monster effect!" the Knight declared. "If this card is Tribute Summoned by Tributing a 'Steelswarm' monster, I can pay 1000 Life Points to return up to two cards you control to your hand!" Playmaker's eyes widened again. "I return your Link Infra-Flier and your Set card!" The said cards disappeared as Playmaker took them back. Purple winced a little as he paid the price, but it was worth it.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4200→3200 LP**

"This is bad!" Ai said, panicking. "He has three strong monsters, and we have no cards on the field!"

"Exactly," the Knight sneered. "This is the end for you, Playmaker!" He gestured to his monsters. "Steelswarm Girastag, attack Playmaker directly!" Girastag aimed its cannon at Playmaker, but before it could fire-.

"I activate the effect of the Lockout Gardna in my hand!" Playmaker declared. "If my opponent's monster declares a direct attack, I can Special Summon Lockout Gardna in Attack Position!" A red, purple, and gold monster appeared, summoned to the middle Main Monster Zone.

 **Lockout Gardna ATK 1000 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"Ha!" the Knight scoffed. "Like that will change anything! Girastag, continue your attack against Lockout Gardna!" Girastag fired a blast of orange energy at Lockout Gardna, but it withstood the blast.

"The turn Lockout Gardna is Special Summoned by its effect," Playmaker explained. "It cannot be destroyed by battle!"

"But you will still take the damage!" Playmaker braced himself against the backlash of Girastag's attack.

 **Playmaker: 4000→2400 LP**

The Knight sneered. "Your turn, Moth! Attack Lockout Gardna!" Moth charged and struck Lockout Gardna. Even though it wasn't destroyed, Playmaker still experienced backlash from the attack.

 **Playmaker: 2400→1000 LP**

"This is the end, Playmaker!" Purple shouted. "Steelswarm Origin, attack Lockout Gardna and wipe out Playmaker's Life Points!" Origin gathered black energy in its mouth and blasted Lockout Gardna. Before the blast hit-.

"Do it now, Playmaker!" Ai screamed.

"Be quiet," Playmaker said as he calmly took a card from his hand. "I activate the Trap Card Parallel Port Break from my hand!"

"From your hand!?" Purple shouted, surprised as the card appeared. It showed several DVI cords, all broken in half. "You can't do that!"

"I can if I halve my Life Points," Playmaker revealed. "In exchange, the battle damage I would take from a battle involving a Cyberse monster is reduced to 0!" Playmaker winced as his Life Points were halved, but he was shielded from Origin's attack.

 **Playmaker: 1000→500 LP**

The Knight grit his teeth. "I end my turn," he said grudgingly.

"My turn! Draw!" Playmaker drew, and narrowed his eyes at what he got.

"Looks like it's time, right Playmaker?" Ai said.

"Yes," Playmaker answered. He looked ahead as a Data Storm tornado formed in front of them. The Knight moved to evade it, but Playmaker jumped right into it.

Playmaker yelled as he reached into the data stream. Shadows showing various monsters appeared around him as blue energy gathered in his hand.

In his Duel Disk, Ai's gaze sharpened. "Now! Seize the wind, Playmaker!" Playmaker took his hand out of the stream, holding a shining card.

"I activate my Skill! Storm Access!" The shadow of a humanoid monster appeared and posed. Playmaker shot out of the tornado and landed on the stream, now in front of the Knight of Hanoi, who grit his teeth.

"I summon Draconnet!" The white dragon machine with blue lines running over it appeared on Playmaker's field, summoned to Steelswarm Origin's top Link Marker.

 **Draconnet ATK 1400 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"Draconnet's monster effect! When this monster is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Normal Monster from my hand or Deck in Defense Position!" A card popped out of Playmaker's Deck, which he took. "I summon Bitron in Defense Position!" The small white machine appeared, summoned to Playmaker's right Main Monster Zone.

 **Bitron ATK 200 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker's hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared in front of him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Normal Monster! I set Bitron in the Link Marker!" Bitron entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Appear! Link 1! Link Spider!" The black mechanical spider appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Link Spider ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"Link Spider's monster effect!" Playmaker continued. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my hand to its Link Marker! I Special Summon Digitron in Attack Position!" A white machine with a fin and small wings appeared behind Link Spider.

 **Digitron ATK 1500 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker declared as his hand glowed blue again. The Link portal appeared above him this time. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two monsters! I set Digitron and Draconnet in the Link Markers!" The said monsters entered the top and bottom arrows, turning them red. The Knight laughed as Playmaker did this.

"You don't get it do you?" he said. "You would have been better off using Link Spider. Due to Steelswarm Origin's effect, neither of us can Special Summon from the Extra Deck to the Main Monster Zones, except to Origin's Link Markers!"

"I know," Playmaker said, worrying the Knight. "That is why I'm Link Summoning without Link Spider!" He looked up as the portal glowed.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Space Insulator!"

A humanoid machine monster appeared on the field. It had mostly blue and silver armor, with a white helmet on its head. Like the Knight had said, it was summoned to Origin's top Link Marker.

 **Space Insulator ATK 1200 LINK-2** ↑↓

The Knight growled. "What was the point of that? You knew it would be summoned to Origin's Link Marker. So why did you summon it?"

"For Space Insulator's effect," Playmaker explained. "You see, any monster that Space Insulator points to loses 800 attack and defense points!"

"What?" the Knight said, panicking as Origin glowed red.

 **Steelswarm Origin ATK 2000→1200**

"I activate the effect of the Link Infra-Flier in my hand!" Playmaker continued. "And Special Summon it to Link Spider's Link Marker!" The mechanical kite reappeared, summoned in Defense Position.

 **Link Infra-Flier ATK 0 DEF 1800 LVL: 2**

"Appear for a third time! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared once more above Playmaker. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse monsters! I set Link Infra-Flier, Link Spider, and Lockout Gardna in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Encode Talker!" The white armored warrior carrying a shield appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone. Purple grit his teeth at this development.

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↑↓↘

"I activate the effect of the Parallel Port Break in my Graveyard!" Playmaker declared. "If I control a Cyberse Link Monster in the Extra Monster Zone, I can banish Parallel Port Break and Special Summon a Cyberse Link Monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. I Special Summon Decode Talker!" The dark blue warrior appeared again, summoned to Encode Talker's bottom Link Marker.

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"Decode Talker would normally gain 500 attack points because it points to Encode Talker," Ai noted. "But because its effects are negated, it won't. And that will be your downfall!"

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Decode Talker, attack Steelswarm Girastag! Decode End!" Decode Talker charged Girastag, but because Girastag was stronger, it withstood the attack.

"Encode Talker's monster effect! Once per turn, if a monster it points to battles a monster with higher attack points, that monster is not destroyed by battle and I take no battle damage from that battle!" Playmaker said. "Then, I can have Encode Talker or a monster it points to gain attack points equal to Girastag's attack points!"

"Oh no!" the Knight shouted.

"I increase Encode Talker's attack points!" Encode Talker glowed red as its attack points increased by Girastag's attack points.

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300→4900**

"You have 3200 Life Points left," Ai reminded the Knight. "And Steelswarm Origin has 1200 attack points. You know what happens next, don't you?"

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Encode Talker, attack Steelswarm Origin! Final Encode!" A blade emerged from Encode Talker's shield as it charged Origin.

"Since it has monsters at its Link Markers, Origin won't be destroyed," Ai said. "But you will still take the damage!" Encode Talker struck Origin, and its blast went through, straight to the Knight, who was flung backwards off his D-Board, screaming.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 3200→0 LP**

The Knight hit the ground and was left there groaning. Playmaker jumped off his D-Board and landed next to him.

Playmaker kneeled next to the Knight. "Hand over the computer virus removal program," he said.

The Knight turned away from Playmaker as he said, "No one gave us that."

Ai emerged from Playmaker's Duel Disk in his monstrous form. "Then who has it? If you don't tell me, I'll eat you!"

The Knight gasped and looked away as Ai leaned in close. "It's…"

In Hanoi's stronghold, Baira and Terminus were looking at screens. Baira scoffed and swiped right on hers. "Erase."

The Knight screamed as he broke apart into data. Ai turned back into his humanoid form as he and Playmaker watched.

"To stop him from talking," Playmaker said, knowing the reason behind this event.

"So cruel," Ai said.

"Playmaker!" The two turned as Go and Morningstar ran up to him.

"Have you seen Blue Angel?" Go asked him.

"No," he answered.

Go grit his teeth. "So it's just the three of us."

"The three of us are enough," Morningstar said. _Wait, that's not true,_ he thought, remembering Galahad's duel. But he hadn't seen Galahad since then, and Go and Playmaker hadn't mentioned him.

Back at the conversation, Ai was saying, "She's not coming back."

"Whether Blue Angel fights against Hanoi or not," Playmaker said. "This situation won't change."

"Why?"

Playmaker raised a finger. "One: Even if we keep fighting, there's no end to them." He raised a second finger. "Two: The computer virus is constantly updated, so we can't make a removal program." He raised a third. "Three: We can only solve this by finding the person who created the computer virus."

Go nodded in understanding. "We have to get to the source."

"Whoever is responsible will reveal themselves eventually," Morningstar noted. "Until then, the most we can do is limit the damage. However…"

Go looked at Morningstar. "What is it?"

"I have attempted to interrogate several Hanoi members for Revolver's location," Morningstar revealed. "However, someone has been purging them every time I ask."

"Like what just happened to that Knight," Ai noted.

"Revolver's current location is a concern, but not a primary one," Playmaker said. "But you are right, Morningstar; until we find the person responsible for the virus, we can only limit the damage Hanoi is inflicting."

Go and Morningstar both nodded. The three separated, but before they left, Go asked Morningstar, "Do you believe Blue Angel will show up?"

"Yes," Morningstar said without doubt. "She'll show up, sooner or later."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know her. And she isn't one to leave a fight unfinished." Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He imagined Akira had either forbade Aoi from fighting Hanoi, or she was afraid of hurting him if she lost. He could understand both positions, from Akira's perspective and Aoi's. At the same time, he knew how brave Aoi was.

"She'll help us in this fight eventually," Morningstar told Go. "Until then…" He narrowed his eyes further. "We'll just have to take out the trash."

* * *

 **Go Onizuka vs. Knight of Hanoi**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Knight of Hanoi**

KoH activates the Field Spell Card Heavy Metal Raiders. Now the first time each Dark Machine monster he controls would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed, and if KoH takes battle damage from that battle, that monster gains that much ATK. Since Go controls no monsters, KoH Special Summons Hack Worm (400/0/1) from his hand in Attack Position. He then Special Summons a second Hack Worm (400/0/1) from his hand in Attack Position the same way. He Tributes both Hack Worms to Tribute Summon Cracking Dragon (3000/0/8). KoH ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Go**

Go draws. He Normal Summons Gouki Suprex (1800/0/4). As his opponent Normal or Special Summoned exactly 1 monster, KoH activates the effect of Cracking Dragon, reducing that monster's ATK by 200 times its Level until the end of the turn and inflicting damage equal to that value to the opponent (Suprex: 1800→1000) (Go: 4000→3200 LP). As Suprex was Normal Summoned, Go activates its effect, allowing him to Special Summon a "Gouki" monster from his hand. He Special Summons Gouki Twistcobra (1600/0/3) in Attack Position. The effect of Cracking Dragon activates (Twistcobra: 1600→1000) (Go: 3200→2600 LP). Go activates the effect of Gouki Headbatt in his hand, sending another "Gouki" monster from his hand to the GY to Special Summon it in Defense Position (800/0/2), then increase a "Gouki" monster's ATK by 800. He sends Gouki Riscorpio and targets Twistcobra (Twistcobra: 1000→1800). The effect of Cracking Dragon activates (Headbatt: 800→400) (Go: 2600→2200 LP). Go uses Headbatt, Suprex, and Twistcobra to Link Summon Gouki The Great Ogre (2600/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Headbatt, Suprex, and Twistcobra were sent from the field to the GY, Go activates their effects, to each add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Gouki Octostretch, Gouki Re-Match, and Gouki Serpent Splash.

Go activates the Spell Card Gouki Re-Match, allowing him to Special Summon 2 "Gouki" monsters with different Levels from his GY in Defense Position. Go Special Summons Riscorpio (2300/0/5) to The Great Ogre's bottom-left Link Marker and Twistcobra (1600/0/3) to The Great Ogre's bottom Link Marker. Go activates the effect of Twistcobra, Tributing a "Gouki" monster to increase the ATK of a "Gouki" monster he controls equal to the Tributed monster's ATK until the End Phase. He Tributes Riscorpio and targets The Great Ogre (The Great Ogre: 2600→4900). As Riscorpio was sent from the field to the GY, Go activates its effect to add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds a second Gouki Suprex. Go activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Gouki Serpent Slash to inflict damage equal to the difference between the original and current ATK of a "Gouki" Link Monster. He targets The Great Ogre (KoH: 4000→1700 LP). Go cannot conduct his Battle Phase the turn he activates Serpent Slash. He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, and the ATK of The Great Ogre returns to normal (The Great Ogre: 4900→2600).

 **Turn 3: Knight of Hanoi**

KoH activates a Skill, Double Draw, letting him draw 2 cards during his Draw Phase instead of 1. He draws. KoH activates the Spell Card DDoS Attack, letting him target a Machine monster he controls and send any number of DDoS Attack Spell Cards from his Deck to his GY to inflict damage to the opponent equal to the sent DDoS Attack times the Level of the targeted monster times 100. He sends two DDoS Attack and targets Cracking Dragon, but Go activates the effect of the Gouki Octostretch in his hand, discarding it to halve the damage (Go: 2200→1400 LP). Cracking Dragon attacks and destroys Twistcobra. Since Twistcobra was sent from the field to the GY, Go activates its effect to add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Gouki Hugbear. Since a Dark Machine monster destroyed a card on the field by battle, KoH activates the effect of Heavy Metal Raiders to Special Summon 1 Dark Machine from his hand. He Special Summons a second Cracking Dragon (3000/0/8). Cracking Dragon attacks The Great Ogre, but Go activates his face-down Trap Card Gouki Near-Fall and equips it to The Great Ogre. The equipped The Great Ogre cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects once per turn (Go: 1400→1000 LP). KoH ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Go**

Go draws. He Normal Summons Gouki Suprex (1800/0/4). KoH attempts to activate the effect of Cracking Dragon, but the effect of Gouki Near-Fall prevents the ATK off all "Gouki" monsters Go controls from being changed by card effects. The turn Suprex is Normal Summoned, Go can Special Summon 1 "Gouki" monster from his hand. He Special Summons Gouki Hugbear (2400/0/6). Since Hugbear was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gouki" card, Go can target 1 face-up monster KoH controls and halve its ATK until the end of the turn. Go targets the first Cracking Dragon (Cracking Dragon: 3000→1500). Go uses Suprex and the Link 3 The Great Ogre to Link Summon Gouki The Master Ogre (2800/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Suprex was sent from the field to the GY, Go activates its effect to add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds a second Headbatt. Go activates the effect of the Headbatt in his hand, sending the Gouki Twistcobra in his hand to the GY to Special Summon Headbatt to The Master Ogre's bottom Link Marker (800/0/2) and increase The Master Ogre's ATK by 800 (The Master Ogre: 2800→3600). The effects of both Cracking Dragons activate (Headbatt: 800→400→0) (Go: 1000→600→200 LP). Go activates the effect of The Master Ogre, returning all "Gouki" monsters it points to to his hand to negate the effects of face-up cards KoH controls until the End Phase, up to the number of monsters returned. He returns Headbatt and Hugbear to negate the effects of Heavy Metal Raiders and the second Cracking Dragon.

The Master Ogre can attack all monsters KoH controls, but it must attack the monster with the highest ATK. The Master Ogre attacks and destroys the second Cracking Dragon (KoH: 1700→1100 LP) and the first Cracking Dragon (KoH: 1100→0 LP). Go wins.

* * *

 **Playmaker vs. Knight of Hanoi**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Knight of Hanoi**

Since he controls no monsters, KoH Special Summons Steelswarm Cell (0/0/1). He then Normal Summons Steelswarm Scout (200/0/1). KoH uses Cell and Scout to Link Summon Steelswarm Origin (2000/2/↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. KoH Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He Normal Summons Lady Debugger (1700/1400/4). Since Lady Debugger was Normal Summoned, Playmaker can add 1 Level 3 or lower monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Dotscaper to his hand. Since Playmaker Normal Summoned a monster, KoH activates his face-down Trap Card Hidden Soldiers, which lets him Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Dark monster from his hand. He Special Summons Steelswarm Gatekeeper (1500/1900/4) to Origin's bottom Link Marker in Defense Position. Playmaker activates the effect of Bitlooper in his hand, discarding Dotscaper to Special Summon it in Attack Position (1500/2000/4). Since Dotscaper was sent to the GY, Playmaker Special Summons it to Origin's top Link Marker (0/2100/1). Playmaker uses Bitlooper, Dotscaper, and Lady Debugger to Link Summon Decode Talker (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Playmaker activates the effect of Link Infra-Flier in his hand to Special Summon it to Decode Talker's bottom-left Link Marker (0/1800/2) in Defense Position. Because Decode Talker points to a monster, Decode Talker gains 500 ATK (Decode Talker: 2300→2800). Since he controls a Cyberse monster whose current ATK is different from its original ATK, Playmaker activates the Spell Card Cyberse Cache to draw 2 cards. He Sets 1 card.

Decode Talker attacks Origin, but because it points to a monster, Origin cannot be destroyed by battle (KoH: 4000→3200 LP). Playmaker ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Knight of Hanoi**

KoH activates a Skill, Double Draw, letting him draw 2 cards during his Draw Phase instead of 1. He draws. At the start of his Main Phase, because he controls no Spell/Trap Cards, KoH Special Summons Steelswarm Scout (200/0/1) from the GY in Attack Position. KoH Tributes Steelswarm Scout to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Girastag (2600/0/7) via its effect. Since Girastag was Tribute Summoned by Tributing a "Steelswarm" monster, KoH can target 1 card his opponent controls, send it to the GY, and gain 1000 LP. He targets Decode Talker, sending it to the GY (KoH; 3200→4200 LP). Since a "Steelswarm" monster was Tribute Summoned while Gatekeeper was on the field, KoH can Normal Summon or Set 1 monster in addition to his Normal Summon/Set this turn. KoH Tributes Gatekeeper to Tribute Summon Steelswarm Moth (2400/0/6) to Origin's Link Marker. Since Moth was Tribute Summoned by Tributing a "Steelswarm" monster, KoH can pay 1000 LP, target up to 2 cards Playmaker controls, and return them to his hand. KoH targets and returns Link Infra-Flier and Playmaker's Set card (KoH: 4200→3200 LP). Girastag attacks Playmaker directly, but Playmaker activates the effect of Lockout Gardna in his hand, Special Summoning it in Attack Position since an opponent's monster declared a direct attack (1000/1000/3). A replay occurs and Girastag attacks Lockout Gardna, which isn't destroyed by battle this turn (Playmaker: 4000→2400 LP). Moth attacks Lockout Gardna (Playmaker: 2400→1000 LP). Origin attacks Lockout Gardna, but Playmaker activates the Trap Card Parallel Port Break from his hand, reducing the battle damage to 0 at the cost of paying half his LP (Playmaker: 1000→500 LP). KoH ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. At this point, he enters the Data Storm. Playmaker activates his Skill Storm Access, which allows him to randomly access a card from a Data Storm when his LP is 1000 or less. Playmaker obtains Space Insulator and adds it to his Extra Deck.

Playmaker Normal Summons Draconnet (1400/1200/3) to Origin's top Link Marker. Since Draconnet was Normal Summoned, he can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Normal Monster from his hand or Deck in Defense Position. He Special Summons Bitron (200/2000/2) in Defense Position from his Deck. Playmaker uses Bitron to Link Summon Link Spider (1000/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Playmaker activates the effect of Link Spider to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from his hand to a zone it points to. Playmaker Special Summons Digitron from his hand (1500/0/2) in Attack Position. Playmaker uses Digitron and Draconnet to Link Summon Space Insulator (1200/2/↑↓) to Origin's top Link Marker. Monsters that Space Insulator points to lose 800 ATK/DEF (Origin: 2000→1200). Playmaker activates the effect of Link Infra-Flier in his hand, Special Summoning it to Link Spider's Link Marker (0/1800/2) in Defense Position. Playmaker uses Link Infra-Flier, Link Spider, and Lockout Gardna to Link Summon Encode Talker (2300/3/↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Playmaker activates the effect of Parallel Port Break in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Decode Talker (2300/3/↙↑↘) to Encode Talker's bottom Link Marker with its effects negated.

Decode Talker attacks Girastag, but Playmaker activates the effect of Encode Talker as a monster that it points to is attacking, preventing Decode Talker from being destroyed by that battle and Playmaker taking no battle damage from that battle. After damage calculation, either Encode Talker or a card it points to gains ATK equal to the current ATK of Girastag. He chooses to increase the ATK of Encode Talker by the ATK of Girastag (Encode Talker: 2300→4900). Encode Talker attacks Steelswarm Origin (KoH: 3200→0 LP). Playmaker wins.

* * *

 _ **Gouki Near-Fall Normal Trap Card**_

 _Target 1 face-up "Gouki" monster you control: equip this card to that target. The first time the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle or card effect each turn, it is not destroyed. The ATK of "Gouki" monsters you control cannot be changed by card effects._

 _ **Parallel Port Break Normal Trap Card**_

 _If a Cyberse monster you control battles an opponent's monster with higher ATK: reduce the battle damage you would take to 0. You can activate this effect from your hand during your opponent's turn by paying half your LP. If you control a Cyberse Link Monster in your Extra Monster Zone: You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 Cyberse Link Monster in your GY; Special Summon it with its effects negated. You can only activate each effect of "Parallel Port Break" once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 12 – The Fight Goes On_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to JaneValentine007, darkblade456, HunterHQ, mekyaku, Unknowedz, Fenghuang0296, D3lph0xL0v3r, ClearwingYuta, Frost190, and Cobalt Striker Gundam for reviewing Chapter 10.

I would like to thank Fenghuang0296, Ezilo, and mekyaku for suggesting Extra Deck monsters for Galahad. They won't show up in Galahad's next duel, but at least one of the suggested monsters will show up in the duel after that. That said, I would still like suggestions for Magical Musket cards for Lilith, especially a Link Monster. Again, her ace monster is Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel, and an upgraded form of Zakiel would be nice.

In response to Cobalt Striker Gundam's question about Blue Angel and Morningstar, I want to say something that I've said before: there will be no romance between Aoi and Yasutake. The reason she has more scenes with him than Go and Yusaku is because, quite frankly, she's the easiest to write in. Also, I really like her character, and I want her to have friends. That's partly the reason I gave her the first scene in this chapter, as well as providing screen time for Masako.

This chapter takes place in the latter half of Episode 24. That part of the episode only showed Go and Playmaker defeating Knights, so I decided to use this opportunity to have both of them show off. I originally had three duels planned for this chapter, but because of their combined length, and some additional scenes I wanted to write, I decided to split the chapter in half. This one showed duels with Go and Playmaker, and the next chapter will show one with Morningstar.

On the duel with Playmaker in this chapter: When I wrote the duel between Morningstar and Playmaker, I made it a Master Duel because I didn't want to give Playmaker a new Link Monster. But since he didn't use Space Insulator until his duel with Faust, I felt it an appropriate monster to give him with this duel.

Thank you for reading Chapter 11 of Hidden Memories. Please post a review of what you thought of this chapter and what you would like to see in the future. It means a lot that people continue to read my work.


	12. Chapter 12: The Fight Goes On

**Update**

I've gone back to Chapter 7 and added to the effect of Cyspirit Odd Outlaw. I have now added that Odd Outlaw cannot be used as Link Material the turn it activates its effect.

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The Fight Goes On**

Takeshi waited outside a hospital room, his face grim. People were rushing about all around him. They were mostly doctors and nurses taking new Another victims to different rooms. The rest were the friends and families of the victims, trying to follow the victims but being restrained by nurses and hospital security.

Takeshi looked up at a television in the corner. It showed the Knights of Hanoi running rampant in LINK VRAINS, laughing sadistically as they turned more innocent people into Anothers.

 _Bastards,_ he thought as he scowled. If not for Eiji, he would be in LINK VRAINS right now, doing his best to fight Hanoi. Still, right now LINK VRAINS was in good hands. He watched as the screen shifted to show Go Onizuka and Playmaker defeat Hanoi members. He couldn't say he trusted Playmaker's reasons for dueling, but he knew he hated Hanoi. And Go was one of the best people Takeshi knew. If Go trusted Playmaker, that was enough for Takeshi.

Takeshi turned his gaze from the television as the door across from him opened. He stood up as the doctor walked out.

"How is my brother, doc?" he asked. He tried to keep calm, but his insides were twisted with worry.

The doctor looked as grim as Takeshi had a second ago. "I'm afraid it's not good, Mr. Akino," he said. "The disease is spreading at a faster rate than we can counter. At its current speed, I'm afraid your brother won't last the month."

Takeshi's insides unknotted. Now all he felt was despair. "Thanks for not sugarcoating it, doc," he said, trying to keep his voice light and failing. "I-Isn't there anything? Anything I can do? I… I already lost my parents. I don't want to lose my brother, too."

The doctor was silent as he closed his eyes in thought. When he opened them, he said, "There is one option left," he said reluctantly. "An experimental treatment. It has about a fifty-fifty chance of success, but it's the best we can offer."

"Do it," Takeshi said instantly. "I don't care about the cost. I'll pay anything."

The doctor sighed and shook his head. "You don't understand," he said, pulling a tablet out of his coat pocket. "This is the price of the operation." He showed the tablet to Takeshi, whose eyes widened in shock. "You've already racked up a sizable debt in hospital bills," the doctor continued. "I know you can't afford the treatment. And I'm afraid that with your current debt, the hospital will require an advanced deposit."

Takeshi was silent as he stared at the screen. That price… he couldn't afford that. Maybe if he sold their house and most of their possessions, he could, but there wasn't enough time. He was stuck.

"Any other advice, doc?" he asked, his voice hollow. The doctor put a hand on his shoulder. When Takeshi looked up, the doctor offered a kind, but sad smile.

"Spend what time he has left with your brother," he said. "I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's all I can offer. I'm sorry, Mr. Akino."

Takeshi closed his eyes as they began to water. This… this wasn't fair. Eiji was the good boy. He was the one who always wanted to help people, who admired the duelists of LINK VRAINS. While Takeshi had become a Charisma Duelist to pay the bills, there was another reason: he wanted his brother to be proud of him, even if Eiji didn't know Takeshi was Galahad. Well, that and he had wanted to fulfill a promise he made to a girl. Which was looking less and less likely.

Takeshi opened his eyes and turned to the television screen. He scowled as it showed the Knights of Hanoi laughing as they hurt people. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that Eiji, an innocent child, had to leave this world, while sadistic bastards like Hanoi got to remain.

"Can I see him now, doc?" Takeshi asked. The doctor nodded and stepped to the side. Takeshi walked into the room, the door sliding to the side to let him in. The sole occupant of the room, who was lying on a hospital bed, looked up and smiled as Takeshi entered.

"Hey, big brother," Eiji said. Unlike Takeshi's blonde hair, Eiji had brown hair that fell to his shoulders. Takeshi couldn't help but think that Eiji looked like a younger version of their father. Takeshi himself knew that he owed his looks to his mother. But he and Eiji did have one thing in common: the same blue eyes.

"Hey, Eiji," Takeshi said, smiling back at Eiji. He had promised himself he would keep a brave face on in front of his brother. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Eiji answered. "Those tests really wear me out. I can only imagine how the doctors feel."

"I would hope they feel honored to save a life," Takeshi said, sitting in a chair next to Eiji's bed.

Eiji's smile became a frown. "Don't lie to me, Takeshi," he said. "I'm twelve, not six. I know I'm dy-."

"Don't say that," Takeshi interrupted. "Please… for your older brother's sake, please don't say that again."

Eiji's eyes didn't leave Takeshi's for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, he nodded. "Okay, big brother." He then smiled again. "You know what I would like? I want to watch LINK VRAINS."

"Are you sure? Because right now-."

"I know," Eiji said, interrupting this time. "I know about the Anothers. The doctor told me about what Hanoi is doing and why there are so many people here. And I know that Go Onizuka and Playmaker are fighting them." His smile widened. "Everyone at school loves Playmaker. I don't want to miss out just because I'm sick."

Takeshi smiled, resigned. "Alright, then. I'll turn it on." He picked up a nearby remote and turned the television in the room on. The news was on LINK VRAINS, but it wasn't showing Go or Playmaker anymore.

Takeshi narrowed his eyes as Morningstar pointed at a Knight's Jack Wyvern. The Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary he had out blasted the machine monster to smithereens.

"Oh, Morningstar!" Eiji said, his eyes wide. "He's good, too! He's not Playmaker, but he is so cool!"

Takeshi turned to his brother. "Do kids at school like Morningstar?"

"Yeah!" Eiji said excitedly. "I know some guys say he's kind of a thug, but he dispenses justice on criminals! Everyone likes someone like that. And the girls seem to think he's handsome. Though, most of them seem to prefer Playmaker over him."

"I see," Takeshi said, chuckling to himself. He turned back to the television and watched Morningstar's duel. Takeshi himself wasn't sure what to make of Morningstar. On the one hand, a bounty hunter wasn't to be trusted, were they? They would do anything for money. And someone called "the Devil of LINK VRAINS" can't have gotten that reputation by being nice to his opponents.

But he had allowed Takeshi to finish his duel against Hanoi, and right now he was doing his best to fight Hanoi, without care of profit.

 _You really are complicated, aren't you, Morningstar?_ Takeshi thought, smiling to himself. _Maybe that is what makes you so human._

In Hanoi's stronghold, Terminus narrowed his eyes at one of his screens. It showed the hospital room that Eiji and Takeshi were in as they watched the events in LINK VRAINS.

 _Looks like I found you, Galahad,_ he thought. _And a sick brother…_ That could be useful. A plan began to form in Terminus's mind. A plan to put an end to a certain annoyance.

Terminus looked at another screen and scowled. Morningstar. Terminus had mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, knowing that he was one of the victims of the Lost Incident, one of those children he, Baira, Faust, and Dr. Kogami experimented on, made Terminus very sympathetic to him. At the same time, his constant interference was proving irritating. At the very least, these duels gave him more information on Morningstar's Deck, which was proving as versatile as Terminus had noted.

* * *

"Ahhhhh!" The Knight screamed as he fell off his D-Board. Before Morningstar could even approach him, he broke apart into data.

"Damn it," Morningstar muttered, scowling to himself. "That's the second time that's happened today. I'm really getting sick of this."

"Heads up," Cam said into his earpiece. "Behind you."

Morningstar turned around and saw another Knight, this one with pink accents on his mask, approach him.

"You've been taking out a lot of my comrades!" Pink shouted at Morningstar. "I'm going to end you here and now, Morningstar!"

"Hmm," Morningstar said. "A lot of people have said that before. All of them were proven wrong." He faced forwards as he and his opponent sped down the data stream.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn!" Pink said, waving his hand in front of him to reveal his cards. He smirked. This could work.

"I activate the Field Spell Card: The Gates of Dark World!" Morningstar raised an eyebrow. A Dark World Deck? It had been a while since he'd seen that.

"With this card, all Fiend monsters gain 300 attack and defense points!" Pink continued. "And now, I activate the Spell Card: Dark World Dealings! This card lets both of us draw one card, then we must discard one card."

Morningstar and the Knight drew, then they each discarded a card. Pink spoke again. "The card I discarded was Broww, Huntsman of Dark World! Since Broww was discarded by a card effect, I can draw another card!"

He drew, then said, "I activate the effect of my Field Spell! By banishing a Fiend monster from my Graveyard, I can discard a Fiend monster and draw one card. I banish Broww and discard Sillva, Warlord of Dark World."

The Knight drew again, then said, "Since Sillva was discarded by a card effect, I can Special Summon it! Return, Sillva, in Attack Position!" A large black and silver humanoid monster appeared on Pink's field, with black wings and carrying a dagger.

 **Sillva, Warlord of Dark World ATK 2300 DEF 1400 LVL: 5**

"And since Sillva is a Fiend monster, it gains 300 attack points thanks to The Gates of Dark World!"

 **Sillva, Warlord of Dark World ATK 2300→2600 DEF 1400→1700**

"I Set one card," Pink said. "And activate the Spell Card: Dark World Market!" The card showed a black humanoid dragon monster with several cards floating in front of it. "This card allows me to draw one card and reveal it. If the card is not a 'Dark World' monster, then I must discard it and my entire hand. But if it is a 'Dark World' monster, then I draw two more cards, discard one, and treat it as having been discarded by my opponent's card effect!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He was familiar with this part of the Dark World strategy; most Dark World monsters had effects that activated if they were discarded, and many of them had additional effects that activated if they were discarded by an opponent's card effect.

"I draw!" Pink said. He looked at his card and smirked. "The card I drew is Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World! That means I draw two more cards!" He drew, then continued. "I now send Lucent to the Graveyard and treat it as having been discarded by your card effect."

Pink discarded Lucent as his smirk grew. "Since Lucent was discarded to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it! Return to me Lucent, in Attack Position!" A humanoid pink and purple fiend monster appeared and roared.

 **Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World ATK 2400→2700 DEF 0→300 LVL: 6**

"There is more to Lucent's effect!" Pink said. "Since it was discarded by an opponent's card effect, I can also Special Summon a Fiend monster from my Deck to either side of the field!"

"What?" Morningstar said, his eyes widening in surprise. "Either side?"

"That's right," Pink confirmed. "And I'm Specual Summoning Ceruli, Guru of Dark World to your field in Attack Position!" A short little fiend carrying a staff appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Ceruli, Guru of Dark World ATK 100→400 DEF 300→600 LVL: 1**

"Ceruli's monster effect!" Pink declared. "If it is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Dark World' card, then the opponent must discard one card!"

"But since it is on my field," Morningstar said, realizing Pink's plan. "That means you must discard a card."

Pink smirked again. "Exactly. I discard this card!" He touched a card and made it disappear. "And now that card's effects activate! Since I discarded Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World, I can target and destroy one card you control! I'll destroy and reclaim my Ceruli!" Ceruli shattered.

"There's more to Grapha's effect! Since it was discarded by an opponent's card effect, I can look at a random card in your hand, and if it is a monster, that monster is Special Summoned to my field!"

Morningstar scowled. He didn't want to give any of his monsters over to the enemy. He looked at his hand and noted the two monsters he held.

"Choose a card, Morningstar!" The cards in his hand disappeared and reappeared in front of Morningstar, facing away from him. He clicked one, revealing it. Morningstar smirked.

"The card revealed is Cyspirit Bypass!" Morningstar declared. "Since it is a Spell and not a monster, Grapha's effect resolves without a target."

The Knight growled. "My turn isn't over. I activate the effect of the Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World in my Graveyard! By returning a 'Dark World' monster I control to my hand, I can Special Summon Grapha from the Graveyard! I return Sillva and Special Summon Grapha in Attack Position!" A massive black, pink, and silver dragon appeared and roared.

 **Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World ATK 2700→3000 DEF 1800→2100 LVL: 8**

"3000 attack points," Cam said into the earpiece. "Thank god this is only the first turn."

"I end my turn," Pink said, then smirked. "So, Morningstar. Just try to overcome my perfect formation!"

 _This Knight is better than the last ones,_ Morningstar thought. _He managed to summon two monsters with high attack points on his first turn. Of course, he'll fall like the rest._

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew his card, narrowed his eyes, then chose another card. "I summon Cyspirit Lancer!" The skeleton in white armor carrying a shield and lance appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"So long as Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

"Cyspirit Lancer's monster effect! Once per turn, I can discard one 'Cyspirit' monster so Lancer inflicts piercing battle damage during this turn's Battle Phase."

Morningstar sent the Cyspirit Changer in his hand to the Graveyard. His plan was simple: banish Changer to switch Grapha and Lucent to Defense Position, then attack Lucent to destroy it and inflict piercing battle damage. Since Lucent had 300 defense points, the Knight would take 1800 points of damage.

"Ha!" Pink scoffed. "You will have to try harder than that!" He gestured to his face-down card. "Continuous Trap activate! Dark World Brainwashing!" Morningstar's eyes widened. This was bad. "Since your monster activated its effect and I have three or more cards in my hand, I can return one 'Dark World' monster I control to my hand. The effect of your Lancer then changes to 'discard one random card from your opponent's hand.'" The Knight smirked at Morningstar. "You know what that means, right?"

Morningstar did. It meant that Lancer couldn't inflict piercing battle damage this turn and his opponent was about to use another Dark World effect.

I'll return Lucent to my hand!" Pink declared. "And then, I discard one random card." His cards appeared, their backs to him. He selected one, revealing it. "I am discarding Latinum, Exarch of Dark World! And since Latinum was discarded by my opponent's card effect, I can Special Summon Latinum in Defense Position and increase Grapha's attack points by 500!" A black and grey demonic monster with wings appeared alongside Grapha as the latter glowed red.

 **Latinum, Exarch of Dark World ATK 1500→1800 DEF 2400→2700 LVL: 6**

 **Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World ATK 3000→3500**

"3500 attack points," Morningstar muttered.

"That's not the best part of Dark World Brainwashing!" Pink gloated. "So long as I have three or more cards in my hand, I can use it as often as I want!"

"Only in response to monster effects," Morningstar noted. "You can't use it in response to this!" He took a card from his hand and played it. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Dark World Brainwashing!"

"What?" Pink said, startled as a blast of wind struck his Trap Card and destroyed it. "Damn it!"

 _I had been planning to use Mystical Space Typhoon against his Field Spell,_ Morningstar thought. _But that Trap Card took priority. And I can't use Changer's effect either; Grapha's 2100 defense points are too much for Lancer._

Out loud, he said, "Appear, the circuit between light and darkness!" His right hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared in front of him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Cyspirit Lancer in the Link Marker!" Lancer entered the portal, turning the bottom arrow red.

Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton with wings in a business suit appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker. I Special Summon Cyspirit Nova!" A small dragon skeleton appeared, but then silver armor grew over it. It spread its silver and black wings as it was summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Nova ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"Appear once more! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal once again appeared in front of Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' Normal Monster! I set Cyspirit Nova in the Link Marker!" Nova entered the portal, turning the left arrow red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Odd Outlaw!" The cowboy skeleton with two pistols and a covered face appeared, summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Odd Outlaw ATK 500 LINK-1** ←

In Hanoi's stronghold, Terminus raised an eyebrow. He hadn't seen this Cyspirit monster before.

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Bypass!" Morningstar continued. "Since I control two 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters, I can Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck. However, that monster will be destroyed during the End Phase. I Special Summon Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a white and blue prisoner's uniform appeared, summoned to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker.

"Appear for a third time! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared, this time in the sky. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller and Cyspirit Prisoner in the Link Markers!" The monsters in question entered the portal, turning the left and right arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" The black skeleton in a brown prospector's uniform with a massive drill for a right arm appeared, summoned to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"Since I used Prisoner to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Gardna." Morningstar took the card from his Deck, then gestured to Odd Outlaw.

"Odd Outlaw's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to a Link Monster, I can target cards in your hand equal to that monster's Link Rating. Those cards are shuffled back into your Deck, and then for every two cards shuffled, you draw one card." Pink grit his teeth on hearing that. "Odd Outlaw points to Thrilled Tunneler. That means I can target two cards in your hand and shuffle them into your Deck. You then draw one card."

Morningstar selected the cards, which Pink shuffled back in and then drew. "There is a second part to Odd Outlaw's effect. Since Thrilled Tunneler is a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I draw one card for every two cards that were shuffled into your Deck. Meaning I draw a card too."

He drew, then said, "I Set two cards." He then gestured to Thrilled Tunneler. "Thrilled Tunneler's monster effect! Since it points to at least one monster, it can attack you directly by halving its attack points!"

"What?" Pink gasped in shock. "It can attack directly?"

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600** **→800**

"Battle! Thrilled Tunneler, attack my opponent directly! Cyber Drill!" Thrilled Tunneler rushed past Grapha and Latinum and struck Pink directly, causing his D-Board to wobble.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 4000→3200 LP**

"I end my turn," Morningstar said as Thrilled Tunneler returned to his field. "And Thrilled Tunneler's attack points return to normal."

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 800** **→1600**

* * *

In the public viewing plaza, the crowd cheered on Morningstar. But at Café Nagi, Kusanagi frowned at the large television. Yes, Morningstar had managed to damage his opponent, but said opponent still had two very powerful monsters on the field.

 _He still has options though,_ Kusanagi thought. The card Morningstar had added to his hand with Prisoner's effect had been Cyspirit Gardna. If the Knight attacked either monster, Morningstar could Special Summon Gardna and redirect the attack to it. And summoning it would also halve all battle damage for the rest of the turn.

Kusanagi glanced at the screens behind him. Because he was working his day job, the screens showed supply shelves to fool people into thinking they weren't computer screens. Yesterday, he'd gotten an email from Cameron Junpei about creating an anti-purge program. Kusanagi could see the benefit of such a program and decided to help him. Unfortunately, between his work at the front and Cam's own job, it was taking some time to finish. Kusanagi estimated that it would take between three days to a week before the program was finished.

The difficulty of the program aside, it was nice to work with someone new for a change. Kusanagi hadn't worked with anyone except Yusaku for a long time. So far, Cam had proven to be intelligent, skilled, and personable, the last of which Kusanagi wished Yusaku was.

Kusanagi looked back again as the dear to the sealed room opened and Yusaku walked out. "What are you doing here?" Kusanagi asked. "I thought you were planning to stay in LINK VRAINS all day."

"He was," Ai answered, emerging from Yusaku's Duel Disk. "But since he's still human, he needs food."

"Ah, a lunch break," Kusanagi said, nodding. "Lucky for you that I'm open."

Yusaku took a hotdog and soda to the picnic table right outside and started his lunch. Sadly, he was soon disturbed by an unwanted visitor.

"Hey there. Mind if I sit here?"

Yusaku looked up at a tall blonde-haired blue-eyed teenager wearing a Den Academy uniform. He was carrying a Café Nagi bag, which he set on the picnic table. He smiled at Yusaku.

"Who are you?"

The teenager blanched and fell over. He immediately got back up, his eyes comically large as tears poured out.

"Are you kidding me?" he whined. "That's the fourth time this week… what do I have to do to be recognized?"

"I think you broke him, Yusaku," Ai whispered.

"Be quiet," Yusaku whispered back. To the guy, he said, "Well, I don't know too many people. I'm sorry for not recognizing you."

The guy stopped crying and sighed as he slid into the seat opposite Yusaku. "At least you apologized for it," he muttered. "I assumed you'd recognize me, since you're wearing our school uniform."

"Like I said, I don't know many people. My name is Fujiki. Yusaku Fujiki. Freshman."

"Takeshi Akino. Senior and Student Council President. Though apparently that doesn't mean much to certain freshmen." Takeshi muttered that last part under his breath. "Anyway, what are you doing out here? School just ended a few minutes ago; you couldn't have gotten here that quickly."

"I had a fever earlier so I didn't go. What about you?"

"Visiting someone in the hospital."

"An Another victim?"

Takeshi shook his head. "No, someone else." He frowned. He didn't want to burden this freshman with his family and financial problems. He turned to the televisions, which showed Morningstar continuing his duel. "You ever go to LINK VRAINS?" he asked Yusaku as he turned back to him, who shook his head.

"I'm not a good duelist. And I'm not looking to go professional." The first part had been a lie, the second wasn't. Yusaku had no plans to become a Charisma Duelist, even if the Knights of Hanoi were defeated.

"Well, at least you know your limits. Not too many people do, sadly. If people were more aware of what they could and could not do, there probably wouldn't be so many Another victims." Takeshi turned back to the televisions as he and Yusaku watched Morningstar's duel continue.

* * *

"My turn!" Pink declared. "I activate my Skill! Double Draw! During my Draw Phase, I draw two cards instead of one! Draw!" He drew, looked at his cards and smirked. "I activate the effect of The Gates of Dark World! I banish the Ceruli in my Graveyard and discard Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World to draw one card."

He did so, then said, "I activate the effect of the Kahkki that I discarded! If it is discarded to the Graveyard, I can target and destroy one monster on the field! Say goodbye to your Thrilled Tunneler!" Morningstar's eyes narrowed as his monster disintegrated.

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Dark Corridor! This card adds a 'Dark World' monster from my Deck to my hand, at the cost of discarding a card. I add Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World to my hand." He took the card from his Deck, then said, "I will also discard Beiige!" He sent the card to his Graveyard, then continued. "Since Beiige was discarded by a card effect, I can Special Summon it to my field in Attack Position!" A blue fiend wearing white bone armor and carrying a spear appeared on Pink's field.

 **Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World ATK 1600→1900 DEF 1300→1600 LVL: 4**

"Since that was a Special Summon, I can still perform a Normal Summon!" Pink declared. "I Tribute Beiige and Latinum to Tribute Summon Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World!" Beiige and Latinum disappeared as a new, much larger monster appeared alongside Grapha. Reing-Beaux was a massive black fiend monster with giant dragon wings carrying a two-pronged staff.

 **Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World ATK 2500 DEF 1800 LVL: 7**

"And because of The Gates of Dark World, Reign-Beaux becomes even stronger!"

 **Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World ATK 2500→2800 DEF 1800→2100 LVL: 7**

Morningstar grit his teeth. Reign-Beaux was one of the most powerful Dark World monsters in existence. At least it hadn't been discarded; its effect was horrible.

"If you think this is the greatest problem you'll face, you're wrong!" Pink said, sneering at Morningstar. "I activate the Spell Card: Dark World Lightning!" Morningstar's eyes widened. "This card destroys a Set card, then I get to discard a card. You have two face-downs, so I'll destroy the one on my left!" The card in question shattered. Morningstar frowned as his Cyspirit Barricade was sent to the Graveyard.

"And now, I have to discard a card. Of course, it's the only card in my hand, so I'll discard another Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World! You know what that means, right?"

"Yes," Morningstar said. "It means you get to destroy another monster on my field." His face was expressionless as Odd Outlaw disintegrated.

"I paid attention when you added Cyspirit Gardna to your hand," Pink gloated. "That card has a good effect, but it requires a 'Cyspriit' monster on the field for its effect to activate. But without monsters, you're defenseless!"

Kusanagi narrowed his eyes at the television, as did Takeshi. Morningstar was in trouble. The only one unconcerned was Yusaku. He figured that Morningstar had a way out of this situation. He'd come too far to lose to a random Knight.

"Battle!" Pink declared. "Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World, attack Morningstar directly! Take 3500 points of damage!" Grapha breathed red fire and blasted Morningstar. Morningstar glared at Grapha as the blast hit him full-force.

Pink continued speaking as smoke enveloped Morningstar. "I'm not done! Reign-Beaux, it's your turn! Attack Morningstar directly with Devilish Vacuum Wave!" Reign-Beaux raised its staff and blasted the smoke screen with black energy. Another explosion occurred as the smoke expanded.

"Oh no!" the MC in the public viewing plaza commented. "Grapha had 3500 attack points, and Reign-Beaux had 2800! If those two attacks connected, Morningstar will have lost! Is this the end of the Devil of LINK VRAINS?" Kusanagi, Takeshi, and Yusaku just watched in silence.

The smoke eventually cleared, revealing Morningstar still standing on his D-Board, much to his opponent's shock. That said, his Life Points had taken a hit, and while he hadn't taken any permanent damage, he was clearly annoyed.

 **Morningstar: 4000→2250→850 LP**

"W-What?" Pink asked, aghast. "How did you survive?"

"I banished the Trap Card Cyspirit Half-Guard from my Graveyard," Morningstar answered as a card appeared on his field. It showed Cyspirit Gardna with one of its shields cracking into pieces. "By banishing this card and discarding a 'Cyspirit' monster, all battle damage I take this turn is halved. So while your attacks did damage me, they did not defeat me."

"I see," Takeshi said, his eyes widening in understanding. "He discarded the Cyspirit Gardna in his hand. But now his hand is empty."

"Cyspirit Half-Guard has one more effect," Morningstar continued. "At the end of the Battle Phase, for every monster you control that battled this turn, I can draw a card. Both of your monsters battled, so I draw two cards!"

He drew as the crowd in the public viewing plaza went wild. "I stand corrected," Takeshi said, a grin on his face. "He reduced the damage and replenished his hand. Nice."

Pink growled, then smirked. "So what if you replenished your hand," he said. "You have less than 1000 Life Points and I have two powerful monsters on my field. You have no chance! I end my turn!"

"On the contrary," Morningstar said as he placed his hand on his Deck and narrowed his eyes. "I have everything I need. My turn! Draw!" He drew and glanced at his card. "I summon Cyspirit Sorceress!" A white skeleton appeared wearing an elegant black dress appeared. The hands emerging from the sleeves were made of metal and were alight with green energy. Long black hair emerged from a metal skull with one red eye. A black metal staff appeared in its right hand.

 **Cyspirit Sorceress ATK 1400 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

In Hanoi's stronghold, Terminus narrowed his eyes. "A new Cyspirit monster," he muttered.

"Sorceress's monster effect! When she is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or below 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position! Return to me, Cyspirit Lancer!" Sorceress spun her staff and pointed to a nearby Main Monster Zone. The end glowed as Lancer appeared from a purple circle.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"While Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

 **Cyspirit Sorceress ATK 1400→1700**

"Sorceress's second effect!" Morningstar continued. "Once per turn, I can declare a Level between one and six; Sorceress's Level then becomes the declared Level. I declare Level two!"

 **Cyspirit Sorceress LVL 4→2**

"Ha!" Pink scoffed. "What good does changing your monster's Level do?" In the back of Café Junpei, Cam rolled his eyes. Hanoi really needed to raise their recruitment standards.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar's hand glowed as the Link portal appeared in front of him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Cyspirit Sorceress in the Link Marker!" Sorceress entered the portal, turning the bottom-left arrow red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!" The skeleton carrying an electrical box appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone, with its Link Marker pointing to Lancer.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600→900 LINK-1** ↙

"Egregious Electrician's monster effect! Once per turn, I can move a 'Cyspirit' monster it points at to another Main Monster Zone and Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to the zone it points to. I move Cyspirit Lancer to my right Main Monster Zone and Special Summon Cyspirit Wanderer in Defense Position!" Lancer moved to the side to make room for a skeleton in a poncho.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900→2200 DEF 200 LVL: 5**

"Wanderer's monster effect! If this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, I can target one monster my opponent controls and lower its attack points by 800. I target Grapha with Wanderer's effect. Digital Drain!" The Knight grit his teeth as Grapha's attack points went down.

 **Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World ATK 3500→2700**

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared, gesturing to his face-down card. "Cyspirit Necrocoding!" The card flipped upward, revealing a hand composed of binary code emerging at the end of the tunnel. At the other end was Thrilled Tunneler sweatdropping as Tunnel Tyke hung off its neck. "This card allows me to Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard and equip Necrocoding to it. However, I cannot target a Link-3 or higher 'Cyspirit' Link Monster with this effect. I use Necrocoding to bring back Cyspirit Prisoner!" The said monster appeared, summoned to the left Main Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600→1900 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"Necrocoding has another effect while it's equipped to a monster," Morningstar told Pink. "If I use the equipped monster to Link Summon a Cyberse Link Monster, Necrocoding can be treated as a 'Cyspirit' Effect Monster and used as Link Material for that Summon!"

"What?" Pink said, shock evident in his voice.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal once again appeared in front of Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Egregious Electrician, Cyspirit Prisoner, and the Cyspirit Necrocoding treated as a 'Cyspirit' Effect Monster in the Link Markers!" The two named monsters approached the portal, with a transparent version of Prisoner appearing alongside them. The three monsters entered the portal and turned the bottom-left, top, and bottom arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!" The skeleton in a trench coat and tricorne hat appeared and spread its wings as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2500 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Cyspirit Prisoner's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Since it was used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Sanctuary to my hand."

He did so, then said, "I now activate the Field Spell: Cyspirit Sanctuary! With this card on the field, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack and defense points!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400**

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2500→2800**

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 2200→2500**

"Those monsters are pretty powerful," Takeshi said. "But Rapid Revolutionary is the only one strong enough to destroy one of that Knight's monsters."

The Knight was sweating, but what Morningstar said next confused him. "You should be aware of something; the monster that is Link Summoned using Cyspirit Necrocoding cannot declare an attack the turn it was summoned."

"What?" the Knight said, surprised. "Then why did you use it?"

"Because I need it in the Graveyard for its other effect," Morningstar answered. "And since you failed to destroy it on your turn, I had to summon Rapid Revolutionary." Morningstar then gestured to his field again. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary! Once per turn, if I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can move a monster to a Main Monster Zone on its controller's field. I move Rapid Revolutionary to my left Main Monster Zone."

Yusaku watched as Rapid Revolutionary changed positions. Now Morningstar had Lancer in his right Main Monster Zone, Wanderer in the middle, and Rapid Revolutionary in the left zone. What was he planning?

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Necrocoding in my Graveyard!" Morningstar then declared. "If I have no monsters in the Extra Monster Zone, I can banish this card and two 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters from my Graveyard. Then, I can Special Summon a Link-3 or lower 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Extra Deck!"

"What?" Pink said, shocked again. "You're summoning another Link Monster?"

"I banish Necrocoding, Cacophonic Caller, and Egregious Electrician from my Graveyard. With this, I can now Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Extra Deck." He pulled a card from his Extra Deck and slapped it on his Duel Disk. "Come forth! Link 3! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!" The skeleton in a guard's uniform carrying a large spear appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"And due to the effects of Cyspirit Lancer and Cyspirit Sanctuary, Pied Pikeman gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400→3000**

"3000 attack points," Pink grumbled.

"There's more to Necrocoding's effect," Morningstar said, shocking the Knight. "The monster Special Summoned by this effect is treated as having been Link Summoned. Not only that, but it is treated as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating!"

"What!?" Pink said, shocked beyond reason. Terminus was likewise surprised. Since Cyspirit monsters gained effects depending on how many monsters they pointed to, that Trap Card essentially let them use all their effects. Thankfully, it could only do so for Link-3 and lower monsters.

"Of course, Necrocoding has one downside," Morningstar continued. "The monster Special Summoned by this effect is shuffled back into my Extra Deck during the End Phase. But I don't think that will matter." He gestured to Pied Pikeman. "Pied Pikeman's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to at least one monster, I can change that monster's battle position to destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I change the Cyspirit Wanderer it points at to Attack Position to destroy your Field Spell!"

Pink flinched as The Gates of Dark World shattered and his monsters' attack and defense points went down. Terminus scowled. Even if Pied Pikeman could use all its effects in theory, its particular effects required manipulating the monsters it pointed to. That meant it had to truly point to at least one monster to use its effects. And thanks to Wanderer, it could.

 **Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World ATK 2700→2400 DEF 2100→1800**

 **Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World ATK 2800→2500 DEF 2100→1800**

"And since it is treated as pointing to three monsters, I can activate Pied Pikeman's third effect!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, I can Tribute one monster it points to and increase Pied Pikeman's attack points by that monster's attack points. I Tribute Cyspirit Wanderer to increase Pied Pikeman's attack points by Wanderer's 2500 attack points!" Wanderer shattered as Pied Pikeman glowed red.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 3000→5500**

"Nice!" Takeshi said as he pumped his fist. "If he destroys Grapha with Pied Pikeman, he can reduce that Knight's Life Points to 100!"

"No," Yusaku said, drawing Takeshi's attention. "This duels is over."

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Pied Pikeman, attack Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World!" Pied Pikeman charged Grapha at Morningstar's command.

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Barricade in my Graveyard!" Morningstar suddenly said. The card appeared on the field, which Pink recognized as the card he had destroyed last turn. "By banishing this card from my Graveyard, I can increase Pied Pikeman's attack points by 1000!"

"What!?" the Knight shrieked as Pied Pikeman glowed red again.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 5500→6500**

"Go, Pied Pikeman! Spiritual Halberd!" Pied Pikeman's spear glowed with white energy. It slashed through Grapha, destroying it in a massive explosion that sent the Knight flying from his D-Board, screaming at the top of his lungs.

 **Knight of Hanoi: 3200→0 LP**

Takeshi whistled. "Damn. Morningstar is really strong, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is," Yusaku said. He remembered his duel with Morningstar vividly; it had been more even than his duel with Revolver, but in the end, it had been even more challenging. And from the looks of it, Morningstar was only getting stronger.

Takeshi stood up and scrunched up his empty bag. "It was good to talk to you, Fujiki," he said. "Maybe I'll see you at school." He walked over to a waste bin, threw the bag in, then walked away.

Morningstar jumped down next to the Knight and pinned his arm with his leg.

"Who gave you your orders?" he demanded. The last Knight he had interrogated had said Revolver hadn't given them their orders, but someone obviously had.

"Three of Master Revolver's lieutenants," the Knight gasped as Morningstar increased the pressure. "Please, stop that!"

"Their names," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes. "Give me their names!"

"T-Terminus!" the Knight said, panicking. "He's the first of them. The others-!" That was all he said before he turned black and broke apart into data, screaming as he did so.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Well that sucked," Cam said. "You didn't get to finish interrogating him."

"Maybe not," Morningstar answered. "But these last few duels have taught me three things. One: people other than Revolver are giving these Knights their orders. That means Revolver is likely busy with something else."

"That could be troublesome later," Cam muttered. "What are the other two things you learned?"

"Two: Revolver has at least three other lieutenants aside from Dr. Genome. I'm also going to assume Spectre isn't one of them; he doesn't strike me as the kind to give orders. And even if he is one of the people giving orders, I would rather overestimate Hanoi than underestimate them."

"And the third?"

"Three: one of the lieutenants is named Terminus," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes again. "He was the only one mentioned, so I assume he's the leader or the strongest of them. Even if he isn't, he's the only one we know about."

 _Terminus,_ he thought. _You are my best chance to find Revolver and whoever has the Another removal program. I will find you._

"With this duel over, I-," Morningstar began, then winced as he took a step. He fell to one knee and felt his side.

"Damn it, Yasu," Cam said, scowling in the back room. "You've pushed yourself too far. Log out. You need a lunch break."

Morningstar sighed. He wanted to stay in LINK VRAINS and keep defeating Knights, but he recognized the tone in Cam's voice. If he didn't do as Cam said, he'd end up cleaning the bathrooms at Café Junpei. Again. So he logged out.

* * *

Yasutake opened his eyes and leaned against the side of the sealed room. The door opened as he stumbled out. Thankfully, Cam managed to catch Yasutake before he fell over.

"Easy, Yasu," Cam said. "You just had three duels in a row. That would tire out anyone."

"This is mostly because of the last duel," Yasutake said, letting Cam help him into the nearest chair. "I didn't have to get serious at all for the first two. It's been a while since I fought a Dark World Deck; I feel out of practice." He looked at the news channel, which showed Playmaker reentering LINK VRAINS and engaging the Knights.

"Looks like it's Playmaker's turn," he said, sighing. "You said something about a lunch break?"

"Yeah." Cam nodded in affirmation. "Besides, I've kept away from the front too long. Time for the day job."

Yasutake stood up without help and led the way out of the back room. He was about to take a pastry out of the display case when the unfortunate happened.

"Hello, Narahiko."

He looked up and stumbled backwards a few steps. Masako Himura was standing in front of the counter, smiling at him. She wasn't wearing her school uniform; instead she was wearing a lowcut long-sleeve black shirt and black pants, both of which were formfitting, and carried a small black bag. She was also wearing purple lipstick and silver skull earrings. Not that Yasutake cared about such things.

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "Himura," he said. "How did you know I work here?"

"Oh?" Masako said, the same coy smile on her lips. "What makes you think I'm here to see you?"

"People only respond to questions with questions when they're being evasive," Yasutake said. "And that smile of yours is far too suggestive. Wipe it from your face."

Masako attempted to frown, then reverted to her smile. "Sorry, can't. Maybe I could when you're not around, but not now." Her eyes were just as playful as her smile. "As for knowing you worked here, I just looked in the student directory. It said you lived above a bakery, so I assumed you worked at said bakery. Am I wrong?"

"You are not," Cam said, sliding next to Yasutake. "Yasu here is my roommate and co-worker."

"Yasu?" Masako repeated, an eyebrow raised. "I didn't know Narahiko had such a close friend. Or that he had a friend."

Cam laughed. "That depends on who you ask," he said, smiling at Masako. "I'm Cameron Junpei, but everyone calls me Cam. I'm the owner of Café Junpei. Since you know Yasu, I'm guessing you're a classmate of his?"

"Masako Himura," she answered, bowing slightly. "I transferred in a short while ago. Narahiko here has been very gracious to me at school."

"Really?" Cam said, affecting surprise as he looked at Yasutake. " _You_ can be polite?"

"When I want to be," Yasutake said, his face deadpan. "What are you doing here, Himura?"

"You didn't come to school today," she said, pouting. "I was looking forward to talking to you." She put her hands behind her back and leaned forward, her head tilted as she batted her eyelashes. _Why are you standing like that?_ Yasutake wondered.

"That's my fault," Cam said, drawing the attention of the two teenagers. "I needed help in the store earlier, and Yasu here is the only employee I have. Tell you what," he said, getting a devilish glint in his eye, "I feel bad about holding you here, Yasu. Why don't I give you the rest of the day off?"

"What?" Yasutake said, startled. "But I was just planning to take my lunch break-."

"You can take it with me," Masako interjected, a sly smile on her face. "I've barely eaten all day, and I could use some companionship." She turned to Cam, her eyes wide and sparkling. "Would it be alright if I took Narahiko out on the town?"

Cam laughed. "Yeah, go ahead. He doesn't get out enough. Just come back before dark."

 _Damn it,_ Yasutake thought. _He's fallen for it, too._ In school, he'd noticed that all Masako had to do was smile at a person or make her eyes do that sparkling thing, and they would do anything she wanted. He had a rather vivid memory of when Naoki had attempted to carry a large stack of books for her in the library. The key word being "attempted," as he had tripped over a stool and fell, covering himself in books. It had taken all Yasutake's self-control to keep himself from laughing at the poor boy. As far as he knew, he was the only person immune to Masako's manipulative eyes and smile. Though he suspected Yusaku was also immune to it, since he'd never seen Masako smile at him. Or maybe the loner vibe Yusaku gave off kept Masako away from him. If that was true, Yasutake envied him.

"I really don't want to-."

"No excuses," Cam said, turning serious. He leaned in so he could whisper. "Yasu, you need to get out more. A date is just what you need. Don't worry about Hanoi; Go and Playmaker can handle them for now."

"D-Date?" Yasutake said, louder than he intended. "I am not going on a date!"

"Of course not." Cam and Yasutake turned to Masako as she said that. "We're simply two friends hanging out and eating together. I find these things go way better if neither party has expectations of the other."

"E-Expectations?" Yasutake repeated, panicking but not knowing why. "Expectations of what?"

Masako put a finger to her lips. "Oh, there are so many. Though, I think listing some of them might make people listening in uncomfortable."

Yasutake growled. Damn it. He knew what this was. Cam and Masako were conspiring against him. If he didn't go with Masako, the two would do their utmost to annoy him to no end. And right now, Yasutake doubted his restraint.

"I hate both of you," he said, not at all petulantly. "Give me a minute." He headed towards the staircase that led upstairs, but before hearing Cam shout after him.

"Just so you know, if you plan on hiding out up there, I _will_ send Himura up after you."

Yasutake growled again as Masako giggled. What had he done to deserve this?

* * *

Tagoma opened his eyes and blinked as the blue sphere around him disappeared. He stood up from the chair in his and Masako's apartment and stretched. Being in LINK VRAINS for several hours really left the body stiff. When he brought his arms down, he checked his Duel Disk. Yes, it had recorded all of Morningstar's duels.

He walked over to another chair, which his laptop was sitting on top of. He opened it, and after it started up, he connected his Duel Disk to it and downloaded the data from Morningstar's duels. He then sent the data to the email address Terminus had provided him and Masako.

It didn't take long before Terminus sent him a reply. It boiled down to "thank you and here is your pay." Tagoma checked his and Masako's bank account and saw a transfer had been made from an unknown account. The amount was three times the fee Terminus had been willing to pay. Tagoma assumed this was because he had sent data on three duels.

Tagoma frowned. Masako was supposed to be the one going into LINK VRAINS while he ran tech support. That was the way they had been doing it for their entire careers as bounty hunters. Tagoma only went in when their client wanted to watch the hunt themselves, as his Duel Disk contained a drone and Masako's didn't. But since Masako had decided to go to school today, he had been forced to go in and observe Morningstar's duels.

What was happening with that girl? She had never been this unfocused on a mission before. Granted, they had never accepted a tracking contract before, but still… something was up with her.

Tagoma looked at the time on his laptop and his frown deepened. Masako should have come back by now. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cellphone. He dialed Masako's number and waited.

She answered on the third ring. "What is it, Tagoma?" she asked, irritation in her voice. Tagoma raised an eyebrow at that.

"Where are you?" he asked. "School ended some time ago. I thought you were supposed to take over for me after school."

"Yes, well…" He heard hesitation in Masako's voice. "There's something I wanted to do. Something important."

"There's nothing more important than the job, little girl," Tagoma said. "I thought you had learned that by now."

"I did," she said. "But… this is a personal thing."

"…In that case, mind telling me what this 'personal thing' is?"

"…No," Masako finally said. "Like I said, it's personal, and I want to keep it that way."

"Masako, what are you-?"

"I need to go," she interrupted. "I'll see you tonight, Tagoma." She hung up after that. Tagoma growled as he lowered the phone and returned to his laptop. He activated the tracker that he had placed in Masako's phone. She was aware of said tracker but didn't know he could turn it on remotely.

He raised an eyebrow at her phone's location. Café Junpei? According to the Den City directory, it was a bakery, owned by a man named Cameron Junpei. Why would Masako go there? Looking at the menu, he saw they had dango, her favorite food, but so did a bakery near their apartment. Café Junpei was on the other side of the city. What was Masako doing there?

He attempted to hack into Café Junpei's computers but received an unexpected surprise. The firewalls and security programs protecting Café Junpei's computers were incredibly advanced. He'd seen corporations with less security than this. He couldn't even breach its systems for a second.

Tagoma narrowed his eyes. Why would a bakery need such advanced security systems? Was it a front for SOL Technologies or another corporation? Or was there some other reason he couldn't see?

* * *

Masako hung up as Yasutake walked out the bakery's door. He raised an eyebrow. "Were you calling someone?" he asked.

"Answering a call," she said, smiling at him, but it was strained. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"…Okay," Yasutake said, narrowing his eyes. "Be honest with me. Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what? Not telling you who I was talking to? That's my business, and-."

"Not that. Why do you want to hang out with me?"

Masako's smile turned playful. "Are you really that dense? Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"No," Yasutake answered. "I want to know why me. You must know that half the student body at Den Academy would be more than willing to hang out with you. So what makes me so different from them?"

Masako didn't answer straight away. After a few seconds, her smile became real. "Tell you what; why don't you ask me that when this is over. If I had fun, I'll answer it. Honestly. Deal?"

Yasutake narrowed his eyes further. "I would prefer to know now, but… deal. So… where do you want to go?"

Before Masako could answer, they heard a chime from Yasutake's pocket. He pulled out his cellphone and opened his messages. He raised an eyebrow.

"Cam says we should go to the public viewing plaza," he said. "There's a food truck there that sells the best hotdogs in Den City. And he's a friend of Cam's, so he might give us a discount."

The two teenagers glanced through the windows of Café Junpei to see Cam behind the counter, watching the two of them with a smirk.

"Can he hear us?" Masako asked Yasutake.

"I don't think so," Yasutake said. Even so, he walked to the side so Cam couldn't see him anymore.

"Still, it's not a bad suggestion. You want to go to the public viewing plaza?"

"Sure. I haven't had a decent hotdog in months. And it will be interesting to see duels in LINK VRAINS."

Yasutake suspected that last part was why Cam had suggested the public viewing plaza. He probably knew that Yasutake would want to get this over with so he could go back to LINK VRAINS, and the public viewing plaza was the best place to see what was going on.

Still, why suggest a hotdog truck? There were other restaurants around. Was the food there really good, or was there another reason?

* * *

Tagoma scowled at his laptop's screen. He'd hacked the security cameras outside Café Junpei so he could find out what Masako was doing. And lo and behold, she was standing outside with a boy. The boy was wearing the Den Academy student uniform. He couldn't make out the kid's eyes, but he had spiky black hair and red bangs which extended downwards on the right side of his face.

So this was what was so important to Masako? A date? He admitted the guy was good-looking, but such actions were pointless. Even if they were staying in Den City longer than they had thought, they were planning on leaving eventually. There was no point in getting to know the people of this city or Masako's fellow students. Hadn't he taught her that forming connections with people was pointless? That there was no benefit to becoming attached to people?

Tagoma sighed and rubbed his temples. Still, Masako was headstrong. If she wanted to go out with this guy, he couldn't stop her. She would learn eventually why it was a bad idea to become attached.

* * *

"Have you lived in Den City your whole life?" Masako asked Yasutake. The two of them were walking down the sidewalk towards their destination. They weren't touching, which relieved Yasutake. He didn't like people touching him.

He nodded. "Born and raised. And aside from some school trips, I've never left it."

"Why?"

"Never saw the need to. What about you? The teacher said you transferred from Kyoto. Are you originally from Kyoto?"

Masako shook her head. "I was born in Tokyo. Spent the first eight years of my life there. Since then, I've been on the move. Kyoto was just the latest in a long line of homes." She glanced at Yasutake as she asked her next question. "Mr. Junpei said you were his roommate. What happened to your parents."

"Don't know," he answered simply. "Never met them. I grew up alone."

"…Oh," Masako said, her voice small.

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't offer me your condolences," he said. "The way I see it, they abandoned me at birth. I don't owe them anything. The closest I have to family is Cam."

Masako gave a sad smile. "I wasn't going to say I'm sorry," she said. "I was going to say something stupider."

"Like what?"

"That you're lucky."

He stopped in his tracks and turned to her. She did the same. "Lucky?" he asked, surprised. "What part of growing up without parents is lucky?"

"I meant you are lucky in comparison to me," she clarified, her smile replaced with a depressed look. "Yes, it's sad you never knew your parents, but at the same time, it means you don't miss them. It means you don't have memories of them. It means that if something horrible happened to them or if they disappointed you, it would hurt far less than if you did grow up with them."

Yasutake and Masako stood still for a while. Eventually, Yasutake broke the silence. "…What happened to your parents, Himura?"

She gave a sad smile. "A lot of things," she said. "None of which I'm willing to say. Not yet, at least. And please, just call me Masako."

"…Fine," he said. "We should hurry, Masako." He turned and started to walk again. She followed him, pouting.

"You know, if a girl asks you to call her by her first name, the boy is supposed to say she can call him by his first name."

Yasutake sighed. "I assumed that if you wanted to call me by my first name, you would, whether I gave permission or not."

Masako thought about that. "I suppose you're right, Yasutake. Or should I call you Yasu, like Mr. Junpei does?"

"You can call me Yasutake, but don't call me Yasu. And don't call him Mr. Junpei either. Just call him Cam." Yasutake didn't know why but being called Yasu by someone other than Cam irked him.

"Alright," Masako said, smiling to herself. "How long until we reach the public viewing plaza?"

"About twenty minutes, I think," Yasutake said. "While we're walking, I have another question."

"And that is?"

"You said you've been on the move since you were eight. Was that because of what happened to your parents?"

She didn't answer, but she didn't stop walking either. "Partly," she finally said. "I've been living with someone else the last eight years. Kind of like you and Cam, I suppose. Though, I can honestly say your guardian is nicer than mine."

The two continued in awkward silence. Yasutake wasn't naturally curious about other people's lives, but he was curious about Masako's. Did her parents die, or had they abandoned her? Or were they simply busy with overseas jobs so Masako was living with a relative?

After a few minutes, Masako suddenly said, "Let's cut through here." She grabbed Yasutake's hand and pulled him to the left.

"H-Hey! Let go of me!" Yasutake protested as she led him into an alley.

"Come on, we'll get there faster if we cut through the back streets," Masako said.

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "Have you never watched American films? Whenever a character goes into an alley, bad things happen."

"Does this look like a movie to you, Yasutake?" Masako asked, still holding his hand. "I want to get to the public viewing plaza as fast as possible."

"Then I'm afraid you're out of luck, pretty girl."

Masako stopped in the center of an intersection in the alley. Yasutake immediately freed his hand from her grip and looked around. There was a thug on each street, four in total, including the one they had just come down. He must have followed them to box them in.

The one in front of them had been the one who spoke. "What do we have here, folks? Two students it looks like. Den Academy, right? That's a pretty prestigious school, isn't it? The two of you must have a future if you're going there."

"What's your point?" Masako asked the thug. Her expression showed no fear, only irritation. "We're busy. We need to get to the public viewing plaza."

"The public viewing plaza? Well, just so happens I know the way there. I could show you if you want. Of course, it's going to cost you."

Yasutake sighed. "Why can't you just voice your intentions from the start?" he asked in a bored tone. "Just say you're robbing us. It saves time on all sides."

The thug narrowed his eyes at Yasutake. "Oh, a wise guy, eh? Well, that attitude of yours is going to cost a little extra. Though…" he leered at Masako as he looked her up and down. "I could think of an… alternative form of payment."

Masako's response was to punch him in the face. Hard. As he staggered back from the blow, holding his nose, she swept her left leg under his, knocking him to the ground.

Yasutake and the other three thugs blinked. Then the one behind them ran at Masako, calling her unprintable names, while the two on the left and right charged at Yasutake.

Yasutake turned his head in time to see the thug on the right's fist head towards his head. He reflexively caught said thug's fist in his left hand. He twisted the man's hand, causing him to cry out in pain. He reached out with his other hand and grabbed the man's elbow, using his smaller size and the thug's momentum to throw him over his shoulder, right at his other opponent. The two men hit each other, knocking each other to the ground.

Yasutake looked for Masako and saw the last thug had his arms wrapped around her, restraining her. Before he could help her, she stepped on his right foot with the heel of her boot, making him cry out in pain. She pushed her head back, bashing his nose in. The man loosened his grip, allowing Masako to escape. She quickly turned around and lashed out with her leg, hitting him in the side and knocking him to the ground, groaning in pain.

Before the thugs could recover, Yasutake grabbed Masako's hand and quickly pulled her out of the alley. Once they got back on the main street, he let go.

"No more shortcuts," he said, catching his breath.

Masako nodded as she breathed heavily. "Agreed."

Yasutake looked up at the street signs and, knowing where they were, pointed in a direction. "This way to the public viewing plaza. About five minutes or so. Or would you rather head home?"

"Why?" Masako asked, an almost feral smile on her face. "Because some idiots tried to take your wallet? I invited you, didn't I? Are you sure _you_ don't want to head back home?"

Yasutake honestly wanted to, but he was reluctant to leave Masako alone in case those thugs tried to attack her while she was alone. Of course, from what he had seen, she could protect herself just fine.

"I agreed to go with you," Yasutake finally said. "I'm a man of my word. Shall we?"

Masako's smile lost its edge as she nodded. "Let's go."

The two continued their walk, their heart rates going down. Thanks to the interruption, the awkward atmosphere had evaporated.

"Those moves you made," Masako said. "That was aikido, wasn't it?"

"It was," Yasutake said, honestly surprised. "Have you taken classes on it?"

Masako shook her head. "My knowledge of martial arts is very basic. I just know enough to recognize a few. When did you learn aikido?"

"A few years ago," he answered. "Cam thought the mental exercises could help me with some… issues. And I learned the physical aspects for self-defense. What about you? Those moves you made weren't random, but I didn't recognize a style."

"Basic self-defense," Masako said. "I took a few classes while I was on the move, and my guardian taught me a few other tricks. Do you know anything besides aikido?"

"A few tricks, but mostly just boxing and wrestling," Yasutake answered. "Cam used to-." He stopped talking, his light-hearted mood shattered. He also stopped walking. Masako took a few steps forward, then turned around to face him as his face became guarded.

She smiled at him. "I'm guessing Cam didn't want to become a baker originally," she said. "It's fine. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She looked ahead of them. "Come on. The plaza's just ahead."

Yasutake didn't say anything. Instead, he just started walking again, with Masako taking her place at his side.

The two teenagers finally made it to the public viewing plaza. Like Yasutake had thought, there was a large crowd, watching the television screens. Right now, they showed Go Onizuka and Playmaker both dueling. The crowd was cheering wildly for the two duelists.

"Ahh," Masako said, looking disappointed. "It's just Go Onizuka and Playmaker. I was hoping to watch Morningstar duel."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "Are you a fan of Morningstar?"

"Yes," she said. "I've been to a lot of forums devoted to him. He has a lot of fangirls out there. Though, that is to be expected from a man naming themselves after the goddess of love."

Yasutake almost fell over from shock before he caught himself. "What?" he said, shocked beyond reason. "The goddess of love? What does the devil have to do with love?"

"Oh, I don't mean Lucifer," Masako clarified. "I know that Lucifer is Latin for 'morning star,' but he isn't the only thing called that. In astronomy, Venus is often called the morning star because it appears in the sky right before sunrise. Venus is the Roman name for Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. In other words, Morningstar refers to the goddess of love."

Yasutake blinked multiple times. That logic was somewhat convoluted, but he understood it. Worse, he had never thought about how Morningstar referred to the planet Venus. He knew it was a medieval weapon and the religious connotations of the name, but he hadn't thought it had anything to do with love.

 _I'm going to pretend I never learned that,_ Yasutake thought. _It will be better for my sanity_.

He looked at the edge of the crowd and noticed the food truck that Cam had talked about. A man in a purple sweatshirt and apron with purple hair was standing behind the counter, grilling hotdogs. There was a sign above him that said "Café Nagi."

"I think that's the place Cam was talking about," Yasutake said, pointing it out to Masako. She looked at it and raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't look like much," Masako noted. "Though if the food is good, that doesn't matter."

The teens walked up to the counter. Thankfully, there was no line. The guy behind the counter smiled at them.

"Hello," Kusanagi said in a friendly tone. "what would you two lovebirds like? I have hotdogs, chili dogs, cheese dogs-."

"Lovebirds?" Yasutake interrupted, confused by the term. "Why did you call us that?"

"Oh?" Kusanagi said, surprised. "Are you two not on a date? I'm sorry, but you look like you are."

"We aren't," Masako said, smiling at the man. "Though, that's largely for his benefit. He isn't too good with understanding people's emotions."

"I can understand them when I want to!" Yasutake protested.

Kusanagi nodded in understanding. "I see. I know someone a lot like that. He's brilliant with machines, but horrible with people."

"Why are you two ganging up on me?" Yasutake asked of no one in particular. He sighed. "I'll have a hotdog, fries, and soda," he said, calming himself down. "What do you want, Masako?"

"I can pay for myself, Yasutake," she said, turning her smile on him. "Like I said, this isn't a date, so you don't-."

"Yasutake?" Kusanagi interrupted, his voice full of surprise and startling the teenagers. "Oh sorry. Just… are you Yasutake Narahiko, by any chance?"

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I am. Have we met?"

"Not in person," Kusanagi said, smiling at him. "But I know your friend Cameron Junpei. My name's Shoichi Kusanagi. He mentioned you when he stopped by some time ago."

Yasutake was confused. When had Cam visited the public viewing plaza?

That question was erased from his mind by what Kusanagi said next. "You go to Den Academy, right? I think you might know a friend of mine. Yusaku Fujiki?"

Yasutake's eyes widened then narrowed. This man knew Yusaku. Then, that meant…

He looked more closely at the storage shelves behind Kusanagi. There was a slight wavering to them, suggesting they were in fact computer screens.

 _So this guy is Playmaker's ally,_ Yasutake thought. _Cam must have tracked him down somehow and introduced himself._ He hadn't expected Cam to take the initiative like that. He usually stuck to tech support. Yasutake remembered when he had asked Cam about the anti-purge program, he had said part of a name, but hadn't told Yasutake who he was talking about. This must be Cam's way of telling him.

Out loud, he finally said, "I do know Fujiki, but not well. I would call him a classmate instead of a friend. He mostly keeps to himself."

Kusanagi nodded in understanding. "That sounds like him." He finished grilling Yasutake's hotdog and placed it and a carton of French fries in a bag. He set them and a soda on the counter.

Yasutake reached into his pocket, but Kusanagi waved. "No need to pay," he said. "I owe Cam a favor, so consider this paying a debt."

Yasutake scowled. He didn't like not paying for a meal, but if the guy insisted… "Alright," he said. "But you should stop by Café Junpei. I'm sure Cam would give you some pastries free of charge."

Kusanagi smiled. "I'll do that. Maybe I'll convince Yusaku to go, too. It would help him to eat something other than hotdogs all day."

Yasutake waited while Masako gave her order. Kusanagi offered her food free of charge, but she refused and paid him the full amount.

"I get free stuff all the time," she said to him. "I'd feel better paying for this much." Kusanagi just shrugged and accepted her money.

"That was interesting," Masako commented as she and Yasutake headed to a picnic table close to Café Nagi. "Did you know Cam had a friend like that?"

Yasutake shook his head. "No, I didn't. But I'm not surprised. Cam does have a life outside of Café Junpei. If he wants to make friends, that's his choice, not mine." _And finding out more about Playmaker's outside help probably wasn't the only reason Cam approached Kusanagi,_ he thought. He remembered that before he dueled Playmaker, he had said he dueled to save a friend's brother. He was probably talking about Kusanagi, and if his brother was in the same place as Sachi… Yasutake could see very well why Cam would want to know more about Kusanagi.

The two teenagers sat down at the table and continued their conversation. "I must say, I'm not familiar with Yusaku Fujiki," Masako was saying. "Is he in our class?"

"Yeah," Yasutake answered. "He usually sits in the back row. Tall guy, blue and pink hair."

"Oh!" Masako's eyes widened in realization. "I do know him! I never talked to him, but I know who you're referring to. Isn't he the one Shima is always yelling at?"

Yasutake nodded. "Yeah, that's him." He had noticed that Naoki had a habit of trying to talk to Yusaku. He was sure Naoki was just trying to be friendly, but those talks always ended with him shouting at Yusaku.

Masako took a bite of her hotdog. "Oh!" she said. "This is really good! Kusanagi knows his stuff."

Yasutake took a bite of his hotdog and nodded. "Yeah. It's certainly better than the last hotdog I had."

The two teenagers ate in silence for a minute, then Masako broke it. "You work at Café Junpei, right? So does that mean you know how to cook?"

Yasutake shrugged. "I know how to bake pastries," he said. "Cookies, bread, donuts, those I can make. I can't make something like tempura or gyudon."

"Can you make dango?"

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why?"

Masako smiled. "It's my favorite food," she said. "There's a café near my apartment, and they make good dango, but I think I might stop by Café Junpei to see how your dango tastes."

Yasutake's response was to ask, "What about you? Can you cook?"

Masako made a so-so gesture with her free hand. "I can cook simple things like TV dinners. And my guardian says I make a good nikujaga. But when I tried cooking sukiyaki, I… accidently burned a few things."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow again. "A _few_ things?"

Masako nervously laughed. "Oh, you know, myself, the food, the kitchen, etcetera… It doesn't really matter."

"Uh huh," Yasutake said, making a mental note to never let this woman anywhere near the equipment at Café Junpei.

"Still, I-." Masako suddenly stopped talking. Yasutake looked up from his food and saw she was looking over his shoulder, her face grim. He turned and looked.

There was a man several meters away. He was dressed in a black leather jacket and jeans. He was also bald with silver eyes. If Yasutake had to guess, the man was in his thirties. The man had a scowl affixed to his face and was glaring at Masako. He reached out with his hand and made a beckoning gesture to Masako.

The girl in question sighed. "Excuse me," she said to Yasutake. Before he could ask what was going on, she got up, grabbed her food, and walked over to the guy. After a minute or so, she came back, looking disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Yasutake," she said. "But I have to go home."

"That's your guardian?"

She nodded. "Tagoma. He… says its getting late and he wants me to head home with him."

Yasutake glanced back at Tagoma, who was still scowling. He then turned his gaze to Masako. "Do you want to head home?"

She sighed. "No, but it's best to do as he says. I owe him that much." She turned to leave, but then turned back and smiled at Yasutake.

"Though, there is something else. I think I owe you an answer to your question, don't I?"

"Question?" Yasutake repeated. He then remembered what he had asked Masako outside Café Junpei. About what made him so different from the rest of Den Academy.

"I said I'd answer you if I had fun, and I did," she said. "And the reason why is… because you look at me like I'm real."

Yasutake blinked. "Real? What do you mean?"

She gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Yasutake, but I have to go. I'll explain the next time we're alone." She then turned and ran over to Tagoma. The two departed the plaza, though not before Masako glanced over her shoulder at Yasutake. She frowned on seeing that he was back to eating his food.

What she didn't see was that he was also frowning. _You look at me like I'm real. What does she mean by that?_

"Hello, Narahiko."

Yasutake looked up and saw Yusaku sit down in the seat Masako left vacant. He was carrying a hot dog and a laptop. Once he sat down, he removed the Duel Disk from his wrist and placed it on the table.

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "You're taking a big risk," he said. "Taking off your Duel Disk and placing it in front of a hunter who has a contract for it."

"Like you could take me!" Ai said, emerging from the Duel Disk's screen and glaring at Yasutake. "There's no way I'd let you escape with me! I'd-."

"He never stops talking," Yusaku interrupted. "Do you want to listen to him all the way home?"

Yasutake thought about it and shook his head. "Fair point. And defeating you in a duel is more fun." He turned to the televisions, which now showed the news of the day. "You and Onizuka left the battlefield?"

"As did you," Yusaku said, opening his laptop. "That was Masako Himura from school, right?"

Yeah," Yasutake said, nodding. "She and my roommate conspired against me. It was go with her or have her at my house. This was the safer option."

Yusaku narrowed his eyes. "She's dangerous. You know that, right?"

"I do get the sense she's not telling me everything," Yasutake acknowledged. "But how do you think she's dangerous?"

Yusaku shook his head. "I can't say for certain, but she gives me a bad feeling."

 _She gave me a bad feeling when I first met her,_ Yasutake thought. _She still does. Though I think that bad feeling is based on… other things._

"We have more important concerns than Masako at the moment," Yasutake said, changing the subject. "Did you learn anything from the Knights you dueled?"

Yusaku shook his head. "Not after I defeated the one with the purple mask. They were all purged before they could tell me anything. You?"

"I managed to interrogate one before he was purged," Yasutake answered. "I didn't gain much, but I did learn a few things. Namely that Revolver has at least three more lieutenants and one of them is named Terminus."

Yusaku narrowed his eyes. "Terminus… do you think they're the one responsible for the Anothers?"

"I can't say," Yasutake said. "But judging from your question, you intend to do something about that?"

Before Yusaku could answer, the televisions interrupted them.

"We interrupt this program for SOL Technologies' press conference." They looked up at the screens, which showed Kitamura in front of four microphones.

"It took a long time, but SOL Technologies has successfully developed a 100% AI duelist," he said. "I'll now make a promise! Our AI department will eliminate the Knights of Hanoi and restore peace to LINK VRAINS!"

"So he's the security manager who replaced Zaizen," Ai said.

"He seems quite confident." The three at the table turned and looked at Kusanagi, who had walked out of Café Nagi and was standing beside them.

"But this allows us to buy time," Yusaku noted.

"To find the person behind the Another virus?" Yasutake asked. After Yusaku nodded, he said, "Kitamura may buy time, but not much. He likes to talk big, but he's incompetent and easily manipulated."

"That sounds like personal experience," Ai said. "Have you met this Kitamura guy?"

Yasutake shook his head. "No, I've never met him. But my friend Cam has."

"The guy who helps you in LINK VRAINS?" Yusaku asked.

Yasutake glanced at Kusanagi, who had returned to Café Nagi. Apparently, he had told Yusaku about his meeting with Cam.

"Yeah him. He runs a bakery called Café Junpei some distance from here. Anyway, Kitamura is the only person Cam has every banned from Café Junpei."

"Oh!" Ai said, surprised. "Banned? What did he do?"

Yasutake sighed. "Cam gets a lot of SOL employees during business hours. Kitamura and a few of his friends were there once. He got a call and started shouting on the phone at them. Cam asked him to quiet down for the sake of the other customers. Kitamura refused and started threatening to have SOL buy out his bakery."

"I bet Cam didn't like that," Ai said, anticipating something wonderful.

Yasutake smirked. "No, he didn't. He started asking Kitamura and his friends to leave, but they decided to pick a fight with him. I'm not sure if they were drunk or just stupid, but it ended badly for them."

"How badly?"

"Cam kicked Kitamura and his friends out of the bakery. And I mean _literally_ kicked him out. His boot hit Kitamura's rear end and sent him flying out the door."

Ai laughed. "Oh, I wish I could have seen that!"

"Some of the other customers took pictures and gave them to Cam," Yasutake said. "He has at least one of them framed. After that, Kitamura complained to the higher-ups at SOL and tried to get Cam run out of town. I don't know if he would have succeeded or not, but Akira Zaizen stepped in and worked things out."

"How did he do that?"

"Cam gives all SOL employees a 15% discount and Kitamura never goes to Café Junpei again," Yasutake said. "Though I think Zaizen had ulterior motives. He often buys blueberry muffins from us."

"You were at school while this was happening?" Yusaku asked.

Yasutake nodded. "Yeah. I didn't learn about it till I got home and Cam told me about it." He looked up at the sky and scowled. "It's getting late, and I promised Cam I would get back before dark." He stood up from the bench and said, "I'll see at school, Fujiki."

"Right."

Yasutake turned and walked away, yawning to himself. He hadn't expected a not-date with Masako to end with him talking to Yusaku about Kitamura, but he didn't mind. Masako was more pleasant company, but Yasutake didn't have to worry about Yusaku flirting with him. At least, he hoped he didn't.

Yasutake walked down the street towards Café Junpei. He estimated it would take him another ten minutes to get there. Or it should have.

"There you are!"

Yasutake looked up and blinked. He then looked around him. He was surrounded by the four thugs he and Masako had beat up earlier.

"I see your girlfriend decided to ditch you," the leader said, scowling at Yasutake. "Pity. I was hoping to get revenge on that bitch."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "I have three things to say to all of you," he said. "One: she is not my girlfriend. She is a girl I was forced to hang out with." He didn't tell them Masako's name, as he didn't want them to go looking for her. "Two: do not call her a 'bitch.' Three: don't attempt to fight with me. It will only end badly."

"Yeah, right, you punk!" the leader said, charging at Yasutake and swinging his fist.

* * *

Yasutake opened the door to Café Junpei. The store was closed, but Yasutake had his own key.

"Hey," Cam said, looking up from behind the counter. He was watching the news on his tablet. "I thought I told you to get back before dark."

Yasutake sighed. "I ran into some trouble on the way back," he said. "Took longer than I thought it would."

"Sorry to hear that," Cam said, looking back at the tablet. "You should watch this. Kitamura just released his AI army."

Yasutake stepped behind the counter and stood next to Cam, watching the tablet with him. The screen showed a multitude of AI duelists like the two he had fought in the databank facing off against multiple Knights of Hanoi on D-Boards.

"Oh, I met Kusanagi," Yasutake said as they watched.

"Yeah? What do you think of him?"

"Nice guy. He gave me a free hotdog. I told him you would give him some free pastries."

Cam smiled. "I could do that." He glanced at Yasutake. "Sorry for not telling you about him earlier. But I wanted you to meet him in person."

"And I'm glad I did," Yasutake said. "He and Fujiki are planning to search for the person behind the Another virus while Kitamura's AI duelists keep Hanoi busy."

"Do you think they can do it?"

"I'm more concerned about how much time Kitamura will buy us," Yasutake said. "I beat both of his prototypes easily, but I also beat Hanoi easily. I can't say which is more skilled."

"It will probably go down to numbers," Cam said, looking back at the screen.

* * *

"I'll switch the main monitor to the map," one SOL operator said. Kitamura stood in the center of SOL headquarters, staring at the central projection. It switched to show the statuses of all members of the AI Duelist Squad. He laughed softly as he stared at it.

"Number 266 won! Number 45 won!"

"Number 13 won! Number 702 won! Number 444 won!"

"Number 267 won!"

"30& of the Knights of Hanoi have been defeated!" another operator announced.

"Good! Keep it up and defeat them all!"

After Kitamura said that, however, some AI statuses switched red to show loses. The number increased, making Kitamura panic.

"What?"

"Number 39 lost!"

"Number 580 lost! Number 933 lost!"

"Number 80 lost!"

"Number 163 lost! Number 895 lost!"

Kitamura gaped at the projection, then turned to one of the operators. "What's going on?" he asked her.

"Three Knights of Hanoi are winning at incredible speed!"

"Three?" he repeated in disbelief.

"I'll put it on screen!"

As Kitamura turned back to the projection as a new image came up. It showed Baira, Faust, and Terminus on their D-Boards, surrounded by smoke.

"Them?" Kitamura said, sweating in disbelief. Shortly after he said that, the last status on the projection turned red.

"The AI Squad have all lost," an operator reported.

"0% chance of my promotion," Kitamura said weakly, falling to his knees.

* * *

Takeshi opened the door of his house and turned the lights on. He yawned as he collapsed into a nearby chair. He brought his right hand to his face and closed his eyes.

He had just spent the last few hours visiting pawnshops, asking what they would pay for certain items. Most of the items were his, but a few were things his and Eiji's parents had left behind. Unfortunately, none of them could offer enough for him to pay for the experimental treatment. Or the hospital bill.

Takeshi sighed. He really was out of options, wasn't he? He couldn't afford to pay for Eiji's treatment with the means available to him. Maybe if he looked for a loan shark, he could acquire the money. But loan sharks tended to be even worse than the banks when it came to paying off debts. Then again, what other choice did he have? Let his little brother die? That wasn't something Takeshi would ever consider.

He was so deep in thought that it took him a while to notice that his Duel Disk was beeping. When he finally heard it, he looked at it and raised an eyebrow in confusion. An unknown number was calling him. Or rather, it was calling Galahad; he had two numbers, one to answer as Takeshi and the other as Galahad.

Deciding it couldn't hurt, he answered the call. "This is Galahad, the Knight of Justice," he said. "Who is this?"

"I know who you are, Galahad," the person on the other end said. Their voice was scrambled, but Takeshi suspected they were male. Call it instinct. "Or do you prefer Takeshi Akino?"

Takeshi blinked in surprise then scowled. No one knew he was Galahad. Well, almost no one. A girl knew, but she wouldn't tell anyone.

"You didn't answer my question," he said. "Who are you?"

"I know about your brother," the person said. "I have a way to help you."

Takeshi's scowl deepened. "I know a scam when I hear it."

"No scam. And no tricks," they said. "My name is Terminus. And I have a proposition for you."

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Knight of Hanoi**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Knight of Hanoi**

KoH activates the Field Spell Card The Gates of Dark World. Now all Fiend monsters gain 300 ATK/DEF. He then activates the Spell Card Dark World Dealings, letting both players draw 1 card, then discard 1 card. They draw, then KoH discards Broww, Huntsman of Dark World and Morningstar discards Cyspirit Half-Guard. Since Broww was discarded to the GY by a card effect, KoH can draw 1 card. KoH activates the effect of The Gates of Dark World, banishing Broww from his GY to discard Sillva, Warlord of Dark World and draw 1 card. Since Sillva was discarded to the GY by a card effect, KoH activates its effect to Special Summon itself (2300→2600/1400→1700/5) in Attack Position. KoH Sets 1 card.

He activates the Spell Card Dark World Market, which lets him draw 1 card and reveal it. If the card is a "Dark World" monster, he can draw 2 more cards, send 1 card to the GY, and treat the discarded card as having been discarded by an opponent's card effect. KoH draws and reveals Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World. Since Lucent is a "Dark World" monster, KoH draws 2 cards, sends Lucent to the GY, and treats it as if it was discarded by Morningstar's card effect. Since Lucent was discarded to the GY by a card effect, KoH can Special Summon it (2400→2700/0→300/6) in Attack Position. And because it was discarded by an opponent's card effect, KoH can Special Summon 1 Fiend monster from his Deck to either side of the field. KoH Special Summons Ceruli, Guru of Dark World (100→400/300→600/1) to Morningstar's field in Attack Position. Because Ceruli was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Dark World" card, KoH must discard 1 card. He discards Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World. Since Grapha was discarded to the GY by a card effect, KoH can target 1 card Morningstar controls and destroy it. He destroys Ceruli. Since Grapha was discarded from KoH's hand by Morningstar's card effect, KoH can look at 1 random card in Morningstar's hand, and if it is a monster, it is Special Summoned to KoH's field. KoH picks and reveals Cyspirit Bypass. It is not a monster, so Grapha's effect does not activate. KoH activates the effect of Grapha in his GY, returning Sillva to his hand and Special Summoning Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World (2700→3000/1800→2100/8) in Attack Position. KoH ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100). Morningstar activates the effect of Lancer, discarding Cyspirit Changer to allow Lancer to inflict piercing battle damage if it attacks a Defense Position monster. KoH activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Dark World Brainwashing. Since Morningstar's monster activated its effect and KoH has 3 or more cards in his hand, he can target 1 "Dark World" monster on the field, return it to the hand, and the activated effect becomes "Discard 1 random card from your opponent's hand." KoH returns Lucent to his hand, and then discards Latinum, Exarch of Dark World. Since Latinum was discarded by an opponent's card effect, its effect activates, letting KoH target 1 Fiend monster on the field. He targets Grapha. Latinum is Special Summoned (1500→1800/2400→2700/6) in Defense Position, and Grapha gains 500 ATK (Grapha: 3000→3500).

Morningstar activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Mystical Space Typhoon, targeting and destroying Dark World Brainwashing. He uses Lancer to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates Cacophonic Caller's effect to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to the zone it points to. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Nova (1500/1000/3). Morningstar uses Cyspirit Nova to Link Summon Cyspirit Odd Outlaw (500/1/←) to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Bypass. Since he controls 2 "Cyspirit" Link Monsters, he can Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck, but it is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller and Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker (1600/2/←→). Because Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Gardna to his hand.

Since it points to a Link Monster, Morningstar activates Odd Outlaw's effect, targeting cards in KoH's hand equal to Thrilled Tunneler's Link Rating and shuffling those cards back into the owner's Deck. Then, for every 2 cards shuffled, KoH draws 1 card. Morningstar targets 2 cards in KoH's hand, which are shuffled into the Deck, and KoH draws 1 card. Since Thrilled Tunneler is a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar draws 1 card for every 2 cards shuffled into KoH's Deck. He draws 1 card. He then Sets 2 cards. Since it points to 1 monster, Morningstar activates the effect of Thrilled Tunneler, allowing it to attack KoH directly, but its ATK is halved until the End Phase (Thrilled Tunneler: 1600→800) (KoH: 4000→3200 LP). Morningstar ends his turn, and the effect of Thrilled Tunneler ends (Thrilled Tunneler:800→1600).

 **Turn 3: Knight of Hanoi**

KoH activates a Skill, Double Draw, letting him draw 2 cards during his Draw Phase instead of one. He draws. He activates the effect of The Gates of Dark World to banish Ceruli from his GY, discard Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World, and draw 1 card. Since Kahkki was discarded by a card effect, KoH activates its effect to target and destroy Thrilled Tunneler. KoH then activates the Spell Card Dark Corridor, using it to add Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World from his Deck to his hand, then discard Beiige. Since Beiige was discarded by a card effect, KoH activates its effect to Special Summon it (1600→1900/1300→1600/4) in Attack Position. KoH Tributes Beiige and Latinum to Tribute Summon Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World (2500→2800/1800→2100/7). KoH activates the Spell Card Dark World Lightning, targeting 1 of Morningstar's Set cards and destroying it (Cyspirit Barricade) and discarding another Kahkki. Since Kahkki was discard by a card effect, KoH can target and destroy 1 monster on the field. He targets and destroys Odd Outlaw. Grapha attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Half-Guard in his GY, banishing it and discarding the Cyspirit Gardna in his hand to halve all battle damage Morningstar would take this turn. Grapha's attack continues (Morningstar: 4000→2250 LP). Reign-Beaux attacks directly (Morningstar: 2250→850 LP). Since 2 monsters KoH controls battled this turn, the effect of Half-Guard lets Morningstar draw 2 cards. KoH ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Normal Summons Cyspirit Sorceress (1400/400/4). Because Sorceress was Normal Summoned, Morningstar activates its effect to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or below "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position. He Special Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100) (Sorceress: 1400→1700). Morningstar activates the effect of Sorceress, declaring Level 2 and changing Sorceress's Level to 2 until the End Phase (Sorceress: 4→2). Morningstar uses Cyspirit Sorceress to Link Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600→900/1/↙) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of Egregious Electrician, moving Lancer from the zone Egregious Electrician points at to another zone and Special Summoning Cyspirit Wanderer (1900→2200/200/5) to Egregious Electrician's Link Marker in Defense Position. Since Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, Morningstar can target 1 monster KoH controls and lower its ATK by 800. He targets Grapha (3500→2700).

Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Necrocoding, targeting Cyspirit Prisoner in his GY with its effect. Morningstar Special Summons Prisoner (1600→1900/2100/5) in Attack Position and equips Necrocoding to Prisoner. If the monster equipped with Necrocoding is used to Link Summon a Cyberse Link Monster, Morningstar can use Necrocoding as Material for the Link Summon, but the monster summoned by this effect cannot declare an attack the turn it is Link Summoned. He uses Egregious Electrician, Prisoner, and Necrocoding to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200→2500/3/↙↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Sanctuary to his hand. He then activates the Field Spell Cyspirit Sanctuary, which increases the ATK/DEF of all "Cyspirit" monsters by 300 (Lancer: 2100→2400) (Rapid Revolutionary: 2500→2800) (Wanderer: 2200→2500). Morningstar activates the effect of Sanctuary, moving Rapid Revolutionary to his left Main Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of Necrocoding in his GY, banishing it, Cacophonic Caller, and Egregious Electrician from the GY since he controls no monsters in the Extra Monster Zone. He can then Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his Extra Deck (which is treated as a Link Summon) and treat it as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400→3000/3/↙↑→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the first effect of Pied Pikeman, changing the Cyspirit Wanderer it points at to Attack Position to destroy The Gates of Dark World (Grapha: 2700→2400/2100→1800) (Reign-Beaux: 2800→2500/2100→1800). Morningstar activates the third effect of Pied Pikeman, Tributing the Wanderer it points at to increase its ATK by Wanderer's ATK (Pied Pikeman: 3000→5500).

Pied Pikeman attacks Grapha, and Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Barricade in his GY, banishing it to increase Pied Pikeman's ATK by 1000 (Pied Pikeman: 5500→6500). Pied Pikeman destroys Grapha (KoH: 3200→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Sorceress**_

 _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1400 DEF 400 Level: 4_

 _When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from your GY in Attack Position. Once per turn: You can declare a Level from 1 to 6; this card becomes that Level until the End Phase. You can only control 1 "Cyspirit Sorceress"._

 _ **Dark World Market Normal Spell Card**_

 _Draw 1 card and reveal it. If the card is a "Dark World" monster: draw 2 additional cards, discard 1 card, and treat it as having been discarded by an opponent's card effect. If the card is not a "Dark World" monster: discard your entire hand._

 _ **Cyspirit Half-Guard Normal Trap Card**_

 _If an opponent's monster declares an attack: Discard 1 "Cyspirit" monster; all battle damage you take for the rest of the turn is halved. At the end of the Battle Phase of the turn you activate this effect: draw 1 card for each monster your opponent controls that battled this turn. Once per Duel, if this card is in your GY, you can activate the above effect by banishing this card from the GY._

 _ **Cyspirit Necrocoding Normal Trap Card**_

 _During your Main Phase: Target 1 "Cyspirit" monster in your GY; Special Summon it and equip this card to that target. You cannot target a Link-3 or higher "Cyspirit" Link Monster with this effect. If this card leaves the field, destroy the equipped monster. If the equipped monster is used for the Link Summon of a Cyberse Link Monster: this card can be treated as a "Cyspirit" Effect Monster and used as Material for the Link Summon, but the Summoned monster cannot declare an attack the turn it is Link Summoned. If you control no monsters in the Extra Monster Zone: You can banish this card and 2 "Cyspirit" Link Monsters from your GY; Special Summon 1 Link-3 or below "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your Extra Deck (This Special Summon is treated as a Link Summon) and treat it as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating. During the End Phase of the turn you activated this effect, shuffle the monster Special Summoned by this effect back into your Extra Deck. You cannot Link Summon a Link-4 or higher Link Monster the turn you activate this effect._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 13 – A Brother's Promise_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to HunterHQ, mekyaku, D3lph0xL0v3r, and Ninjacya321 for reviewing Chapter 12. Credit to sanedimentio for the first effect of Cyspirit Necrocoding and its artwork. I came up with the banish from the Graveyard effect, since it is really the only way for a monster like Pied Pikeman to use all of its effects.

To answer mekyaku's question, the pink-haired schoolgirl disguise was no one in particular. HunterHQ originally suggested a scene like that, with the girl being one of the girls in the bishojo game Yasutake was playing. But if you want a reference, I picture her looking like Kanon Nakagawa from The World God Only Knows.

To answer Ninjacya321's review, I want to say thank you. Like I've said, all constructive criticism and corrections are welcome. I consider myself a perfectionist with OCD tendencies, so I want to make my duels as perfect as possible. Because of you telling me about Cracking Dragon, I've gone back to Chapter 11 and changed the effect of Gouki Near-Fall. As for what you said about Lycoris and Light Stage, could you be more specific? Is it the first turn with Cyspirit Saver or the use of Cyspirit License that was a mistake? The way I understood it was that after Lycoris's effect activated, Light Stage then activated, and Morningstar chained Saver's effect to Light Stage's. That meant Saver's effect resolved first, so its effect negated the damage from Light Stage. If I'm wrong, I can go back and change the effects of Saver or License so that instead of preventing effect damage, they reduce it to 0.

As for the Link Monster you suggested, I'm afraid I cannot use that, at least not with its current name and appearance. It does follow the alliterative naming pattern, but I'm limiting it to one Link Monster per letter, and Morningstar already has Datastorm Dragon. (Incidentally, I noticed that Demoralizing Desires has the same attack points, Link Rating, and Link Markers as Datastorm Dragon.) I might change that limit one day, but not until I have one Cyspirit Link Monster for each letter. As for its appearance, all the Cyspirits are skeletons with mechanical parts attached to them, blue and red eyes, and mechanical wings on their back. Datastorm Draogn and Neo Nova may grow skin over their skeletons, but the pattern remains. As for what you said about the protagonists going through a darker stage, I do have a monster to represent Morningstar's anger, but it won't appear for some time.

I originally planned for this chapter and chapter 11 to be one chapter, but because of the length, I split them. And we had a lot happen in this chapter. First, the duel between Morningstar and a Knight of Hanoi. In contrast to Go's and Playmaker's opponents using Dark Machine and Steelswarm Decks, his used a Dark World Deck. I chose Dark World because I've never written a Dark World duel before, and I feel it's a powerful archetype to go against.

The later half of the chapter was a date- sorry, not-date, between Yasutake and Masako. I planned to write more scenes with the two of them, both to develop their characters and showcase the chemistry between them. Yasutake also got the opportunity to meet Kusanagi and Yusaku outside of school, and we learned why Kitamura was banned from Café Junpei. And at the beginning and end, we had scenes with Takeshi Akino, aka Galahad, which will lead into Chapter 13.

Okay, I have three final things to say, and all three will be up to the readers. The first concerns something I've been discussing with OPFan37, and that is an opening. I've noticed several fanfics do them, and I've been considering writing one for Hidden Memories. I want to know what the readers think about this, and if you think I should, what scenes do you think I should include in said opening?

The second thing is even more important: original characters. All the OCs that have appeared so far are my design, and I want to open it up so people can suggest their own characters. Because of the timeline I'm working on, it's probable that only one or two suggested OCs will show up in the next 10 chapters at the least, but I still want people to suggest them. All you need to do is provide their name, age, appearance, an outline of their personality, and what Deck they use. The only requirement I have for the last one is that if they use monsters from the Extra Deck, they must include a Link Monster. If you do not wish to suggest an OC, you are free to suggest an archetype you would like to see instead.

The last thing I wish to say is also related to OCs. I plan to later introduce a female character to serve as an opponent to Galahad and someone from his past. Aside from those features, I have decided to let the readers provide details for her. If anyone wants to suggest a name, appearance, and personality for her, I would greatly appreciate that. I already know which Deck I want her to use, but if people wish to suggest an archetype for her, they are more than welcome to.

As always, thank you for reading Chapter 12 of Hidden Memories. Please post a review of what you liked about this chapter and what you would like to see in future chapters. What did you think of Masako and Takeshi in this chapter? What did you think of Tagoma? I hope to see you all next time on Hidden Memories.


	13. Chapter 13: A Brother's Promise

**Chapter 13: A Brother's Promise**

A child sat on a bench, crying to themselves. They usually liked school, but today was a bad day. There had been kids from another school there today on a field trip, and a few had said harsh things about the child's parents. And when they tried to defend their parents, the other kids had started a fight. The child was lucky to get away with only a few bruises.

"Hey."

The child looked up and saw their older brother. He was standing in front of them, a concerned expression on his face.

"What's up, kid?" he asked his sibling, worried for them. "Did something happen at school?"

The child hung their head. "There was a new group of kids at school today," they said. "They insulted mommy and daddy; said everyone was better off without them."

"Hey, don't let people like that get to you," their brother said, sitting on the bench with them. "I know you miss mom and dad. I do too. But that doesn't matter anymore." He narrowed his eyes. "Is that… a bruise on your cheek?"

The kid sniffled and rubbed their nose. "I tried to defend our parents, but they started a fight. The teachers broke it up, but not before… this." They gestured to their face.

The brother balled his fists, then unclenched them. "I get why you're upset," he said calmly. "Believe me, I have half a mind to find those kids and beat them up. But violence doesn't solve anything. All it does is make things worse."

The younger sibling sighed. "I know, big brother. You've said that before."

"And I'll say it again. And again. As many times as I have to." He looked at his sibling and smiled. "Life isn't going to be easy, you know. There are going to be people who try to knock you down. Who try to make you feel bad to make themselves feel better. You can't beat those people with violence. You defeat them by not letting them influence your life. You win by keeping control of yourself."

He reached down and took the child's hand in his. "And if you ever falter, don't worry. I'll be there to pick you back up. I'll be there to protect you when you need me. If you're in trouble, all you have to do is ask, and I'll be there."

The child looked their brother in the eye. "Promise?"

He smiled and nodded. "Promise."

* * *

Faust, Baira, and Terminus teleported into Hanoi's stronghold, with the latter two standing behind the former.

"Well done, Baira, Terminus," Faust said. "Now SOL Technologies will remain quiet for a while."

Baira looked down then back at Faust. "Are you fine with this?" she asked, uncertainty in her voice. Faust and Terminus both looked at her.

"If Dr. Kogami's plan is implemented, it'll be the biggest cybercrime in history," she said. "That means Revolver, as the leader of the Knights of Hanoi, will commit a historical crime." She stepped forward. "You're fine with that? Because you think of Revolver as your younger brother. As the mastermind behind the Anothers, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel guilt. But he'll be feeling guilt that's hundreds of times greater!"

Faust turned fully around. "To stop Dr. Kogami's plan before it's executed, we must defeat Playmaker, acquire the Ignis and find the Cyberse World first. That's why we needed Anothers as a way to capture Playmaker. Don't blame yourself too much."

"Faust is right," Terminus said. "What we are doing… is heinous. But for the greater good, it is necessary. And if we defeat Playmaker, then Dr. Kogami's plan will never come to be."

Baira smiled. "Okay. Thank you, Faust, Terminus."

"If Playmaker is searching for the removal program, he may eventually come to you," Faust said.

"That would be convenient," Baira said. "I'll finish him. I will acquire the Ignis!"

"The Ignis is important," Terminus said. "But we cannot forget our other foes. Go Onizuka and Morningstar will still oppose us if Playmaker falls. And Morningstar is just as dangerous, if not more so, than Playmaker."

Faust turned to Terminus. "You say that like you have a plan to remove Morningstar from the equation."

Terminus gave a sad smile. "I do. Just give me time." With that, he teleported away to a separate part of Hanoi's stronghold.

* * *

Yasutake stood up and headed for the back room.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Cam asked him, standing up straight, the tablet still on the counter.

"What does it look like? I'm going back into LINK VRAINS."

"You're kidding right? You know how late it is."

"Kitamura's AI Duelists all lost," Yasutake said. "Hanoi will be feeling bold. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll find one of the people responsible for defeating them."

Before Cam could respond, a scream suddenly pierced the night. A scream from upstairs.

Cam and Yasutake both paled. "Sachi," they said at the same time. The two of them turned to the staircase and ran up the stairs to the third floor and Sachi's room. Yasutake was the first to the door and pulled it open.

Sachi was lying on the bed on her side, facing the door. Her blue eyes were wide as tears poured from them, but they were as empty as they always were. The girl herself was shaking wildly and breathing heavily. Cam and Yasutake took up positions, Cam sitting on her bed and holding her steady from behind while Yasutake kneeled next to the bed, holding both of her hands.

"Easy, Sachi," he said in the calmest voice possible. "It's just a nightmare. It will pass. Hold on. Calm down."

Cam rubbed Sachi's back as he whispered similar things to her. Unlike Yasutake, however, his voice was cracking. He hated seeing his sister like this. She was the most important person in the world to him; seeing her like this and helping her through the night like this was torture. And he had next to no idea what to do about it.

As Yasutake talked, he thought back to what Yusaku had said about Kusanagi's brother. He imagined that kid was in the same position as Sachi right now. The same as… wait.

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. Yusaku had been told the same thing he had been told during the Incident. Was it possible…?

He had never tried this with Sachi, but he saw no harm. "Three," he said, drawing Cam's attention. "Three, Sachi. Think of three things. Three things to live. Three things to go home. Three things to defeat the enemy. By thinking, you can still live."

He paused to think. "One: your brother Cam is here. He has been by your side the last ten years. He has been looking after you. He will not let you get hurt again."

He noticed that Sachi's breathing had become slower, more even. Was it working? "Two: what you are experiencing is a nightmare. It is not real. The Incident is over. What pain you are feeling now is only in your mind. And it will pass."

Her breath was becoming even slower. As Yasutake looked into her eyes, he swore she was looking back. Was it possible? Could she see him through the nightmares? "Three: I'm here. I don't know if you know who I am, but I am your friend. A friend of your brother's. And just like him, I won't let you get hurt again."

Sachi's breath had steadied completely. Her hands were gripping Yasutake's with surprising strength. Her eyes were locked with Yasutake's. For a moment, he saw light in her eyes.

Then that light died, and she closed her eyes. She curled herself into a ball and let go of Yasutake's hands. But she had stopped shaking.

Cam, who had stopped rubbing Sachi's back and whispering to her, stared at his sister, then at Yasutake. He motioned towards the door, and he and Yasutake stood up and left the room. They left the door open so that if Sachi cried out they would hear her.

"What did you just do, Yasu?" Cam asked Yasutake, his eyes wide and his voice filled with wonder. "I've never seen her calm down that fast."

Yasutake shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. But I remembered that Fujiki was told the same thing I was, so I wondered if Sachi had been told it too. And apparently, she was."

"…Well," Cam said. "I don't know if that was an improvement or not, but I'll do that the next time she has a nightmare." He frowned. "You're not going to bed, are you?"

Yasutake shook his head. "No."

Cam sighed. "Fine. But I can't help you from the operations room. Not with Sachi like this." He headed over to the kitchen and opened one of the bottom cabinets. He pulled out a laptop and opened it up.

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "When did you get that?"

"A long time ago. You've just never seen me use it," Cam said, typing on the laptop. "I can't do as much with this as I can downstairs, but I can still keep an eye on you, and Sachi, from here." He looked up at Yasutake. "Be careful, Yasu."

Yasutake nodded. "Right." He turned and headed back downstairs.

* * *

Morningstar emerged from the portal and landed on a nearby rooftop.

"It shouldn't take me too long to find an opponent," he said into his earpiece. "I-." He frowned at hearing a familiar sound. "Email? At this time?"

"Looks like it," Cam said. He was leaning against the island in the kitchen, his laptop open in front of him. They had left Sachi's door open so if she cried out, they would hear it. Cam frowned as he opened the email. "It's from Go Onizuka," he said. "He wants to meet you. He sent a set of coordinates."

Morningstar looked at his Duel Disk as it showed an X on a map of LINK VRAINS. "Do you think Onizuka found more than one opponent?" he asked Cam. To make their resistance against Hanoi more efficient, Morningstar had given his email address to Go and Playmaker. Go wouldn't be able to use it to find out who Morningstar was, and Playmaker already knew his identity.

"Maybe. Could be he just wants to talk to you. Either way, nothing to lose checking it out."

Morningstar nodded. "Right." He pressed a button on his Duel Disk and walked forward. The button teleported him to the coordinates Go provided.

"Morningstar!" Go said, smiling at the hunter. "I'm glad you got my message."

"What's this about, Onizuka?" Morningstar asked, cutting right to the chase. "Did you find a few Knights?"

Go looked guilty. "Not exactly."

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. "What do you-?"

"Hello, Morningstar."

Morningstar turned around and saw Galahad was standing behind him. His silver armor gleamed from the green light in the sky and his green cape billowed outward behind him. He had a serious expression on his face.

"Galahad?" Morningstar said, surprised. "Why are you here?"

"Because there is something I must do," Galahad said. He pointed at Morningstar. "Morningstar, I challenge you to a duel!"

For three seconds, there was silence. Then Morningstar turned to Go and said, "This is what you called me here for?"

Go nodded. "Galahad is an old friend. He asked me if I had a way to contact you and wanted me to set up a meeting."

Morningstar thought for a moment, then turned back to Galahad. "Why do you want to duel me?" he asked. "I saw you duel against the Knights of Hanoi; we're on the same side."

"That is true," Galahad said. "But this is not about Hanoi. This is something I have decided to do." He narrowed his eyes. "I have seen you duel against Hanoi. I suspect you are a good person. But I still have doubts about your intentions."

"My intentions?"

"You are a bounty hunter. You hunt and capture people for money. Your kind is not to be trusted. But here you are, fighting Hanoi without concern for payment. I find this… vexing. A duel will reveal your intentions to me. If we duel, then I will know whether or not I can trust you."

Morningstar looked at Galahad for a few seconds, then said, "And if I refuse?"

"Then you will prove to me that you are a coward," Galahad said simply. "And that your reputation is falsely earned."

Morningstar scowled. While he didn't like accepting challenges just to satisfy his opponent's ego, he could see Galahad was serious about this. There was a fire in his eyes that Morningstar hadn't seen in Blue Angel's or Go's eyes when they challenged him. This clearly meant a lot to him. But that wasn't the only factor.

Morningstar remembered Galahad had used a Fusion, and then a Ritual monster against Hanoi. In all his time as a hunter, Morningstar had never faced Fusion or Ritual monsters; they were considered outdated and pointless in comparison to Link Monsters. A part of him wanted to duel Galahad just to experience a duel with a Fusion monster.

Morningstar nodded. "I accept your challenge."

Galahad grinned. "Good. In that case, you don't mind if I change?" Before Go or Morningstar could ask what he meant, he raised his left arm and his Duel Disk glowed. Go and Morningstar covered their eyes. When the glow faded, they lowered their arms and gasped.

Galahad's avatar had changed. He had the same long blonde hair and grey eyes, but his armor had become simpler and his cape had disappeared. He now wore a silver breastplate and shoulder pads, with a dark green jumpsuit underneath. A silver belt was at his waist, and he wore knee-high silver boots. His forearms were covered in silver gauntlets, with his hands covered by green gloves.

"That armor is a little heavy for Speed Duels," Galahad explained. "This avatar is better suited."

Go turned to Morningstar. "Are you sure about this? Galahad is one of the best duelists I know."

Morningstar nodded, his gaze not leaving Galahad. "Of course I'm sure." To Galahad, he said, "Let's get this started, Galahad."

* * *

As the Data Storm spun its way around the city, Morningstar raced down it on his D-Board. Behind him, Galahad rode the stream on a green D-Board with silver wings.

"Well, well!" the MC said in the public viewing plaza. "Looks like we have a special treat for you tonight folks! A duel between Morningstar, the Devil of LINK VRAINS, and the Knight of Justice, Galahad!"

"Who?" Naoki, who was in the square, asked. "Who's Galahad?"

He wasn't the only one who asked that. About half the audience in the square wondered aloud who Galahad was.

"Don't you people pay attention?" the other half essentially said. "Galahad is the #5 Charisma Duelist! He's well-known for his amazing battles!"

In Café Nagi, Yusaku frowned at the news screen. When Kitamura had released his AI Duelist Squad, he and Kusanagi had retreated here so they could find information on the person behind the Anothers. But he hadn't expected this.

"Kusanagi, who's Galahad?" he asked Kusanagi, who turned his head to look at the news.

"I heard he's a Charisma Duelist, but not more than that," Kusanagi answered.

"Why is Morningstar dueling a Charisma Duelist while we're busy with Hanoi?" Yusaku wondered aloud. "Unless…" His eyes widened as he stood up.

Kusanagi turned from the screens to Yusaku. "What are you doing?"

"Morningstar doesn't do anything without reason, and the timing of this is too perfect," Yusaku said. "I'm sure this has something to do with Hanoi, but I can't see it from here." He headed into the sealed room.

Go looked up as Playmaker emerged from a portal and landed next to him. "Playmaker?" he said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Why is Morningstar dueling Galahad?" he asked Go.

Go shrugged. "I'm not sure. Galahad asked me to set up a meeting between them. When Morningstar arrived, he challenged him, and Morningstar accepted. I don't know the reasons behind either of their actions."

Playmaker narrowed his eyes. This didn't make sense. So Go was responsible for the duel, but the timing of this… Playmaker was sure something else was going on, but he couldn't see what.

"You know Galahad?" he asked Go, who nodded.

"Yeah. I met him in LINK VRAINS a few years ago when he asked me for advice on becoming a Charisma Duelist. After I taught him a few tricks, we became fast friends. He's a good person. Whatever his reason for challenging Morningstar is, I'm sure it's important."

Back in Café Nagi, Kusanagi frowned. He had heard what Go had said, and it confused him as much as Playmaker. As he thought about it, he started typing. If Galahad had a secret reason to duel Morningstar, maybe he could find it if he dug deep enough.

At her home, Aoi stared at the television. It showed Galahad and Morningstar riding the data stream and broadcasted the MC's words.

 _What are you doing, Morningstar?_ she wondered. Aside from her and Go, Morningstar had never dueled a Charisma Duelist, at least as far as she knew. She had never met Galahad, but she had heard about him. Why were the two of them dueling now?

She sat down on the couch and pulled out her tablet. She had promised Akira she wouldn't log into LINK VRAINS, but she had other means of looking in. She summoned her butterfly avatar and set it to follow Galahad and Morningstar. At this distance, she should be able to hear them.

"You ready, Morningstar?" Galahad asked the duelist in front of him.

"Yes," Morningstar said.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Galahad: 4000 LP**

"I'll allow you to take the first turn, Morningstar," Galahad said.

"Right," Morningstar said, looking at his cards then taking one. "I summon Cyspirit Lancer!" The skeleton in white armor carrying a lance and shield appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"So long as Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

"I Set one card," Morningstar said. "I end my turn."

"That wasn't much of an opener," Go said.

"He's testing Galahad," Playmaker responded. "Trying to get a feel for his strategy. What Deck does Galahad use?"

"You're about to see."

Back in his house, Cam frowned as he typed on his laptop. Like Kusanagi, he was curious about why Galahad was doing this, so he was hacking into his account to try and find out more about him. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long.

"My turn! Draw!" Galahad looked at his cards. _With these cards, I can gain the advantage,_ he thought. _And I'll need it to win. Eiji…_ He thought back to what happened less than an hour ago…

* * *

"My name is Terminus," the voice on the other end said. "And I have a proposition for you. Check the balance in your bank account."

Takeshi raised an eyebrow, but he went on his laptop and checked his account. His eyes widened in surprise. "This-."

"Is half of what you need, both to pay off your hospital bill and the treatment for your brother," Terminus finished. "Do as I say, and I will send you the other half."

"And what is it you want me to do?"

"Challenge Morningstar to a duel. And defeat him. Once you do that, I will transfer the rest."

Takeshi thought about it and scowled. "And why," he said. "Should I trust the Knights of Hanoi?"

There was silence on the other end. "I'm not an idiot," Takeshi said. "I know Morningstar's fighting Hanoi right now, and they're the ones most likely to want him gone. So either you're part of Hanoi, or you're just a go-between they hired."

"…What does it matter?" Terminus finally asked. "So long as your brother is saved, does it matter where the money comes from?"

"Of course it matters!" Takeshi shouted. "I have principles! I swore I… would be better than my father! That I would set a good example! That I wouldn't abandon my family!"

"So you will fulfill that promise by letting your brother die?"

Those words shut Takeshi up.

"Principles are admirable. And people who stick to them are among the best in this world. But sometimes we must do things we don't like to reach an outcome that is desirable to us."

"That's an excuse," Takeshi said, his voice small. "An excuse people who do terrible things say to themselves to justify their actions. But it's always a lie."

"Maybe. Maybe not. But be honest with yourself. Aside from me, what choice do you have?"

Now it was Takeshi's turn to be silent. The money Terminus had sent would help, but it wasn't enough to save his brother. And he couldn't raise enough money fast enough to cover the difference. Terminus was right; Takeshi didn't have a choice.

Takeshi sighed and lowed his head. "I'll do it," he said, his voice small again. "I'll defeat Morningstar. But…" His voice sharpened. "Do not think this means I'm your ally. Once this is over, I intend to fight Hanoi with everything I've got."

"I expect nothing less from you, Galahad," Terminus responded, his amusement breaking through the scrambler. "I look forward to your duel." He then hung up.

Takeshi sat in the dark for several minutes. He wasn't steeling himself or thinking. He just sat there, tired of everything that had happened.

Eventually he sighed. "No time like the present," he said to himself. He stood up and pressed a few buttons on his Duel Disk. The person he was calling picked up quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Go," Takeshi said. "It's Galahad."

"Who?"

Takeshi fell over. Go's laugh reverberated over the Duel Disk. "Sorry, old friend," he said. "I couldn't resist."

"T-That wasn't funny!" Takeshi whined as he stood up. He sighed and turned serious. "I need a favor. Do you know how to contact Morningstar?"

"Morningstar?" Go repeated, surprised. "Yeah. He gave me an email address. Why?"

"I want to meet him," Takeshi said. "It's important."

"…Alright," Go finally said. "I'll send him a message. But… what is this really about, Galahad?"

Takeshi gave a sad smile. "That's my business, Go," he said. "I'll wait to hear from you." He hung up and sank back into the chair. He closed his eyes.

 _Eiji,_ he thought. _I hope you don't find out about this. And if you do… I hope you can forgive your older brother._

* * *

In the present, Galahad thought, _Morningstar. From what I've seen, you appear to be a good person. If I told you the real reason I challenged you, I'm certain you would try to help me. But…_ He narrowed his eyes. _If you knew the truth, you might let me win out of pity. My duelist's pride won't allow that. If I am to make a deal with the devil, then I will give everything I have. And I will not accept an easy victory from you!_

"Since you control a monster and I don't," Galahad said aloud. "I can Special Summon this monster. Appear, Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight!" The warrior riding a dragon appeared on his field.

 **Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"Gaia the Fierce Knight?" Ai said, rising from Playmaker's Duel Disk. "What's that archetype about?"

"It focuses mostly on battle damage," Playmaker answered. He had leaped over to a different building from Go.

"Since Lord Gaia was Special Summoned, I can still Normal Summon," Galahad said. "I summon Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun!" Another warrior, this one in white armor riding a black horse and carrying one lance, appeared alongside Lord Gaia.

 **Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

"And next, I activate the Spell Card: Gaia's Will!" The card showed Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun, kneeling in front of a shadowed throne. "Since I control a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster, I can excavate the top card of my Deck. And if the card is a Level 3 or lower monster, I can Special Summon it and draw cards equal to its Level. If it isn't, then it is placed on the bottom of my Deck."

He drew, then revealed it to Morningstar. "The card I drew was Torapart! It is a Level 2 monster, so it is Special Summoned and I draw two cards!" A black and purple jester attached to a disk with another version of itself attached to the other side appeared on his field as Galahad drew two cards.

 **Torapart ATK 600 DEF 600 LVL: 2**

"Eh?" Ai said. "That monster isn't a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster!"

"That archetype is one of the smallest in Duel Monsters," Playmaker said. "He must use other monsters to supplement his strategies."

Morningstar was thinking the same thing. "Three monsters," he muttered. "He must be planning to Link Summon."

"I don't think so," Cam said over the earpiece. "That Torapart isn't your regular monster."

"What do you mean?"

Galahad pointed ahead of himself. "Appear! The rings of the champion!" As his hand glowed green, Torapart charged ahead of Morningstar and out of sight. In a flash of light, two green rings raced back and stopped in front of Galahad.

Morningstar's eyes widened. "That's-."

"Materials confirmed!" Galahad chanted. "The summoning conditions are one Tuner and one or more non-Tuner monsters! I tune the Level 2 Torapart to the Level 4 Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun!" Said monster galloped into the rings. The Mid-Knight Sun lost color, turning into an orange-colored outline of itself with four stars inside said outline. The outline then disappeared as a surge of light passed through the rings.

"Synchro Summon!" Galahad continued. "Charge forth! Level 6! Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!"

Out of the light, a new monster emerged. It resembled Gaia the Fierce Knight, but its armor was more advanced and had a mechanical appearance. The warrior on top of the horse had no legs and was instead attached to the horse. The horse whinnied as it and its rider were summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 2600 DEF 800 LVL: 6**

"Amazing!" the MC commented as the crowd roared. "Galahad just performed a Synchro Summon!"

"S-Synchro Summon!?" Naoki said, his eyes wide. "I've never even seen one before! Amazing!"

"So he can do more than Fusion Summoning," Morningstar muttered, narrowing his eyes. After watching Galahad's duel against the Knights of Hanoi, he had noted that Galahad using multiple summoning methods made him unpredictable. Certainly, he had not been expecting this.

"A Synchro Monster?" Ai said. "What's that?"

"It's a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, like Link Monsters," Playmaker answered, his eyes narrowed. "But this monster has defense points and a Level instead of a Link Rating."

"I Set two cards," Galahad said. "Battle! Gaia Knight, attack Cyspirit Lancer!" Gaia Knight charged at Lancer, but Morningstar was ready.

"Trap activate!" he declared. But the card refused to reveal itself. "What?" he said in shock. "Why isn't my card activating?"

"That's because I used Torapart to Synchro Summon!" Galahad revealed. "When the monster that used Torapart as Synchro Material attacks, you cannot activate Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step!" Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise.

"Continue your attack, Gaia Knight! Spiral Force!" Gaia Knight struck Lancer with one of its lances, destroying it and making Morningstar wince from the backlash.

 **Morningstar: 4000→3500 LP**

"Gaia Knight itself has no effects to speak of," Galahad revealed. "That is why I Synchro Summoned it using Torapart!"

"I see," Morningstar said, narrowed his eyes. "Your monster has no effects, so you granted it one."

"My Battle Phase isn't over!" Galahad continued. "Lord Gaia, attack Morningstar directly!" Lord Gaia charged Morningstar, its lances out in front.

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared again. This time, his Trap Card revealed itself. "Cyspirit Battle Barrier! This card reduces the damage from this battle to 0 and ends the Battle Phase since there is a 'Cyspirit' monster in my Graveyard!" A barrier appeared around Morningstar, which Lord Gaia's lance hit and bounced off.

Galahad grit his teeth. "I end my turn," he said reluctantly.

* * *

Tagoma opened the door to their apartment and ushered Masako in. The two of them were silent as she went to one of the chairs and sat down. The two glared at each other as Masako crossed her arms.

Tagoma sighed. "Why didn't you tell me you were on a date?"

"It wasn't a date," Masako said. "I just asked him to hang out with me."

Tagoma narrowed his eyes. "That's basically the definition of 'date,' Masako." He sighed again. "I thought we agreed not to make friends in this city. It's dangerous here."

"We didn't agree to that. You said we shouldn't," Masako said. "I'm sixteen, Tagoma, not eight anymore. I'd like to make friends at school, and Yasutake is the only interesting boy there."

Tagoma raised an eyebrow. "Yasutake?" he asked. "You're on first-name basis already? I really hope you aren't planning a repeat of what happened in Kyoto."

Masako winced from that low blow. "That wasn't my fault," she said defensively. "I didn't know that boy had a girlfriend. And in hindsight, I probably did her a favor."

Before Tagoma could reply, his Duel Disk beeped. He looked at it and frowned. "Well, this is interesting," he said. Masako recognized that tone; it meant back to business. "Morningstar's dueling again. And he's dueling a Charisma Duelist named Galahad."

Masako frowned. "A Charisma Duelist? Why would he challenge one of them while he's fighting Hanoi?"

"That doesn't matter to us," Tagoma said. He looked up from his Duel Disk at Masako. "We'll finish this conversation later. It's your turn to earn our paycheck, little girl."

Masako scowled. "Sometimes, I hate it when you call me that."

* * *

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, looked at the card, then played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Call! This adds a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Swordsman. And since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon my Swordsman!" The skeleton with blue swords appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Because Swordsman was Special Summoned via its effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar continued. "I add Cyspirit Prisoner!" He took the card from his Deck, added it to his hand, then gestured in front of him. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!"

As his hand glowed blue, the Link portal appeared in front of Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Cyspirit Swordsman in the Link Marker!" Swordsman entered the portal, turning the bottom arrow red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit carrying a cellphone and radio appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker. Come forth, Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a pink leotard appeared, summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"The monster Special Summoned by Cacophonic Caller's effect cannot declare an attack, and it is destroyed during the End Phase," Morningstar said. "And since there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon this monster. Come forth, Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a prisoner's uniform appeared alongside Dancer.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

Morningstar gestured in front of himself again. "Appear once more, the circuit between light and darkness!" His hand glowed and the Link portal appeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller, Cyspirit Dancer, and Cyspirit Prisoner in the Link Markers!" His three monsters entered the portal, turning the bottom-left, top, and right arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!" The skeleton in a tattered guard's uniform carrying a long spear appeared in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"Because I used Dancer to Link Summon Pied Pikeman, it gains 600 attack points."

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400→3000**

"And since I used Prisoner to Link Summon Pied Pikeman, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Cyspirit Sanctuary to my hand."

After Morningstar took the card from his Deck, Galahad suddenly spoke up. "You should have summoned a different monster than Pied Pikeman, Morningstar! Since you Special Summoned a monster stronger than Lord Gaia, Lord Gaia gains 700 attack points until the end of the turn!"

 **Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300→3000**

Morningstar narrowed his eyes, but he continued his turn. "I activate the Field Spell: Cyspirit Sanctuary! This card increases the attack and defense points of all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control by 300."

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 3000→3300**

"Next, I activate the effect of the Cyberse Call in my Graveyard," Morningstar said. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. I Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer in Defense Position!" Lancer reappeared, summoned to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4**

Galahad grit his teeth. He'd seen several of Morningstar's duels, so he knew exactly why Lancer was in Defense Position. Sure enough, Morningstar then said, "Pied Pikeman's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to at least one monster, I can change the battle position of one monster it points to and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I change my Cyspirit Lancer to Attack Position to destroy one of your face-down cards!"

As Lancer stood up, one of Galahad's face-downs shattered. Morningstar looked at the card and narrowed his eyes. _Draining Shield_ , he thought. _That card would have negated my attack and increased his Life Points. Good thing I destroyed it._

"Cyspirit Lancer's monster effect! Since it is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400**

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 3300→3600**

"3600 attack points," Galahad muttered.

"I Set one card," Morningstar said. "Battle! Pied Pikeman, attack Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth! Spiritual Halberd!" Pied Pikeman charged Gaia Knight, its spear alight with white energy, but Galahad was prepared.

"It won't be that easy!" he declared. "Trap activate! Shield of the Fierce Knight!" The card showed a blue shield with symbols in the center. "This card halves all battle damage I would take from battles involving Warrior monsters. Not only that, it also prevents Warrior monsters from being destroyed by battle this turn!"

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised at Galahad's Trap Card. Pied Pikeman's spear struck Gaia Knight, but the monster withstood the attack. Galahad winced from the damage, but it was less than it would have been.

 **Galahad: 4000→3500 LP**

"Their Life Points are equal now," Playmaker commented.

"This Galahad guy is actually pretty good," Ai said.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Lancer wasn't strong enough to attack either of Galahad's monsters, so he had no choice but to end his Battle Phase. And Galahad knew that.

"Shield of the Fierce Knight's second effect," Galahad's AI said. "At the end of the Battle Phase, you must send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard."

Galahad sent the card to the Graveyard, smirking at what he saw. Morningstar then said, "I end my turn."

"Yes. And with your turn ending, the effect of Lord Gaia ends, and its attack points return to normal."

 **Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 3000→2300**

"This guy's tougher than I thought he would be," Morningstar whispered into his earpiece. "Found anything yet, Cam?"

"Be patient. My laptop doesn't have as good a setup as the observation room does."

"My turn! Draw!" Galahad drew, looked at the card, then closed his eyes. _Eiji_ , he thought. _I promised to do whatever it takes to save your life. One day, I hope I can forgive myself for this._

He opened his eyes and said, "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Link Unit and equip it to Lord Gaia! Now, if Lord Gaia is used to Link Summon, it counts as two materials!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "So he's finally Link Summoning," he muttered.

Galahad did have one move to make before that, however. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Charge of the Fierce Knight!" The card showed the original Gaia the Fierce Knight charging through a tunnel of light. "With this card active, I draw two cards the first time I Special Summon a monster from the Extra Deck using at least one 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster as material." Galahad smirked. "And now, it's time for the main event!"

He gestured to the sky as his hand glowed blue. "Come forth! The circuit of the champion!" The Link portal appeared in the sky above them. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters! I set Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth and the Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight treated as two materials in the Link Markers!" His two monsters turned into blue whirlwinds of energy, with one whirlwind splitting in half, and entered the left, bottom, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow!"

A new monster charged out of the Link portal. It was mechanical like Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth, but much simpler in design. The horse was dark blue with light blue lines running over it and a white metal mane, while its rider wore primarily white armor and wielded silver lances.

 **Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow ATK 2600 LINK-3** ←↓→

"So that's his Link Monster," Playmaker said, narrowing his eyes.

"It doesn't look like much," Ai said. "It's attack points are equal to Gaia Knight's."

"Since I Link Summoned using Lord Gaia, the effect of Charge of the Fierce Knight activates, and I draw two cards!" Galahad drew, and narrowed his eyes at his cards. He then played one of his new cards. "I activate the Spell Card: Return Link!" The card showed SPYRAL Double Helix falling into the Link portal, which was shining with energy. "Since I Link Summoned a Link Monster using only Warrior monsters this turn, I can Special Summon those monsters from the Graveyard!"

Morningstar's eyes widened. "Return to me, Gaia Knight and Lord Gaia!" The two monsters appeared, with Gaia Knight summoned to Gaia Saber's bottom Link Marker.

 **Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 2600 DEF 800 LVL: 6**

 **Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"The monsters Special Summoned by Return Link cannot declare an attack," Galahad said. "In addition, their effects are negated and they are destroyed during the End Phase. But that's only a trivial matter!" He then gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Shield of the Fierce Knight in my Graveyard! By banishing this card, I can target one Warrior monster on my field and change its Level to between 1 and 8. I change the Level of Gaia Knight to 7!"

 **Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth LVL: 6→7**

"Eh?" Ai said. "Why would he change his monster's Level?"

"It can't be…" Playmaker said, his eyes wide with surprise. Morningstar was likewise surprised. While it was possible Galahad was summoning a Link Monster that required two Level 7 or higher monsters, there was a far greater possibility.

Galahad pointed to the sky. "Appear, the network of champions!" His hand glowed yellow as a portal appeared in the sky. But this portal wasn't like the Link portal. This one was shaped like a swirling galaxy and was colored black and yellow.

"Materials confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 7 monsters! I overlay the Level 7 Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth and Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight!" The two monsters he named turned into orange energy that traveled into the portal. A pillar of light erupted from the portal as Galahad kept chanting.

"Xyz Summon! Take flight! Rank 7! Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger!"

A new monster emerged from the pillar. It resembled Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion, but was mechanical in nature, with the dragon being mostly red in color with blue wings, while its rider wore red armor and carried green lances. The dragon roared as it was summoned to Gaia Saber's bottom Link Marker, with two green lights circling it.

 **Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger ATK 2600 DEF 2100 RNK: 7 OU: 2**

"U-Unbelievable!" the MC shouted. "First Synchro, then Link, and now Xyz! Galahad is making use of multiple summoning methods to push Morningstar into a corner!"

"That's an Xyz Monster?" Naoki said excitedly. "It's even more amazing than Galahad's Synchro Monster!"

"So he can use all the summoning methods," Morningstar muttered. He had to admit, he was enjoying this. He'd never faced a Synchro or Xyz Monster before.

"I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure!" Galahad said. "With this card, I draw one card for each face-up Link Monster on the field, and since there are two, I draw two cards." He drew, then grinned. With these cards, he could win.

"I activate the Spell Card: Xyz Energy!" Galahad declared. "Now by detaching an Overlay Unit from an Xyz Monster I control, I can target and destroy one face-up monster you control!" Morningstar's eyes widened.

"Overlay Unit?" Ai asked. "What's that? And what does he mean, 'detach?'"

"Overlay Units are those lights orbiting Gaia Dragon," Playmaker explained. "When a monster is Xyz Summoned, the materials are placed underneath the card as Xyz Materials or Overlay Units. Xyz Monsters mostly activate their effects by sending one or more of those Overlay Units to the Graveyard."

One of the green lights circling Gaia Dragon burst into light as Galahad said, "I detach one Overlay Unit from Gaia Dragon to destroy your Pied Pikeman!" A bolt of lightning came down from the sky and struck Pied Pikeman, shattering it. Morningstar grit his teeth.

 **Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger OU: 2→1**

"Next, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Lance of the Fierce Knight and equip it to Gaia Dragon!" The card showed Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight lifting its right lance into the air as lightning struck it and spread outwards. Both of Gaia Dragon's lances then glowed.

Galahad didn't explain what Lance of the Fierce Knight's effects were. Instead, he said, "I Set one card. And now I activate the effect of the A/D Changer in my Graveyard!" Morningstar's eyes widened as a small blue monster in a large coat carrying two flags appeared on Galahad's field.

 _That must be the card he sent to the Graveyard with Shield of the Fierce Knight's effect,_ Morningstar thought.

"By banishing A/D Changer, I can change the battle position of one monster on the field," Galahad continued. "I change your Cyspirit Lancer to Defense Position!"

As Lancer took a knee, Morningstar kept his face emotionless as he said, "Since Lancer is no longer in Attack Position, its effect ends."

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2400→2100**

"Battle!" Galahad declared. "Gaia Dragon, attack Cyspirit Lancer!" Gaia Dragon charged at Lancer, its lances surrounded by wind.

Morningstar gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of-."

"You can't!" Galahad interrupted. "When the monster equipped with Lance of the Fierce Knight attacks, you cannot activate any Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step!" Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise. "Go, Gaia Dragon! Continue your attack! Double Lance Strike!" Gaia's Dragon attack struck Lancer, then Galahad said, "Gaia Dragon's monster effect! If it attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage!"

"What?" Morningstar said in surprise.

"That's not good," Playmaker said, narrowing his eyes. "Lancer only has 300 defense points."

"And Gaia Dragon has 2600 attack points," Ai said. Lancer shattered, and Morningstar braced himself against the blowback of the attack as it pushed him behind Galahad on the data stream.

 **Morningstar: 3500→1200 LP**

"This Duel isn't over," Morningstar said once the force of the attack dissipated. "I activate my Skill! Cyberse Revolution! Since a Cyberse monster I controlled was destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon a Cyberse monster from my Deck with a lower Level than the destroyed monster. Lancer was Level 4, so I Special Summon the Level 2 Cyspirit Saver in Defense Position!" The dwarf skeleton in white armor carrying a shield appeared in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Saver ATK 0→300 DEF 1300→1600 LVL: 2**

"That will not save you!" Galahad declared. "I activate the effect of Charge of the Fierce Knight! By sending it to the Graveyard, I can change the battle position of one monster you control!" Morningstar's eyes widened. "I'll change your Saver to Attack Position!" Galahad's Continuous Spell Card shattered as Saver straightened. "Your turn, Gaia Saber. Attack Cyspirit Saver with Linkage Spiral!" Gaia Saber charged Saver. Its lance struck Saver, destroying it and filling the field with smoke.

In her apartment, Aoi narrowed her eyes at her tablet. "Morningstar," she muttered.

When the smoke cleared, Morningstar was revealed unharmed. "By banishing the Cyspirit Battle Barrier in my Graveyard, the battle damage is reduced to 0 and the Battle Phase ends. In addition, since I now control no monsters, Battle Barrier's second effect activates and I draw cards equal to the number of monster you control." Galahad controlled two monsters, so Morningstar drew two cards. His eyes widened on seeing what they were.

Galahad smirked. "Did you think that trick would work a second time?" he asked Morningstar, surprising him. "This battle is far from over! I activate my Skill! Second Charge!" The edges of Galahad's armor glowed silver as he continued speaking. "At the end of the Battle Phase, by banishing three Warrior monsters from my Graveyard, I can conduct a second Battle Phase!"

Morningstar's eyes widened. "What?"

"I banish Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun, Torapart, and Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!" Galahad said, the three cards he named appearing in front of him before fading away. "This will be the end of you! Gaia Dragon, attack Morningstar directly!"

Gaia Dragon charged. Morningstar glanced at his face-down card. He would activate it, but because of Gaia Dragon's Equip Spell, he couldn't. But thanks to his new cards, he did have one option.

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Battler in my hand!" Morningstar declared, surprising Galahad. "If you attack me directly, I can Special Summon this card in Attack Position!" Cyspirit Battler was a white skeleton in boxer's clothes, with red boxing gloves, blue shorts, a white tank top, and red headgear protecting a metal skull and a blue eye.

 **Cyspirit Battler ATK 1500→1800 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 4**

Galahad grit his teeth. "Very well then. Gaia Dragon, attack Cyspirit Battler! Double Dragon Lance!" Gaia Dragon's lances struck Battler, destroying it in an explosion. Morningstar winced from the damage.

 **Morningstar: 1200→400 LP**

"When Battler is destroyed by battle, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard to my hand," Morningstar said. "I return Cyspirit Swordsman to my hand."

After he took the card from his Graveyard, Galahad said, "I have to say, I'm not surprised you countered that. You truly are a one of a kind duelist, Morningstar. But I will not lose! Battle! Gaia Saber, attack Morningstar directly!"

Gaia Saber charged Morningstar, but before it could reach him, Morningstar gestured to his face-down card. "Continuous Trap activate! Cyspirit Lineage! This card targets and Special Summons a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Return to me, Cyspirit Lancer!" Lancer reappeared alone on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4**

"And since Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400**

Galahad narrowed his eyes. "Continue your attack Gaia Saber! Destroy Cyspirit Lancer! Linkage Spiral!" Gaia Saber charged and struck Lancer with its lance, destroying it and making Morningstar wince again.

 **Morningstar: 400→200 LP**

"Since the monster Special Summoned by Lineage's effect was destroyed," Morningstar said. "Lineage is destroyed, and I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Teleporter to my hand."

He did so, then Galahad said, "I end my turn."

Go smiled. "Morningstar pulled that same move against me," he said. "If not for his Lancer's attack boosting effect combined with his Field Spell's effect, he would have lost."

"Amazing!" the MC commented over the roar of the crowd. "Such a back and forth of blows! Just when it looks like Galahad has won, Morningstar pulls through by the skin of his teeth! Neither duelist is backing down, and each is giving everything they've got!"

 _That was too close,_ Morningstar thought. _Galahad really is an amazing duelist. Go, Blue Angel, Lilith, Spectre; none of them could push me like he has. The only other person to push me this far was Playmaker. But…_ He narrowed his eyes with determination. _I will emerge victorious in the end!_

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, then whispered into his earpiece. "Cam, have you found any information about Galahad?" When Cam didn't answer, he frowned and said, "Cam? Are you still there?"

* * *

Cam sat in the dark, his laptop on his lap. He stared at the screen, which showed an audio recording. The words he had just heard went through his head again.

 _My name is Terminus. And I have a proposition for you._

Cam had finally broken through Galahad's firewall to get his real-life identity. He was Takeshi Akino, a senior at Den Academy and the Student Council President. He also had a little brother named Eiji who was in the hospital dying of a rare illness, and the treatment with the best chances of saving his life was outside of Takeshi's price range. And earlier this night, he had been contacted by Terminus, a Knight of Hanoi, offering to save Eiji's life if he defeated Morningstar.

Everything was clear to Cam now. Galahad had challenged Morningstar to save his little brother's life.

 _I can't tell Yasu about this,_ Cam thought despairingly. _If he knows about Galahad's brother… his guilt will be enormous. He might let himself lose._

Cam sighed and rubbed his temples with one hand. _Galahad is risking everything to save someone he loves,_ he thought. _He's doing the same thing I would do for Sachi. The same thing I wish I could have done ten years ago._

He looked towards Sachi's room, which still had the door open. _I promised I would protect her,_ Cam thought. _That I would be there when she needs me. But I failed, in the greatest way possible._ He remembered the day he made that promise, the day she was crying on the bench. _I've done my best to make up for that failure, but it will never be enough. With her like she is now, I can never make up for it._

"Cam? Are you still there?"

Cam jumped. He'd muted his side so the recording wouldn't disrupt Morningstar's dueling, but he'd been so deep in thought, he hadn't heard Morningstar the first time.

"Yes, I'm here, Yasu," Cam said.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-No. Nothing's wrong," Cam lied. He couldn't tell Morningstar what he'd just learned. He needed to win this to keep fighting against Hanoi, and if he knew the truth, he might throw the duel.

Suddenly, Cam had an idea. "Hey, Yasu, could you use… that monster?"

"That monster?" Morningstar repeated. His eyes widened in understanding. "You mean-?"

"Yes. The card that reminds you of me. And the one that reminds you of Sachi. Can you use them?"

Morningstar looked at the cards in his hand. He'd been planning to summon Datastorm Dragon. With its effects, he could deal serious damage to Galahad, but… he could see how using the monsters Cam suggested would win the duel.

"Are you sure, Cam?" Morningstar asked. "You know why I don't like using those monsters."

"I know, but… do it for me. And Sachi."

Morningstar sighed. "I hate it when you do that," he said. "But fine."

Cam smiled. He had a feeling that in order to defeat Galahad, Morningstar would need more than his own power. He would need Cam's and Sachi's strength too. What little they could give him.

"Since I control no monsters," Morningstar said. "I can Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!"

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1500 DEF 900→1200 LVL: 3**

"Since Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, I can add Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar continued. "And since you control a Link Monster while I don't, I can Special Summon Tunnel Tyke!" A dwarf skeleton wearing a prospector's uniform and carrying a crank drill appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke ATK 200→500 DEF 500→800 LVL: 2**

"I summon Cyspirit Teleporter!" The skeleton in grey armor holding a baton appeared alongside Swordsman and Tunnel Tyke.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500→800 DEF 1500→1800 LVL: 3**

"He has three monsters now," Ai said. "Is he going to summon Rapid Revolutionary?" Playmaker didn't respond.

"Since I control two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters and no 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters, I can activate this card. The Spell Card: Cyspirit Equivalency!" Morningstar said. The card showed Cyspirit Swordsman, with several afterimages of itself growing larger behind it. "This card increases the Levels of all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control by the total number of 'Cyspirit' monsters I control."

"Eh? What does that mean?" Ai asked.

"It means that since he has three 'Cyspirit' monsters," Playmaker answered. "All three monsters gain three Levels."

 **Cyspirit Swordsman LVL: 3→6**

 **Cyspirit Teleporter LVL: 3→6**

 **Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke LVL: 2→5**

"Why would he increase their Levels?" Galahad wondered to himself. "Could he be Xyz Summoning a Rank 6 monster?"

Morningstar pointed to the sky above him. "Appear, the circuit between light and darkness!" Once again, his hand glowed blue as the Link portal materialized. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three Level 5 or higher 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Swordsman, Teleporter, and Tunnel Tyke in the Link Markers!" The three monsters entered the portal, turning the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Winning Wrestler!"

A giant skeleton, larger than Pied Pikeman but smaller than Datastorm Dragon, appeared on Morningstar's field. It was almost immediately surrounded by white light, and when it dissipated, the skeleton was wrapped in a tattered black cape, which it then flung backwards. The skeleton was wearing long black pants edged with dulled silver spikes that ended in giant black boots. Across its chest were two championship belts embellished with gold but burned with a black X. A similar belt was at its waist. Two black and dull gold bracers covered its arms. Giant silver metal wings grew out of its back and spread wide. It raised its metal skull, which was covered by a black mask with several tears in it that left its jaw and blue and red eyes exposed. It roared a challenge as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500→2800 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

Galahad's eyes widened in surprise. "That monster looks like-!"

"What the hell!?" Go shouted, his surprise even greater than Galahad's. "Why does Morningstar have a monster that looks like me and my Gouki monsters?"

"Morningstar has revealed a new Link Monster!" the MC commentated as the crowd roared. "Can this Winning Wrestler pull him out of this pinch?"

"That monster looks a lot like Go Onizuka's monsters," Ai said. "Doesn't it?" When Playmaker didn't answer, he looked up. "Oi. Playmaker!"

Playmaker ignored him as he stared at Winning Wrestler. This feeling… it was similar to the feelings he'd sensed from Idealistic Idol and Neo Nova. There was rage and sadness, but there was another feeling. A protectiveness. A desire to keep something safe. But what?

Morningstar continued his turn. "I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard. By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Return, Cyspirit Swordsman!" The skeleton carrying blue swords appeared, summoned to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1500 DEF 900→1200 LVL: 3**

"And since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Navigator!" The skeleton in a pirate's outfit materialized next to Winning Wrestler's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300→1600 DEF 1100→1400 LVL: 3**

"Appear for a final time! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar's hand glowed blue again as the Link portal appeared in the sky above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monsters!" Aoi and Playmaker both gasped in realization on hearing that. "I set Cyspirit Navigator and Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the Link portal, turning the left and top arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Idealistic Idol!"

A white skeleton appeared and was soon engulfed in light. When the light faded, it was wearing a sleeveless indigo dress, a white knee-length skirt, black tights, indigo high heels, and silver bangles on its arms. Its black hair fell behind it in a ponytail and the silver metal wings on its back spread as it was summoned to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500→1800 LINK-2** ←↑

"What the-?" Galahad said, his eyes widening in surprise again. "Blue Angel?"

"Another new Link Monster," Go said, narrowing his eyes. "And this one looks like Blue Angel. Where did he get that?"

Aoi looked down at her screen as it showed Winning Wrestler and Idealistic Idol. From the positions they were in, it almost looked like Winning Wrestler was protecting Idealistic Idol. Playmaker narrowed his eyes. That feeling of loss and sadness he'd sensed the first time he'd seen this monster was back. But it seemed even stronger now, like something was making it greater.

Morningstar grit his teeth. Playmaker wasn't the only one who could feel the emotions behind the cards. He could too, and while he didn't know how, each monster's presence seemed to amplify the emotions coming off the other, making it harder for him to concentrate. This was why, summoning difficulties aside, he didn't like summoning either monster unless he had to.

"Since I control two 'Cyspirit' monsters, I can activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Reinforcements!" Morningstar said. "This card lets me Special Summon a Level 6 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Return once more, Cyspirit Lancer!" Lancer reappeared, summoned to Winning Wrestler's bottom-left Link Marker and Idealistic Idol's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4**

"And as you know, since Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1800→2100**

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400**

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2800→3100**

"Idealistic Idol's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Since it points to two monsters, I can target one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, except itself, and that monster can make up to three attacks on my opponent's monsters this turn. In exchange, other monsters I control cannot declare an attack." He pointed to Winning Wrestler. "I target Winning Wrestler for Idealistic Idol's effect!" Idealistic Idol spread her arms as they shone with white light. Winning Wrestler roared as he glowed white in response. "Furthermore, when Winning Wrestler destroys a monster by battle, you take 300 points of damage!"

Galahad grit his teeth. Winning Wrestler had 3100 attack points and both his monsters had 2600. Combined with Idealistic Idol's effect, he would take 1600 points of damage. Or at least, he would if not for his face-down card…

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Winning Wrestler, attack Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow!" Winning Wrestler charged Gaia Saber.

Galahad smirked. "This duel is over, Morningstar!" he said. "Trap activate! Mirror Force!"

"Oh no!" Ai shrieked.

"Since you declared an attack, this card destroys all your Attack Position monsters!" Galahad said. "Say goodbye to all your monsters!" A blast of powerful energy shot from the card, right at Idealistic Idol. But before it hit the monster, Winning Wrestler jumped in front of the blast.

The blast hit Winning Wrestler's hands, pushing it back. But to almost everyone's surprise, Winning Wrestler started pushing back as it roared in defiance. "What?" Galahad said in surprise. "What's happening?"

"Winning Wrestler's monster effect," Morningstar revealed. "So long as it points to at least one monster, 'Cyspirit' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by my opponent's card effects."

"What?" Galahad said again, his eyes widening. Winning Wrestler pushed its hands closer together, gathering the energy from Mirror Force into a ball. As it closed its hands, the energy burst harmlessly.

"No way," Galahad muttered in shock.

"Winning Wrestler will never allow harm to come to Idealistic Idol!" Morningstar declared. Cam smiled. Even if he failed to protect Sachi 10 years ago, Winning Wrestler would protect Idealistic Idol now. It was like he had thought; in order to defeat someone fighting for their sibling, Morningstar needed the strength of siblings on his side too.

 _If I had summoned Datastorm Dragon instead, it would have been destroyed and I would be helpless_ , Morningstar thought. Out loud, he said, "Winning Wrestler's attack continues!" Winning Wrestler resumed its charge. "And with it, Winning Wrestler's second effect activates! If it points to at least two monsters when it attacks a Special Summoned monster, I can lower that monster's attack points by half the attack points of a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster Winning Wrestler points to!" Galahad's eyes widened again. "I lower Gaia Saber's attack points by half of Idealistic Idol's attack points! Overpower Aura!" Winning Wrestler's wings glowed white and emitted a light that struck Gaia Saber, lowering its attack points.

 **Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow ATK 2600→1550**

"Go, Winning Wrestler! Raw Power Rampage!" Winning Wrestler's fists glowed with white energy as it charged Gaia Saber. The enemy monster lashed out with one of its lances, but Winning Wrestler caught it onehanded. Crushing the lance in said hand, it ripped the lance out of Gaia Saber's grasp. It then used its other hand to punch Gaia Saber in the rider's chest, causing an explosion and shockwave that made Galahad cry out.

 **Galahad: 3500→1950 LP**

"And since Winning Wrestler destroyed a monster by battle, Idealistic Idol's effect activates!" Morningstar said. "And she inflicts 300 points of damage! Ideal Light!" Idealistic Idol rose up from behind Winning Wrestler and spread its wings. They lit up with white energy that streamed downward and hit Galahad, making him wince.

 **Galahad: 1950→1650 LP**

"Huh."

Ai looked up at Playmaker after he said that.

"'Huh?' What's that mean? Did you not expect this turnaround?"

"He called Idealistic Idol 'she'," Playmaker said. _He told me Idealistic Idol symbolizes what his friend could have been if not for the incident. Kusanagi told me about his meeting with that girl's brother. Does that mean… Winning Wrestler symbolizes the brother?_

Morningstar closed his eyes, then opened them with determination. "You gave me a good challenge, Galahad. Only one person has ever pushed me like you have. But this is the end." He pointed to Gaia Dragon. "Go, Winning Wrestler! Attack Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger!" Winning Wrestler charged Gaia Dragon as Morningstar kept speaking. "And once again, Winning Wrestler's effect activates and Gaia Dragon loses attack points equal to half of Idealistic Idol's attack points. Overpower Aura!"

 **Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger ATK 2600→1550**

"Continue your attack, Winning Wrestler! Raw Power Rampage!" Gaia Dragon charged Winning Wrestler with one of its lances, which Winning Wrestler managed to catch with both hands. As it gripped the lance, it started spinning until Gaia Dragon released its grip on its lance and was sent flying into the sky. Winning Wrestler spun the lance around and roared as it threw its new weapon at Gaia Dragon. The lance struck Gaia Dragon in the belly, causing the dragon to screech in pain as it exploded. Galahad winced from the backlash of the attack.

 **Galahad: 1650→100 LP**

"And once again, Idealistic Idol's effect activates! End this now, Idealistic Idol! Ideal Light!" Idealistic Idol's wings lit up again as she blasted Galahad with white light. Before it hit, Galahad closed his eyes. _I'm sorry, Eiji._

The blast hit, causing an explosion. Galahad screamed as was sent flying from his D-Board onto the rooftop of a nearby building.

 **Galahad: 100→0 LP**

"Galahad!" Go shouted. He started running across the rooftops to reach his friend.

"The duel is over!" the MC shouted over the crowd cheering. "In a stunning come from behind victory, the Devil of LINK VRAINS defeated the Knight of Justice!"

Morningstar jumped off his D-Board and landed next to Galahad, who was lying on his back. "You alright?" he asked.

"I'll live," Galahad answered as pushed himself into a sitting position. "You really are amazing. I thought I'd won at least three times."

"If I hadn't drawn Battler with Battle Barrier's effect, you would have won," Morningstar said.

"Galahad!" The two looked up as Go jumped onto their rooftop. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Galahad stood up fully, brushing dust off his shoulder pads.

"So, did my dueling reveal my intentions to you?" Morningstar asked Galahad, who narrowed his eyes.

"It did," he answered. "It told me you have a duelist's pride, as you should. And that new monster of yours…" He glanced at Go, who's face was expressionless, before turning back to Morningstar. "It told me you have a protective instinct in you. That there's something you fight for. Something important to you."

Morningstar didn't respond to that. Galahad's eyes narrowed at what he said next. "That's noble of you. Not enough people fight for the right reasons." He then turned and logged out.

"So, Morningstar," Go said. "About that wrestler of yours-." That was as far as he got before Morningstar logged out.

Yusaku stepped out of the sealed room and walked over to Kusanagi, who was staring at the monitors with a grim expression on his face.

"I wasn't able to learn anything on my end," Yusaku said. "Did you learn anything about Galahad?"

"…I did," Kusanagi said after a few seconds. "You're not going to like this, Yusaku." Yusaku sat down and watched as Kusanagi started an audio file.

"This is Galahad, the Knight of Justice. Who is this?"

"I know who you are, Galahad." Yusaku's eyes widened. The first voice was Galahad's but the second was scrambled. What was this?

* * *

Yasutake walked up the stairs, leaning heavily against the railing. When he reached the third floor, he stopped to catch his breath and stifle a yawn.

"That was exhausting," he muttered. "I should think about changing my email address. Again."

"Hey."

Yasutake looked up and saw Cam was sitting at the island in the kitchen, his laptop open in front of him.

"Hey," Yasutake said, walking up to the island. "Did you find anything on Galahad?"

"I did, but… Yasu, I need you to promise me something."

Yasutake blinked. "Promise you what?"

"Promise me you'll understand why I kept this from you." Cam opened a window then pressed a button. The audio recording began to play.

* * *

The blue sphere faded from around Takeshi as he opened his eyes. He sighed and hung his head.

"I'm sorry, Eiji," he said. "I failed. I even accepted the enemy's help, and I couldn't save you."

He sat alone in despair for a few minutes before his Duel Disk started beeping. He answered it without looking, knowing who it was.

"An impressive display, Galahad," Terminus said. "You have earned your place among the Charisma Duelists."

"Spare me the false flattery," Takeshi said in a flat tone. "I didn't keep up my end of the bargain."

"That is true," Terminus said. "Still, effort like yours should be rewarded. Check your accounts again." He hung up, leaving Takeshi confused.

Takeshi stood up from the chair, slightly limping as he walked over to the counter and his laptop. Once he reached it, he opened it and checked his balance. His eyes widened in surprise.

* * *

"What?" Yasutake whispered in horror. "Galahad was-."

"Yeah," Cam said. "His brother is sick and Hanoi offered to pay for the operation if Galahad defeated you."

"…And you didn't tell me because you thought I might throw the duel," Yasutake said, understanding Cam's words from a few minutes ago.

"That, or your guilt about it might keep you from defeating him," Cam said. "I didn't want to put you in that position." He glanced solemnly at his laptop. "I know Hanoi is the bigger threat, and them using Takeshi Akino's brother shows how despicable they are."

"Akino," Yasutake muttered, his gaze thoughtful.

Cam looked at Yasutake. "You know him?"

"We've only talked once," Yasutake said. He didn't mention what they'd talked about. "He seemed friendly but tightly wound. Now that I know about his brother, I can see why…"

The two friends sat in silence, but before either could say anything, the laptop beeped. Cam looked down at it and frowned.

"What is it?" Yasutake asked.

"I set it to alert me if something changed in Akino's accounts," Cam said. "Terminus did send him some money, so I thought perhaps he might try to take it back." He typed and opened up Akino's accounts. His eyes widened in surprise. "No way," Cam whispered.

"What is it?" Yasutake asked again. When Cam told him, Yasutake couldn't believe his ears.

* * *

Terminus closed the windows in front of him and sighed.

"Why did you do that?"

He turned around and saw Faust behind him. He and Baira had joined Terminus in observing Galahad's and Morningstar's duel, but after it ended, they had left. Or so Terminus had thought. Evidently Faust had decided to stay.

"You gave the boy the money you promised him, even though he failed to defeat Morningstar," Faust continued. "Why?"

Terminus smiled. "Like I said, he gave a good show. I felt he deserved something."

Faust narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me, Terminus."

Terminus kept smiling as he closed his eyes. "Baira was right. If Dr. Kogami's plan is implemented, it will be the greatest cybercrime in history. The entire world will feel the aftershocks. There will be chaos, death, disorder of the highest levels. I know it is preferable to the Ignis winning, but…"

He turned around, away from Faust. "I still carry the guilt of the Hanoi Project, Faust. I know you and Baira do as well, but I have something neither of you do." He opened another screen, revealing a small laughing boy with blue eyes and silver hair. He had inherited his mother's coloring. "I have a son now. And when I have nightmares about the Project, I don't see those children we experimented on. I see Hitomu. That's why I left before."

He closed the picture and turned to face Faust again. "We tortured and twisted those children into nightmares. Look at Playmaker, or Morningstar, or Spectre. We robbed them of their normal lives. If I can save one child, give that child a chance at a better life… then perhaps in a small way, I can truly atone for what I did."

Faust was silent and thoughtful for a long time. Eventually, he said, "The money. Where did you get it? Hirai Shoten wouldn't have provided it."

At that, Terminus's smile turned into a smirk. "I hacked into the SOL security chief's account and transferred it through several dummy accounts," he explained. "Kitamura has been docking his employees' pay the last few weeks to earn more money for himself. I have to say, for the security chief, his account's defenses are pathetic."

Faust smiled at that, but what Terminus said next surprised him. "And speaking of Kitamura…" Terminus opened another screen, which showed something Faust hadn't expected.

"That's-."

"Yes. I managed to retrieve a sizable portion of code from SOL Technologies' AI Squad when we destroyed it. Enough to create our own AI duelists, I reckon."

"AI duelists for Hanoi?" Faust said, surprised at such a prospect. "I don't think Revolver-."

"I already spoke with him about this," Terminus interrupted. "He's willing to let me and Baira attempt it, so long as we are prepared for the consequences. We should have a working prototype ready by tomorrow afternoon." He turned to Faust, as serious as could be. "Faust, as things stand, we're losing this war. Yes, we have numbers, but our Knights are limited, both in versatility and skill. Baira and I believe we can evolve Kitamura's design into a very dangerous weapon."

"And if it turns against us?"

"Then Revolver will destroy it," Terminus said simply. "We need a new advantage against Playmaker and his allies. Kitamura may have accidentally given us several. AI duelists cannot be interrogated, and they are far easier to replace than actual humans. They will provide much better foot soldiers than the thugs we've brought in."

Faust frowned. "I don't like it… AI duelists go against everything Hanoi stands for."

"We have all made compromises in the name of our goal," Terminus reminded him. "And what was it Revolver said? It's fun to fight poison with poison?"

Faust sighed. "I wish I never told you about his duel with Playmaker." He was silent for a moment, then said, "Very well. If you and Baira think you can handle it and it will benefit us, go ahead. But when your plan fails, you had better have a new one."

Terminus smiled again. "I have many plans to accomplish our goal, Faust," he said. "The AI duelist may pan out first, but there is another plan in motion. One that should prove very interesting." He looked to the right at another screen that popped up. It was a message from Lilith, probably containing a recording of Morningstar's duel with Galahad.

 _Lilith,_ Terminus thought. _You're about to have a very important role to play in this war._

* * *

Yasutake walked into Sachi's room. She was lying on her bed, facing the door with her eyes open. They were as dull as ever, but she wasn't shaking, sweating, or breathing hard. Likely, she was just having trouble falling asleep. Yasutake didn't know whether he was about to make that problem easier or harder.

"Hey Sachi," he said quietly. After seeing that Terminus had given Galahad the money anyway, Cam had headed to bed upstairs, feeling much better about the events of the duel. Yasutake had to admit he felt better too, but also confused. Why would someone from Hanoi help Galahad's brother even though Galahad hadn't kept up his end of the bargain? Compassion? Or was there a more pragmatic reason?

"I thought I'd see how you were doing before I went to bed. You calmed down earlier, but I was afraid you'd have another nightmare. But you haven't, have you?"

He paused, not entirely sure what he wanted to say to Sachi. She never acknowledged his presence or responded to him in any way, but he wanted his words to mean something. To him, at the least.

"I meant what I said earlier," Yasutake settled on. "I am your friend. Yasutake Narahiko. Even if you don't know who I am, I'm your friend, Sachi. You and your brother's friend. And just like your brother, I made a promise to protect you. And I'll keep that promise. For as long as I can."

There was silence after that. Yasutake was satisfied with what he said, so he turned around to leave. But before he could…

"Yasu."

Yasutake stopped dead in his tracks. Who… who had said that? Cam was the only one who called him Yasu, but that hadn't been Cam's voice. It had been a girl's voice, low and throaty, as if it had trouble speaking from lack of use. But… there was only one girl in this house.

Yasutake slowly turned around and stared at Sachi. She hadn't moved at all and her eyes were as dead as ever. But there was no mistaking her mouth moving with what she said next.

"Yasu is… my friend."

With those words, Sachi closed her eyes. After a few moments, her breathing bore the rhythmic pattern of sleep.

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Galahad**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Morningstar**

Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). As Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Galahad**

Galahad draws. Since Morningstar controls a monster and he does not, Galahad Special Summons Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight from his hand (2300/2100/7) in Attack Position. He then Normal Summons Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun (1600/1200/4). Galahad activates the Spell Card Gaia's Will. Since he controls a "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster, he can excavate the top card of his Deck, and if it is a Level 3 or lower monster, he can Special Summon it and draw cards equal to its Level. He draws Torapart, Special Summons it (600/600/2), and draws 2 cards. Galahad tunes the Level 2 Torapart to the Level 4 Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun to Synchro Summon Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth (2600/800/6) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Galahad Sets 2 cards. Gaia Knight attacks Cyspirit Lancer. Morningstar attempts to activate his face-down card, but since Gaia Knight was Synchro Summoned using Torapart, Morningstar cannot activate Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. Gaia Knight destroys Lancer (Morningstar: 4000→3500 LP). Lord Gaia attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Battle Barrier, reducing the battle damage to 0 and ending the Battle Phase since he has a "Cyspirit" monster in his GY. Galahad ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call, which adds 1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Swordsman. Since he controls no monsters, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) in Attack Position. As Swordsman was Special Summoned via its effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Prisoner. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to the zone Cacophonic Caller points to. He Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2) in Attack Position, but it cannot declare an attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller, Dancer, and Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400/3/↙↑→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, that monster gains 600 ATK (Pied Pikeman: 2400→3000). Since Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Sanctuary to his hand. Because a monster with higher ATK than Lord Gaia was Special Summoned to the opponent's field, Lord Gaia's effect activates, increasing its ATK by 700 until the end of the turn (Lord Gaia: 2300→3000).

Morningstar activates the Field Spell Card Cyspirit Sanctuary, which increases the ATK/DEF of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls by 300 (Pied Pikeman: 3000→3300). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyberse Call in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer from his GY to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position (1800→2100/0→300/4). Morningstar activates the effect of Pied Pikeman, changing the Cyspirit Lancer it points at to Attack Position to destroy one of Galahad's face-down cards. He destroys Draining Shield. Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 2100→2400) (Pied Pikeman: 3300→3600). Morningstar Sets 1 card.

Pied Pikeman attacks Gaia Knight, but Galahad activates his face-down Trap Card Shield of the Fierce Knight, which halves all battle damage from battles involving Warrior monsters and prevents Warrior monsters from being destroyed by battle this turn (Galahad: 4000→3500 LP). At the end of the Battle Phase, Galahad must send the top card of his Deck to the GY. He sends A/D Changer to the GY. Morningstar ends his turn, and the effect of Lord Gaia ends (Lord Gaia: 3000→2300).

 **Turn 4: Galahad**

Galahad draws. He activates the Equip Spell Card Link Unit, equipping it to Lord Gaia. If Lord Gaia is used to Link Summon, it counts as 2 Link Materials. Galahad activates the Continuous Spell Card Charge of the Fierce Knight. The first time he Special Summons a Fusion, Link, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck using at least 1 "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster as Material, he can draw 2 cards. Galahad uses Gaia Knight and the Lord Gaia treated as 2 materials to Link Summon Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow (2600/3/←↓→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since he Link Summoned using Lord Gaia, he draws 2 cards. Galahad activates the Spell Card Return Link. Since he Link Summoned using only Warrior monsters, he can Special Summon the Link Materials to his field in Attack Position, but their effects are negated, they cannot declare an attack, and they are destroyed during the End Phase. Galahad Special Summons Gaia Knight (2600/800/6) and Lord Gaia (2300/2100/7). Galahad activates the effect of Shield of the Fierce Knight in the GY, banishing it and targeting Gaia Knight for its effect. Galahad can declare a Level between 1 and 8, and change Gaia Knight's Level to the declared Level until the end of the turn. He declares Level 7 (Gaia Knight: 6→7). Galahad overlays the Level 7 Gaia Knight and Lord Gaia to Xyz Summon Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger (2600/2100/7) in Attack Position to Gaia Saber's bottom Link Marker.

Galahad activates the Spell Card Link Treasure, drawing 1 card for each face-up Link Monster on the field. He draws 2 cards. Galahad activates the Spell Card Xyz Energy, detaching 1 Overlay Unit from Gaia Dragon (Gaia Dragon: 2 OU→1 OU) and targeting Pied Pikeman. Pied Pikeman is destroyed. Galahad activates the Equip Spell Card Lance of the Fierce Knight, and equips it to Gaia Dragon. He Sets 1 card. Galahad activates the effect of the A/D Changer in his GY, banishing it and targeting Cyspirit Lancer for its effect. Lancer is changed to Defense Position. Since Lancer is no longer in Attack Position, its effect ends (Lancer: 2400→2100).

Gaia Dragon attacks Lancer. Morningstar attempts to activate the effect of the Cyspirit Battle Barrier in his GY, but the effect of the equipped Lance of the Fierce Knight prevents Morningstar from activating Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. Gaia Dragon destroys Lancer, and since it attacked a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage (Morningstar: 3500→1200 LP). Since a Cyberse monster was destroyed by battle, Morningstar activates his Skill, Cyberse Revolution, to Special Summon a Cyberse monster from his Deck with a lower Level than the destroyed monster. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Saver (0→300/1300→1600/2) in Defense Position. Galahad activates the effect of Charge of the Fierce Knight, sending it to the GY and targeting Cyspirit Saver. Saver is switched from Defense Position to Attack Position. Gaia Saber attacks and destroys Saver, but Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Battle Barrier in his GY, banishing it to reduce the battle damage to 0 and end the Battle Phase as he has a "Cyspirit" monster in his GY. Since he now controls no monsters, the second effect of Battle Barrier activates and Morningstar draws cards equal to the number of monsters Galahad controls. Galahad controls 2, so he draws 2 cards.

Galahad activates his Skill, Second Charge. At the end of the Battle Phase, he can banish 3 Warrior monsters from his GY to conduct a second Battle Phase. He banishes Gaia, the Mid-Knight Sun, Torapart, and Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth. Gaia Dragon attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Battler in his hand, Special Summoning it in Attack Position as his opponent is attacking him directly (1500→1800/700→1000/4). A replay occurs and Gaia Dragon attacks and destroys Battler (Morningstar: 1200→400 LP). Since Battler was destroyed by battle, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Swordsman. Gaia Saber attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Cyspirit Lineage, targeting the Cyspirit Lancer in his GY and Special Summoning it in Attack Position (1800→2100/0→300/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 2100→2400). A replay occurs and Gaia Saber attacks and destroys Lancer (Morningstar: 400→200 LP). Since the monster Special Summoned by Cyspirit Lineage's effect was destroyed, Lineage is destroyed, and Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Teleporter. Galahad ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. Since he controls no monsters, he Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200→1500/900→1200/3) in Attack Position via its effect. He activates its effect to add Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke from his Deck to his hand. Since his opponent controls a Link Monster and he does not, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke (200→500/500→800/2) in Attack Position. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Teleporter (500→800/1500→1800/3). Since he controls 2 or more "Cyspirit" monsters, Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Equivalency, which increases the Levels of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls by the total number of "Cyspirit" monsters he controls. He controls 3 "Cyspirit" monsters, so the Levels of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls increase by 3 (Swordsman: 3→6) (Teleporter: 3→6) (Tunnel Tyke: 2→5). Morningstar uses Swordsman, Teleporter, and Tunnel Tyke to Link Summon Cyspirit Winning Wrestler (2500→2800/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman (1200→1500/900→1200/3) to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Navigator (1300→1600/1100→1400/3) in Attack Position to Winning Wrestler's bottom-left Link Marker. Morningstar uses Navigator and Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Idealistic Idol (1500→1800/2/←↑) to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker. As he controls 2 or more face-up "Cyspirit" monsters, Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Reinforcements, letting him target 1 Level 6 or lower "Cyspirit" monster in his GY and Special Summoning that monster in Attack Position. He Special Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800→2100/0→300/4) to Winning Wrestler's bottom-left Link Marker and Idealistic Idol's left Link Marker. Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Idealistic Idol: 1800→2100) (Lancer: 2100→2400) (Winning Wrestler: 2800→3100). Since it points to 2 monsters, Morningstar activates the effect of Idealistic Idol, targeting Winning Wrestler. Winning Wrestler can make up to 3 attacks on monsters during the Battle Phase, but Morningstar's other monsters cannot declare an attack.

Winning Wrestler attacks Gaia Saber. Galahad activates his face-down Trap Card Mirror Force, which would destroy all of Morningstar's Attack Position monsters. But because Winning Wrestler points to at least 1 monster, "Cyspirit" monsters Morningstar controls cannot be destroyed by Galahad's card effects. The attack continues, and Morningstar activates Winning Wrestler's second effect. Since it points to at least 2 monsters and is attacking a Special Summoned monster, Morningstar can target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster Winning Wrestler points to and lower the ATK of the attacked monster by half of the targeted monster's ATK. Morningstar targets Idealistic Idol (Gaia Saber: 2600→1550). Winning Wrestler destroys Gaia Saber (Galahad: 3500→1950 LP). Since Winning Wrestler destroyed a monster by battle, the effect of Idealistic Idol deals 300 damage to Galahad (Galahad: 1950→1650 LP). Winning Wrestler attacks Gaia Dragon, and Morningstar activates its second effect, targeting Idealistic Idol (Gaia Dragon: 2600→1550). Winning Wrestler destroys Gaia Dragon (Galahad: 1650→100 LP). The effect of Idealistic Idol activates (Galahad: 100→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Battler  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1500 DEF 700 Level: 4  
_ _When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card in Attack Position (from your hand). If this card is destroyed by battle: you can target 1 "Cyspirit" monster in your GY, except "Cyspirit Battler"; add it to your hand. You can only activate each effect of "Cyspirit Battler" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2500 LINK-3  
_ _3 Level 5 or higher "Cyspirit" monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: "Cyspirit" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects.  
_ _-2 or more: If this card attacks an opponent's Special Summoned monster, you can target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster this card points to; lower the ATK of the attacked monster by half of the targeted monster's ATK. The turn you activate this effect: your opponent takes no battle damage, except from battles involving this card.  
_ _-3: Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1: You can Tribute 1 monster this card points to; inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Tributed monster's ATK. The turn you activate this effect: your opponent takes no battle damage._

 _ **Gaia's Will Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you control a face-up "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster: excavate the top card of your Deck; if the excavated card is a Level 3 or lower monster, Special Summon it and draw cards equal to its Level. If not, place it on the bottom of your Deck. You can only activate "Gaia's Will" once per turn._

 _ **Shield of the Fierce Knight Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Halve all battle damage from battles involving Warrior monsters you control until the end of the turn. The turn you activate this effect, Warrior monsters cannot be destroyed by battle. At the end of the Battle Phase: send the top card of your Deck to the GY. You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 Warrior monster on your field: declare a Level between 1 and 8; the targeted monster's Level becomes the declared Level until the end of the turn._

 _ **Charge of the Fierce Knight Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _The first time you Special Summon a Fusion, Link, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck using at least 1 "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster as Material: draw 2 cards. During your Battle Phase, you can target 1 monster your opponent controls: send this card to the GY; change that monster's battle position. You can only control 1 "Charge of the Fierce Knight" at a time._

 _ **Return Link Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you Link Summoned a Link Monster using only Warrior monster(s) as the Link Material this turn: Target the Link Material(s) in your GY; Special Summon it to your field in Attack Position with its effects negated. The monster(s) Special Summoned by this effect cannot declare an attack and is destroyed during your End Phase. You can only activate "Return Link" once per turn._

 _ **Lance of the Fierce Knight Equip Spell Card  
**_ _Equip only to a monster with 2300 ATK or 2600 ATK. If the equipped monster attacks, your opponent cannot activate Spell/Trap Cards or their effects until the end of the Damage Step. You can only control 1 "Lance of the Fierce Knight" at a time._

 _ **Cyspirit Equivalency Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you control 2 or more "Cyspirit" monsters: Increase the Levels of all "Cyspirit" monsters you control by the total number of "Cyspirit" monsters you control. You cannot activate this card if you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster. You can only activate "Cyspirit Equivalency" once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 14 – Angels and Archfiends_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to HunterHQ, ClearwingYuta, sanedimentio, Unknowedz, mekyaku, Ethan Kironus, Frost190, D3lph0xL0v3r, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 12 of Hidden Memories. Also, thank you to ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapters 7 and 8, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 1. Now in response to some of the reviews…

To answer ClearwingYuta, no, Masako is not one of the six children. Given that they introduced Spectre and they might introduce the rest, I'm not introducing any more of them until the anime does. As for raising the number of children, I have considered that, but I want to wait for the anime to introduce more of them before I make a decision. If I do decide to increase the number of children, I'll have to do a fair number of updates to previous chapters.

In response to Unknowedz: One: In this fanfic, Yusaku and Yasutake are not gay. If Yusaku turns out to be gay in the anime, that will be awesome, but either way, Yasutake is not Johan Anderson. Two: You're right, that was careless of Yusaku. I do have an idea about someone learning Yasutake's secret, but I'm divided on whether or not to implement it. Three: Fun as it would be to write a 4-on-1 duel, I don't want to try that. At least not yet. And of course he kicked their butts. Four: I'm not sure you and I have the same understanding of what Masako means by 'real'. She'll be explaining what she means by that either in the next chapter, or Chapter 15. I haven't decided yet.

To answer mekyaku, Masako is being unclear on either reason. I have no plans for Morningstar to use a summoning method besides Link Summon at the moment, but that might change in the far future. No promises though. As for the Knights of Hanoi using them, I won't, sadly. One of the things I tried to say in Chapter 9 was that Fusion, Ritual, Synchro, and Xyz are considered outdated and useless. A wrong assessment, I know, but the Knights follow that logic. Meaning that characters who use a technique other than Link Summoning are sadly uncommon. At least at this stage of Hidden Memories. As for what I think of the Sunavalon Deck, it seems like the most powerful Stall Deck I've ever seen. But the weakness Playmaker exploited is a clever one, since it destroyed all of Spectre's cards.

To answer Frost190's question about another chapter between Yasutake and Masako, they will interact in the next few chapters, but I'm not entirely clear on the details yet.

And finally, to answer Guest's question about Morningstar sending Hanoi a message, I haven't considered that, and I'm not sure if I can do that. As for Revolver getting more involved, that won't happen soon. At this stage, Terminus is the largest enemy to Morningstar, so he gets center stage right now.

I want to thank sanedimentio and OPFan37 for helping me with Winning Wrestler. I came up with the effects myself, but sanedimentio aided in the card's appearance, and both its attack and effects names were suggested by OPFan37.

This chapter was primarily about the duel between Galahad and Morningstar. I wanted to show just how awesome Galahad is, despite no one knowing who he is, so like Morningstar said, he pushed him almost as far as Playmaker did. Of course Morningstar had to win, but I also included Terminus helping Galahad anyway to show that despite being a bad guy, Terminus does have a good side, and to help make things less tragic. As dark as the anime and this story are going to get, I wanted to show that good things do happen a lot. Even better, it gave me another chance to make things harder for Kitamura. He so deserves everything that happens to him.

This was also the debut of Winning Wrestler, Morningstar's Cyspirit Link Monster that represents Cam. I originally had planned on it being Link-2, like Idealistic Idol, but I changed it to Link-3 because I felt it would work better. I also decided to show it alongside Idealistic Idol to showcase the sibling bond that Cam and Sachi have, as its somewhat difficult to show it in the current day. That was also the reason I included the intro scene, which is set a few months before Sachi is kidnapped.

One thing I wanted to show with this chapter was the parallels between Takeshi's relationship with Eiji and Cam's relationship with Sachi. Both are older siblings who are very protective of their younger siblings. That's why I wrote the opening sequence to be ambiguous, so people couldn't initially be sure who the two kids were. I did want to bring Akira into this in some way, but I couldn't think of a way to do that, so we just had Aoi watching the duel.

Another development here is Terminus working on his own AI duelist. I know that Hanoi is anti-AI, but I wanted to introduce a new element to their story, and like Revolver said, "It's fun to fight poison with poison." Dueling-wise, it's also a good way to get away from the Hanoi grunts and give AI duelists another chance, since both ones Morningstar dueled lost very easily.

And finally, we get development for Sachi. Considering her state, she's the most difficult to write character development for; is it too much, too little? Is it too sudden? Considering how much the "three things" phrase means to Yasutake and Yusaku, I thought it would a good way to help bring Sachi out of her nightmare. And writing that last scene just made me very happy.

For the last few chapters, I've been updating every two weeks, both to allow the anime to get ahead, and to set myself a schedule. I originally planned on posting this on February 14th and having it be a Valentine's Day present, but I'm about to start my final semester of college and I'll be working on a big project, so I wanted to get this done first. I can't say when the next chapter will come out, but it should take me around two weeks or more. I have some new ideas about where to take Masako's and Tagoma's characters that I want to try, and I want to work out the details first.

Thank you for reading Chapter 13 of Hidden Memories. Please post your favorite moments of the chapter in a review. What would you like to see next? What should the next indignity Kitamura undergoes be? What do you think of the idea of a Hanoi AI? And finally, which of Galahad's Extra Deck monsters is your favorite? Sky Galloping Gaia, Gaia Knight, Gaia Dragon, or Gaia Saber?


	14. Chapter 14: Angels and Archfiends

**Update**

I've gone back to Chapter 3 and changed the names of the Jack Knights to Mekk-Knights to reflect their release in the TCG. I've also changed the summoning chant for World Scars or Spectrum Supreme.

Also, in light of Episode 41, and my own growing concerns, I've decided to change the number of kids in the Lost Incident from 6 to 8 to account for Yasutake and Sachi. I will be going back to the later chapters to make changes along these lines. I will also put a note on Chapter 1 so new readers are aware of this.

That said, please enjoy Chapter 14 of Hidden Memories!

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Angels and Archfiends**

The fork fell on the plate as Cam's grip loosened. He didn't even notice as he stared at Yasutake, his mouth agape.

"S-She spoke?" Cam said, his voice barely above a whisper. "S-Sachi… spoke?"

Yasutake, after taking a bite of his waffles, nodded. "I spoke to her before I went to bed. She… said I was her friend."

Cam continued to stare at Yasutake, forgetting completely about his fork. "H-How? What did you say to her?"

"I…" Yasutake didn't entirely want to tell Cam what he had said to Sachi. It seemed private, between the two of them. But he trusted Cam. "I said that I was her friend and I promised to protect her. And after she spoke… I said nothing. I just went upstairs."

Cam's expression didn't change as he leaned back in his chair. "I've gone ten years without hearing my sister speak," he murmured. "And I miss out on it by a few minutes."

Yasutake coughed into his hand. "Anyway," he said, changing the subject. "We have larger concerns. Once I log into LINK VRAINS, I'll-."

"No."

"What?" Yasutake said, surprised at Cam's interruption.

"No," Cam said firmly, picking up his fork. "You're going to school today, Yasu. You skipped yesterday, you're not skipping today."

"But Hanoi-."

"Will be there when school ends," Cam said. "I've corresponded with Kusanagi and he's sending Fujiki to school. You're going too."

Yasutake sighed. He hated it when Cam used that tone. "Fine," he said. "What are you going to do in the meantime?"

"My day job," Cam answered. "And when I'm not, I'm going to go through the Another victims. See if I can help Kusanagi find any clues."

Yasutake nodded. "Right. When I get back, we'll start the hunt. If I take out enough Knights, one of the leaders will eventually show themselves."

* * *

Terminus frowned as he looked at the screen in front of him.

"What is it?"

He turned around and smiled at who it was. "Ah, Revolver. Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, but that can wait," Revolver said as joined Terminus in looking at the screen. It showed several readings. "What is this?"

Terminus's frown returned. "A puzzle," he said. "And one I'm not sure how to solve."

"What do you mean?"

"These are energy readings," Terminus explained. "You know that when a duel occurs, the monsters release energy, right? And each kind of monster – Fusion, Ritual, Link, all of them – releases specific energy, while more powerful monsters release more energy."

"I do know that," Revolver said. "What are these readings for?"

"Morningstar," Terminus said. "I've been analyzing the data we have on his past duels and comparing it to the data from his duel with Galahad. And I found something… odd."

"Odd?"

"Look at this." Terminus zoomed in on one of the readings. It showed several bars about halfway up the chart. "These are the readings from his Cyspirit Pied Pikeman. The readings are about the same as most Link-3 monsters. Now, compare this to the readings we got from Cyspirit Winning Wrestler." He switched over to a different reading, which made Revolver's eyes widen.

"The readings are much higher. You think this is significant?"

Terminus sighed. "To be honest, I'm not sure. It might just be an abnormality, but I thought it worth investigating. Especially this part." He pulled up another chart. "These are the energy readings we retrieved from Cyspirit Idealistic Idol."

"They're much higher than a Link-2 monster should create," Revolver noted.

"That's true. But this… this is very strange. When Idealistic Idol appeared, Winning Wrestler's readings increased."

Revolver narrowed his eyes. "And that means…?"

"I don't know," Terminus said. "I think there's some significance to these two Link Monsters, but I can't figure it out. But, when I went through our data on Morningstar's previous duels, I found this." He pulled out another chart, with readings greater than the last two. "This is from Morningstar's duel with Spectre. Care to guess which monster this is?"

"Cyspirit Neo Nova," Revolver said. He had watched the footage of Morningstar's duel with Spectre. He'd been surprised to see Morningstar possess a monster that resembled Playmaker's Firewall Dragon.

"Correct," Terminus said. "Its readings are higher than a Link-4 monster should produce. Alone, I would suspect these to be the result of bugs, but together…"

Revolver frowned. "The Cyspirit monsters… do you know where they came from? Who created them?"

Terminus shook his head. "I would assume SOL Technologies created them when they possessed the Ignis; they created the other Cyberse monsters. But I can't figure out why SOL would attach significance to these three monsters."

"Perhaps they didn't make them," Revolver mused. "Wasn't your older brother working on Cyberse cards before… his incident?"

Terminus frowned. He didn't like thinking about his older brother these days. "It's possible," Terminus finally said. "I do remember Hitomu talk about making some unique Cyberse cards… I believe he mentioned some kind of 'trinity,' but he never explained what that meant. I don't even know if he managed to make those cards in the end."

"If he did, perhaps these three monsters are the 'trinity' he spoke of," Revolver said. "Idealistic Idol, Winning Wrestler, and Neo Nova… from what we've seen, these are the most powerful of the Cyspirit Link Monsters. Do they have a unique connection to the Cyberse, or do these readings mean something else?"

The two pondered their thoughts for a while before Terminus shook his head. "This is a mystery for another day," he said. "What did you need of me, Revolver?"

"Ah, yes," Revolver said, remembering why he came down here. "Your AI duelist. I wanted to see how it was coming along."

Terminus smiled. "Rather well, in fact." He closed the screen in front of him and opened another. It showed Baira with a humanoid creation. It resembled Kitamura's AI duelists, but was colored in white, silver, and gold. "Baira and I have already completed most of the core programming; Kitamura's code was easier to manipulate than we thought. At this point, we just need to test its dueling programming."

"I see…"

Terminus turned to Revolver. "Are you having second thoughts about this? You approved me and Baira working on this."

"Because you're right," Revolver said. "Dr. Genome already fell to Go Onizuka, and more of our Knights are falling as well. An AI duelist would be far easier to replace than a human. And if you, Baira, or Faust should fall before the Tower is ready to be deployed, we'll need this to slow down Playmaker and his allies when they try to stop us."

"Then what's bothering you?"

"…Nothing," Revolver said before smirking. "You said you were going to test its dueling programming, right?"

* * *

Yasutake yawned in his seat. About half the class hadn't shown up yet. Yusaku was sitting in the back as usual, laying his head on his arms. Likewise, Naoki was in the middle row, looking at his tablet.

"Narahiko."

Yasutake turned around and saw Aoi sit in the row behind him. "Good morning," she said.

"Good morning," he said. He waited for her to say something more, but she didn't, so he turned back to the front.

He idly wondered whether Blue Angel was going to show up in LINK VRAINS today, but he suspected she wouldn't. Aoi was likely still confused about her motivations for dueling, and unless she cleared those up, she would never achieve her true potential.

"Good morning, Yasutake."

Yasutake looked to the right and saw Masako smiling at him as she sat down next to him.

"Good morning," he responded. He turned back to the front but watched out of the corner of his eye as Masako unpacked her bag. He turned his head on seeing something he didn't expect. Was that-?

"Hey," Masako said, closing her bag. "It's rude to look in a lady's belongings."

"Sorry," Yasutake said. "I was just surprised to see a manga in there. I didn't know you liked manga."

Masako shrugged. "I like some manga."

"Though I've never heard of _Junjou Romantica_ before. What's it about?"

To his surprise, Masako's face turned bright red. "I-It… well…"

Before she could say anything else, the teacher called the class to attention and both turned to the front. They didn't talk to each other at all during the class.

At the end of class, the teacher said, "Now students, I know you have a free period after this, which is why we have a special guest today."

Takeshi walked into the room and smiled at the freshmen. Several of the girls swooned or got red in the face because of the handsome blonde senior.

"Hello," he said. "I'm-." Then he noticed Yasutake. "Oh, it's you! Hi, freshman!" As the rest of the room stared at Yasutake, he blinked lazily at Takeshi.

"Who are you?"

Takeshi cried out and grasped his chest as he fell to the floor. The entire class sweatdropped as they stared at him. After a few seconds, he jumped up and ran to Yasutake's desk.

"Are you kidding me!?" he shouted at Yasutake, his face red with anger. "We just talked to each other a week ago! How could you not remember me!?"

Yasutake's expression didn't change as he said, "Your shirt is buttoned wrong."

"Huh?" Takeshi said, forgetting his anger momentarily as he looked down. Sure enough, he'd buttoned his shirt on the wrong buttons. "Ah!" he shouted as he turned around and quickly fixed his shirt. He turned around, his anger returning.

"Don't think you can confuse me! I'm Takeshi Akino! The Student Council President! Do you know how rude it is to forget someone's name?"

"Do you know what my name is?"

"I-." That was as far as Takeshi got before he realized he didn't know this freshman's name. His mouth remained open for about five seconds before he closed it.

Masako giggled, drawing the boys' attention. "Stop teasing him, Yasutake," she said. "Amusing as this is, it's kind of sad."

"Y-Yasutake?" several of the boys in the class whispered. "They're on first name basis already?"

"I hate him."

"I'm feeling so jealous."

Yasutake sweatdropped at hearing his classmates' reactions. "My name is Yasutake Narahiko," he told Takeshi. "Why are you here?"

Takeshi's expression straightened as he recalled his reason for dropping by. "Oh, right!" He returned to the front of the classroom and said, "A week ago, the student council sent out forms to various clubs asking them various questions about what we can do to improve our work."

His expression darkened at his next words. "Unfortunately, three members of the student council have been turned into Anothers by the Knights of Hanoi. Because of Hanoi, the student council doesn't have enough members to collect the surveys. I'm here to ask for three freshmen to help me collect the surveys from the various clubs here on campus."

"I should point out," the teacher interrupted. "That President Akino's request has been approved by the school director and anyone who helps him will earn extra credit."

That last part got much of the class excited, but before anyone else could say anything, Masako raised her hand. "I'll help, Akino," she said, smiling at him. "But only if Yasutake here can help, too."

"What?" Yasutake said, startled. "No, I don't want to help." He felt his back start to burn from all the glares he was getting.

"Sure, that works for me," Takeshi said, grinning evilly at Yasutake. "And miss, you are…?"

"Masako Himura," she answered. "Yasutake and I will help you."

"You hate me, don't you?" Yasutake whispered to Masako. Every time she called him Yasutake, he felt his classmates' jealousy increase. If she kept this up, someone might do something stupid.

"Of course I don't," Masako said, an innocent smile on her face. "I just want you to get out more."

"Well, that's two," Takeshi said. "I need a third. Anyone else want to volunteer?"

Yasutake was sure the next volunteer would be a guy, trying to get closer to Masako. But the person who volunteered next surprised him.

* * *

Baira turned to look at Terminus. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked him.

Terminus shrugged. "Revolver was the one who requested it. He said that if this AI duelist is supposed to go toe-to-toe with duelists like Morningstar and Playmaker, a duelist of their skill level should test it."

Baira turned forward again. The two were standing on a balcony overlooking an arena in Hanoi's stronghold. On one end stood the AI duelist they were working on, designated Prototype HAI-A. On the other end was Revolver.

"Well this is interesting." Terminus turned as Faust and Spectre materialized next to them. Spectre, who had spoken, said, "I would have thought dueling an AI duelist would be beneath Master Revolver."

"I assumed you would be testing it, Terminus," Faust said. "Why is Revolver doing this?"

"It was his request," Terminus answered. "In any event, I can't dissuade him from it."

Spectre glanced at Terminus and smirked. "I'm curious, do you think your AI duelist will win?"

Baira and Terminus both shook their heads. "There's no question Revolver will win," Baira said. "This is more a test to see how much our AI duelist can challenge him."

"I just hope Revolver doesn't get too serious," Terminus said. "This is our only prototype; if he obliterates it, we'll have to start from scratch."

In the arena, Revolver smirked at Prototype HAI-A. "An AI duelist is no replacement for a human," he said. "There's no way you can actually defeat me. But Baira and Terminus put a lot of work into you. If you do not push me even a little, I will deem you worthless."

Terminus pressed some buttons, causing HAI-A to raise its arm. "Commence Master Duel," it said. Revolver frowned. He liked taunting and belittling his opponents when he fought them, but there was no point in doing that to an AI duelist.

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Revolver: 4000 LP**

 **Prototype HAI-A: 4000 LP**

"Have HAI-A take the first turn," Baira said to Terminus. "Let it show what it can do." Terminus nodded in response as he pressed a few more buttons.

"My turn," HAI-A said. "I activate the effect of Archfiend General. By discarding it, I can add the Field Spell Card Pandemonium to my hand." It took the card from its Deck, then said, "I activate the Field Spell Card: Pandemonium. With Pandemonium in play, neither player has to pay Life Points during the Standby Phase for 'Archfiend' monsters. And each time an 'Archfiend' monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard outside of battle, its owner can add one 'Archfiend' monster from their Deck to their hand, so long as its Level is lower than the destroyed monster's."

Faust raised an eyebrow. "An Archfiend Deck?" he asked Terminus, who nodded.

"I Normal Summon Archfiend Cavalry," HAI-A said. A fiend rider in red armor carrying a bone lance and riding a black horse in red armor appeared on its field.

 **Archfiend Cavalry ATK 1900 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"As I control an 'Archfiend' card, I can Special Summon Archfiend Commander from my hand." Another monster joined Archfiend Cavalry on the field. This one was a large purple fiend with grey arms, legs, and shoulders.

 **Archfiend Commander ATK 2500 DEF 1200 LVL: 6**

"Archfiend Commander's monster effect," HAI-A said. "If Special Summoned by its effect, I must target and destroy one 'Archfiend' card I control. I target Archfiend Cavalry." Cavalry disintegrated at HAI-A's words.

Spectre scoffed. "As expected of a stupid AI duelist," he said. "It destroyed its own card to make way for something stronger. Such a simple strategy."

"No," Terminus said. "It's just getting started."

"Archfiend Cavalry's monster effect," HAI-A then said. "If destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard, I can target one 'Archfiend' monster in my Graveyard, except Archfiend Cavalry, and Special Summon it. I Special Summon Archfiend General in Attack Position." An orange fiend covered in black bone armor with black wings appeared on its field.

 **Archfiend General ATK 2100 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"As an 'Archfiend' monster was destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard, Pandemonium's effect activates," HAI-A continued. "I can add 1 Level 3 or lower 'Archfiend' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add the Level 3 Archfiend Heiress to my hand."

"I see," Spectre said. "It destroyed its own monster to bring back a stronger one and add a new one to its hand. If nothing else, its programming is good."

HAI-A raised its hands above it. "Circuit, open!" it declared, surprising Revolver and Spectre as the Link portal appeared above it. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Fiend monsters. I set Archfiend Commander and Archfiend General in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the portal, turning the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Masterking Archfiend!" A large blue demon with bone armor and large blue wings appeared on HAI-A's field. It swung a bone sword with a blue hilt as it took its place in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Masterking Archfiend ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

"I Set two cards," HAI-A said. "I end my turn."

Spectre scoffed. "I take back what I said. That Link Monster is weaker than Archfiend Commander and Archfiend General. Why would it summon it to begin with? Such a stupid AI."

"It's not being stupid," Faust said. "It's being smart."

"Faust is right," Terminus said, drawing everyone's attention. "Before the duel began, I gave the AI duelist information on Revolver's Deck. It knows about Topologic Bomber Dragon, so it Link Summoned to keep its field from being destroyed."

Spectre's smirked again. "That may protect it from Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect, but it doesn't protect it from being destroyed by battle. Or Topologic Bomber Dragon's other effect."

In the arena, Revolver smirked. He'd figured out HAI-A's reasons quicker than Terminus had explained them. After all, he had requested Terminus give the AI data on his Deck. It would make this duel more challenging.

"My turn! Draw!"

* * *

Yasutake looked to the right at his partner as they walked down the hall. "Are you sure about this?" he asked her. "This doesn't seem like your thing."

Aoi nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. My brother would tell me its good for my future to help the student council."

 _That's one way to look at it,_ Yasutake thought. But he was almost certain Aoi had volunteered because she wanted to talk to him.

After Aoi volunteered, Takeshi instructed them to split into groups of two to cover more ground. Masako had tried to go with Yasutake, but Takeshi had forbidden it, saying he wasn't sure they would collect the forms if the two were alone together. Yasutake wasn't sure what annoyed him more; Takeshi's statement or Masako agreeing with it. So instead, Masako had gone with Takeshi and Yasutake ended up with Aoi.

"What clubs does Den Academy have besides Duel Club?" Yasutake asked. Aoi shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm pretty sure we have a few sports clubs. Wouldn't be surprising if we had a literature club or two." She looked down at the tablet she was carrying and the list of clubs and their locations Takeshi had given them. "But it looks like the first club we're visiting is…" She stopped walking as she stared at the screen. "The… Playmaker Appreciation Club."

Yasutake also stopped walking as he stared at her. "You're kidding."

Aoi showed him her tablet. Sure enough, there was a club called the Playmaker Appreciation Club on the list.

"Huh," Yasutake said. "Must be a new club. Do you think there are clubs for Go Onizuka or Blue Angel?"

Aoi's eye twitched at that question. "I don't know," she said as she started walking again. "But it wouldn't surprise me."

The Playmaker Appreciation Club was just what its name suggested; all the members were discussing the latest news on Playmaker and the walls of the clubroom were displaying pictures of Playmaker. One female member told them that she was going to marry Playmaker when she graduated. Yasutake was half-tempted to introduce her to Yusaku, just to see the look on his face.

"That club was ridiculous," Aoi said as soon as they were out of earshot of the room. "I understand why people like Playmaker, but that level is…"

"Yeah," Yasutake agreed. "Hopefully the rest of the clubs are more subdued." As they walked down the hallway, he said, "Why did you volunteer for this Zaizen? You said your brother would approve, but I get the feeling you've never done something like this before."

They walked in silence for a minute before Aoi answered. "I see what Himura likes about you."

Yasutake blinked. That wasn't the response he expected. "What?"

"You don't beat around the bush," she said. "When you want to know something, you get straight to the point." She was quiet for a minute, then said, somewhat hesitantly, "Do you… think of me as a friend, Narahiko?"

Yasutake stopped walking. Aoi kept walking a few steps, then stopped and turned around so they were facing each other. Both of their faces were expressionless.

"Why does it matter what I think of you?" Yasutake asked her.

Aoi frowned. "I guess… because I think of you as a friend. And I… just wanted to know if that feeling was mutual."

Silence filled the air between them for a minute or so before Yasutake spoke. "Yes," he said. "I do think of you as a friend."

Aoi's eyes widened in surprise, but then she smiled. "That's… good to know, Narahiko. Thank you."

Yasutake sighed. "Let's finish this task for what's-his-name," he said, walking again. "We don't have all the time in the world."

* * *

"As there is a Link Monster on your field, I can Special Summon Gateway Dragon in Attack Position!" Revolver declared. A six-sided golden gate appeared on his field, out of which a three-armed golden dragon appeared.

 **Gateway Dragon ATK 1600 DEF 1400 LVL: 4**

"Gateway Dragon's monster effect!" Revolver continued. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Dragon monster from my hand. I call forth Sniffer Dragon!" Gateway Dragon's gate opened again, and out came a red humanoid dragon with black metal attachments.

 **Sniffer Dragon ATK 800 DEF 400 LVL: 2**

"Due to Sniffer Dragon's monster effect, I add another Sniffer Dragon from my Deck to my hand," Revolver said, doing so. "I discard the Level 6 Linkbelt Wall Dragon to Special Summon Defrag Dragon from my hand!" A dark blue metal dragon with red outlines and red and green holographic wings appeared on Revolver's field.

 **Defrag Dragon ATK 1000 DEF 600 LVL: 3**

"Appear! The future circuit that lights up my path!" Revolver declared, gesturing above him as his hand sparked with blue lightning. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 4 or lower non-Token Dragon monsters! I set Gateway Dragon and Sniffer Dragon in the Link Markers!" His two dragon became whirlwinds of energy as they entered the bottom and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Twin Triangle Dragon!" A black, gold, and purple dragon with two gold triangles around its arms appeared, summoned to Revolver's Extra Monster Zone.

 **Twin Triangle Dragon ATK 1200 LINK-2** ↓→

"Twin Triangle Dragon's monster effect activates," Revolver said. "I pay 500 Life Points, and then Special Summon a Level 5 or higher monster from my Graveyard next to its Link Marker. Resurrect, Linkbelt Wall Dragon!" A large blue and gold dragon with two silver arms appeared behind Revolver in Attack Position.

 **Revolver: 4000→3500 LP**

 **Linkbelt Wall Dragon ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 6**

"The Special Summoned monster loses its effects and can't attack this turn," Revolver said.

"Ah, but that won't matter," Spectre said as he smirked. "Master Revolver has everything he needs now."

"I activate the Spell Card: Marker Charge!" Revolver said next. "Since there are two monsters in the Extra Monster Zones with equal Link Ratings, I can draw two cards and reveal them. But they will be banished during the End Phase if I do not play them."

Revolver drew, then revealed them to HAI-A. The cards were Anesthrokket Dragon and Squib Draw. He then gestured above himself again as he declared, "Manifest! The future circuit that lights up my path!" The Link portal once again appeared above Revolver.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two Effect Monsters. I set Defrag Dragon, Linkbelt Wall Dragon, and the Link 2 Twin Triangle Dragon in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Twin Triangle Dragon splitting in half, and entered the bottom-left, top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Topologic Bomber Dragon!" A massive metallic orange dragon with green lines running over its body appeared, taking Twin Triangle Dragon's place in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Topologic Bomber Dragon ATK 3000 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"There it is," Spectre said, smirking again. "Master Revolver's ace monster. Your AI duelist won't last long now."

Revolver smirked. "I could easily attack you now, but why don't I wait," Revolver said. "I summon Anesthrokket Dragon!" A green and yellow metal dragon with green holographic wings and a syringe on its head appeared on Revolver's field.

 **Anesthrokket Dragon ATK 0 DEF 2200 LVL: 1**

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Squib Draw!" Revolver then said. "This card destroys Anesthrokket Dragon!" His monster disintegrated upon those words. "And now I draw two cards!" He drew and smirked at his cards.

"Battle!" Revolver declared. "Topologic Bomber Dragon, attack Masterking Archfiend! Ultimate Malicious Code!" Topologic Bomber Dragon gathered red energy in its mouth and blasted Masterking Archfiend with it.

"Trap activate!" HAI-A declared. "Archfiend's Barrier!" The card showed Archfiend Commander standing in front of Archfiend General, stopping an energy blast with its hand. "All battle damage from battles involving 'Archfiend' monsters is reduced to 0 this turn!" The red blast hit Masterking Archfiend, but it held firm. "In addition, 'Archfiend' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn."

"Hmm," Revolver said. "Not bad. I see Baira and Terminus actually gave you some defensive skills." He smirked at what he said next. "But it's wasted. Topologic Bomber Dragon's monster effect! Since it attacked an opponent's monster, it inflicts damage equal to that monster's original attack points! Aiming Blast!" Topologic Bomber Dragon released blasts of red wind at HAI-A, pushing it backward several feet.

 **Prototype HAI-A: 4000→2000 LP**

"Ha!" Spectre scoffed. "It just lost half its Life Points! As expected of Master Revolver!"

"Archfiend's Barrier's second effect," HAI-A suddenly said. "If I take effect damage the turn this card is activated, I can Set one Trap Card directly from my Deck. I Set Call of the Archfiend."

 _Call of the Archfiend?_ Revolver thought, narrowing his eyes. _That Trap Card lets it Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Fiend monster from its Graveyard. But that won't change the outcome of this duel._

"I Set one card," Revolver said. "I end my turn. And during the End Phase, the effect of Anesthrokket Dragon activates. Since it was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard this turn, I can Special Summon one 'Rokket' monster from my Deck with a different name. I Special Summon Shelrokket Dragon in Defense Position!" A gold and black metal dragon with green lines running over it, green holographic wings, and a green tube on its head appeared on the field.

 **Shelrokket Dragon ATK 1100 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

Terminus narrowed his eyes. "Both duelists have to be careful," he said. "Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect activates when a monster is Special Summoned to _any_ Link Monster's Link Marker. With Masterking Archfiend and Topologic Bomber Dragon both in the Extra Monster Zones, that means they can each only Special Summon two monsters at maximum."

"Then it will be a good test of HAI-A's tactical skills," Baira said. "If it isn't good enough to get around Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect, then it isn't worth sending against our enemies."

"My turn! Draw!" HAI-A drew. "During the Standby Phase, Masterking Archfiend's effect requires me to pay 500 Life Points. But due to the effect of Pandemonium, I do not pay Life Points for the effects of 'Archfiend' cards." HAI-A gestured to one of its face-down cards. "Continuous Trap activate! That Six!"

Faust narrowed his eyes. "A perfect Trap Card for it to use," he said. "Especially with Masterking Archfiend."

Spectre turned to Faust. "What do you mean by that?"

"Continuous Trap activate!" HAI-A said again. "Call of the Archfiend! Once per turn, by discarding one Fiend monster, I can target and Special Summon one Level 5 or higher Fiend monster from my Graveyard. I discard Archfiend Heiress to Special Summon Archfiend Commander." The purple and grey fiend appeared on HAI-A's field again.

 **Archfiend Commander ATK 2500 DEF 1200 LVL: 6**

"Archfiend Heiress's monster effect!" HAI-A continued. "When it is sent to the Graveyard by card effect or battle, I can add one 'Archfiend' card from my Deck to my hand. I will add Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror."

After doing so, HAI-A said, "Masterking Archfiend's monster effect activates! When a Fiend monster is sent to the Graveyard, I roll a six-sided die and apply an effect depending on the result. If the result is 1, the monster is added to my hand. If the result is 2, 3, 4, or 5, the monster is shuffled into the Deck. And if the result is 6, that monster is Special Summoned."

"So there is a one-in-six chance of Archfiend Heiress being Special Summoned," Spectre noted. Terminus shook his head.

"Not exactly."

Six orbs appeared next to Masterking Archfiend. One lit on fire, and that fire leaped to each number. Eventually, it stopped at 3.

Spectre scoffed. "A 3. That means Archfiend Heiress returns to that AI's Deck."

"The effect of That Six activates," HAI-A said. "Once per dice roll, depending on the result, I can change the result to either 1 or 6."

"What?" Spectre said, surprised. Revolver just narrowed his eyes while Terminus smirked.

"The original result was 3," HAI-A said. "The effect of That Six changes the result from 3 to 6." The fire leapt from the 3 to the 6. "As the result is 6, Masterking Archfiend's effect Special Summons Archfiend Heiress to my field in Attack Position." A small female fiend in an intricate purple and silver dress and headdress carrying a skull scepter appeared on HAI-A's field.

 **Archfiend Heiress ATK 1000 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"HAI-A has used up all the spaces it can," Faust noted. Archfiend Commander was in the same column as Masterking Archfiend while Archfiend Heiress was in HAI-A's far-left Main Monster Zone. "That means it can only Normal Summon now."

"I Tribute Archfiend Commander and Archfiend Heiress," HAI-A said. The two monsters disintegrated as it said that. "I Tribute Summon Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror!" A massive fiend, as large as Topologic Bomber Dragon, appeared on HAI-A's field. It was primarily purple but had red spheres in its knees. It swung a massive red and purple sword as it was summoned to Masterking Archfiend's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror ATK 3000 DEF 2000 LVL: 8**

Terminus smirked. "Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect only activates if a monster is Special Summoned to a monster's Link Marker. Since this was a Normal Summon, Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect doesn't activate."

"Masterking Archfiend's monster effect!" HAI-A declared. "As at least one Fiend monster was sent to the Graveyard, I can roll a die and apply an effect depending on the result." The six orbs appeared again, and this time the fire stopped at 2. "That Six's effect activates. Because the result is a 2, it changes to 1" The fire then leapt to 1. "Because the result is 1, Masterking Archfiend's effect lets me add one of the sent Fiend monsters to my hand. I add Archfiend Commander to my hand."

HAI-A did so, then said, "Archfiend Emperor's monster effect! Once per turn, by banishing one 'Archfiend' card from my hand or Graveyard, I can target and destroy one card on the field. I banish Archfiend Cavalry from my Graveyard to destroy Topologic Bomber Dragon."

"What?" Spectre said, surprised at that effect. Revolver, however, only smirked.

"Like I would allow Topologic Bomber Dragon to fall to an AI duelist," Revolver said. He gestured to his face-down card. "Trap activate! Tactical Exchamber! This card destroys one face-up monster on my field to Special Summon one 'Rokket' monster from my Deck or Graveyard. I destroy Topologic Bomber Dragon to Special Summon Anesthrokket Dragon from my Graveyard in Defense Position!" Topologic Bomber Dragon disintegrated while Anesthrokket Dragon reappeared.

 **Anesthrokket Dragon ATK 0 DEF 2200 LVL: 1**

"Because the target of Archfiend Emperor's effect left the field, its effect resolves," HAI-A said. Above, Spectre smirked.

"Well, that was expected. Not only did Master Revolver evade Archfiend Emperor's effect, but he won't take damage at all this turn." Spectre was right; Archfiend Emperor was strong enough to destroy either of Revolver's monsters, but Masterking Archfiend wasn't strong enough to destroy either of them.

"Don't be so sure," Terminus said, drawing Spectre's attention until HAI-A spoke again.

"Archfiend Commander's monster effect. As I control an 'Archfiend' card, I Special Summon it in Attack Position, but it cannot declare an attack this turn." The purple and grey fiend reappeared on HAI-A's field.

 **Archfiend Commander ATK 2500 DEF 1200 LVL: 6**

"Since it was Special Summoned by its effect, Archfiend Commander's effect destroys one 'Archfiend' card I control," HAI-A continued. "I destroy Archfiend Emperor." The massive purple fiend disintegrated, surprising Spectre.

"It destroyed its most powerful monster for a monster that cannot attack? Why?"

"It's gambling," Terminus explained. When Spectre turned to him, he explained, "Since a Fiend monster was sent to the Graveyard, Masterking Archfiend's effect activates again. And if the die lands on a 6…" Spectre's eyes widened in realization.

The six orbs appeared again as the fire leapt between them. Eventually, it landed on 5. "The effect of That Six activates, and the result of 5 changes to a result of 6. Masterking Archfiend's effect Special Summons Archfiend Emperor to my field." Archfiend Emperor reappeared on HAI-A's field, Special Summoned to Masterking Archfiend's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror ATK 3000 DEF 2000 LVL: 8**

Revolver grit his teeth as HAI-A said, "Archfiend Emperor's monster effect. Once per turn, I can banish one 'Archfiend' card from my hand or Graveyard to destroy one card on the field. I banish Archfiend General from my Graveyard to destroy Anesthrokket Dragon." The said monster shattered at HAI-A's words.

"Battle! Archfiend Emperor, attack Shelrokket Dragon! Imperial Fiend Strike!" Archfiend Emperor swung its sword and chopped Shelrokket Dragon in half, destroying it in a massive explosion and making Revolver wince. "The Battle Phase continues! Masterking Archfiend, attack Master Revolver directly! Royal Authority!" Masterking Archfiend charged Revolver and swung its sword, pushing Revolver back several meters and making him cry out in pain.

 **Revolver: 3500→1500 LP**

"Master Revolver!" Spectre cried out. Baira, Faust, and Terminus only narrowed their eyes.

"I Set one card," HAI-A said. Terminus looked at the controls and scowled. Because he was monitoring HAI-A, he could see its face-down cards, but Revolver had asked him not to interfere. The face-down card was Hate Buster. Once Revolver attacked one of HAI-A's Fiend monsters, that card would destroy both monsters and inflict damage to Revolver equal to his monster's attack points. "I end my turn."

Revolver smirked. "And since it is the End Phase, the effects of the destroyed Anesthrokket and Shelrokket Dragons activate! I can now Special Summon two new 'Rokket' monsters from my Deck. Join me, Magnarokket Dragon and Metalrokket Dragon in Defense Position!" A blue and red metal dragon with green holographic wings and a small cannon on its head appeared, as did a blue metal dragon with green lines running over its armor, green holographic wings, and an extended cannon on its head.

 **Magnarokket Dragon ATK 1800 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

 **Metalrokket Dragon ATK 1700 DEF 1400 LVL: 4**

Faust narrowed his eyes. "Revolver has two new monsters on his field, but his Life Points are lower than the AI duelist's and neither of his monsters is strong enough."

"That doesn't matter," Spectre said, smirking again. "Master Revolver will win this. It is inevitable."

Down at the duel, Revolver smiled. "I must admit, this is more challenging than I thought it would be. But…" His eyes narrowed as he imagined his opponent as Playmaker. "…You are not Playmaker. And compared to him or Morningstar, your skills are insufficient." His imagination of Playmaker then replaced itself with Morningstar as Revolver felt his pulse quicken. This feeling… watching his duel with Spectre had made Revolver want to duel Morningstar himself. An opponent as strong as him was rare, after all.

"My turn! Draw!" Revolver looked at his card and smirked. It was almost too easy. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Boot Sector Launch! With this card, all 'Rokket' monsters gain 300 attack and defense points!"

 **Magnarokket Dragon ATK 1800→2100 DEF 1200→1500**

 **Metalrokket Dragon ATK 1700→2000 DEF 1400→1700**

"I activate the effect of Boot Sector Launch!" Revolver continued. "I can now Special Summon up to two 'Rokket' monsters from my hand in Defense Position. Come forth, Autorokket Dragon and Shelrokket Dragon!" An armored orange metal dragon with green holographic wings and a rocket on its head appeared alongside another Shelrokket Dragon, both in Defense Position.

 **Autorokket Dragon ATK 1600 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

 **Shelrokket Dragon ATK 1100 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"And due to Boot Sector Launch, both dragons gain 300 attack and defense points!"

 **Autorokket Dragon ATK 1600→1900 DEF 1000→1300**

 **Shelrokket Dragon ATK 1100→1400 DEF 2000→2300**

Revolver smirked. "This is my new evolution. Appear! The future circuit that lights up my path!" The Link portal appeared above Revolver once more. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Rokket' monsters! I set Autorokket Dragon and Magnarokket Dragon in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Booster Dragon!" A black metal dragon with a large barrel on its head, no arms, two legs, and green holographic wings appeared on his field. It roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Booster Dragon ATK 1900 LINK-2** ↙↘

Terminus narrowed his eyes. "I haven't seen Revolver use that monster before," he said. "Interesting."

"Booster Dragon's monster effect!" Revolver declared. "Once per turn, I can target one monster on the field and increase its attack and defense points by 500. I target Metalrokket Dragon for this effect!" He then gestured to said monster. "At this point, Metalrokket Dragon's effect activates! If it is targeted by a Link Monster's effect, I can destroy Metalrokket Dragon and all your cards in the same column!"

Terminus's eyes widened in surprise. Metalrokket Dragon was in the same column as Masterking Archfiend, Archfiend Commander, and HAI-A's face-down Hate Buster Trap Card.

Revolver smirked. "This is a major weakness of AI," he said. "Unless necessary, you always place your cards as close to the center of your field as possible. That makes it easy to predict where your cards will be." Metalrokket Dragon became energy that entered the barrel on Booster Dragon's head. It then fired a blast of energy at Masterking Archfiend, which passed through, hit Archfiend Commander, passed through it and hit the face-down card behind it. All three holograms exploded as a result.

"Revolver destroyed every monster on HAI-A's field except Archfiend Emperor," Baira said, awe in her voice. Revolver had definitely earned his title as Hanoi's leader.

Revolver selected the last card in his hand. "I Normal Summon Sniffer Dragon," he said, causing the red and black dragon to appear on his field.

 **Sniffer Dragon ATK 800 DEF 400 LVL: 2**

"Because Sniffer Dragon was Summoned, I can add my third Sniffer Dragon to my hand," Revolver said, doing so. "But I won't be needing it. Manifest! The future circuit that lights up my path!" The Link portal appeared for a fourth time above Revolver. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more Effect Monsters! I set Shelrokket Dragon, Sniffer Dragon, and the Link 2 Booster Dragon in the Link Markers!" His three monsters became whirlwinds of energy, two in Booster Dragon's case, that entered the left, bottom-left, right, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! My new wind that pierces through the closed world! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Borreload Dragon!"

Revolver's true ace monster appeared in his Extra Monster Zone. Borreload Dragon was a large red and silver dragon with multiple green lines running over its body. Two large silver spines emerged from its back and projected green holographic wings. Its horned head rose from the gun chamber in its chest as it roared.

 **Borreload Dragon ATK 3000 LINK-4** ←↙→↘

Faust sighed. "This duel is over."

"It ended as it was expected to end," Baira agreed.

"Maybe," Terminus said. "But Prototype HAI-A put up a better fight than anticipated."

"Borreload Dagon, attack Archfiend Emperor!" Revolver declared. A gun barrel emerged from Borreload Dragon's mouth and aimed at Archfiend Emperor. "At this point, I activate Borreload Dragon's monster effect! If it attacks an opponent's monster, I can take control of that monster and place it in a zone Borreload Dragon points to! Strange Trigger!" Borreload fired a blue bullet at Archfiend Emperor, which erupted on impact. Archfiend Emperor was covered in magma and cried out as it began to glitch.

Archfiend Emperor disappeared then reappeared on Revolver's field, at Borreload Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker.

"I will defeat you with your own monster," Revolver taunted. Being an AI, HAI-A didn't respond. "Battle! Archfiend Emperor, attack this AI duelist directly! Imperial Fiend Strike!" Archfiend Emperor charged HAI-A and swung its massive sword. It struck HAI-A, causing a massive explosion and tearing it to pieces.

 **Prototype HAI-A: 2000→0 LP**

Terminus sighed as he, Baira, Faust, and Spectre teleported down to Revolver's level.

"An excellent duel, Master Revolver," Spectre said, bowing to Revolver.

"But that was a little excessive, wasn't it?" Terminus said, walking over to the remains of HAI-A. Looking through them, he scowled. "It's going to take me quite some time to put this thing back together."

Revolver smirked. "Your AI duelist performed better than I expected it to," he said. "I could not help but get fired up."

"Should we continue with this project, Revolver?" Baira asked. "You did say it wasn't worth it if it wasn't strong enough."

Revolver thought about it then nodded. "Continue with it, Baira and Terminus," he said. "While I did win, the AI was more challenging than I anticipated. If nothing else, this AI duelist can serve as a delaying tactic against Playmaker and his allies should they attempt to stop the Tower from being completed."

"If we can build a new prototype in time," Terminus reminded Revolver. "You damaged this one a lot."

"You seem awfully attached to this AI, Terminus," Spectre said, smirking at his comrade. "Almost like a father looking after a son."

Terminus glared at Spectre. "If you are trying to say something worthwhile Spectre, just say it."

Spectre laughed lightly. "Oh, don't mind me. I just find myself wondering what Hitomu Senior would make of this. I never met your brother after all."

Terminus's glare turned into a deep scowl as he logged out. Baira and Faust glared at Spectre.

"That was unnecessary, Spectre," Revolver admonished his right-hand man.

"Forgive me, Master Revolver," Spectre said, bowing to Revolver again. "But I thought Terminus could use a reminder about what SOL did to his older brother and his family. Anger can be a powerful tool, after all."

"Only if aimed and kept in check," Faust said. "Terminus has just as much, if not more, reasons to hate SOL then the rest of us. But we are not here for revenge against SOL. We are here to save the world from the Ignis."

Spectre shrugged. "True. But in the process, we'll be hurting SOL beyond measure. It wouldn't hurt to realize how beneficial that would be." He logged out after saying that.

* * *

"Yasutake," Masako said, walking up to said teenager as he was walking down the stairs of the entrance to Den Academy. "I was wondering if you'd want to hang out for a while."

Yasutake shook his head. "I can't," he said. "I have work with Cam."

Masako pouted. "Oh, that's no fun. Couldn't you give him a call and ask for it off? I'm sure he'd understand."

 _Cam would understand_ way _too well,_ Yasutake thought. "This work is important to me and Cam. He can't do it without me." Cam did know how to duel, but he hadn't picked up a Deck in almost 10 years. That aside, he had no avatar to duel in LINK VRAINS with.

"Well then, can it wait?" Masako seemed unusually nervous as she said, "I… wanted to continue our conversation from yesterday. About… what I said."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes as he remembered Masako's words. _You look at me like I'm real_. Well of course he looked at her like she was real. This was the real world, not LINK VRAINS; she had to be real. But he suspected there was a deeper meaning behind her words, one she wanted to explain.

He admitted to himself he was curious about what Masako meant, but he also needed to go to LINK VRAINS. He suspected Go would keep fighting while Yusaku would look for whoever was behind the Another virus, so Morningstar would be needed in LINK VRAINS.

"I…" That was as far as Yasutake got before he saw Naoki sitting on a bench, looking at his tablet. Out of curiosity, he walked up behind him and glanced over his shoulder.

"Yes! Yes!" Naoki said excitedly. "Beat them, Galahad!" Yasutake raised an eyebrow. The tablet was showing Galahad on his D-Board, dueling a Knight of Hanoi.

"Sky Galloping Gaia, attack Jack Wyvern!" Galahad declared. "Double Dragon Lance!" Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion, surrounded by flames, dive-bombed Jack Wyvern and destroyed it, knocking Galahad's opponent off his D-Board.

"Amazing!" Naoki almost shrieked. "I've never seen a Fusion Monster before! This is awesome!"

"Shida, what is this?"

Naoki looked over his shoulder and saw Yasutake. "Oh, Narahiko-. Hey, wait! Did you call me Shida? I thought we were past this. It's Shima! Naoki Shima!"

"Right," Yasutake said offhandedly. "What are you watching?"

Naoki smiled. "Galahad! He just showed up a while ago and is fighting Hanoi with Go Onizuka!" He turned back to his tablet. "I thought only Playmaker or Morningstar could defeat Hanoi, but Galahad and Go are giving them a run for their money. Go, Galahad!"

Seeing that Naoki had completely forgotten about him, Yasutake frowned. Takeshi must have either gone straight home from school or was still here hiding. Either way, Galahad's presence in LINK VRAINS fighting Hanoi made it less urgent for Yasutake to do so. He hated to admit it but spending time with Masako wasn't the worst thing that could happen today.

Yasutake turned back to Masako, who was watching him with an amused smile. "Won't your guardian be upset with you again?" he asked, still trying to find a way out.

Masako's smile became a frown as she shrugged. "Probably. But he doesn't decide every aspect of my life. If I want to spend time with a friend, then I'm going to."

 _Friend._ Yasutake thought back to what Aoi had asked him. He had been honest with her; he did think of her as a friend. But did he think that way about Masako?

Well, there was only one way to find out. He sighed, then said, "Alright. I'll give Cam a call and tell him I'll be back late. Is there someplace specific you want to go?"

Masako's frown turned into a smile. "Actually, yes. I found this interesting place a few days ago and I thought I would show it to you." She grabbed his hand and pulled him down the steps, much to Yasutake's protests.

"H-Hey! Let go of my hand! I don't like it when people touch me!"

* * *

Aoi watched the woman in front of her as she looked over the river. After meeting Ghost Girl – or Emma Bessho, as she introduced herself as – the two had traveled to the river's edge. Aoi had never ridden a motorcycle before, and after riding on Emma's, she never wanted to again. D-Boards were one thing, but motorcycles were another.

"Talk about what?" Aoi asked her. Emma had taken her here because she'd wanted to talk to her about something.

"Are you done being Blue Angel?" Emma asked her.

Aoi glanced to the side. "That again…"

"Many people are waiting for you," Emma said.

"That's an exaggeration," Aoi countered. "I don't fight for other people. I fight for myself!" _And that isn't enough to fight against Hanoi,_ she thought. _Not according to Morningstar, at least._

Emma smiled at Aoi. "That's right. You became Blue Angel so that your brother would appreciate you. But now that you know your brother loves you, you don't need her anymore."

"Is that wrong?" Aoi asked.

"Actually, I think that's good," Emma said, surprising Aoi. "It's better than losing because you're not fully committed." Aoi gasped in surprise. Those words… "If you can't take responsibility for your actions, you should stop being Blue Angel. And only do things that make you happy. Then you won't get others in trouble."

Emma turned around and headed for her motorcycle. "Glad to find out how you really feel," she said.

"Wait," Aoi said before Emma could leave. "Those words you said… did Morningstar put you up to this?"

Emma raised an eyebrow and laughed. "No, he doesn't know about this. But I suppose he is a reason I asked." She smiled at Aoi. "I think he feels somewhat protective of you. I'm glad to know that if you are done being Blue Angel, he won't have to worry about you anymore."

Emma got on her motorcycle and put her helmet on. "Bye, Blue Angel. No, I mean Aoi Zaizen." She closed the visor on her helmet and drove away, leaving Aoi alone.

Aoi narrowed her eyes. _Against an enemy like Hanoi, you cannot have doubts, about yourself or your reasons._ Those were the words Morningstar had told her. She knew Emma had been trying to provoke her, but her words were very similar to his. Just how did the two know each other?

On her motorcycle, Emma said to herself, "Sheesh. Why do I do this?"

 _Because you still feel guilty about what happened at Mercury,_ a voice in her head whispered. _You denied responsibility for your actions, so you're trying to teach her to take responsibility for hers._

Emma narrowed her eyes at that thought. "You really did a number on me, didn't you, Morningstar?"

* * *

Tagoma looked at his laptop and scowled. He'd hacked into Den Academy's security cameras, and just like he thought, Masako was going out with that boy again. Masako had told Tagoma his name was Yasutake Narahiko and while he was distant, he was a good person. But it wasn't the boy's character that worried Tagoma.

He'd tried again to hack into Café Junpei's systems and had gotten as far as last time. There was no way a simple bakery would need such high-grade security unless it was a front. But a front for what? Tagoma's first instinct was SOL Technologies, but he couldn't see why they would need a bakery as a cover for their agents.

Tagoma sighed. He'd initially been against going to Den City for the bounty Kitamura offered; if they didn't need the money, he likely would have rejected it without even considering it. Their finances were also the reason he'd decided to stay for Terminus's job. With multiple duels of Morningstar recorded and their fortunes looking up, Tagoma was thinking about taking Masako to a different city. This one was far too dangerous for her with SOL Technologies being headquartered here. If they found out who she was…

He narrowed his eyes as he remembered the promise he'd made Masako's father. To keep her safe and away from SOL Technologies. To make sure he kept that promise, they'd kept moving, from Tokyo to Osaka to Kyoto… the list went on and on. And now here he was, in the enemy's fortress, hoping that Masako's new boyfriend wasn't a SOL spy.

 _Little girl,_ Tagoma thought. _You've always been headstrong; I know I can't stop that side of you. But I hope your instincts are right about this Narahiko kid. If something happened to you before I fulfill your father's contract…_

* * *

Yasutake blinked in surprise. "This place?" he asked Masako, who nodded. The two were standing outside a bookstore in the middle of Den City called Hirai Shoten. Yasutake had never been here before. He'd never even heard of it.

"I didn't think this would be your kind of place," Yasutake commented, looking through the window at the books on display.

Masako raised an eyebrow and gave an amused smile. "Oh? Then what do you think of as my kind of place?"

Yasutake shrugged. "Not sure. A place that sells dango?"

Masako chuckled lightly as she shook her head. "I do like dango, but no." She thought for a moment, then said, "To be honest, I don't get out too much, at least not on my own. People have invited me to parties before, but I never really enjoyed them. And Tagoma usually only takes me out to buy food."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. He didn't get out much either, but that was mostly because of his work as Morningstar. That and he didn't want to. But Masako seemed far more extroverted than him. Why didn't she get out much?

Setting that question aside, Yasutake raised an eyebrow as he remembered something from the morning. "Is this where you got that manga in your bag from?"

Masako's face turned red. "Y-Yes," she said, shifting uncomfortably. "B-But, manga isn't the only thing this place sells. They have a lot of different books. Classical, science fiction, history; you name the book, there's a good chance they have it. And if they don't, they can get it."

"Huh," Yasutake said, looking back at the store. He didn't do much reading himself, but he figured that since he was here, he might as well buy something he'd been meaning to for a while. "Alright. Let's see what they got."

The teenagers entered the store. Yasutake saw it was rather sparsely crowded; not surprising, considering the time of day.

"So what book do you want to get?" Masako asked Yasutake, who frowned in thought.

"I'm not sure… what classics does this place have?"

"I can answer that."

The teenagers jumped and whirled around at the voice behind them. The man behind them had long black hair with silver highlights tied back in a ponytail. His brown eyes crinkled as he smiled at them.

"Sorry about that," he said. "I-. Huh." His smile turned into a frown as he looked at Masako and Yasutake.

"Uh… is something wrong?" Yasutake asked.

The man shook his head. "No, sorry. The two of you just look familiar, but I can't recall where I've seen you before."

Masako raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't know about that, but I've never seen you before. Who are you?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry," he said, bowing slightly. "My name is Kenshin Hirai. I am the proud proprietor of Hirai Shoten."

"You're the owner?" Masako said, surprised. "Last time I was here, I spoke to someone named Juro."

Kenshin smiled. "I haven't been in to work lately; personal issues. Anyway, are either of you looking for something specific?" He turned to Yasutake. "I think you said you were looking for a classic."

"R-Right," Yasutake said, narrowing his eyes. Something about this man… his instincts were warning him about something. "I'm Narahiko. Do you have _Paradise Lost_ by John Milton?"

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Yes, in the classics section. We just got it in a new shipment a few days ago. But are you sure? That poem isn't the easiest to read."

"I'm sure," Yasutake said.

"Well, the classics are over there," Kenshin said, pointing to a section of the store. "It should be fairly easy to find." He turned to Masako. "And what about you, miss…?"

"Himura," she said, smiling at him. "Masako Himura."

"Masako," he muttered, frowning. "Where have I…? Never mind. What are you looking for, Miss Himura?"

For some reason, Masako's face turned red again. "Ah, well…" She leaned in and whispered something in Kenshin's ear. After his eyes widened, he smirked.

"Oh, I see," he said. "The latest volume just came in yesterday. I'll have Juro show you where it is."

"Thank you," Masako said, then turned to Yasutake. "I'll meet you here at the entrance, Yasutake."

"What are you looking for?"

"That's my business," Masako said, her face still a little red. "Go find your Milton." She hurried off. Kenshin chuckled to himself as he headed to the main register.

Yasutake sighed and headed over to the classics section. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. He opened _Paradise Lost_ and frowned at the pages. It had been a long time since he'd read this. He'd accidentally deleted his e-book copy some time ago. It would be nice to read it again.

"I have to say, I'm surprised."

Yasutake turned around and saw Kenshin standing nearby.

"Oh, don't mind me," the manager said. "It's just… most of my customers are older than you. And the few students I get are usually looking for science fiction books or manga like your friend Himura." He looked down at the book in Yasutake's hands. "It's rare to find a teenager interested in a classic like _Paradise Lost_. Is it for a school project?"

Yasutake shook his head. "I just read it because I want to. It… speaks to me."

"Is that so?" Kenshin asked, raising an eyebrow. "Honestly, I haven't read too much of that book. I only really remember one line. 'Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.'"

"'Here at least we shall be free,'" Yasutake said, reciting from the book. "'The Almighty hath not built here for his envy, will not drive us hence: here we may reign secure, and in my choice to reign is worth ambition though in Hell: better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.'"

Kenshin was impressed. "You've read this book before, haven't you?"

Yasutake nodded. Kenshin then said, "You said this book speaks to you. I find that hard to believe. Not many people would sympathize with the devil."

"That is because they think of the devil as a tempter or a god of evil," Yasutake said. "That's not what I think of him."

"Oh? And what do you think the devil is?"

"A punisher," Yasutake said. "A judge who decides the fate of those who have wronged others. The devil may not be good, but without him, the guilty do not own up to their crimes."

Kenshin watched Yasutake with interest. He'd never encountered someone with a point of view like that. "You seem to have put a great deal of thought into this. Are you religious?"

Yasutake shook his head. "I don't go to church if that's what you mean. But I like the stories about angels and devils, good and evil. And the symbolism is interesting." Yasutake frowned. "I guess… I like the idea that there's a plan for everything. That no matter how much a person suffers, there is a reason for it."

He closed the book after saying that. "I'd like to check out now." Kenshin nodded and led the way to the cash register. After buying his book, he walked to the entrance, where Masako was waiting for him.

"Where's your manga?" Yasutake asked her.

Masako's cheeks turned red again as she said, "M-Mr. Hirai told you I was looking for a manga, huh? It's in my bag. And you can't look at it."

"Alright." As the two teenagers headed outside, Kenshin frowned to himself.

 _I swear I've seen that boy somewhere before,_ he thought. _And the girl looks familiar too, but why? How do I know those kids?_

"Did you bring me here just so you could buy a manga?" Yasutake asked Masako. She gave a small smile and shook her head.

"That's a bonus, but no. I noticed that you don't talk to a lot of people, so I thought books might be more your thing. Was I wrong?"

Yasutake shrugged. "I don't mind reading, but I don't enjoy it too much either. But I suppose that would depend on what I'm reading. So where to now?"

Masako raised an eyebrow. "You're letting me decide? I thought you would want to head back to Café Junpei."

"I do," Yasutake said. "But I figured it would be more polite to ask where you want to go."

Masako giggled. "I appreciate your honesty." She thought for a moment, then said, "There's an arcade not too far from here. That might be fun to visit."

Yasutake thought about it then nodded. "Alright." The two set off down the road.

"You're full of surprises, Yasutake," Masako said after walking a block. "I didn't think you'd read something like _Paradise Lost_."

Yasutake shrugged again. "It's interesting." He was going to say more, but then he saw something that made him stop in his tracks.

"I don't know about interesting," Masako said as she kept walking. "I haven't read it, but I-." She finally realized Yasutake wasn't walking with her and turned around. She walked back to him. "Yasutake?" she asked, but he didn't seem to notice her as he stared across the street. Masako turned to see what he was looking at.

There was a small church across the street. It was in primarily bright colors but the steeple was dark brown. Yasutake stared at the church as though his life depended on it.

"Yasutake?" Masako asked again. And again, he didn't hear her. Memories of ten years ago filled his head. The roar of thunder as rain poured down. The clang of the trashcan lid as it hit the ground. The light coming from a side door in the church…

"Yasutake?" This time Masako grabbed his arm, yanking him back to the present. He gasped and turned to her. Masako had a worried expression on her face. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," he said, looking from her back at the church. "Just… an old memory." He turned to start walking again. Or he tried to, but Masako didn't let go of his arm.

"You're not getting off that easily, Yasutake," she said, her expression stern. "What's wrong?"

Yasutake shook his head. "Like I said, it's an old memory, and it doesn't concern you."

"You're my friend," Masako said simply. "That means it does concern me."

Yasutake blinked in surprise. Friend? So she did think of him that way. But did he think of her that way?

Remembering their talk last time, he said, "How about an exchange? I answer your questions and you answer mine."

Masako smirked. "Oh really? How do you know I'll hold up my end? And how do I know you'll hold up yours?"

"We don't," Yasutake said bluntly. "We'll just have to trust each other."

 _Trust_. That wasn't something Masako did easily. The only person she'd trusted for the past eight years was Tagoma. But if she wanted to know more about Yasutake, she would have to trust him. And she did want to know more about him.

"Deal," she said. "So tell me what that church means to you."

Yasutake frowned as his thoughts turned inward. "…Do you remember when I told you I grew up alone?"

"Yes."

He closed his eyes and sighed as he turned to the side. "I meant that. No parents. No guardian. I didn't grow up in an orphanage like some kids did. I grew up on the streets. My first memory is knocking over a trashcan to get at the food inside."

Masako watched him in silence, her expression unreadable as he continued. "I didn't know anything. I didn't know how to read, write, or do anything. I didn't have anyone. I don't even know how I managed to survive. I just ran around Den City, going through people's trash to find food. Sometimes I was lucky. Sometimes I found food well-preserved. Most of the time I wasn't. Most of the time I slept in alleys with my stomach empty."

He stopped talking long enough for Masako to quietly say, "What… what does that have to do with a church?"

Yasutake frowned as he remembered the light from the church. "I was shown kindness," he said. "And that's all I'm going to say on the matter." He turned to look at Masako. "My turn. You said something happened to your parents. What was it?"

Masako started, but then gave a sad smile. "Asking that right off the bat, huh? Considering what I asked, that's fair." She closed her eyes for five seconds then opened them again. "They died," she said simply. "Killed. About eight years ago."

"Oh," Yasutake said softly. He didn't expect such a blunt response. "Sorry."

She laughed bitterly. "It's funny. I never met Tagoma while my parents were alive. After they were gone, he found me. Took me under his wing. And the only time I asked him why, he told me he wanted someone small to crawl through vents."

"Vents?" Yasutake said surprised. "Wait, is Tagoma-?"

"No," Masako said, shaking her head. "He was joking. Realizing that told me he wouldn't tell me the truth." She turned from Yasutake to look at the church. "I don't know why my parents were killed, who was responsible, or why Tagoma took me in. Ever since then, we've been moving constantly. City to city. Spent some time in a monastery in the mountains, believe it or not." She narrowed her eyes in thought. "We moved so often that I never had the chance to form real bonds with anyone. I tried, but… it never worked out. For a very simple reason."

"What's that?"

To his surprise, Masako laughed and turned to him. "Yasutake, look at me," she said, spreading her arms. "What do you see?"

He looked her up and down. "Masako Himura," he answered. She smirked at that.

"I mean my appearance. What do I look like?"

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "You have black hair with purple highlights. Violet eyes, pale skin." He looked her up and down again. "Your chest is well-developed, and your hips are wider than most girls our age."

Masako laughed at that last part. "I always like how honest you are," she said. "But what you described… that's all most people I've met see. Whenever boys tried to get close to me, it was only because they wanted to have a hot girlfriend and brag about it to their friends. And because I'm so popular with boys, girls tend to avoid me out of jealousy."

She gave a sad smile. "It's funny. When it first starts, I like the attention. Seeing the girls' jealous faces and watching the boys trip over themselves is amusing. But… eventually I learn the same lesson again. They don't care for what I think or who I really am. They only look at me as an object. As something to glorify."

She looked Yasutake in the eyes and smiled at him. "You… you are the first boy I've met in a long time who hasn't looked at me like that. You don't look at me like I'm an object to desire. You look at me like I'm a real person."

 _You look at me like I'm real_. Yasutake remembered the words Masako said to him. So this was what she meant. As Masako stared at Yasutake, he felt his cheeks turn red.

"Masako-." That was as far as he got before her cellphone rang, startling both teenagers. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and frowned at the screen.

"Excuse me," Masako said. She walked a distance away so Yasutake couldn't hear her conversation. She didn't notice that Yasutake's phone also started ringing.

"What is it, Tagoma?" she whispered.

"I need you back home," he said without preamble. "Now."

Masako scowled. "I'm a little busy right now."

"This is more important," he said. "Terminus just called with a new job. He needs you in LINK VRAINS now."

Masako frowned. "But I thought-."

"I'll explain when you get here," Tagoma said. "But hurry." He hung up after saying that, leading Masako to sigh. While she didn't want to go home, she knew Tagoma wouldn't have told her to if it wasn't urgent.

"I'm sorry, Yasutake," she said, turning around. "But I need-." She gasped. Yasutake was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Yasutake ran into Café Junpei. Ignoring the greeting from the steward bot behind the counter, he walked into the back room to find Cam looking at a screen showing Blue Angel facing a female Knight of Hanoi. Yasutake narrowed his eyes at the screen.

"So it's true," he said. "That's one of the Knights who defeated the AI Duelist squad."

"Yeah," Cam said. "And she's one of the few Knights without a mask. I'd wager that makes her important like Dr. Genome. She might know who created the Another virus."

"Their duel is just starting," Yasutake said, heading into the sealed room. "I trust Blue Angel to win, but there might be interference like there was for Go."

"Keep her safe, Yasu," Cam said.

"I will," Yasutake said as the door closed. _After all,_ he thought. _I can't look at her and not think of Sachi._

* * *

As soon as Morningstar landed, he released the drone from his Duel Disk to follow Blue Angel and the Knight. Looking at the data, he saw her name was Baira. He had arrived at the end of Blue Angel's first turn. He narrowed his eyes as he saw Baira summon two Dark Mummy Probes and destroy Trickstar Light Stage. This woman was clever, he had to admit.

He narrowed his eyes even further on seeing Baira activate Current Corruption Virus. A Virus Deck? He hated fighting Decks like those. This duel wasn't going to be easy for Blue Angel.

He watched as Baira Link Summoned Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps, which cut the top off a nearby building. That was excessive. His eyes widened as Surgical Forceps attacked Holly Angel. Blue Angel's Trap Card kept Holly Angel from being destroyed, but she fell off her D-Board from the force of the attack. Before Morningstar could do anything, Blue Angel summoned her energy whip and pulled her D-Board back to her.

 _She might not have needed my help for that,_ Morningstar thought. _But that might not be the only time she falls._ He turned to the edge to summon his D-Board, but before he could-.

"Hold it right there, Morningstar!"

He turned around and saw three Knights of Hanoi standing behind him. The one in the lead was the one who had spoken. "You've taken out a lot of our friends," he said, cracking his knuckles and smirking. "It's time for us to repay the favor."

Morningstar frowned at them. "Can this wait?" he asked. "I have more important concerns than you three."

The leader opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, a shot rang out. A golden field quickly surrounded the Knights.

"I hate to interrupt here, but I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Morningstar and the Knights looked at the speaker and all of them gasped. Lilith was standing on a nearby rooftop, pointing one of her pistols at the Knights. She had a devilish smirk on her face.

"Lilith?" Morningstar said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"A job," Lilith answered, jumping down to their rooftop, still holding her pistol. "Someone offered me a great deal of money to defeat these guys." She glanced at Morningstar. "You go after your friend Blue Angel. She'll need you far more than I do."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "It's three-on-one," he said. "You sure you can handle this?"

Lilith's smirk widened. "Of course," she said. "I may have lost to you, but I can take out this trash easily."

"What?" the lead Knight said, outraged. "How dare you talk down to Hanoi! Get out of our way, you bitch! This doesn't concern you."

Lilith scowled at him. "I don't like being called a bitch," she said. She then addressed Morningstar. "Even if I wanted your help, you can't. My security field locks you out of dueling them, too."

Morningstar frowned. "…Alright. But don't underestimate them." He jumped off the roof and landed on his D-Board, going off after Baira and Blue Angel.

"Hey, get back here!" the leader said, trying to follow Morningstar. Lilith jumped in his way.

"Sorry boys," she said. "But this is a security field of my design. None of us can log out or duel another opponent until we have a duel. So…" She lifted her pistol to her side and gave a wide, unsettling smile to the Knights. "…shall we play?"

On another rooftop nearby, three more Knights emerged from the shadows. "There he is!" one of them said, pointing down at Morningstar. "Our comrades may have been distracted by that girl, but we'll stop him!"

"Is that what you think?"

The Knights gasped and turned around. Galahad emerged behind them, smirking at them.

"Galahad?" one of them said, surprised. "Why are you defending Morningstar? Didn't he defeat you?"

"He did," Galahad said. "And he did so in one of the greatest duels I've ever had. I owe him for that." He pointed to the Knights. "I will not allow the three of you to interfere! I'll duel all of you now!"

 _Terminus,_ Galahad thought. _You might have saved my brother, but you also used him against me. I cannot forgive you for that. And I will not allow Hanoi to do what they want without consequences!_

Morningstar rode his D-Board some distance from Baira and Blue Angel. He was far enough away so they and the cameras couldn't see him. Because of the Knights delaying him, he had missed Blue Angel's turn. Evidently she hadn't done much, as her field was the same as before.

Morningstar watched with concern as Blue Angel was sent flying through a building from Surgical Forceps's effect. Thankfully, she managed to run out back onto her D-Board. His concern increased when Baira activated her Skill to summon two new monsters, which not only increased Surgical Forceps's attack points but also protected it from the effects of Trap Cards.

 _What is she planning?_ Morningstar wondered. _With 3000 attack points, the most damage she can inflict is 1000._ He got his answer almost immediately when Baira used the effect of Temple of the Kings to activate her face-down Root Ransom Virus to lower Holly Angel's attack points to 0 and negated its effects. It should have affected Surgical Forceps, but due to Baira's Dark Mummy Infuser, Surgical Forceps was protected. Realizing what was going to happen next, Morningstar increased his speed to catch up to them.

Blue Angel sent Trickstar Perennial to the Graveyard to protect Holly Angel, but the damage from the attack went through. One of Surgical Forceps's attacks hit her D-Board, sending her plummeting from it, screaming.

Before she could hit the ground, however, someone grabbed her arm. Looking up, she gasped. "M-Morningstar?"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes at Blue Angel. "Stop falling off your D-Board," he said. "I can't save you every time." He lifted her up and threw her back onto her board.

"Morningstar?" Baira said, looking at him in surprise, then she smirked. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you. You showed up to aid Go against Dr. Genome. Are you here to take over for Blue Angel? You would provide a greater challenge than her."

"No," Morningstar said, surprising Baira and Blue Angel. "Blue Angel doesn't need my help to defeat you." He turned to Blue Angel. "She may lack a reason to duel, but her skills are among the best I've seen. I'm just here to make sure she gets the chance to win."

"Morningstar…" Blue Angel whispered. Then she smiled. "I'm not giving up!" she shouted at Baira. "I activate my Skill!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes as he rode his D-Board higher in the air. He recognized what Blue Angel was doing. She'd done the same thing in their duel; he figured she needed to discard Trickstar Mandrake. But if Baira drew a single Trap Card, this duel was over.

Fortunately, Baira didn't draw any Trap Cards. And Blue Angel summoned Trickstar Mandrake from the Graveyard. Morningstar smiled to himself. _This is it,_ he thought. _Show the world your resolve, Blue Angel!_

Blue Angel drew and summoned Trickstar Narkissus. Of course, it lost its effects because of Current Corruption Virus, but Morningstar knew that wouldn't bother Blue Angel. Morningstar watched as Blue Angel summoned the Link portal and Link Summoned Trickstar Bella Madonna.

"A Link 4 monster," Morningstar muttered. "Now show what this monster is capable of." He watched as Mandrake's effect destroyed Infuser and let Surgical Forceps be affected by Root Ransom Virus. He raised an eyebrow and smirked when Blue Angel explained that Bella Madonna's effect protected her from Root Ransom Virus's effect.

 _That effect only works because Bella Madonna doesn't point to any monsters,_ Morningstar. _Not unlike my Spectrum Supreme._ He smiled sadly. _That card symbolizes your growth, doesn't it, Zaizen? Learning the strength to stand on your own. For you… that is not a bad thing._

He watched as Bella Madonna inflicted effect damage then attacked Surgical Forceps. Was it his imagination, or did Baira hit some buttons before the attack hit?

* * *

Lilith sighed to herself as the Knights in front of her disintegrated. Well, that was boring. She was hoping Hanoi would prove a challenge, but they were such a disappointment. Apparently, she would have to wait before she faced a strong opponent again.

She frowned to herself. Why did Terminus offer this job? He had only asked her to observe and record Morningstar's duels, but now he wanted her to fight alongside him? Who was this guy?

"Tagoma," she whispered into an earpiece. "Have you looked into who Terminus is?"

"I've tried," he replied. "I think I have a few leads, but I need to follow up on them first. After this, I'm as curious as you are."

"Hmm," Lilith said. Looking up, she saw the dome from the Data Gale had faded. "Looks like Blue Angel won," she commented. "If she'd lost, Morningstar would be dueling now."

"You should log out now," Tagoma said. "Before anyone asks questions."

Lilith smirked. "No, I think I'll hang around a bit. There's someone I want to talk to."

Galahad breathed heavily as his last opponent fell over. "That will teach them to do what they want," he muttered. Looking down, he saw Blue Angel and the Knight she was dueling standing on a nearby rooftop. Morningstar was also there, but he was standing in the background, leaning against a wall.

"Blue Angel," Baira said. "You're back."

"No," Blue Angel replied. "All I did was defeat you to get my revenge. I only fought for myself." She glanced at Morningstar, who was listening with his eyes closed. "Blue Angel is back only for today."

Baira smiled. "Blue Angel, look at the sky." She took off her eyepiece and looked up. Blue Angel and Morningstar both looked up. Yellow lights fell down all around them.

"Yasu!" Cam said into Morningstar's earpiece.

"What is it?" Morningstar whispered.

"The Anothers! They're all waking up!" Morningstar turned to Baira. She released them? Why?

Blue Angel looked at the screens Baira had pulled up. They all showed the Another victims waking up. "The removal program?" she asked. "But why?"

"You changed my heart," Baira answered simply. "You may have fought for yourself, but that can change those around you. If you carry the hopes of others, you're fighting for everyone."

"For everyone?" Blue Angel repeated. Baira smiled to herself for a while, then turned to Morningstar.

"The Anothers may be free, but your troubles are far from over, Morningstar," she said. "Terminus is looking for you. And just some advice? He's the strongest of Hanoi's lieutenants."

Morningstar looked at Baira expressionless. "It doesn't matter how strong he is," Morningstar said. "Only one person has ever defeated me. That's not going to change anytime soon."

She smiled at that. "For your sake, I hope you're right," she said as she turned into gold data bits and disappeared.

"…Do you think she's right, Morningstar?" Blue Angel asked, turning to look at Morningstar. "That if you carry the hopes of others, you're fighting for everyone?"

He thought about it and shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "I know why I fight. To provide for the people who saved my life. What about you? Do you know why you fight now?"

She thought about his question and smiled. "I think I'm starting to know," she said, walking up to him. "I think… I would like to fight for everyone. It's not a bad thought, is it? But… I think fighting for your friends is good, too, don't you?"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't know," he said. "I don't have friends."

Blue Angel's smile widened. "Don't you?" she asked, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "Narahiko?"

Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise as he took a few steps back. Blue Angel smiled at him.

"I'll see you at school," she said, logging out.

"Oh come on," Cam groaned. "First it was just Playmaker we had to worry about blabbing. Now her, too?"

It took a while for Morningstar to collect his thoughts before he said, "I don't think we have to worry about Blue Angel. I think… she is someone we can trust."

"I hope so," Cam said. "If she tells Zaizen and he lets it slip to Kitamura… no number of life bans will keep him from shutting you down."

"Well that was pretty."

Morningstar turned around as Lilith walked towards him. Her pistols were holstered as the lights around them faded.

"That light show made everything seem brighter than it actually was," she said. She looked Morningstar up and down. "You seem no worse for wear. How's Blue Angel?"

"She seemed fine," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Why do you care? And why are you really here?"

Lilith sighed. "Like I said, an employer offered me a job to fight Hanoi. So that's what I'm going to do." She looked him in the eye. "We may share the same profession, but I'm not the self-sacrificing type. Profit is my first concern."

"It doesn't matter to me why you fight," Morningstar said. "If you want to fight Hanoi, go ahead. But don't expect acceptance from anyone else. They have ideals of their own."

"Ideals," Lilith muttered. "Ideals look nice, but they don't put food on the table, do they? Talent and a willingness to do what's necessary do that."

"But ideals give your life meaning."

The two hunters turned as Galahad walked up to them. "Unless you fight for something, you're just an empty shell," he said. "Without a reason to duel, you're nothing but an angry dog."

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

Galahad fell over, then quickly stood up again. "What do you mean 'who are you?'" he shouted at her. "I am Galahad! Number five among the Charisma Duelists and enemy of Hanoi!"

"Oh," Lilith said, smirking at him. "Well that explains why I've never heard of you. Everyone's the enemy of Hanoi and who cares about fifth place?"

"Why you…" Galahad grumbled, glaring at Lilith. Morningstar sighed and logged out. He didn't want to deal with Galahad's antics this late in the day.

* * *

Faust, Revolver, and Terminus looked at the coffin Baira was laying in. "Was this necessary, Revolver?" Terminus asked. "I know she released the Anothers, but-."

"It was," Revolver interrupted. He then turned to Terminus. "And tell me why I shouldn't purge you, too."

Terminus narrowed his eyes at Revolver, unafraid of that threat.

"You sent that bounty hunter of yours against our own people, Terminus," Revolver said, narrowing his eyes. "Explain."

Terminus sighed. "It was necessary for her to gain Morningstar's trust," he said. "I plan for her to infiltrate Playmaker's group. If she succeeds, we can use her to lure Morningstar and Playmaker out for us."

"It won't work," Faust said immediately. "Playmaker works alone, and Morningstar first met her when she tried to capture him. By the time she's earned his trust, the Tower will be ready for deployment and we'll have no need of her."

"Perhaps," Terminus said. "But we need an advantage. With Baira like this, it will take me even longer to fix our AI Duelist. Unless you want to help me, Faust?"

The man in question shook his head. "I'm not helping make any more AI."

"Hmm," Revolver grunted, interrupting the two. "If you think your bounty hunter can weaken Morningstar and Playmaker from the inside, do it. But don't use anymore of our people as pawns. We've already lost a great deal of our forces in this war. We don't need any more unnecessary casualties." Revolver logged out.

"Do you really believe Lilith can bring Morningstar and Playmaker down from the inside, Terminus?" Faust asked. Terminus shrugged.

"I don't know," Terminus said honestly. "But I figured I would make the most of an available resource." He narrowed his eyes. "It's just you and me now, Faust. You and me against Morningstar and Playmaker."

Faust narrowed his own eyes. "We'll win, Terminus. We must. To defeat the Ignis and bring Baira and Dr. Genome back."

Terminus nodded. "Yes."

* * *

 **Revolver vs Prototype HAI-A (Archfiend Deck)**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Prototype HAI-A**

HAI-A activates the effect of the Archfiend General in its hand, discarding it to add Pandemonium from its Deck to its hand. It activates the Field Spell Card Pandemonium. It Normal Summons Archfiend Cavalry (1900/0/4). Since it controls an "Archfiend" card, HAI-A Special Summons Archfiend Commander (2500/1200/6) in Attack Position. It then targets Archfiend Cavalry with Commander's effect, destroying it. Since Cavalry was destroyed by a card effect and sent to the GY, its effect activates and HAI-A can target 1 "Archfiend" monster in its GY and Special Summon it. It targets and Special Summons Archfiend General (2100/800/4) in Attack Position. And since an "Archfiend" monster was destroyed and sent to the GY by a card effect, the effect of Pandemonium activates, letting HAI-A add 1 "Archfiend" monster from its Deck to its hand with a lower Level than Archfiend Cavalry. It adds Archfiend Heiress to its hand. HAI-A uses Archfiend Commander and Archfiend General to Link Summon Masterking Archfiend (2000/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. It Sets 2 cards. It ends its turn.

 **Turn 2: Revolver**

Revolver draws. As HAI-A controls a Link Monster, he Special Summons Gateway Dragon (1600/1400/4) in Attack Position via its effect. He activates the effect of Gateway Dragon, letting him Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Dragon monster from his hand. He Special Summons Sniffer Dragon (800/400/2). Since Sniffer Dragon was Special Summoned, Revolver can add a 2nd Sniffer Dragon from his Deck to his hand. Revolver discards the Linkbelt Wall Dragon in his hand to Special Summon Defrag Dragon (1000/600/3). Revolver uses Gateway Dragon and Sniffer Dragon to Link Summon Twin Triangle Dragon (1200/2/↓→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Revolver activates the effect of Twin Triangle Dragon, paying 500 LP (Revolver: 4000→3500 LP) to Special Summon Linkbelt Wall Dragon in Attack Position with its effects negated (0/2100/6). Revolver activates the Spell Card Marker Charge, drawing 2 cards as there are 2 monsters in the Extra Monster Zones with equal Link Ratings. Revolver uses Defrag Dragon, Linkbelt Wall Dragon, and the Link 2 Twin Triangle Dragon to Link Summon Topologic Bomber Dragon (3000/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Revolver Normal Summons Anesthrokket Dragon (0/2200/1). He then activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Squib Draw, destroying Anesthrokket Dragon to draw 2 cards. Topologic Bomber Dragon attacks Masterking Archfiend, but HAI-A activates its face-down Trap Card Archfiend's Barrier, reducing the battle damage to 0 and preventing "Archfiend" monsters it controls from being destroyed by battle or card effects this turn. After damage calculation, Revolver activates the effect of Topologic Bomber Dragon, inflicting damage to HAI-A equal to Masterking Archfiend's original ATK (HAI-A: 4000→2000 LP). As it took effect damage the turn it activated Archfiend's Barrier, HAI-A can Set 1 Trap Card from its Deck. It Sets Call of the Archfiend. Revolver Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, the effect of Anesthrokket Dragon activates as it was destroyed and sent to the GY this turn. Revolver can Special Summon 1 "Rokket" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons Shelrokket Dragon (1100/2000/2) in Defense Position.

 **Turn 3: Prototype HAI-A**

HAI-A draws. It activates its face-down Continuous Trap Card That Six, so now every time a die is rolled, HAI-A can change the result to 1 or 6, depending on the roll. HAI-A then activates its face-down Continuous Trap Card Call of the Archfiend, targeting Archfiend Commander in its GY and discarding Archfiend Heiress to Special Summon Archfiend Commander (2500/1200/6) in Attack Position. Since Archfiend Heiress was sent to the GY because of a card effect, HAI-A can add 1 "Archfiend" card from its Deck to its hand. It adds Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror. Since a Fiend monster was sent to the GY, HAI-A activates the effect of Masterking Archfiend, rolling a die and applying an effect depending on the result. It rolls a 3, but the effect of That Six changes the result to a 6, so HAI-A Special Summons Archfiend Heiress (1000/0/3) in Attack Position. Prototype HAI-A Tributes Archfiend Commander and Archfiend Heiress to Tribute Summon Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror (3000/2000/8) to Masterking Archfiend's bottom-left Link Marker. Since a Fiend monster(s) was sent to the GY, the effect of Masterking Archfiend activates. HAI-A rolls a 2, but the effect of That Six changes it to a 1, so HAI-A adds Archfiend Commander to its hand.

HAI-A activates the effect of Archfiend Emperor, banishing Archfiend Cavalry from its GY to destroy Topologic Bomber Dragon, but Revolver activates his face-down Trap Card Tactical Exchamber, destroying Topologic Bomber Dragon to Special Summon 1 "Rokket" monster from his Deck or GY. He Special Summons Anesthrokket Dragon (0/2200/1) from his GY in Defense Position. Since the target of its effect left the field, Archfiend Emperor's effect resolves. HAI-A activates the effect of the Archfiend Commander in its hand, Special Summoning it (2500/1200/6) in Attack Position since it controls an "Archfiend" card, but it cannot attack this turn. Since it was Special Summoned by its effect, Archfiend Commander's effect destroys Archfiend Emperor. Since a Fiend monster was sent to the GY, the effect of Masterking Archfiend activates. HAI-A rolls a 5, but the effect of That Six changes it to a 6, so Archfiend Emperor is Special Summoned (3000/2000/8) in Attack Position to Masterking Archfiend's bottom-left Link Marker. HAI-A activates the effect of Archfiend Emperor, banishing Archfiend General from its GY to destroy Anesthrokket Dragon. Archfiend Emperor attacks and destroys Shelrokket Dragon. Masterking Archfiend attacks Revolver directly (Revolver: 3500→1500 LP). HAI-A Sets 1 card (Hate Buster). It ends its turn. During the End Phase, Revolver activates the effect of both Anesthrokket Dragon and Shelrokket Dragon, as they were destroyed and sent to the GY this turn. Both effects Special Summon a "Rokket" monster from Revolver's Deck. Revolver Special Summons Magnarokket Dragon (1800/1200/4) and Metalrokket Dragon (1700/1400/4), both in Defense Position.

 **Turn 4: Revolver**

Revolver draws. He activates the Field Spell Boot Sector Launch, which increases the ATK/DEF of all "Rokket" monsters by 300 (Magnarokket: 1800→2100/1200→1500) (Metalrokket: 1700→2000/1400→1700). He activates the effect of Boot Sector Launch to Special Summon 2 "Rokket" monsters from his hand in Defense Position. He Special Summons Autorokket Dragon (1600→1900/1000→1300/3) and Shelrokket Dragon (1100→1400/2000→2300/2) in Defense Position. Revolver uses Autorokket Dragon and Magnarokket Dragon to Link Summon Booster Dragon (1900/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Revolver activates the effect of Booster Dragon, targeting Metalrokket Dragon for its effect and increasing its ATK/DEF by 500. Since it was targeted by the effect of a Link Monster, Revolver activates the effect of Metalrokket Dragon to destroy itself and all HAI-A's card in the same column. Masterking Archfiend, Archfiend Commander, and HAI-A's face-down card are all destroyed. Revolver Normal Summons Sniffer Dragon (800/400/2). Since it was Normal Summoned, Revolver activates its effect to add 1 Sniffer Dragon from his Deck to his hand. Revolver uses Shelrokket Dragon, Sniffer Dragon, and the Link 2 Booster Dragon to Link Summon Borreload Dragon (3000/4/←↙→↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Borreload Dragon attacks Archfiend Emperor. As Borreload is attacking an opponent's monster Revolver activates its effect to take control of Archfiend Emperor and place it in a zone Borreload points to, but Archfiend Emperor will be sent to the GY at the End Phase. Archfiend Emperor attacks directly (HAI-A: 2000→0 LP). Revolver wins.

* * *

 _ **Archfiend's Barrier Normal Trap Card**_

 _Reduce all battle damage from battles involving "Archfiend" monsters you control to 0 until the end of the turn. The turn you activate this effect, "Archfiend" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects. If you take effect damage the turn you activate this effect: You can Set 1 Trap Card directly from your Deck to your Spell & Trap Zone._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 15 – The Buried Musket_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to JaneValentine007, HunterHQ, ClearwingYuta, D3lph0xL0v3r, sanedimentio, Nirvash Neo, Aira Aura, 4 different Guests, and Ninjacya321 for reviewing Chapter 13. Also thank you to ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapters 9, 10, 11, and 12.

On a side note, since I'm having so many guest reviews, could you please change the name under which you review? Like Playerhood18 or Meemo. It will make responding to those reviews easier for everyone.

To answer HunterHQ's question about the timing of the Morningstar and Terminus duel, it will be during the same time as Playmaker's duel with Faust.

In response to ClearwingYuta's questions, I will not answer any of them. Spoilers. Sorry.

And Aira Aura, I imagine you and Masako would have an interesting conversation.

I will answer all the guest reviews in one paragraph. One: I do know about the Rise of the True Dragons Deck, but I have not considered implementing it. Everyone's Decks (except Galahad, but he does use it) revolve around Link Summoning, which makes a card like Ruins of the Divine Dragon Lords difficult to implement. Also, Cracking Dragon is Machine Type, so that card wouldn't work with it anyway. Two: I do have an idea for a Pendulum duel, but it will be a while. Please be patient. Three: after his duel with Spectre, Playmaker has 20 Link Monsters, so I've decided to remove the Extra Deck limit for Hidden Memories. At the moment, Morningstar has 12 Link Monsters, but I have plans for as many as 26 Link Monsters.

Okay, sorry this came out so late. I'm been busy with college, with readings and writings especially. I hope to get Chapter 15 out in less time, but considering my schedule, I can't make promises.

This chapter introduced the Hanoi AI Duelist with an Archfiend Deck. I originally planned on having it duel Morningstar while Blue Angel dueled Baira, but I also wanted him to interact in the duel, so I changed it to having Revolver test the AI Duelist. This also gave me the chance to try out a duel with Revolver, and it was definitely interesting to write. For anyone curious, the Hanoi AI Duelist will make a second appearance, but I'm undecided whether the Deck should be the same. What do you readers think about it using the same Deck or not?

This chapter was also about development for Masako and Terminus, with Masako revealing her parents' fate and why she likes Yasutake, and Yasutake meeting Kenshin in real life. Just in case anyone's wondering why Kenshin didn't automatically recognize Yasutake by his name, my interpretation is that the scientists didn't know the names of the children they kidnapped. If it turns out they did know their names in canon, screw that. This doesn't have to follow every aspect of the anime, right?

I also had development for Aoi. Yasutake finally acknowledges Aoi as a friend and she reveals she knows he's Morningstar. I'm going to say this now so people don't misinterpret it: their relationship is strictly platonic. I'm not writing an AoixOC fic.

As for what Tagoma was saying about his and Masako's backstory, and about Kenshin's older brother who he named his son after… you'll have to wait for the next few chapters. I'm trying to teach myself to give fewer spoilers.

There was also some revealing of Yasutake's past prior to the Lost Incident. I won't be revealing the whole truth until a later chapter, but I wanted to provide a little information.

And finally, about Terminus's plan for Lilith, I understand if you think it's underwhelming. Honestly, I kind of feel that way myself, but I couldn't think of a better way for him to use her. It will certainly make for some interesting events in the next couple chapters.

Thank you for reading Chapter 14 of Hidden Memories. Please post a review of your favorite moment in this chapter. Was it the duel with Revolver? Masako's talk with Yasutake? When Takeshi got mad at Yasutake again? Receiving feedback on my work makes all this effort worthwhile.


	15. Chapter 15: The Buried Musket

**Update**

I've gone back to Chapter 6 and made a change to the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary. Now, instead of being able to Special Summon any "Cyspirit" monster from the Graveyard, it can only Special Summon Level 4 or below "Cyspirit" monsters. The reason why will become clear in Chapter 16.

 **Another Update**

I've also gone back to Chapters 12 and 13 to make changes to the effects of Cyspirit Necrocoding and Cyspirit Winning Wrestler. The reason why will become clear in Chapter 18.

* * *

 **Chapter 15: The Buried Musket**

Yasutake stifled a yawn as he walked to school. Yesterday had been exhausting; first school, then Masako, and then Blue Angel's duel with Baira. He was thankful tomorrow was the weekend. He just had to get through school today, and he could have a nice long nap.

He frowned to himself as his thoughts turned to Sachi. She hadn't had any nightmares yesterday, but he wasn't sure if that was an improvement or not; she had the nightmares more frequently than he did, but they still varied in frequency. Still, he'd checked on her before heading to school, and from what he could tell, she seemed calmer. Or at least she was sleeping peacefully.

Of course, he had other concerns at the moment. Yasutake narrowed his eyes as he thought about Hanoi. The Knight he defeated had told him Revolver had three more lieutenants, and three Knights had defeated the AI Duelist squad. Since Baira had been one of them, he was certain the other two Knights were the last lieutenants. And one of them was Terminus.

 _What's your game, Terminus?_ Yasutake thought. _Hanoi's goal is the Ignis in Playmaker's possession but sending Galahad against me wouldn't have given it to you. Are you merely attempting to remove an obstacle, or is there another reason you're targeting me?_

Emerging from his thoughts, Yasutake noticed an intersection up ahead. And waiting for the crossing sign to change was-.

"Good morning, Narahiko," Aoi said, turning to look at him as he approached from the side. Her face was as expressionless as usual.

Yasutake nodded in greeting. "Good morning, Zaizen," he said. No one else was around, but he lowered his voice as he asked, "When did you figure out who I was?"

Aoi gave a small smile as the light changed and they crossed. "In the databank. When Playmaker and my brother were talking, you were shaking and staring at the ground." She spoke as quietly as he did. "It reminded me of your VR duel."

Yasutake scowled. He figured that duel had something to do with it. "That's not proof."

"Maybe, maybe not," Aoi said. "But somehow, I just knew it was you. It was funny though; when Playmaker spoke of three things, I thought he was you, since you said something similar to me."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "You thought _I_ was Playmaker?"

"Until my brother talked about the incident, yes. And… your reaction to when I spoke of it confirmed my guess." She glanced at him. "Don't worry. I haven't told anyone who you are. And I don't plan to."

Yasutake nodded. "Alright."

They walked in silence for a while before Yasutake broke it. "Why did you challenge Baira? I thought you left LINK VRAINS for good."

Aoi frowned. "…Ghost Girl gave me a push," she said. "Or I guess Ms. Bessho did."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "She approached you in real life? That's… unlike her."

Aoi looked at Yasutake. "She said that for me to stop dueling would be better than losing because I'm not fully committed. Those words reminded me of what you told me."

Yasutake glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "What are you trying to ask, Zaizen? Just say it."

Aoi sighed. "Fine. How do you know Ghost Girl? You told me she sold you out, but you didn't say what that meant. And even if you deny it, I can tell the two of you have a history."

Yasutake scowled. "Why do you want to know about that?" he asked. "What does my past with Emma have to do with you?"

"Nothing," Aoi said. "But she encouraged me when I needed it, just like you did. And I'd like to know more about the people I owe."

Yasutake was quiet for some time before he sighed. "Fine," he grumbled. "What exactly do you want to know?"

Aoi thought for a bit, then said, "When did you first meet her? Was it in real life or in LINK VRAINS?"

"The latter," Yasutake said. "At first. Early in my career, I received a contract to catch a thief. They had stolen confidential information from a company for one of their competitors. The contract was to retrieve that information."

"Which company?"

"Doesn't matter; they went out of business a year ago. Anyway, I found them and pursued them into LINK VRAINS. It turned out that Ghost Girl was the thief. She tried to escape me, but I tagged her with my Data Anchor and forced a duel."

"What happened?"

"I won, but I found out she had already transmitted the stolen information to her employers." Yasutake smirked to himself. "Since the contract was technically only for the information, and because I was impressed she outwitted me, I let her go. She was the first person to do that." _And the only person before Playmaker_ , he thought.

"We met a few more times in LINK VRAINS after that. We also did several jobs together, usually for SOL. They won't admit it, but the higher-ups tend to hire more than one person for a job but not tell those people. To make sure there was less competition between us, Ghost Girl and I agreed to tell each other of any retrieval jobs offered so we could get the job done faster."

"When did you stop working together?"

Yasutake scowled. "A few months ago. I was contracted by Mercury Industries; they're a cybersecurity company SOL contracts from time to time. They hired me to retrieve some schematics from a rival company."

Aoi frowned. "You were hired to steal?"

Yasutake shrugged. "Corporate politics isn't my business. They offered a job, I accepted. Only I found out later that they had also contracted Ghost Girl for the same job."

"…And she didn't tell you about it?"

Yasutake shook his head. "No, she did. But she told me after she was caught by that company's security bots and told them there would likely be another attempt. Because of her, security was three times higher than I thought it would be."

Aoi gave a small smile. "Knowing Morningstar, I assume that only slowed you down."

Yasutake allowed himself a self-confident smirk. "Oh, I got through the defenses and reached the core. Only to find out that Ghost Girl had escaped her captors and stolen the schematics herself before fleeing. She was nice enough to leave me a note explaining what she'd done, but it was too late. I had to fight through even more defenses than usual on the way out. If I didn't have outside help of my own, I would have been captured myself. And when I contacted the Mercury bosses, they told me Ghost Girl claimed full credit for the job."

Aoi frowned. "That… was rather devious of her. But weren't you planning to do the same thing to Playmaker in the SOL databank?"

"And who do you think I learned that trick from?" Yasutake sighed. "I know it wasn't anything personal; when we first started working together, Emma made it clear the money came first. I suppose I just assumed a sense of honor that wasn't there."

"…Maybe it wasn't there then," Aoi said. "But I think you've changed her. Would the Ghost Girl you claim to know have helped me?"

Yasutake thought about it and shook his head. "No, she wouldn't have. But her selling me out isn't the only issue I have with her."

"What do you mean?"

Yasutake opened his mouth, then shut it. "I'll tell you later," he said. "Not at school." Aoi blinked and looked up. She hadn't realized it, but they had arrived at Den Academy.

"Alright," she said, nodding. The two teenagers headed into the main building, not noticing Yusaku Fujiki watching them, a frown on his face.

"Something wrong, Yusaku?" Ai asked, emerging from Yusaku's backpack.

"Be quiet," Yusaku said.

"Fine," Ai huffed, returning to the backpack.

As Yusaku walked to the main building, his frown deepened.

 _He was in the same place I was,_ Yusaku thought. _He experienced the same pain I did. But… he is able to interact with society on a level I can't. Why?_ He narrowed his eyes. _Wait, why is that bothering me? There's no point in making friends. If Hanoi discovers my identity, friends will only become targets._

Yusaku nodded. Yes. As long as he was fighting Hanoi, he didn't need warmth from other people. It was better for everyone that way. But he couldn't stop that voice in his head that whispered, _What if_?

* * *

As Yasutake walked into the classroom, he noticed Masako was already in her seat, looking at her tablet. He sat down in his seat and said, "Good morning."

She started, turned to him and smiled. "Oh. Good morning, Yasutake."

"Did I disturb you?"

She shook her head. "Just looking over my homework."

"Ah." Yasutake pulled out his own tablet and looked over the previous assignment. "Sorry," he said. "For leaving without saying anything yesterday."

Masako smiled again. "Don't worry about it, Yasutake. I was going to ask you to head home anyway."

"You were?" Yasutake said, surprised.

"Yes. That call was from Tagoma and he needed me to head home right away. I was a little miffed you left without saying anything, but I'm over it now."

"Oh," Yasutake said, his face expressionless. "Okay."

"Though, that reminds me of something." Yasutake turned to look at Masako as she glanced at him. "In case you're worried I'll ask you to go out with me again today, you don't have to. Tagoma needs me at home after school as soon as possible. And this isn't something I can ignore."

"…Alright," Yasutake said, feeling relieved inside. With Masako busy today, he could spend the rest of the day fighting Hanoi. But if he was honest, it was mostly cleanup at this point.

After Baira had released the removal program, a website with the program had been created so it could be applied to the Anothers quickly. Any people who became Another victims could be cured almost instantly. This gave the fight with Hanoi a more relaxed air than earlier.

Still, Yasutake had to be on his toes. There were still two Another masterminds left, and Baira had said Terminus was far stronger than her.

 _Go and Blue Angel defeated the first two,_ he thought. _I suspect Playmaker and I will have to handle Terminus and his friend._ Yasutake narrowed his eyes. _You used Galahad's brother against him, Terminus. You will answer for it!_

* * *

"Oi, Narahiko!"

Yasutake turned around as Naoki approached him. Masako raised an eyebrow, but she decided to ignore Naoki for the moment.

"What is it, Shimo?"

"I-hey!" Naoki said, annoyed. "It's Shima! Naoki Shima! Are you getting my name wrong on purpose?"

"He is," Masako interrupted, deciding to interject. "He finds people's angry expressions amusing."

"What?" Naoki said, shocked. Yasutake glared at Masako, who smiled back.

"What? Don't tell me you don't enjoy people getting flustered? Why else would you keep forgetting the Student Council President's name?"

Yasutake made a confused face. "Who?"

"My name is Takeshi Akino!" Takeshi shouted. "Remember it already!"

"Uh… President?"

Takeshi blinked. He was standing in the Student Council's room and they were in the middle of a meeting.

"Oh, sorry," Takeshi said, sitting back down in his chair. "Could've sworn I heard something."

"Anyway," Yasutake said. "Is there something you need, Shima?"

"Y-Yes," Naoki said, looking uncomfortable. "W-Will you join me in LINK VRAINS?"

Yasutake blinked. "What?"

"I just… I'm sick of standing on the sidelines!" he practically shouted, surprising Masako and Yasutake. "Blue Angel, Morningstar, and Playmaker are fighting the Knights of Hanoi. Isn't it our duties as duelists to fight evil?"

"Why?" Yasutake asked. "Because we can?"

"Because it's the right thing to do!" Naoki exclaimed.

Masako shook her head at him. "You'll lose," she said simply.

"Eh?" Naoki said, turning to her. "What makes you think I'll lose?"

"Because you asked Yasutake for help," she said simply. "That suggests you lack confidence in your abilities. If you don't trust your own skills, you'll never win." She left after saying that, leaving Naoki to stare after her.

Yasutake sighed. "Shima," he said, drawing Naoki's attention back to him. "Your idea is brave. But it's also foolish. Rushing headfirst into trouble without a plan rarely works." He packed his bag up as he continued talking. "A duelist must always be aware of how skilled they are. It doesn't matter how enthusiastic you are if your Deck or your skills are not equal to or greater than your opponent's. And we're not skilled enough." He finished packing up and headed for the door. "Just leave it to the professionals."

Naoki stared after Yasutake and grit his teeth. "I didn't want to ask him," he grumbled. "But I suppose Fujiki is better than no one."

* * *

As Yasutake walked home, he noticed Aoi approach him. "Do you want something?" he asked. As he kept walking, she fell in step besides him.

"I wanted to continue our conversation," she said. "About your issues with Ms. Bessho."

Yasutake sighed. "Just call her Emma or Ghost Girl. 'Ms. Bessho' sounds strange. And you already know why I don't trust her."

"You said her double-crossing you wasn't the only issue you had with her," Aoi reminded him. "I want to know what your other ones are."

Yasutake looked at her with a half-lidded stare. "Do you really have nothing better to do than listen to why I don't like a woman?"

"No," Aoi said, shaking her head. Yasutake sighed again.

"Fine," he said. "I have a friend who helps me in LINK VRAINS from the real world. He doesn't go in himself. He provides tech support and occasionally gives me advice. And he dislikes Emma even more than me."

Aoi frowned. "Did something happen between them?"

"They dated," Yasutake answered bluntly, surprising Aoi. "For a few months at least. Neither of them knew they both knew me. Hell, I didn't even know Emma was Ghost Girl until I hacked her Duel Disk."

"Why did you hack her Duel Disk?"

Yasutake shrugged. "I was bored. Anyway, they were together a few months, then she and I found out the truth about each other." He smirked. "She won't admit it, but she discovered my identity by accident. She pulled Cam into the room we work in LINK VRAINS from while I was in there."

Aoi frowned again. "Why did she pull him in there?"

 _That was what I asked them,_ Yasutake thought. He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. She saw my Duel Disk and the files on our computers and put two and two together. If I didn't reveal that I knew she was Ghost Girl, I suspect she would have auctioned my identity to the highest bidder. In any event, the three of us hung out a lot. Eventually, however, things fell apart."

"Why?"

Yasutake frowned. This wasn't easy to talk about, but he trusted Aoi. "Emma was concerned for my friend's safety. Or at least that's what she said. She asked him to stop helping my work as Morningstar, saying that if my identity was revealed, he would become a target. He refused each time. Eventually, she outright asked him to choose between her and me. He chose me."

"…That was nice of him."

"But stupid," Yasutake said, surprising Aoi. "I can handle myself in LINK VRAINS most of the time. My friend makes things easier, but a lot of his help is just him reassuring himself I'm alright. I told him as much, and he went to her to apologize and ask if they could start over… and found she had already moved on."

Aoi blinked. "How… how quickly was this?"

"This all happened in the same day," Yasutake said. "After he got back home, I told him about what happened at Mercury. It made him think she was just using him all along. If he had agreed to stop aiding me, I might have been captured. And since she moved on so quickly, it appeared to him that Emma was using him to get rid of her competition."

"…And was she?" Aoi asked, her voice low. She wasn't sure what to think of Ghost Girl right now.

Yasutake shrugged. "I really don't know. I met her in LINK VRAINS not long after Mercury. She insisted that her selling me out was her thinking on her feet to achieve her goal and that the two incidents were unrelated, but I was angry with her and didn't believe her. In hindsight, she was likely telling the truth. As for the new guy, she said that was a defense mechanism or something. She ditched that guy shortly after my friend found out."

He looked straight ahead as he said, "I know one thing about Ghost Girl is certain: she doesn't take any action unless it benefits her or the people she has a soft spot for. She's selfish, greedy, and intelligent; but she also encouraged you and helped you repay Playmaker."

"…She's complicated, isn't she?" Aoi asked after a long silence.

Yasutake nodded. "Yeah. She is."

Of course, Yasutake didn't tell Aoi the whole truth. He couldn't. He had deliberately withheld Cam's name so Aoi couldn't connect the two. She might be able to if she went to Café Junpei, but Yasutake considered that possibility to be low. And he couldn't tell Aoi the real reason Cam disliked Emma so much.

Cam had been mad when he found Emma with her new boyfriend, but he had been understanding to an extent. Emma had visited a few days later, trying to explain her actions. Cam had listened, been receptive, and had even invited her upstairs. But…

While Cam was in the bathroom, Emma's curiosity got the better of her and she poked around Cam's house. And she found Sachi. Yasutake had been at school at the time, so he only had Cam's word for what happened, at least until he spoke to Emma in LINK VRAINS. Evidently, on realizing what was wrong with Sachi, Emma had suggested she be sent to a psychiatric hospital. It wasn't an unreasonable suggestion, but Cam had exploded. He had always been overprotective of Sachi, even before their parents' deaths, and the Incident had only made it worse. He had been so angry he immediately asked Emma to leave the house. As far as Yasutake knew, they hadn't spoken since.

Yasutake didn't blame Emma for her suggestion; it had been a valid one, and if he didn't live with Cam and know him as well as he did, he might have suggested it himself. But he also knew Cam blamed himself for what happened to Sachi. If she was taken away from him again, locked away in a place he couldn't reach again, he might lose himself. Yasutake didn't want to know what Cam would turn into if that happened.

* * *

As Masako entered the apartment, she noticed Tagoma sitting at the table, typing at his laptop and scowling.

"Did you find anything on Terminus?" Masako asked him. After the latest job, both of them decided to try and find out who Terminus really was. That was why Masako didn't want to go out with Yasutake today.

"I think so," Tagoma said. "But I can't say for certain. I'm tracing the money Terminus paid us to its source. I've already gone through several fake accounts. Eventually, I'll find something."

"Right," Masako said, sitting down at the same table and turning on her tablet. "Send me those fake accounts. Maybe he used them to send money to more people than us. If we can find those people, we might find something on him."

"Good idea, little girl," Tagoma said, impressed. The girl was as sharp as ever. After he sent her the information, the two sat in silence for a while, looking through information before Tagoma said, "To be honest, I'm surprised you came home. I thought you'd want to spend time with that Narahiko boy."

Masako frowned to herself. "I did," she said. "But there will be time for that later. And… I think it might be a good idea to go slow with Yasutake. I get the feeling he doesn't have much experience with girls. Or people, for that matter."

Tagoma glanced at her. "So you're serious about him."

Masako's frown deepened. "I… don't know. I do like him, but I find myself wondering whether it's because of how he makes me feel or because of who he is."

Tagoma sighed. "I am not the best person to talk to about relationships," he said. "I know that. But do you know how he feels about you?"

Masako shook her head. "I want to think he likes me, but I can't say for certain. Maybe he's just being friendly and humoring me. If he does feel something, I can't tell."

"Hmm," Tagoma said. "If you do become serious, are you planning to tell him your real name?"

Masako scowled at him. "Masako is my real name."

"You know what I mean, _Himura_ ," Tagoma said. Before Masako could reply, she noticed something on her tablet.

She narrowed her eyes at the screen. "This… is weird. I think I found something."

"What?" Tagoma asked. Conversations between them were always like this; they would discuss one thing then put it off till later when work came up.

"I'm looking at one of the dummy accounts you gave me," she explained. "It logged two other transfers, both to the same account: the name on that account is... Takeshi Akino." Her voice lowered to a whisper due to her surprise at the last two words.

Tagoma raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"

"He's the Student Council President at Den Academy," Masako said. "A good guy, but loud and easily angered. Why would Terminus be sending money to him?"

Tagoma frowned. "See if you can access Akino's systems. They might be easier to hack into than Terminus's."

"Right," Masako said, nodding. After ten minutes, she had hacked into Takeshi's bank accounts, his email records, and his Duel Disk. And then she hit pay dirt.

"There's a recorded conversation in Akino's Duel Disk," Masako said. She pressed play and was surprised that Takeshi answered it as Galahad.

"Galahad?" Tagoma repeated, surprised. "The Student Council President is that Charisma Duelist who almost defeated Morningstar?"

"Shush," Masako said, trying to listen to the rest of the message.

"My name is Terminus. And I have a proposition for you." This voice was scrambled, just like when Terminus had called them. Masako listened as Terminus offered Takeshi money for his brother's treatment, but it was Takeshi's response that floored her.

"And why should I trust the Knights of Hanoi?"

Masako gasped and looked at Tagoma. His eyes were as wide as hers.

"I'm not an idiot," the recording continued. "I know Morningstar's fighting Hanoi right now, and they're the ones most likely to want him gone. So either you're part of Hanoi, or you're just a go-between they hired."

"…What does it matter?" Terminus finally responded. Masako paused the recording after hearing that Terminus didn't deny Takeshi's accusation.

"The guy who hired us to track Morningstar is a Knight of Hanoi," she muttered, scowling to herself. "Damn it."

"Does it matter?" Masako looked in surprise at Tagoma as he asked that and shrugged. "Look, I know Hanoi is full of assholes, but this guy has played straight with us when it comes to payment. It's good money."

"Good money?" Masako repeated. "Tagoma, I've been working for a cyberterrorist. Hunting people and hacking into companies is one thing, but this…"

Tagoma smirked at her. "Brings back memories, doesn't it? When we worked with that crazy guy in Osaka?"

Masako scowled back at him. "I thought we agreed never to talk about him again," she said, then sighed. "What should we do, Tagoma?"

Tagoma shrugged again. "Keep doing what we were hired to do? Doesn't matter to me if Terminus is Hanoi or not; it doesn't change the money he pays us."

Masako scowled again. "Well, it matters to me. After the incident in Osaka, I promised myself I would not get involved with people like this again." She turned back to her tablet. "And it's not just his identity that's bothering me. If he's Hanoi, why did he pay me to fight against his own people?"

Tagoma smirked as he said, "He probably wants you to get close to Morningstar and his friends. He used those Knights as disposable pawns. It's what I would do."

"You're a horrible person, Tagoma."

"You've known that for a long time," Tagoma countered before frowning. "So, are you going to do something?"

Masako looked him in the eye. "You won't try to stop me?"

"It's your life. Your choice," Tagoma said. "If you want to stop working for Terminus, I'll understand. We're actually doing rather well now. We could lay low for a few more weeks until all this dies down, then leave."

Masako frowned. "We could do that, but… I've caused enough trouble for Morningstar. I want to make things easier for him." She reached into her bag, pulled her Duel Disk out, and placed it on her wrist.

Tagoma sighed. "Just be careful, little girl," he said, standing up and stretching. "Getting involved with these crazy hackers and terrorists… makes one late for dinner."

* * *

"Aaahhh!" the Knight screamed as he fell to the ground. Morningstar scowled as the Knight disintegrated.

"Cam, please tell me that anti-purge program is complete," he whispered into his earpiece as he jumped down to a nearby skyscraper. "I'm really getting sick of this."

"Almost," Cam responded. "You can't rush genius. Though with how quiet it's gotten, I'm not sure you'll get a chance to test it."

Morningstar frowned in thought. Ever since Blue Angel's duel with Baira and the release of the removal program, LINK VRAINS had started calming down. It was getting much harder for Morningstar to find opponents to fight.

"If Hanoi is losing manpower, hopefully that means Terminus and his friend will have to intervene personally," Morningstar said. "I'm tried of playing his games."

"Morningstar!"

He turned to the left and his eyes widened. Lilith was jumping across the rooftops, heading towards him.

"We need to talk," she said.

"About what?" he asked.

To his surprise, Lilith looked uncomfortable. "Well… after we dueled, I was approached by another client. They offered a lot of money for me to follow you and record your duels."

Morningstar blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "Who did?"

"I did."

Lilith and Morningstar turned to look behind him. Standing above them on a nearby rooftop was a man in a white lab coat. His black and silver hair was tied back in a ponytail and his left eye was covered a yellow and silver mask. Morningstar narrowed his eyes.

"Your avatar is very similar to Dr. Genome's and Baira's," he noted. "Are you Terminus?"

"I am," Terminus acknowledged as he leapt down to their building. "I must say, I'm disappointed Lilith. I thought you had client confidentiality."

Lilith scowled at him. "That's only when my clients aren't cyberterrorists."

Morningstar glanced at her. "So you work for Hanoi now?"

"No!" Lilith protested.

"She doesn't," Terminus interjected, drawing their attention back to him. "I only told her my name when I hired her, and given what she just told you, I imagine our contract is no longer valid. I admit I'm curious how you managed to find out the truth, Lilith, but it doesn't really matter." He turned from Lilith to Morningstar and smiled. "I must say, it has been interesting watching you work. I've gained a great deal of information about your Deck and strategies and adapted my own Deck to respond accordingly." He took a step forward. "Faust is dealing with Playmaker right now, so I'll end your annoyance here. Duel me, Morningstar!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Why did this guy look familiar? Setting that aside for now, he said, "I was hoping you-." That was as far as he got before a gunshot rang out. He and Terminus turned with wide eyes to Lilith, who had one of her pistols in her right hand, aimed at Terminus. Morningstar glanced at Terminus and saw a golden field surround Terminus.

"This is a security field," Lilith said, scowling at Terminus. "It prevents either of us from logging out and keeps you from dueling anyone except me."

"What?" Morningstar said, shocked. "Lilith, why are you doing this?"

Lilith turned to him. "Because long ago, I worked with a cyberterrorist and I didn't realize what they were planning until it was too late. When that happened, I swore I would never again work with one." She turned back to Terminus. "I may have broken that promise inadvertently, but I still worked with Hanoi. This is my repentance."

Terminus scowled at her. "First you spill the beans and now you stand between Morningstar and me. Fine. I'll turn you into an Another then deal with Morningstar."

"This is a bad idea," Morningstar told Lilith. Her response was to smirk at him.

"You think I can't handle one Knight of Hanoi? Just watch and learn."

* * *

Lilith and Terminus rode the data stream, with Terminus in front riding an elongated white board with an orange semicircle attached to the back.

He turned to look at Lilith. "Faust was right about you," he said. "He believed my plans for you wouldn't work. Now I suppose I must clean up my mess." He pulled a digital card from his coat pocket. "I'll make this Speed Duel more exciting for everyone. Data Gale!" He threw the card into the air, where it glowed with blue light.

Lilith covered her eyes and screamed when her D-Board dropped. But she stopped and uncovered her eyes when she saw she was now flying with Terminus in front of her. She grit her teeth. That had been embarrassing.

Looking behind her, she noticed Morningstar trailing the two of them on his own D-Board, carefully observing them.

 _I'll defeat this opponent,_ Lilith thought. _But… even if I don't, it will give Morningstar a chance to observe Terminus's tactics. And that will leave him better prepared for him._

"Masako, what are you doing?" Lilith scowled at the voice in her ear. "Telling Morningstar the truth is one thing, but this-."

"Save it, Tagoma," she said, cutting him off. "This duel is happening whether you like it or not." She looked ahead at Terminus, who looked back at her.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Terminus: 4000 LP**

 **Lilith: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn!" Terminus declared. Looking at his hand, he selected one of his cards. "I activate the Field Spell Card: The Hidden City!" Lilith's and Morningstar's eyes widened on seeing his first card was a Field Spell. "When this card is activated, I can add one 'Subterror' monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Subterror Behemoth Umastryx to my hand!"

While Terminus was doing that, Morningstar whispered to Cam. "Cam, have you heard of this 'Subterror' archetype?"

"I haven't," Cam said, his voice grave. "Lilith should be careful. And you should pay close attention."

"Morningstar!"

Morningstar looked behind him and his eyes widened in surprise. "Galahad?" he said in shock. The duelist in question was riding his D-Board right behind Morningstar. "What are you doing here?"

"I was already here fighting the Knights of Hanoi when this dome appeared," Galahad explained. "This is the same thing that Hanoi duelist Blue Angel defeated used, right?"

"A Data Gale, yes," Morningstar said.

Galahad looked ahead and narrowed his eyes at Lilith's opponent. "Who's that?"

"Terminus." On seeing Galahad's eyes widen, Morningstar said, "Yes. The same Terminus who used your brother."

"My- You know!?" Galahad said, looking at Morningstar with surprise.

"I didn't until after our duel," Morningstar said, looking ahead. "But I've heard Terminus's name before. Hopefully Lilith can defeat him."

Terminus continued his turn. "I summon Subterror Fiendess!" A blue-skinned demon with purple hair wearing a white and black costume with green lines running over it appeared on his field.

 **Subterror Fiendess ATK 800 DEF 500 LVL: 1**

"A Level 1 monster?" Lilith said in surprise.

"Fiendess's monster effect!" Terminus declared. "Once per turn, I can change one face-up monster to face-down Defense Position, then Special Summon one 'Subterror' monster from my hand or Graveyard in face-up or face-down Defense Position. I change Fiendess itself to face-down Defense Position, and Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Umastryx in face-down Defense Position!"

Fiendess became a face-down card on Terminus's field, while another face-down card appeared next to it.

"I Set one card," Terminus said. "I end my turn."

Lilith narrowed her eyes. _Two monsters in face-down Defense Position? What is he planning?_

"My turn! Draw!" Lilith looked at her cards, then said, "I summon Magical Musketeer Kidbrave!" A young cowboy carrying a pistol appeared on her field.

 **Magical Musketeer Kidbrave ATK 1600 DEF 200 LVL: 3**

"So long as Kidbrave is on my field, I can activate 'Magical Musket' Spell and Trap Cards from my hand during either of our turns!" Lilith said.

 _Every Magical Musket monster has that effect,_ Morningstar thought. It made them difficult to fight against.

"I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal!" Lilith continued. "Now 'Magical Musket' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by card effects." She gestured to Kidbrave. "Kidbrave's monster effect! Since I activated a Spell or Trap Card in Kidbrave's column, I can discard one 'Magical Musket' card and then draw two cards."

She discarded her card, drew, then said, "I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! With this card, I'll Special Summon the monster I just discarded. Come forth, Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel!" The blue-skinned demon in a suit and trench coat appeared alongside Kidbrave, hefting its massive pistols.

 **Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 2500 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"Lilith's ace monster," Morningstar muttered.

"Battle!" Lilith declared. "Kidbrave, attack the face-down monster on the right, otherwise known as Subterror Fiendess! Fourth Bullet!" Kidbrave aimed and fired at Fiendess's face-down card, but Terminus only smirked.

"Pointless," he said, surprising Lilith. "I activate the effect of The Hidden City! Once per turn, when your monster declares an attack, I can change a face-down Defense Position 'Subterror' monster I control to face-up Attack or Defense Position and negate your attack."

"What?" Lilith said, surprised at that effect.

"I think I'll change the position of my other monster to face-up Defense Position," Terminus said, gesturing to his second face-down monster. "I Flip Summon Subterror Behemoth Umastryx!"

His face-down card flipped face-up and glowed. To Morningstar's surprise, the ground started shaking. "What's happening?" Galahad asked.

"No idea," Morningstar answered.

Cracks appeared in the ground as a blue light emerged. Suddenly, a massive body emerged from beneath the ground. Lilith, Morningstar, and Galahad all swerved to avoid the falling rubble, but Terminus didn't move at all. Lilith looked at what emerged from the ground and gasped.

It was a giant four-legged reptilian monster with black skin and blue lines running over it. For a nose, it had a drill. It was one of the largest monsters Lilith had ever seen.

 **Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000 DEF 2700 LVL: 7**

"What is that thing?" Galahad said, looking at the monster in shock.

"No idea," Morningstar said, looking at Umastryx with wide eyes.

Terminus smirked at everyone's reactions. "Because Umastryx was flipped face-up, its effect now activates!" he declared, surprising Lilith. "Now, I can target and banish one of your monsters!"

"What?" Lilith said, her eyes widening in horror. Her Fiendish Deal prevented her monsters' destruction, but it couldn't stop them from being banished.

"Say goodbye to Zakiel!" Umastryx plunged its nose towards Zakiel, but Lilith wasn't defenseless.

"I activate the Trap Card Magical Musket – Shifting Aim from my hand!" she declared. The card showed Kidbrave aiming at a target, while Starfire held his arm. "Since you targeted a 'Magical Musket' monster for a card effect, this card lets me choose another target! I change your target to Kidbrave!"

Kidbrave leapt in front of Umastryx's drill and cried out with pain as he disappeared.

"Not bad," Terminus said, smiling to himself.

"This battle isn't over!" Lilith said. "Zakiel, attack Terminus's face-down monster! Seventh Bullet!" Zakiel lifted both of its guns and fired at its target. Subterror Fiendess briefly appeared as she was destroyed.

"And now the Battle Phase is over," Lilith said. "But my turn isn't! I activate the effect of Shifting Aim in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon one 'Magical Musket' monster from my Deck and return one Spell or Trap Card on my field to my hand. I'll return Fiendish Deal to my hand and Special Summon Magical Musketeer Starfire in Defense Position!" The woman in a black and blue dress appeared, carrying a Derringer.

 **Magical Musketeer – Starfire ATK 1300 DEF 1700 LVL: 4**

"I end my turn," Lilith said, gritting her teeth. She hadn't been able to damage Terminus this turn, but she would have another chance.

"So that's what a 'Subterror' Deck is capable of," Morningstar noted.

Galahad scowled. "A Flip Effect Deck," he muttered. "That's the worst kind of Deck to go against."

"My turn! Draw!" Terminus drew, but before he could make a move, Lilith spoke up.

"I activate the Continuous Trap Card Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal from my hand!" she declared. "Starfire's effect lets me do so during your turn. And because I activated a Spell or Trap Card in the same column as Starfire, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Magical Musket' monster from my Deck in Defense Position. Come to me, Magical Musketeer Caspar!" A young man with blonde hair wearing red clothes carrying a handgun appeared on Lilith's field with Starfire and Zakiel.

 **Magical Musketeer Caspar ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3**

"Interesting," Terminus mused. "So not only have you protected your monsters from destruction effects, you also gained a new monster. Rather clever of you." He smirked. "Of course, it won't change the outcome." He gestured to the large reptile on his field. "Umastryx's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change Umastryx to face-down Defense Position!"

"What?" Lilith said in surprise as the massive monster disappeared and the face-down card reappeared on Terminus's field. "Why would you do that?"

"So I can do this," Terminus said, selecting a card from his hand. "Because a monster was flipped face-down and I control no face-up monsters, I can Special Summon this monster in face-up Defense Position. Emerge, Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist!"

Instead of the ground cracking, a massive pillar of fire appeared on Terminus's field. And from that pillar, another giant monster appeared. This one was demonic in appearance and blue and yellow in color. It roared, breaking the windows of several nearby buildings.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11**

Galahad, Lilith, and Morningstar all braced themselves against the wind. "These monsters of his are insane!" Galahad commented. Morningstar could only agree in silence with Galahad.

"Speleogeist's monster effect!" Terminus continued. "Once per turn, I can change Speleogeist to face-down Defense Position!" The fiend disappeared as a face-down card appeared. "And now I activate The Hidden City's effect! Once per turn, I can change one face-down Defense Position 'Subterror' monster on my field to face-up Attack or Defense Position. I change my face-down Speleogeist to face-up Attack Position!" The giant fiend reemerged as Lilith grit her teeth. He'd flipped Speleogeist face-down so he could activate its Flip Effect, didn't he?

"Speleogeist's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared, confirming Lilith's suspicion. "Since it was flipped face-up, I can target one monster on the field. That monster's attack points become 0, and if it is in Defense Position, it is changed to Attack Position." Lilith gasped. "Your Zakiel is already in Attack Position, but it can still lose its attack points! Go, Speleogeist! Terrifying Drain!" Speleogeist shot blue flames at Zakiel, who cried out in pain as its attack points decreased.

 **Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 2500→0**

"Zakiel!" Lilith shouted, distraught at seeing her best monster drained like this.

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Subterror Cave Clash!" Terminus declared. "With this card, all 'Subterror' monsters I control gain 500 attack and defense points for each Set monster on the field. As there is one Set monster, Speleogeist gains 500 attack and defense points!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000→3500 DEF 1400→1900**

"This is bad," Galahad said, narrowing his eyes. "If he attacks with Speleogeist, Lilith will lose most of her Life Points."

"Battle!" Terminus said. "Speleogeist, attack Zakiel! Terror Domination!" Speleogeist gathered blue flames in its hands which it lobbed at Zakiel, but Lilith only smirked.

"If you think that's going to work, you don't know me!" she shouted. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Cross-Domination! Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, one monster on the field has its effects negated and its attack and defense points changed to 0 until the end of the turn. And of course, I choose Speleogeist!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3500→0 DEF 1900→0**

"Since their attack points are equal now, that means they'll both be destroyed!" Galahad said.

"No," Morningstar said, drawing Galahad's attention. "Lilith's going to win this turn." He remembered Caspar's effect from his duel with Lilith. And he remembered another card she'd used to try and defeat him.

"Caspar's monster effect!" Lilith declared. "Since I activated a Spell or Trap Card in Caspar's column, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card with a different name from my Deck to my hand!" _If I add Steady Hands to my hand, its effect will make Zakiel's attack points 5000,_ she thought. _And since Speleogeist's attack points are 0, I'll win!_

The selection screen appeared in front of her, but before she could choose, Tagoma shouted in her ear. "Masako! Look out!" Looking up, Lilith gasped and sharply veered right. She'd been about to smash into a building. Unfortunately, when she did so, she waved her arm and selected a card she didn't intend to.

Looking at the card she'd selected, Lilith grit her teeth. _Timed Reload? Damn it._

Terminus smirked as he turned the corner and his Speleogeist's attack continued. "Do you think that little card will change anything?" he asked Lilith, surprising her. "Trap activate! Subterror Final Battle!"

"A Trap Card?" Morningstar said, surprised.

"Final Battle's effect lets me choose one of four effects!" Terminus explained. "And I think I'll choose the third effect. Now, until the end of the turn, the attack and defense points of one 'Subterror' monster becomes equal to its combined original attack and defense points until the end of the turn!"

"What?" Lilith said.

Terminus gestured to Speleogeist. "Speleogeist's attack and defense points now become equal to its combined attack and defense points! Or 4400!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 0→4400 DEF 0→4400**

"The best part of this is that instead of being sent to the Graveyard, Final Battle Sets itself on my field," Terminus said, annoying Lilith. "Continue your attack, Speleogeist! Terror Domination!" The blue flames reached Zakiel, but Lilith had one more trick up her sleeve.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Timed Reload!" The card showed Wild, its guns smoking as Caspar fed a new line of bullets into one of them. "This card targets a 'Magical Musket' monster on my field. That monster cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, and any battle damage I take this turn is halved!"

"But you'll still take damage!" Terminus reminded her. The blue flames reached around Zakiel and struck Lilith, causing her to cry out.

 **Lilith: 4000→1800 LP**

"Masako! Ahead of you!" Lilith looked up, but she wasn't quick enough to avoid smashing into the building this time.

"Lilith!" Galahad cried out. Morningstar only narrowed his eyes.

Looking up, Lilith saw that she smashed through not only the wall, but also the floor. Making an annoyed sound, she got up and broke through a nearby window, where her D-Board caught her.

"Well done," Terminus said, surprising her. "If not for that card, you would have lost."

 _And if I had added Steady Hands instead of Timed Reload, you would have taken damage instead of me,_ Lilith thought. Why did that have to happen?

"Since a 'Subterror' monster I control inflicted battle damage," Terminus continued. "Cave Clash's second effect activates, and I can add one 'Subterror' card from my Graveyard to my hand. I'll return my Fiendess to my hand."

After doing so, he said, "I end my turn. And since it is the End Phase, the effects of your Cross-Domination and my Final Battle end, and Speleogeist's attack and defense points return to normal."

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 4400→3500 DEF 4400→1900**

"Zakiel's monster effect!" Lilith suddenly declared. "During your End Phase, I draw cards equal to the number of 'Magical Musket' Spell or Trap Cards I activated this turn. I activated three, so I draw three cards!"

As she drew, Morningstar said into his earpiece, "This isn't good, Cam."

"No, it isn't," Cam agreed. "She's losing. More than that, Terminus's moves have made it very difficult for her to inflict any damage."

Cam was right. Since Umastryx was face-down, Terminus could use the effect of The Hidden City to negate Lilith's first attack. And once Umastryx was flipped face-up, it would banish one of Lilith's monsters. And if that wasn't bad enough, Speleogeist's effect hadn't ended, meaning her Zakiel still had 0 attack points.

"My turn! Draw!" Lilith looked at the cards in her hand and narrowed her eyes. She couldn't defeat Terminus with these cards, but she could damage him and disrupt his moves.

"This monster can be Tribute Summoned by Tributing one 'Magical Musket' monster!" Lilith said. "I Tribute Starfire to Tribute Summon another Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel!" Starfire disappeared as a second Zakiel appeared on her field.

 **Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 2500 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"Now she has two of them," Galahad noted.

"From my hand, I activate the Trap Card: Magical Musket – Desperado!" Lilith continued. "Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can destroy one face-up card on the field. I'll destroy your Field Spell!" Her Trap Card released a blast of energy at Terminus's card, but he only smirked.

"I activate the effect of the Subterror Fiendess in my hand!" he declared. "Since you activated a card or effect, I can send this card to the Graveyard and target one 'Subterror' monster I control. Your card's activation is negated, and the targeted monster is changed to face-down Defense Position!"

"What?" Lilith said.

"I target Speleogeist," Terminus said. "So now Speleogeist is flipped face-down and your Desperado is negated!" Speleogeist disappeared as its face-down card appeared while the blast from Desperado shattered.

Lilith grit her teeth. She'd been counting on Desperado, but she still had some moves left.

"I activate the Trap Card: Magical Musket – Dancing Needle from my hand!" she declared. "Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can target up to three cards in our Graveyards and banish them. But I think I'll only target one: your Subterror Fiendess!"

 _Banishing Fiendess does not help her this turn,_ Terminus thought. _Why would she-?_ His eyes widened in realization. _Wait!_

"Caspar's monster effect! Since I activated a Spell or Trap Card in the same column as Caspar, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card with a different name from my Deck to my hand," Lilith said. "I add the Spell Card: Magical Musket – About Face, which I will now activate!" The card showed Caspar, Kidbrave, and Wild all standing together, each of them pointing their guns in a different direction. "This card lets me target and Tribute up to two 'Magical Musket' monsters on my field. I target and Tribute Caspar and the Zakiel with 0 attack points!"

Both monsters disappeared, then Lilith said, "Now, About Face's real effect begins! I can Special Summon an equal number of Level 4 or lower 'Magical Musket' monsters from my Deck in Attack Position! Come to me, Magical Musketeer Doc and Magical Musketeer Wild!" Doc was a man in a lab coat with a red cloak, carrying a sniper rifle. He stood next to the bare-chested man with dreadlocks carrying a multitude of weapons that was Wild.

 **Magical Musketeer Doc ATK 1400 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

 **Magical Musketeer Wild ATK 1700 DEF 900 LVL: 4**

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Steady Hands!" Lilith continued. "This card makes the attack and defense points of one 'Magical Musket' monster equal to double their original attack and defense points until the end of the turn. I'll target Doc for its effect!"

 **Magical Musketeer Doc ATK 1400→2800 DEF 1200→2400**

"2800 attack points?" Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes.

"Doc's monster effect! Since I activated a Spell or Trap Card in its column, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Cross-Domination to my hand!"

Lilith did so, then said, "Battle! Zakiel, attack his face-down Speleogeist! Seventh Bullet!" Zakiel fired its guns at Speleogeist, but Terminus only scoffed.

"You fool," he said. "I activate the effect of The Hidden City! By flipping Speleogeist face-up, I negate your attack!" Speleogeist reappeared and Zakiel's attack faded.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11**

"And because there is a Set monster on the field, Cave Clash increases Speleogeist's attack and defense points by 500!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000→3500 DEF 1400→1900**

"Speleogeist's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared. "Since it was flipped face-up, one monster on the field loses all of its attack points. I'll target your Doc! Terrifying Drain!"

 **Magical Musketeer Doc ATK 2800→0**

"She knew that was going to happen," Galahad said. "So why did she do it?"

"Because it was her only option," Morningstar answered.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Cross-Domination!" Lilith declared. "And target your Speleogeist! Now Speleogeist loses all its attack and defense points and its effects are negated!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3500→0 DEF 1900→0**

"Wild's monster effect!" Lilith continued. "Because a Spell or Trap Card was activated in its column, I can shuffle three 'Magical Musket' cards in my Graveyard back into my Deck and draw one card. I return Caspar, Starfire, and Timed Reload to my Deck." She drew, and on seeing what her card was, smirked. Terminus wasn't going to expect this.

"Battle!" Lilith declared. "Wild, attack Speleogeist! Sixth Bullet!"

"What's she doing?" Galahad asked, surprised. "She knows what his face-down card is!"

"Trap activate!" Terminus declared. "Subterror Final Battle! I choose to activate its third effect and make Speleogeist's attack and defense points equal to its combined attack and defense points."

"That means Lilith will take 2700 points of damage," Morningstar noted.

Lilith smirked. "Don't be so sure," she said, surprising Terminus and the other two. "From my hand, I activate the Counter Trap Card: Magical Musket – Last Stand! Since you activated a Spell or Trap Card while I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, that card's activation is negated and it is destroyed!"

Terminus gasped in surprise as his Final Battle shattered. Without that…

"Keep going, Wild!" Lilith shouted. "Destroy Speleogeist! Sixth Bullet!" Wild roared as it unloaded on Speleogeist, which cried out as it was destroyed. Terminus flinched from the damage.

 **Terminus 4000→2300 LP**

"She damaged him!" Galahad said excitedly.

"But it cost her quite a bit," Morningstar noted, seeing that Lilith had only managed to destroy one of Terminus's monsters.

Terminus smirked. "Not bad, Lilith," he said. "But I'm afraid that won't be enough." He gestured to his field. "I activate my Skill! Whispering Terror!"

"What?" Lilith said with surprise. "You're activating your Skill now?"

"It can only be activated now," Terminus said. "Since a Flip Monster was destroyed by battle, I can Set one 'Subterror' monster directly from my Deck."

"What? Any 'Subterror' monster?"

"That's right. And I'll Set Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus!"

Seeing another face-down monster, Lilith grit her teeth, but then she smirked. "You're not the only one with a Skill, you know," she said. "I activate my Skill! Magic Shot! Since you damage from an attack by a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can halve your Life Points!"

"What?" Galahad said, surprised. "She can do that?" Morningstar and Terminus only narrowed their eyes.

Lilith pulled out one of her pistols and pointed it at Terminus. _Please don't be the one with blanks,_ she internally pleaded. She fired, and sure enough, Terminus doubled over like he'd been punched in the stomach.

 **Terminus: 2300→1150 LP**

"Her Life Points are higher than his now," Galahad said. He turned to Morningstar. "Do you think she can win?"

Morningstar didn't answer. He just continued to watch.

As Terminus straightened himself, Lilith said, "I end my turn, and since I activated About Face before, all my Spell and Trap Cards are destroyed, which means Fiendish Deal is gone."

As the card shattered, Lilith looked at the only card in her hand. Another copy of Steady Hands. With this, it didn't matter what monsters Terminus summoned; she would be ready.

"My turn! Draw!" Terminus looked at his card and sighed. "I'm sorry, Lilith. I admit this fight was interesting, but you never stood a chance against me."

"What?" Lilith said, surprised. "You have fewer Life Points! And even if you banish one of my monsters with Umastryx, I'll still have two left!"

"Umastryx isn't the monster you need to worry about," Terminus revealed, startling Lilith. "The monster you allowed me to summon is." He gestured to his second face-down monster. "I Flip Summon Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus!"

Lilith, Galahad, and Morningstar all looked down as the ground started to shake again. The ground cracked as lava erupted from the streets.

"What the hell!?" Galahad said as he swerved to avoid the fire. "What's happening?"

Morningstar didn't respond as he stared at the monster that emerged from the ground. It had four legs and a very long neck. It seemed to be made of rock and lava. It roared as it finally took its place on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 3000 DEF 1800 LVL: 12**

"Because there is a Set monster on the field, Ultramafus gains 500 attack and defense points!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 3000→3500 DEF 1800→2300**

"And now your end begins, Lilith!" Terminus declared. "Ultramafus's Flip Effect! When this card is flipped face-up, all other face-up monsters on the field are changed to face-down Defense Position!"

Lilith gasped. "What?"

"Go! Terrifying Roar!" Ultramafus roared, causing Doc, Wild, and Zakiel to all disappear and face-down monsters to appear on Lilith's field.

Terminus smirked. "Because there are three more Set monsters, Ultramafus gains 1500 more attack and defense points."

 **Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 3500→5000 DEF 2300→3800**

"This… this is bad," Morningstar said, his eyes wide. Since all her monsters were face-down, Lilith couldn't use any of their effects. Meaning she couldn't activate any Spell or Trap Cards from her hand.

"It isn't over," Galahad said. "She still has three monsters on the field, and since they're all in Defense Position, she won't take any damage when they're destroyed."

 _That won't stop Terminus,_ Morningstar thought.

"Next, I Flip Summon Subterror Behemoth Umastryx!" The giant lizard with a drill nose reappeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000 DEF 2700 LVL: 7**

"Umastryx gains attack and defense points due to the effect of Cave Clash," Terminus said. "But because there is one less Set monster, Ultramafus loses 500 attack and defense points."

 **Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 5000→4500 DEF 3800→3300**

 **Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000→3500 DEF 2700→4200**

"And since Umastryx was flipped face-up, its effect activates, and one of your monsters is banished!" Terminus declared. "I'll banish the face-down Zakiel!" Lilith grit her teeth as one of her face-down cards disappeared.

"And of course, since another Set monster left the field, my monsters lose 500 attack and defense points."

 **Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 4500→4000 DEF 3300→2800**

 **Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 3500→3000 DEF 4200→3700**

Terminus smirked. "Morningstar!" he called out behind him to the bounty hunter. "You wished to see my true power? Then I'll show you and Lilith my true ace monster!" He gestured ahead of him. "Appear, our future circuit!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared high above them.

"He's Link Summoning!" Galahad shouted, stating the obvious.

"Arrowheads confirmed!" Terminus chanted. "The summoning conditions are two Flip monsters! I set Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus and Subterror Behemoth Umastryx in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became streams of yellow and blue wind respectively. They entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red. The portal glowed with energy as Terminus continued his chant.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Subterror Behemoth Fiendess!"

The monster that appeared was just as large as the last two. It was a large purple dragon with black and pink wings. It wore armor on its chest and waist similar to Subterror Fiendess's, and a long mane of purple hair fell down its neck. It roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

Morningstar, Lilith, and Galahad all braced themselves as Behemoth Fiendess's roar released powerful blasts of wind. Lilith looked at the summoned monster in shock while Morningstar glared at it.

"So this is his Link Monster," he muttered to himself.

"Due to Cave Clash, Behemoth Fiendess gains 1000 attack points!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000→3000**

"My monster is not done powering up," Terminus said. "When Behemoth Fiendess is Link Summoned, it gains attack points equal to the combined original Levels of the 'Subterror' monsters used for its Link Summon times 100!"

Lilith's eyes widened. Ultramafus had been Level 12 while Umastryx had been Level 7. That meant Behemoth Fiendess gained 1900 attack points.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 3000→4900**

"Behemoth Fiendess's monster effect!" Terminus continued. "Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can send one Flip monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Subterror Behemoth Dragossuary to the Graveyard." He did so, then said, "Doing so lets me Special Summon one monster from my hand in face-down Defense Position to Behemoth Fiendess's Link Marker. I Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken!" A face-down card appeared next to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker. "And since there is another Set monster, Cave Clash increases Behemoth Fiendess's attack points by 500!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 4900→5400**

Terminus smirked. "I activate the effect of The Hidden City! Once per turn, I can change one face-down Defense Position monster to face-up Attack or Defense Position. I change my face-down Stygokraken to face-up Attack Position!" This monster appeared in a rush of water. It resembled an ancient fish with four horns on its head and a mane of yellow hair.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken ATK 1400 DEF 2600 LVL: 5**

"And of course, Cave Clash makes Stygokraken more powerful, while it lowers Behemoth Fiendess's attack points."

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 5400→4900**

 **Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken ATK 1400→2400 DEF 2600→3600**

"Stygokraken's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared. "If this monster is flipped face-up, I can target Set cards on the field, equal to the number of 'Subterror Behemoth' monsters I control and destroy them!" Lilith's eyes widened in shock. "I control two 'Subterror Behemoths,' so I'll destroy both of your face-down monsters!" Stygokraken let loose a blast of water, destroying both of Lilith's cards.

"Of course, since both of your Set monsters are gone, both of my monsters lose 1000 attack points. But at this point, it doesn't really matter."

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 4900→3900**

 **Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken ATK 2400→1400 DEF 3600→2600**

"Masako!" Tagoma shouted into her earpiece. "Get out of there! Now!"

"I can't," Lilith said, gritting her teeth. "My security field keeps me here, too."

"Since a monster next to its Link Marker was Flip Summoned, Behemoth Fiendess lets me add one Flip monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand," Terminus said. "I'll return Ultramafus from my Graveyard to my hand." He did so, then frowned. "For the record, I am sorry it came to this, Lilith. You were a valuable resource. But you overstepped your bounds. And now you'll answer for it."

He gestured to his Link Monster. "Battle! Behemoth Fiendess, attack Lilith directly! Final Extinction!"

Behemoth Fiendess gathered blue flames in its mouth, which it fired at Lilith. Lilith watched the energy as it approached her and-.

She screamed as it struck. It felt like every nerve of her body was on fire. The blast was so powerful, her D-Board disintegrated underneath her as she fell.

 **Lilith: 1800→0 LP**

"Lilith!" Morningstar yelled.

"Masako!" Tagoma yelled as he stood up. He stared at his laptop, his eyes wide and watering.

* * *

 **Lilith vs. Terminus**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Terminus**

Terminus activates the Field Spell The Hidden City. Since it was activated, he can add 1 "Subterror" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Umastryx to his hand. He Normal Summons Subterror Fiendess (800/500/1). He activates the effect of Fiendess, which lets him target 1 face-up monster and change it to face-down Defense Position, then Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from his hand or GY in face-up or face-down Defense Position. He targets Fiendess itself for its effect, flipping it into face-down Defense Position and Special Summoning Subterror Behemoth Umastryx in face-down Defense Position. He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Lilith**

Lilith draws. She Normal Summons Magical Musketeer Kidbrave (1600/200/3). Kidbrave's effect lets Lilith activate "Magical Musket" Spell/Trap Cards from her hand. She activates the Continuous Trap Card Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal. While Fiendish Deal is active, "Magical Musket" monsters she controls cannot be destroyed by card effects. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in Kidbrave's column, its effect activates, and Lilith discards Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel to draw 2 cards. She activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Zakiel to her field (2500/2500/8) in Attack Position.

Kidbrave attacks the face-down Subterror Fiendess, but Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City, changing his face-down Umastryx to face-up Defense Position (2000/2700/7) and negating the attack. Since Umastryx was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, letting Terminus target and banish 1 monster Lilith controls. He targets and attempts to banish Zakiel, but Lilith activates the Trap Card Magical Musket – Shifting Aim from her hand, letting her switch the target to a different monster she controls. She switches it to Kidbrave, which is banished. Zakiel attacks and destroys the Set Subterror Fiendess. At the end of the Battle Phase, Lilith activates the effect of Shifting Aim in her GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 "Magical Musket" monster from her Deck and return 1 Spell/Trap Card on her field to her hand. She Special Summons Magical Musketeer Starfire (1300/1700/4) in Defense Position and returns Fiendish Deal to her hand. She ends her turn.

 **Turn 3: Terminus**

Terminus draws. Lilith activates the Continuous Trap Card Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in Starfire's column, its effect activates, and Lilith can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monster from her Deck in Defense Position. She Special Summons Magical Musketeer Caspar (1200/2000/3) in Defense Position. Terminus activates the effect of Umastryx to change it to face-down Defense Position. Since a monster was flipped face-down while he controls no face-up monsters, Terminus activates the effect of the Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist in his hand, Special Summoning it in Defense Position (3000/1400/11). Terminus activates the effect of Speleogeist to change it to face-down Defense Position. Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change Speleogeist to face-up Attack Position (3000/1400/11). Since Speleogeist was Flip Summoned, Terminus can target 1 monster on the field, change it to Attack Position if it is in Defense Position, and change its ATK to 0. He targets Zakiel (Zakiel: 2500→0). Terminus activates the Continuous Spell Card Subterror Cave Clash, which increases the ATK/DEF of all "Subterror" monsters he controls by 500 for each Set monster on the field (Speleogeist: 3000→3500/1400→1900).

Speleogeist attacks Zakiel, but Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Cross-Domination from her hand, changing Speleogeist's ATK/DEF to 0 and negating its effects until the end of the turn (Speleogeist: 3500→0/1900→0). Since Lilith activated a Spell/Trap Card in the same column, Caspar's effect activates, letting Lilith add 1 "Magical Musket" card with a different name from her Deck to her hand. She adds Magical Musket – Timed Reload. Terminus activates his face-down Trap Card Subterror Final Battle, choosing to activate its 3rd effect. Speleogeist's ATK/DEF becomes equal to its combined original ATK/DEF until the end of the turn (Speleogeist: 0→4400/0→4400). Subterror Final Battle is Set instead of being sent to the GY. Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Timed Reload from her hand, targeting Zakiel for its effect. Zakiel isn't destroyed by this battle and all battle damage Lilith takes is halved (Lilith: 4000→1800 LP). Since a "Subterror" monster he controls inflicted battle damage, the effect of Cave Clash lets Terminus add 1 "Subterror" card from his GY to his hand. He adds Subterror Fiendess to his hand. He ends his turn, and the effects of Cross-Domination and Final Battle end (Speleogeist: 4400→3500/4400→1900). The effect of Zakiel activates, and Lilith draws cards equal to the number of "Magical Musket" Spell/Trap Cards she activated this turn. She draws 3 cards.

 **Turn 4: Lilith**

Lilith draws. She Tributes Starfire on her field to Tribute Summon a second Zakiel (2500/2500/8). Lilith activates the Trap Card Magical Musket – Desperado from her hand, targeting The Hidden City for its effect. Terminus activates the effect of the Subterror Fiendess in his hand, sending it to the GY and targeting Speleogeist. Desperado's effect is negated, and Speleogeist is changed to face-down Defense Position. Lilith activates the Trap Card Magical Musket – Dancing Needle, targeting Fiendess in the GY and banishing it. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in the same column as Caspar, Lilith can add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds Magical Musket – About Face to her hand. Lilith activates the Spell Card Magical Musket – About Face, targeting Caspar and the first Zakiel on her field. They are Tributed, and Lilith can Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monsters from her Deck to her field in Attack Position. She Special Summons Magical Musketeer Doc (1400/1200/3) and Magical Musketeer Wild (1700/900/4). Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Steady Hands, targeting Doc for its effect and making its ATK/DEF double its original ATK/DEF until the end of the turn (Doc: 1400→2800/1200→2400). Since she activated a Spell/Trap Card in the same column as Doc, its effect lets Lilith add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her GY to her hand. She adds Cross-Domination.

Zakiel attacks the face-down Speleogeist, but Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City, Flip Summoning Speleogeist (3000→3500/1400→1900/11) in Attack Position and negating Zakiel's attack. Since Speleogeist was Flip Summoned, Terminus activates its effect, targeting Doc and changing its ATK to 0 (Doc: 2800→0). Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cross-Domination, targeting Speleogeist for its effect, negating its effects and reducing its ATK/DEF to 0 (Speleogeist: 3500→0/1900→0). Since she activated Cross-Domination in the same column as Wild, Wild's effect lets her target Caspar, Starfire, and Timed Reload in her GY, shuffle all 3 cards back into her Deck, then draw 1 card. Wild attacks Speleogeist, but Terminus activates his face-down Trap Card Subterror Final Battle, attempting to activate the 3rd effect and make Speleogeist's ATK/DEF equal to its combined ATK/DEF. Lilith activates the Counter Trap Card Magical Musket – Last Stand from her hand, negating the activation of Final Battle and destroying it. The attack continues, and Speleogeist is destroyed (Terminus: 4000→2300 LP). Since a Flip Monster was destroyed by battle, Terminus activates his Skill, Whispering Terror, to Set 1 "Subterror" monster directly from his Deck. He Sets Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus. At the end of the Battle Phase, Lilith activates her Skill, Magic Shot. Since Terminus took damage from at least 1 attack by a "Magical Musket" monster, his LP are halved (Terminus: 2300→1150 LP). Lilith ends her turn, and the effect of About Face destroys the Fiendish Deal on Lilith's field.

 **Turn 5: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He Flip Summons Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus (3000→3500/1800→2300/12). Since Ultramafus was Flip Summoned, all other face-up monsters on the field are changed to face-down Defense Position. Doc, Wild, and Zakiel are changed to face-down Defense Position (Ultramafus: 3500→5000/2300→3800). Terminus Flip Summons Subterror Behemoth Umastryx (2000→3500/2700→4200/7) (Ultramafus: 5000→4500/3800→3300). Since Umastryx was Flip Summoned, Terminus can target and banish 1 monster Lilith controls. He banishes the face-down Zakiel (Ultramafus: 4500→4000/3300→2800) (Umastryx: 3500→3000/4200→3700). Terminus uses Ultramafus and Umastryx to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Fiendess (2000→3000/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Behemoth Fiendess gains ATK equal to the combined original Levels of the "Subterror" monsters used to Link Summon it x 100 (Behemoth Fiendess: 3000→4900). Terminus activates the effect of Behemoth Fiendess, sending the Subterror Behemoth Dragossuary in his Deck to the GY to Special Summon 1 monster from his hand in face-down Defense Position to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker. He Special Summons Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken in face-down Defense Position (Behemoth Fiendess: 4900→5400).

Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change Stygokraken to face-up Attack Position (1400→2400/2600→3600/5) (Behemoth Fiendess: 5400→4900). Since Stygokraken was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, and Terminus can target Set cards on the field, equal to the number of "Subterror Behemoth" monsters he controls and destroy them. He controls two, so he targets and destroys the face-down Doc and Wild (Behemoth Fiendess: 4900→3900) (Stygokraken: 2400→1400/3600→2600). Since a monster it pointed to was Flip Summoned, the effect of Behemoth Fiendess lets Terminus add 1 Flip monster from his Deck or GY to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus from his GY to his hand. Behemoth Fiendess attacks Lilith directly (Lilith: 1800→0 LP). Terminus wins.

* * *

 _ **Magical Musket – Shifting Aim Normal Trap Card**_

 _Activate only when exactly 1 "Magical Musket" monster you control is targeted by a Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster's effect. Target another monster you control that would be an appropriate target; that effect/Spell/Trap now targets the new target. At the end of the Battle Phase: You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 "Magical Musket" monster from your Deck and return 1 Spell/Trap Card on your field to your hand. You can only activate each effect of "Magical Musket – Shifting Aim" once per turn._

 _ **Magical Musket – Timed Reload Quick-Play Spell Card**_

 _If you control a "Magical Musket" monster: Target 1 face-up "Magical Musket" monster on the field; until the end of this turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle and all battle damage you take is halved. You can only activate 1 "Magical Musket – Timed Reload" per turn._

 _ **Magical Musket – About Face Normal Spell Card**_

 _Target up to 2 "Magical Musket" monsters you control; Tribute them, then Special Summon an equal number of Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monsters from your Deck to your field in Attack Position. During the End Phase, destroy all Spell/Trap Cards you control. You can only activate 1 "Magical Musket – About Face" per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 16 – The Fourth Commander_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to D3lph0xL0v3r, HunterHQ, Ryujomaru15, ClearwingYuta, Guest, Guest, SakushiRyu, mekyaku, giacomoX, sanedimentio, and Linda Fullmoon for reviewing Chapter 14. Also thank you to Guest for reviewing Chapter 11 and ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapter 13.

HunterHQ: Yasutake was trolling Takeshi. He doesn't show it often, but he does have a sense of humor. Also, thank you for mentioning the episode summary.

ClearwingYuta: I won't answer either question. Spoilers. Sorry. But thanks for asking. Questions like those help give me ideas on how to improve Hidden Memories.

Once again, I request that all Guests please provide a name or alias when writing a review, as it makes responding to them easier. I might decide not to answer reviews if you do not. But in response to the first Guest review, I'm sorry you feel that way. Writing female characters is difficult for me, and I've evolved Masako's character in my head quite a bit. This makes her somewhat tricky to write for. And to the second Guest review, yes, there will be enough people. Just read and wait.

Linda Fullmoon: Sorry. Spoilers.

This chapter started out with Aoi and Yasutake. I wanted to show how comfortable the two have gotten with each other, which is why Yasutake told Aoi about his and Cam's problems with Ghost Girl. The reason I told it like this is because despite being on the good guys' side, Ghost Girl is a mercenary, and she did sell out Akira before to his bosses, so I wanted to show that she has fewer moral scruples than other characters do. At the same time, it also helps show her character development, because Yasutake notes she has changed, at least a bit. As for Sachi being a part of it, I thought that essential; Sachi is Cam's and Yasutake's largest berserk button, so I thought the only way Cam could truly dislike a person is if Sachi was involved.

The rest of the chapter was Masako figuring out the truth about Terminus and then dueling him. To be honest, I don't feel like this is my best written chapter, but I am moderately proud of the duel. As for the result…

One of the issues I had with Dr. Genome, Baira, and Faust was how they were essentially high-grade cannon fodder. Baira and Faust got to show off to the AI Duelist squad, but we didn't get to see them actually duel. To establish Terminus as a threat, I wanted him to win a duel before facing Morningstar. I know this comes at Lilith's expense, just like with Ghost Girl and Revolver, but I considered a powerful enemy more important.

And on that note, Terminus uses the Subterror Deck, a Deck based around Flip Summoning. I feel this archetype is one of the more powerful of the recently released archetypes, and it is definitely difficult to fight against. Morningstar will have his work cut out for him, no?

Now, I'm not sure if all my readers pay attention to anime dubbing, but previews of the VRAINS dub have been released, and I want to know what people think of them. Personally, I like the voice actors' performances, especially Revolver's, or Varis, or whatever his name is. Before anyone gets worried about name changes, I will only change card names to reflect the TCG. Every character will still use their Japanese names. So Revolver is staying Revolver and Kusanagi is not getting called Kolter.

Thank you for reading Chapter 15 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me your opinions of the VRAINS dub previews in the reviews, as well as your favorite moment of the chapter. Was it Takeshi's scene? Aoi and Yasutake? Or that Terminus finally got to duel?


	16. Chapter 16: The Fourth Commander

**Chapter 16: The Fourth Commander**

"Battle! Behemoth Fiendess, attack Lilith directly! Final Extinction!"

Subterror Behemoth Fiendess gathered blue flames in its mouth, which it fired at Lilith. Lilith watched the energy as it approached her and-.

She screamed as it struck. It felt like every nerve of her body was on fire. The blast was so powerful, her D-Board disintegrated underneath her as she fell.

 **Lilith: 1800→0 LP**

"Lilith!" Morningstar shouted.

Morningstar quickly veered his D-Board to get close to the falling girl, but before he could reach her-.

Galahad leapt off his D-Board, catching Lilith. They rolled a bit when he hit the roof of a nearby skyscraper, but they came to a quick stop. Galahad propped Lilith up and saw she was unconscious.

"Hey, wake up, Lilith!" he said, shaking her. He didn't know her that well, or at all, but she was fighting against Hanoi; that made her an ally.

"She can't hear you."

Galahad turned around as Terminus landed lightly on the edge of the rooftop. "She's been turned into an Another," he explained.

"Damn you," Galahad muttered, turning to his Duel Disk. He quickly went to the Another website and applied the removal program to Lilith, but nothing happened.

"It won't work," Terminus said, drawing Galahad's attention back to him. "Since Baira released the removal program, I've made changes to the virus." He pulled a green digital card out of his pocket. "You'll need this if you want to cure her."

"Why you…" Galahad grumbled, setting Lilith down lightly. "I'm going to-!"

Before he could finish, a red cord lashed out and grabbed Terminus by his wrist. The two turned and saw Morningstar at the other end, a grim expression on his face.

"Morningstar?" Galahad said in surprise. Terminus, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all.

"You know what this is, Terminus," Morningstar said.

"Of course I do," the Knight responded. "This is your Data Anchor. It prevents either of us from logging out until we have a duel."

"That's right," the hunter said. "I win, and you give me the new removal program."

"Naturally," Terminus said. "And if I win, you become an Another."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Only one person has ever defeated me," he said. "And that won't change with you."

Terminus smirked. "We'll see, won't we?"

Galahad growled to himself. He couldn't help Morningstar with this. The most he could do was keep an eye on Lilith to make sure nothing happened to her.

"Galahad!" The Charisma Duelist looked up as Morningstar tossed him something. Looking at it, Galahad's eyes widened. "This is a spy drone. If you activate it, you'll be able to follow the duel."

Galahad nodded. He and Morningstar clearly understood each other. "Right. I'll keep Lilith safe. You deal with this scum."

Terminus smirked again at Galahad's remark. "Shall we begin?" he asked Morningstar, who nodded.

Since the Data Gale was still active, the two rode their D-Boards through the open air between the buildings, the wind rushing through their hair.

"Are you certain you can win, Yasu?" Cam asked Morningstar over the com. "Flip Decks have always given you trouble."

That was true; Decks that revolved around Flip Summoning weren't too common, but they tended to be among the most disruptive Decks out there. Morningstar remembered Akira Zaizen's Tindangle Deck in particular.

"I have to, for Lilith's sake," he responded. "It doesn't matter how powerful Terminus is; I will not lose!" He looked ahead of him as Terminus looked back.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Terminus: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn!" Terminus declared. "And I'll start by activating the Field Spell Card: The Hidden City!" Morningstar narrowed his eyes, remembering this card. "Since this card was activated, I can add one 'Subterror' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Subterror Guru."

After doing so, Terminus said, "I Set one monster. And now, I'll activate The Hidden City's effect! Once per turn, I can change one face-down 'Subterror' monster to face-up Attack or Defense Position. I Flip Summon Subterror Guru in Defense Position!" A blue-skinned dwarf creature with purple wings carrying a large sword appeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Guru ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"Subterror Guru's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared. "When this card is flipped face-up, I can add one 'Subterror' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Subterror Fiendess!" After adding his card, he smirked. "I Set two cards. I end my turn."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. _He only has one monster on the field, and it is face-up,_ he thought. _That means he can't use The Hidden City's effect. Or is he waiting for me to activate a card effect to negate with Fiendess so he can flip Guru face-down?_

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew and looked at his cards. With these cards, he could easily summon a Link-3 monster.

"Trap activate!" Terminus suddenly declared, surprising Morningstar. "Discord Link!" The card showed Decode Talker being torn apart by light at its center. "With this card's effect, neither of us can Link Summon until the 2nd Standby Phase after its activation. Or in other words, until your next Standby Phase!"

Morningstar's eyes widened. "I can't Link Summon?" he said in surprise.

Terminus smirked at him. "Have you forgotten what I told you?" he asked. "I said I adapted my Deck to best counter yours. So show me whether you can defeat me without Link Summoning!"

Morningstar grit his teeth. He had to admit, that was a smart move; the fact that he had no Extra Deck monsters besides Link Monsters aside, Link Monsters were the only monsters that could not be flipped face-down, meaning they were immune to the effect of Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus, the monster that had led to Lilith's defeat. Still, there was something he could do without Link Summoning.

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Swordsman in my hand!" he declared. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can Special Summon it! Come forth, Swordsman!" The skeleton carrying futuristic swords appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Cyspirit Swordsman's monster effect-!"

"Is ineffective," Terminus interrupted. "I activate the effect of the Subterror Fiendess in my hand! By discarding Fiendess and changing Guru to face-down Defense Position, your Swordsman's effect is negated!" Morningstar grit his teeth as Swordsman disappeared and Guru became a face-down card. Since Fiendess's effect didn't destroy it, Morningstar returned Swordsman to his hand.

 _With Guru face-down again,_ Morningstar thought, _he can negate one attack I make. But that doesn't mean he can negate damage._

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Gift!" The card showed a present box opened in front of Cyspirit Kid. The box glowed from the inside as Kid's jaw opened wide. "By discarding a 'Cyspirit' card, I can now draw two cards." He sent Swordsman to the Graveyard and drew. On seeing what he drew, he smiled. _This will work_.

"I activate the Field Spell Card: Cyspirit Sanctuary!" Morningstar declared. "This card increases the attack and defense points of all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control by 300. But that is not why I played it. Since I control no monsters, Sanctuary can Special Summon one Level 4 or below 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard!" Terminus's eyes widened, remembering the card Morningstar discarded. "Return, Cyspirit Swordsman!" The skeleton with swords reappeared again in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"And like I said, Sanctuary increases Swordsman's attack and defense points by 300!"

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1500 DEF 900→1200**

"Now I Tribute Swordsman to Tribute Summon Cyspirit Illusionist!" The skeleton in a tuxedo carrying a wand appeared on his field, powered up by Cyspirit Sanctuary.

 **Cyspirit Illusionist ATK 2400→2700 DEF 1000→1300 LVL: 6**

 _There's no point in attacking him,_ Morningstar thought. _He'll simply use The Hidden City's effect to negate it. But I don't have to attack._

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Blast!" Terminus's eyes widened in surprise. "By negating Illusionist's effects until the End Phase, you take damage equal to half its original attack points!" A blast of white energy hit Terminus, making him cry out as his D-Board wavered.

 **Terminus: 4000→2800 LP**

"Yes!" Galahad cheered, watching the duel through the drone Morningstar gave him. "He damaged him!"

"I cannot conduct my Battle Phase the turn I activate Cyspirit Blast," Morningstar told Terminus as he stabilized himself. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

Terminus pulled alongside Morningstar. "Not bad," he commented. "Not only did my Trap Card not slow you down, you even bypassed my Fiendess's effect and damaged me without battling. Impressive."

"I've been doing this for three years," Morningstar told him. "The stakes might be higher this time, but you're just another opponent to defeat."

Terminus smirked. "I wonder about that," he said, confusing Morningstar. "My turn! Draw!" Looking at his cards, Terminus gestured to his field. "I Flip Summon Subterror Guru!" The demon with a sword reappeared.

 **Subterror Guru ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"Guru's Flip Effect! When this card is flipped face-up, I can add one 'Subterror' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Subterror Nemesis Archer to my hand." After doing so, Terminus gestured to the field. "Subterror Guru's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change Guru and one other face-up monster on the field to face-down Defense Position!" Morningstar widened his eyes. "I change Guru and your Illusionist to face-down Defense Position!" Morningstar watched as Guru and Illusionist both disappeared, and face-down cards appeared in their places.

"And since a face-up monster I control was flipped face-down and I control no face-up monsters, I can Special Summon this monster!" Terminus said. "Ascend, Subterror Behemoth Phospheroglacier!"

Morningstar quickly looked down as the ground shook. Galahad wobbled as the skyscraper he was on shook.

"I can feel the shockwaves from here?" he said with incredulity. Unfortunately, after saying that, another tremor hit, and he fell over, right on top of Lilith. Galahad's face turned red on realizing he'd fallen on her chest. He quickly got back up.

Morningstar watched as a new monster emerged from the ground. This giant monster had the appearance of a blue and black dragon with a green light in its chest. It roared as it appeared in Defense Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Phospheroglacier ATK 2600 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"Phospheroglacier's monster effect!" Terminus continued. "Once per turn, I can change it to face-down Defense Position!" The giant monster disappeared, leaving a face-down card in its place. "I activate the effect of The Hidden City! I change Phospheroglacier from face-down Defense Position to face-up Attack Position!" The dragon-like monster reappeared, this time in Attack Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Phospheroglacier ATK 2600 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"Phospheroglacier's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared. "Since it was flipped face-up, I can send one card from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Subterror Nemesis Warrior to the Graveyard."

After sending his card to the Graveyard, Terminus said, "Next, I summon Subterror Nemesis Archer!" A light-skinned woman with blonde hair carrying a massive bow appeared alongside Phospheroglacier.

 **Subterror Nemesis Archer ATK 1600 DEF 1400 LVL: 3**

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He could see what Terminus's plan was; destroy Illusionist with Nemesis Archer and attack directly with Phospheroglacier. But it wouldn't work. He could use his Skill, Cyberse Revolution, if one of his Cyberse monsters was destroyed by battle or an opponent's card effect. Meaning he was safe for the turn.

"Battle!" Terminus declared. "Nemesis Archer, attack the Set Illusionst! Terminal Break!" Nemesis Archer nocked an arrow and fired it at Illusionist. Morningstar expected to see his card shatter, but to his surprise, when the arrow hit, the card warped then disappeared.

"What?" he said, blinking. "What happened?"

Terminus smirked. "When Nemesis Archer attacks an opponent's face-down monster," he explained. "If I control another 'Subterror' monster, I can shuffle that monster back into your Deck." Morningstar's eyes widened. With Illusionist being sent to the Deck and not destroyed, he couldn't activate his Skill!

"The Battle Phase is far from over!" Terminus shouted. "Phospheroglacier, attack Morningstar directly! Terminal Light!" The large dragon gathered green light in its mouth and fired at Morningstar.

"Trap activate!" the hunter declared. "Cyspirit Half-Guard! By discarding one 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand, all battle damage I take is halved!" The green energy hit Morningstar, making him swerve, but it wasn't as powerful as it could have been.

 **Morningstar: 4000→2700 LP**

Terminus smiled to himself. _Not bad_ , he thought.

"At the end of the Battle Phase," Morningstar said after righting himself. "I draw one card for every monster you control that battled this turn. Nemesis Archer and Phospheroglacier both battled, so I draw two cards!" He drew, looked at them, then added them to his hand.

Terminus rode his D-Board so he was parallel with Morningstar. "Very impressive," he said. "You've earned your title, 'Devil of LINK VRAINS.'"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "I don't much care for that name," he said.

"But it is very appropriate for you," Terminus said. "After all, the devil also turned against his creator. Just like you and Playmaker have."

Morningstar started. "What… what do you mean by that?"

Terminus looked Morningstar in the eye. "Ten years ago, eight children were kidnapped," he said, enunciating slowly to make sure Morningstar caught every word. "For six months, they were forced to duel. Every time they lost, they received an electric shock as punishment."

Morningstar's eyes widened with every word. He was starting to shake. Cam was also staring at the screens, shaking. "How… how do you know about that?" Morningstar voice was deathly low.

Terminus narrowed his exposed eye. "Because I was one of the researchers studying you," he said. "I was one of the people responsible for the Hanoi Project." After saying that, he maneuvered his D-Board away and said, "I end my turn."

Morningstar was in shock, a thousand thoughts running through his head. But one thought crowded out all the others: rage. This was one of the people responsible for hurting him… for hurting Sachi. Terminus…

"Terminus…" he muttered. "You… are unforgivable!" He raised his head and glared at Terminus. "I will defeat you! And you will answer to me!"

Terminus smiled. _Good_ , he thought. _Get angry. If it unbalances you, that will help me in the long run. And if it doesn't… then maybe I'll finally start to answer for my crime._

"Yasu, calm down!" Cam said over the com, trying to get his own anger under control. "He wants you to get angry and make mistakes."

"He hurt Sachi," Morningstar said, his voice throbbing with rage. "I don't care. My turn! Draw!" Looking quickly at his card, Morningstar gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary! Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or below 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard! Return, Cyspirit Swordsman!"

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1500 DEF 900→1200 LVL: 3**

"Your Discord Link's effect ended on my Standby Phase," Morningstar said. "Which means I can now Link Summon!" He gestured ahead of him as his hand glowed. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared as he continued chanting. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Cyspirit Swordsman in the Link Marker!" Swordsman became a whirlwind of white energy that entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit appeared and flapped its small wings in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500→800 LINK-1** ↓

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker in Attack Position, but it cannot attack and it is destroyed during the End Phase. I Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer!" The skeleton carrying a lance and shield appeared, summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4**

"Lancer's monster effect! So long as it is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points! Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 800→1100**

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400**

"As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon this card from my hand," Morningstar continued. "Come to me, Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a blue and white stripped uniform appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600→2200 DEF 2100→2400 LVL: 5**

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Teleporter in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman in Attack Position!"

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1800 DEF 900→1200 LVL: 3**

Terminus looked at the four monsters on Morningstar's field. _Is he going to summon Datastorm Dragon?_ he wondered. _Or Neo Nova?_

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared once more. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cacophonic Caller, Prisoner, and Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His three monsters all became streams of white energy that entered the top-left, top-right, and right arrows, turning them red. Terminus's eyes widened. He hadn't seen this Link pattern before…

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Bombastic Bombardier!" A skeleton in green military fatigues, armed with bandoliers and explosives, appeared on Morningstar's field, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Bombastic Bombardier ATK 2600→3200 LINK-3** ↖↗→

"3200 attack points," Terminus muttered. "He's going all out…"

"Since I used Cyspirit Prisoner to Link Summon Bombastic Bombardier, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar continued. "I add Cyspirit Spearman to my hand!" The card popped out of his Deck as he added it to his hand.

"I activate the second effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary!" Morningstar declared. "Since I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can move one monster on the field to an unoccupied Main Monster Zone on its controller's field. I move Bombastic Bombardier to my middle Main Monster Zone!" Terminus narrowed his eyes. This meant Bombastic Bombardier's Link Markers all pointed to eligible zones, with Lancer on its right.

"I summon Cyspirit Spearman!" A new Cyspirit monster, wearing black armor with shoulder pads and a black helmet. The skeleton carried a two-meter-long spear with a black spearhead. It raised its head, showing a red right eye as it was summoned to Morningstar's left Main Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Spearman ATK 1900→2500 DEF 100→400 LVL: 4**

Terminus narrowed his eyes. "He's never used this monster before. What is it capable of?"

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Gift in my Graveyard!" Morningstar continued. "By banishing it, I can change the Level of one 'Cyspirit' monster to between 1 and 8. I change Spearman to Level 2!"

 **Cyspirit Spearman LVL: 4→2**

"Appear once more, the circuit between light and darkness!" As Morningstar's hand glowed, the Link portal appeared again above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Cyspirit Spearman in the Link Marker!" Spearman became a whirlwind of white energy that entered the bottom-left Link Marker, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!" The skeleton in overalls carrying an electrical box appeared in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600→1200 LINK-1** ↙

"This ends here," Morningstar said in a low voice. "Because I used Cyspirit Spearman to Link Summon, all Set monsters on the field are destroyed!" Terminus's eyes widened. He knew immediately what Morningstar was planning; if his face-down Subterror Guru was destroyed, Terminus couldn't negate an attack with The Hidden City's effect. Pity it wouldn't work, though.

"Trap activate!" Terminus declared. "Subterror Behemoth Burrowing! By banishing a 'Subterror' monster from my Graveyard, Set monsters I control cannot be destroyed by card effects and you cannot target them with card effects for the rest of the turn!"

Morningstar's eyes widened. "What?"

"I banish Subterror Fiendess from the Graveyard!" A spectral image of Spearman appeared and threw its spear at the face-down monster on Terminus's field, but a spectral Fiendess appeared and took the blow.

Morningstar grit his teeth. He might not be able to defeat Terminus this turn now, but he could damage him a great deal. "Bombastic Bombardier's monster effect!" he declared. "Once per turn, if it points to at least two monsters, it can inflict 400 points of damage for each 'Cyspirit' Link Monster I control." Terminus's eyes widened. "I control two: Bombastic Bombardier and Egregious Electrician. Meaning you take 800 points of damage!" Bombardier laughed as it threw a bomb at Terminus. It exploded near him, making his D-Board wobble.

 **Terminus: 2800→2000 LP**

"Bombastic Bombardier cannot attack the turn this effect is activated," Morningstar said. "But that hardly matters." He gestured to his field. "Egregious Electrician's monster effect! Once per turn, I can target a 'Cyspirit' monster it points to, move it to a different Main Monster Zone, and Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to Egregious Electrician's Link Marker. I move Bombastic Bombardier to the left Main Monster Zone and Special Summon Cyspirit Wanderer!" The skeleton in a poncho and trousers appeared on Morningstar's field, summoned to Egregious Electrician's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900→2500 DEF 200→500 LVL: 5**

"Wanderer's monster effect! When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, one monster on your field loses 800 attack points! I choose Nemesis Archer! Digital Drain!"

 **Subterror Nemesis Archer ATK 1600→800**

Terminus narrowed his eyes. Since Bombastic Bombardier couldn't attack, that left Egregious Electrician, Lancer, and Wanderer to attack. Morningstar could certainly destroy Guru and Nemesis Archer, but none of his monsters were strong enough to destroy Phospheroglacier. Or did Morningstar have another move to make?

"Appear!" Morningstar declared. "The circuit between light and darkness!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' Effect monsters! I set the Link 3 Bombastic Bombardier and the Link 1 Egregious Electrician in the Link Markers!" Both monsters became whirlwinds of white energy that entered the top, bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!" The metallic grey dragon with red and silver wings appeared and roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800→3400 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

As Datastorm Dragon roared, the windows of the nearby windows blew inward from the shockwaves. Terminus desperately held onto his D-Board, trying to keep himself from falling off.

"What is this?" he muttered. "I increased the intensity of the Data Gale to make it more challenging for Morningstar, but I didn't think Datastorm Dragon would release this much power."

Morningstar was about to enter his Battle Phase when he realized he made a mistake. Because Datastorm Dragon pointed to at least one monster – in truth, it pointed to the face-down Subterror Guru, Lancer, and Wanderer – only Link Monsters could declare an attack.

 _Damn it,_ he thought. _I can only attack once, and with Guru face-down, he can block my attack with The Hidden City's effect._ Cam had been right; Morningstar had let his anger over Terminus's revelation get the better of him. But there was still a way for him to hurt Terminus.

"Appear!" Morningstar declared. "The circuit between light and darkness!" For a fifth time, the Link portal appeared in the sky above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Lancer and Cyspirit Wanderer in the Link Markers!" The two monsters entered the top and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Mad Mongrel!" The giant skeleton dog with a missile launcher and a net launcher on its back appeared and howled as it appeared next to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel ATK 2000→2300 LINK-2** ↑↓

"Because Cyspirit Lancer is no longer on the field, Datastorm Dragon loses 300 attack points," Morningstar said, ignoring the displeasure in his gut.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 3400→3100**

Terminus narrowed his eyes. _He brought out Lancer to make his monsters stronger, but he ended up using it to summon Mad Mongrel. Looks like me revealing the truth did make him reckless._

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Mad Mongrel, attack the Set monster!" Terminus's eyes widened in realization as missiles were fired from the launcher on Mad Mongrel's back. So that was Morningstar's game: he knew Terminus needed a Set monster to negate an attack, and since he only had one, Terminus had no choice.

"I activate the effect of The Hidden City!" Terminus declared. "Since you declared an attack, I can change a face-down 'Subterror' monster to face-up Attack or Defense Position and negate your attack. I switch the face-down Subterror Guru to face-up Defense Position!" The demon with a sword appeared once more as the missiles in the air disintegrated.

 **Subterror Guru ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"Subterror Guru's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared. "I add one 'Subterror' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Subterror Behemoth Umastryx!" Morningstar narrowed his eyes. That monster had given Lilith a great deal of trouble.

"You can only use The Hidden City's effect once!" Morningstar reminded Terminus. "Which means this next attack will hit! Go, Datastorm Dragon! Attack Nemesis Archer with Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon gathered blue energy in its mouth, which it launched at Nemesis Archer.

"Because Datastorm Dragon points to at least two monsters, the battle damage will be halved," Morningstar said. Which was unfortunate, because if it wasn't, he would win with this. At the very least, it would hurt a lot.

Datastorm Dragon's attack hit Nemesis Archer, which cried out as it was destroyed. The backlash from the attack was so strong that Terminus was sent flying from his D-Board, screaming as he fell onto a nearby rooftop.

 **Terminus: 2000→850 LP**

"Damn," Terminus muttered as he stood back up. He ran to the edge of the rooftop and jumped. He landed on his D-Board and flew back to Morningstar.

"Well played," Terminus said to the hunter. "My Skill only works if you destroy a Flip Monster by battle. Since Nemesis Archer isn't one, I can't use it." He narrowed his eyes. "But I was prepared for that."

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised.

"Nemesis Archer's monster effect!" Terminus declared. "If it is destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Subterror' monster from my Deck in face-up or face-down Defense Position. I Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist in face-down Defense Position!" A new Set card appeared on Terminus's field. Morningstar grit his teeth. He remembered Speleogeist from Lilith's duel; it could change a monster's attack points to 0, and that effect lasted longer than the end of the turn.

Thankfully, he could still increase his edge. "The Battle Phase has now ended," Morningstar said. "And with that, Datastorm Dragon's effect activates! Because it points to at least two monsters, it inflicts 500 points of damage for each monster it destroyed this turn. It destroyed one, so you take 500 points of damage! Digital Deletion!" Datastorm Dragon gathered red energy in its mouth that it fired at Terminus. He cried out from the pain but managed to stay on his D-Board.

 **Terminus: 850→350 LP**

"I end my turn," Morningstar said. He steered his D-Board so he was parallel to Terminus.

"Tell me," he said. "The Hanoi Project; what was the purpose behind it?"

Terminus looked him in the eye. "Why do you want to know?" he asked. "The reason why you suffered doesn't change what you went through."

"…I have to know," Morningstar said in a low voice. "I have to know why you destroyed my friend's life. Why you destroyed the lives of the only people in this world I care about."

Terminus raised an eyebrow. "Your friend's life? You don't care that you were there too?"

"…I do care," Morningstar said. "The incident happened right after I first found hope. And then it tore that hope away from me." He often wondered what his life would have been like if not for the incident. The dreams of what could have been… "But my friend was hurt by it even more than me. Them and their family were almost destroyed. For their sake, not just my sake, I want to know the truth."

The two opponents spent a long time looking at each other. "To save the world," Terminus finally said, shocking Morningstar.

"To save the world?" Morningstar repeated. "How… how does torturing children save the world?"

Terminus narrowed his eyes. "I don't expect you to understand," he said. "Even if you did, you wouldn't believe our actions were justified. Because they weren't. But… I chose my path long ago. To fix my mistake, and pay back the people who hurt my family… I will see Revolver's plan through to the end."

He sped ahead and said, "My turn! Draw!"

While Terminus looked at his cards, Morningstar thought, _What is this feeling? Whenever I look at him, I get the feeling I know him. Like I've seen him before. But where?_ In his head, Morningstar went over the people he'd met over the past few weeks. He'd never been good at remembering people unless they made an impression, but he was certain he'd met Terminus before.

Black hair… silver highlights… a ponytail…

Morningstar's eyes widened. Wait, hadn't he met a man with black hair in a ponytail yesterday? In the bookstore Masako had taken him to, the man he had talked to about _Paradise Lost_. Could it be-?

Terminus gestured to his field. "I Flip Summon Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist!" The face-down card disappeared and, in its place, rose a massive pillar of fire. The demonic blue and yellow monster he'd used against Lilith appeared and roared.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11**

"Speleogeist's Flip Effect! When it is flipped face-up, one monster on the opponent's field has its attack points become 0. I'll target Datastorm Dragon for its effect! Terrifying Drain!" Spelegeoist fired blue flames at Datastorm Dragon, which cried out in pain.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 3100→0**

Morningstar grit his teeth. This was going to be a bad turn. Especially since Terminus now had two high-Level Flip Monsters on the field.

Terminus gestured above him. "Appear, our future circuit!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared in the air. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Flip monsters! I set Phospheroglacier and Speleogeist in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of blue and purple wind respectively and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Subterror Behemoth Fiendess!" The purple dragon with black and pink wings appeared on Terminus's field, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone. It roared and shattered multiple nearby windows just like Datastorm Dragon did.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

"I assume you remember my Behemoth Fiendess's effect," Terminus said once the wind died down. "When it is Link Summoned, it gains attack points equal to the combined Levels of the 'Subterror' monsters used for its Link Summon times 100. Speleogeist was Level 11 and Phospheroglacier was Level 8, so Behemoth Fiendess gains 1900 attack points."

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000→3900**

Terminus back at Morningstar. "I'm no fool," he said. "I know you have Cyspirit Half-Guard in your Graveyard. And for it to work, that card in your hand must be a 'Cyspirit' monster." Morningstar glanced at the card in his hand. "If not for that card, I could attack Datastorm Dragon with Behemoth Fiendess and win. But because of it, I'll have to go all out."

Terminus gestured to his field. "Behemoth Fiendess's monster effect! By sending a Flip monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a monster from my hand in face-down Defense Position to Behemoth Fiendess's Link Marker. I send Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric to the Graveyard to Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Umastryx in face-down Defense Position." A new Set card appeared on his field as Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He knew what was about to happen next.

"I activate the effect of The Hidden City! I change the face-down Umastryx to face-up Attack Position!" Morningstar swerved as the ground broke apart and rubble went flying upward. He watched as the giant black and blue reptile with a drill nose appeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000 DEF 2700 LVL: 7**

"Umastryx's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared. "When this card is flipped face-up, I can banish one monster you control. I will banish Mad Mongrel!" Umastryx struck Mad Mongrel with its drill nose, causing Mad Mongrel to disappear.

"And since a monster it points to was flipped face-up, Behemoth Fiendess's effect activates," Terminus continued. "And I can add one Flip monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus." Morningstar narrowed his eyes. That was the monster that had led to Lilith's defeat. But it wouldn't do the same to him; Link Monsters couldn't be changed to face-down Defense Position.

"I have one more effect to activate," Terminus revealed. "Because a 'Subterror Behemoth' monster was flipped face-up, I can Special Summon this monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Subterror Nemesis Warrior!" A red-haired young man carrying a large sword appeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Nemesis Warrior ATK 1800 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

 _When did he-?_ Morningstar started to think, then his eyes widened in realization. _He sent that monster to his Graveyard last turn with Phospheroglacier's effect!_

"And now I Tribute Subterror Guru and Subterror Nemesis Warrior!" Terminus declared. The two monsters he mentioned disappeared. "And I Tribute Summon Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus!"

Morningstar swerved once more to avoid the lava that erupted into the air as the ground broke apart. He recognized the large lava-rock monster that appeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 3000 DEF 1800 LVL: 12**

Morningstar narrowed his eyes at the large monster as Terminus said, "I Set one card."

Terminus turned and gestured to Morningstar's field. "Battle! Behemoth Fiendess, attack Datastorm Dragon! Final Extinction!" Behemoth Fiendess gathered blue flames in its mouth and fired them at Datastorm Dragon. Datastorm Dragon fired back with blue energy, but it was slowly being overpowered.

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Half-Guard in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "By banishing it and discarding the Cyspirit Shieldmaiden in my hand, all battle damage I take this turn is halved!"

"But you will still take damage!" Terminus reminded him. Behemoth Fiendess's attack finally overpowered Datastorm Dragon's and the dragon was destroyed in a massive explosion.

Morningstar cried out as the backlash hit him, but he managed to stay on his D-Board. Just barely.

 **Morningstar: 2700→750 LP**

"As I expected," Terminus said, looking back at Morningstar again. "But with Ultramafus and Umastryx here, it doesn't matter if you can halve the damage. One attack will end this." He gestured to his field again. "Ultramafus! Attack Morningstar directly! Magma Terror!" Ultramafus gathered fire in its mouth and spat it at Morningstar, but before it hit-.

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Shieldmaiden in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. A spectral monster appeared on his field. It was a skeleton wearing female armor, carrying a large circular shield with a spear attached to the back. Her head was covered by a helmet, with only a left blue eye showing. "By banishing this card from my Graveyard, all monsters you control lose attack points equal to her attack points until the End Phase! Which means all your monsters lose 1800 attack points!" Terminus's eyes widened as the shield in Shieldmaiden's hand glowed and all his monsters became weaker.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 3900→2100**

 **Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 3000→1200**

 **Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000→200**

Terminus narrowed his eyes. "Even if my monsters are weaker and Half-Guard halves the damage," he said. "You will still take a great deal of damage!" The fire from Ultramafus's attack finally hit Morningstar, making him cry out in pain as he was flung from his D-Board.

 **Morningstar: 750→150 LP**

"Morningstar!" Galahad cried out.

"Yasu!" Cam shouted into the com. He watched as Morningstar landed on a nearby skyscraper.

Morningstar grit his teeth as he slowly got to his knees. Why had that attack hurt worse than the last one? Or were the consecutive attacks taking their toll?

"My turn isn't over yet!" Morningstar turned and saw Terminus fly past. "Umastryx, attack Morningstar directly!" The large monster charged the building. Morningstar, his eyes widening, quickly got to his feet and ran for the ledge. He jumped off and landed on his D-Board, the building he was on collapsing behind him. Morningstar winced when some of the rubble from the building struck him.

 **Morningstar: 150→50 LP**

"Yasu, are you okay?" Cam asked over the com.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Morningstar said, breathing heavily. What was this? He'd dueled in the Data Gale Dr. Genome had summoned but this was far more intense. Was it because he'd taken far more damage or had Terminus increased the power of the Data Gale somehow?

As Morningstar rode his D-Board back to the duel, Terminus narrowed his eyes. "So you survived that," he muttered. "Even if his Life Points are 50, I need to have as large a lead as possible to win." He raised his voice once Morningstar was close again. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystik Wok! Now, by Tributing a monster I control, I gain Life Points equal to either its attack or defense points." He gestured to a certain monster. "I Tribute Umastryx to gain Life Points equal to its 2700 defense points!" Umastryx disintegrated as Terminus glowed yellow.

 **Terminus: 350→3050 LP**

"The difference in their Life Points is 3000 now," Galahad muttered, frowning as he watched the duel. "It isn't as great as it was during our duel, but still… Morningstar…"

"Morningstar…" Tagoma said, watching the duel from his laptop. Masako was laying down unconscious on a nearby couch. "Please… save her. Don't let eight years of work be for nothing."

"I activate the effect of the Subterror Behemoth Burrowing in the Graveyard!" Terminus declared. "By banishing it, I can change one 'Subterror' monster to face-down Defense Position. I change Ultramafus to face-down Defense Position!" The giant lava lizard disappeared and a face-down card took its place.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Because the Battle Phase is over," he said. "Half-Guard's effect activates, and I draw cards equal to the number of monsters that attacked this turn." He drew three cards.

Terminus smirked. "I end my turn," he said. "And because of that, your Shieldmaiden's effect ends and Behemoth Fiendess's attack points return to normal."

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2100→3900**

"This isn't looking good," Galahad said. "With a Set monster, he can negate an attack with The Hidden City. And if Ultramafus is flipped face-up, any monster that isn't a Link Monster will get flipped face-down. Not to mention that Terminus's Link Monster has 3900 attack points and he has a face-down card.

"Yasu," Cam said. "You aren't going to win this if you act rashly. You know that, right?"

"…Yeah, I do," Morningstar said. He steered his D-Board so he was high in the air, above the skyscrapers, and closed his eyes.

 _Sachi,_ he thought. _Because of the incident… because of Kenshin Hirai and Kiyoshi Kogami… your life and Cam's life were ruined. I have every reason to hate him… to be furious with him… but if I let my anger control me instead of the other way around, then I will only make mistakes. That is why… if I want to win… I must be in control… only then can I find out the truth of what happened to us. Not just for my sake, but also for yours. Sachi… I will win!_

As Morningstar flew with his eyes closed, Terminus watched him. _We created a devil, didn't we, Dr. Kogami?_ he thought. _When we experimented on those children, we didn't know the effects it would have on them. We didn't know…_ His thoughts turned to the eight children. He remembered all their faces even after ten years. Some stood out more than others. Like the child with black hair and red bangs, crying for his father… wait…

" _And what do you think the devil is?"_

" _A punisher. A judge who decides the fate of those who have wronged others. The devil may not be good, but without him, the guilty do not own up to their crimes."_

That teenager who had stopped at Hirai Shoten the other day… that black and red hair… Terminus was certain now… That young man – Yasutake Narahiko, he believed his name was – had been one of the eight children. And his talk about the devil as a punisher, a bringer of justice… looks like he had found Morningstar.

Morningstar opened his eyes and shouted, "My turn! Draw!" Looking at his card, he smirked. This was perfect. _Sachi_ , he thought. _I'm going to win._

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Call!" he declared. "This lets me add one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Cyspirit Dancer!" He did so, then said, "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary! Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Come to me, Cyspirit Spearman!" The black-armored skeleton carrying a spear appeared once more on Morningstar's field in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Spearman ATK 1900→2200 DEF 100→400 LVL: 4**

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Wanderer in the Graveyard!" Morningstar continued. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard, but it cannot declare an attack. Return, Egregious Electrician!"

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600→900 LINK-1** ↙

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Relocation!" The card showed the field layout, with a transparent Cacophonic Caller in one Main Monster Zone and an Extra Monster Zone. "Since I control no monsters in the Extra Monster Zone, I can move one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster I control to an unoccupied Extra Monster Zone. I move Egregious Electrician to the other Extra Monster Zone!"

Terminus narrowed his eyes as Egregious Electrician moved. The only reason he would move it would be he either wanted to activate its effect, or he wanted to Link Summon to the center Main Monster Zone.

"The turn I use Cyspirit Relocation, I cannot draw cards outside of my Draw Phase," Morningstar continued. "And now I summon Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a pink leotard performed a pirouette as she appeared.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000→1300 DEF 200→500 LVL: 2**

"Cyspirit Dancer's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "When she is Normal Summoned while I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand or Deck with its effects negated. From my Deck, I Special Summon Cyspirit Kid!" The small skeleton in a t-shirt appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300→600 DEF 200→500 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar declared, gesturing to the sky. As his hand glowed blue, the Link portal appeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Kid and Spearman in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of white energy that entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" The skeleton in a prospector's uniform with a massive drill for a right arm appeared on the field, summoned to Egregious Electrician's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→1900 LINK-2** ←→

Terminus grit his teeth. Morningstar had demonstrated the effect of Spearman earlier, and he remembered what Kid could do.

"Since I used Cyspirit Kid to Link Summon, its effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "I can target and destroy one face-up card on your field!" He pointed to a certain card. "I'll destroy your Behemoth Fiendess!"

"What?" Terminus said, his eyes widening. He flinched as Behemoth Fiendess shattered into pieces of light.

"And because I used Cyspirit Spearman to Link Summon, its effect also activates!" Morningstar continued. "And now, all Set monsters on the field are destroyed!" A spectral Spearman appeared and threw its spear at the face-down Ultramafus. The spear pierced the card and destroyed it.

"Yes!" Galahad cheered. "He took out all of Terminus's monsters! And with no Set monsters, he can't negate an attack!"

Terminus grit his teeth. "It won't be that easy! Trap activate!" he declared, shocking Morningstar. "Necro Link!" The card showed Decode Talker's hand emerging from a buried grave. "Since a Link Monster left my field, I can target that Link Monster and Special Summon it to my field, specifically the Extra Monster Zone!"

Morningstar widened his eyes as Behemoth Fiendess reappeared on the field and roared. Morningstar looked and saw that it did indeed resurrect in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

"Necro Link has a few more effects!" Terminus continued. "The monster Special Summoned by its effect gains 1500 attack points!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000→3500**

"Furthermore, the summoned monster cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects this turn," Terminus said, surprising Morningstar. "But if it leaves the field, we both take damage equal to its original attack points."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. _My Life Points are 50 and his are 3050. That means if I don't want to lose, I'll have to destroy Behemoth Fiendess in one battle and wipe out all of Terminus's Life Points at the same time. Well, I was planning to do that anyway._

"Because I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Navigator!" The skeleton in a pirate's outfit appeared on the field, summoned to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300→1600 DEF 1100→1400 LVL: 3**

 _It's finally time,_ Morningstar thought. _I haven't used this monster since my duel with Playmaker… but it's time to unleash it._

"Appear!" Morningstar declared, gesturing to the sky above him. "The circuit between light and darkness!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' monsters!" Terminus's eyes widened. Could it be-? "I set Dancer, Navigator, and the Link 2 Thrilled Tunneler in the Link Markers!" All three monsters became whirlwinds of white energy, with Thrilled Tunneler splitting into two. They entered the top-left, left, top-right, and right arrows, turning them red. _Uh oh_ , Terminus thought.

"Circuit combine! The galaxy's rage that breaks all limitations! Link Summon! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Neo Nova!" The black dragon with dark silver armor appeared on his field. It spread its midnight black wings and roared, releasing powerful gusts of wind as it was summoned to Egregious Electrician's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500→2800 LINK-4** ↖←↗→

Terminus braced himself against the backlash caused by Neo Nova's summoning. "What is this?" he wondered aloud. "Its summoning produced even more power than Datastorm Dragon's?" He quickly opened his energy reader and looked at the summoning energy. Yes, Neo Nova was producing far more power than a Link-4 monster should. Wait… was there something in the code? Was this…?

Terminus's thoughts were interrupted by Morningstar. "Since I used Cyspirit Dancer to Link Summon, Neo Nova gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2800→3400**

Galahad grit his teeth. "It's still not strong enough."

"I activate the effect of the Cyberse Call in my Graveyard!" Morningstar continued. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Cyberse monster from the Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyspirit Lancer!" The skeleton carrying a lance and shield appeared in Attack Position at Neo Nova's right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100 DEF 0→300 LVL: 4**

"Because Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points! Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 900→1200**

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→2400**

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 3400→3700**

 _Since I used Cyspirit Relocation, I can't draw cards with Neo Nova's effect,_ Morningstar thought. _But Neo Nova has other effects I can use._

"Neo Nova's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Since it points to at least three monsters, it gains 800 attack points for every monster it points to until the End Phase. In exchange, Neo Nova is the only monster that can attack this turn. Celestial Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 3700→6100**

"I activate the Spell Card: Gift of the Martyr!" Morningstar said, surprising Terminus. "With this card, I can Tribute one monster I control and increase the attack points of another monster I control by the Tributed monster's attack points. I Tribute Egregious Electrician to grant its attack points to Neo Nova!" Egregious Electrician disintegrated as Neo Nova roared and glowed red from its increased power.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 6100→7300**

"Yes!" Galahad cheered. "Now Neo Nova is strong enough to end the duel in one attack!"

"Do it!" Tagoma shouted at his laptop. "Bring Masako back! Morningstar!"

"This is for Sachi and Lilith," Morningstar said. But he said it so low that Terminus didn't hear him. "Battle! Cyspirit Neo Nova, attack Subterror Behemoth Fiendess! Cosmic Cannon!" Neo Nova began to gather white energy that resembled starlight into its mouth.

"Strike back, Behemoth Fiendess!" Terminus shouted. "Final Extinction!" Behemoth Fiendess gathered blue flames in its mouth, which it launched at the same time as Neo Nova. The blue and white energy clashed in the middle of the field. The shockwaves from the combined energy started to ripple outward, causing the glass in nearby windows to shatter and several buildings to topple over.

"No way!" Galahad said, bracing himself against the wind. "I can feel the power of their attacks from over here!?"

Slowly, the white energy from Neo Nova started to overpower Behemoth Fiendess's attack.

"This ends here, Terminus!" Morningstar shouted.

Terminus smirked. "You're right, Morningstar," he said. "But it won't end the way you think." As Morningstar's eyes widened, Terminus gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Necro Link in the Graveyard! Since the monster Special Summoned by its effect is attacked, I can banish Necro Link! And then we both take the damage from this battle!"

"What!?" Morningstar said, his eyes wide. He watched as the blue and white energy suddenly exploded outwards. He shouted in pain as he was sent flying from his D-Board and landed on a skyscraper. Terminus likewise screamed in pain as he fell off his D-Board and landed on a rooftop some distance away.

 **Terminus: 3050→0 LP**

 **Morningstar: 50→0 LP**

"No… no way," Cam whispered, his eyes wide.

"A draw?" Galahad said in surprise. He quickly picked Lilith up and started leaping over the rooftops for where Morningstar and Terminus fell.

Morningstar winced as he pushed himself upward. What the hell? He'd never had a draw before. He looked over to where Terminus had fallen and ran as fast as he could to his position.

Terminus was just standing up when Morningstar reached him. Terminus sighed as Morningstar approached him. "I didn't intend our duel to end that way," he said. "But I suppose this is better than losing."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "So what now? Do we duel again?"

Terminus thought about it and shook his head. "No. That won't accomplish anything." He pulled a green digital card from his jacket pocket and threw it at Morningstar, who caught it. "Give Lilith the removal program. There's no benefit to her staying an Another."

He smirked. "Till we meet again, Morningstar." After saying that, he disappeared.

"Wait! Come back here!" Morningstar turned around and saw Galahad jump onto the roof, carrying Lilith. "Damn it! He got away!"

"Galahad," Morningstar said, drawing his attention. He held up the green card and threw it at Lilith. She glowed green before she disappeared.

"He gave you the removal program?" Galahad said, surprised. "Why?"

"I don't know," Morningstar said, frowning to himself. "But we haven't seen the last of Terminus."

Galahad scowled. "No, we haven't." The two of them logged out after saying that.

* * *

Tagoma shut his laptop and looked at Masako on the couch. She'd started breathing regularly again. He sighed in relief. She was back. But…

Tagoma scowled. That had been reckless and foolish of her to challenge Hanoi. But… in doing so, she had helped Morningstar know his enemy's tactics. And it had almost cost her everything.

 _I can't keep the truth from her any longer_ , he thought regretfully. _If something like this happens again, she needs to know the truth. I'm sorry, old friend, but I have to tell her now._

* * *

Yasutake walked out of the sealed room, breathing hard and limping.

"Easy," Cam said as he put a hand on his shoulder. "Damn it… I'm glad Lilith's okay, but this means we'll have to worry about Terminus some more, doesn't it?"

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "No, it doesn't," he said. "I know who he is."

"You do?" Cam said in surprise.

"Yeah," the teenager nodded. "He modeled his avatar after his real-life appearance. I'm almost certain he's a man named Kenshin Hirai. He owns a bookstore called Hirai Shoten."

"Hirai Shoten…" Cam muttered. He led Yasutake to a nearby chair then pressed some keys. "Is this him?" Yasutake looked at the picture of Kenshin Hirai and nodded. "Says here he lives above the store. And if he knows the truth about the Incident…"

"We're going," Yasutake said, standing up.

"Yasu, wait! If we meet him in the real world, he'll find out who you are!"

"Is that more important than finding peace for Sachi?"

Cam opened his mouth then closed it. "Damn it," he muttered. "I still have the bike Emma and I bought. It will be faster if we take it."

"Right."

* * *

Cam and Yasutake walked into Hirai Shoten. It was late in the day and it was nearing closing hours. The store was almost empty except for a teenager working the registers.

"Excuse me," Cam said, drawing the teen's attention. "Is Kenshin Hirai here?"

"The owner? He actually left a few minutes ago."

Yasutake scowled. "Missed him by this much…"

The teen looked at Yasutake. "Oh hey, I remember you. You were here yesterday with that pretty girl, weren't you?"

"If you mean Masako, then yes," Yasutake said. Cam looked at Yasutake, an eyebrow raised.

"Mr. Hirai actually said you might stop by again," the teen said to Cam's and Yasutake's shared surprise. "He wanted me to give you something. … Please wait a minute." The teen headed into the back.

"He was expecting me?" Yasutake muttered, dread growing in him. "But… that would mean…"

"Yasu," Cam whispered. "Were you on a date with Masako Himura?"

Yasutake stared at Cam. "Why the hell does that matter right now?"

"I'm just surprised. For you to go on a date without me pushing you… are you perhaps developing a social life?"

Yasutake scowled at him. "I know you're joking. And it's not funny."

"Sorry to interrupt." The two looked up as the worker returned, holding an envelope out to Yasutake. "Mr. Hirai wanted me to give you this letter."

"Thank you," Yasutake said, taking the letter. He and Cam walked outside, and once they were alone on the sidewalk, he opened the letter.

 _Morningstar._ Yasutake's eyes widened then narrowed. So Terminus did know who he was. _I suspect you'll have figured out my identity; given that I figured yours out because we met, I imagine you'll do the same. In any event, it isn't time for us to meet again yet. But we will see each other again. When the Tower rises, if you still want answers to your questions, then come find me._

 _Terminus._

"…He knows who you are," Cam whispered, mortified. "A Knight of Hanoi knows who you are."

Yasutake's hands shook as he crumpled the letter. "Terminus," he muttered. "I don't know what this 'Tower' is, but I will find you. And you will answer for what you did to me and Sachi."

* * *

Masako blinked and opened her eyes. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was falling off her D-Board. But she didn't see the sky; instead she saw the roof of hers and Tagoma's apartment. She turned her head and saw Tagoma was sitting in a nearby chair, his head low.

"Tagoma?" she asked. He raised his head and smiled at her.

"Welcome back, little girl," he said. "Do me a favor and never do that again."

Masako smirked. "No promises," she said, trying to sit up.

"Easy," Tagoma said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "After what you went through, it's best not to push yourself."

Masako turned to Tagoma. "So did Morningstar win? Or did you download the removal program from the website?"

Tagoma shook his head. "Terminus updated the virus so the removal program wouldn't work. As for Morningstar… their duel ended in a draw, but Terminus gave him the removal program anyway."

Masako frowned. "I see… that means Terminus will come back."

"That's not our problem," Tagoma said. "Or at least… It shouldn't be."

Masako closed her eyes and sighed. "Am I an idiot, Tagoma?" she asked.

"Yes," Tagoma answered bluntly. "But you're a teenager. If you weren't an idiot, I'd be worried about you."

Masako pouted. "Being a teenager does not automatically make me an idiot," she objected. Then she frowned. "…I wanted to help Morningstar. I admire him. 'The Devil of LINK VRAINS.' But in the end, I only got in the way."

Tagoma sighed at Masako's sad face. "Don't be upset, little girl," he said. "These people… Morningstar, Playmaker, Terminus… they're at a level you and I can't reach. Or at least… not yet."

Masako looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"

Tagoma frowned. This was going to be complicated. "I never told you what happened to your parents, Masako."

Now she frowned. He didn't call her Masako unless it was serious. "How would you know? You found me in an alley by coincidence, didn't you?"

"…No, I didn't," Tagoma said. "Before he died, your father contracted me to look after you. He knew he was being targeted, and he wanted to make sure you would be safe. He paid me a great deal of money and extracted a promise from me that I wouldn't tell you the truth until you turned eighteen."

Masako had so many questions. But the one she settled on was, "But I'm not eighteen. So why are telling me this now?"

"Because you became an Another," he said. "It made me realize something like this may happen again. And if it does, I want you to know the truth. About everything." He stood up and went upstairs for a few minutes. When he came down, he was carrying a laptop she'd never seen before. He placed it on her lap and sat back in his chair.

"…How did you know my father?" Masako asked, confused to all hell.

"He hired me to do several jobs for him," Tagoma said. "To be honest, he was my only employer for a long time. We became friends, bonded over drinks, that sort of thing. He even introduced me to his brother."

Tagoma's frown turned into a scowl. "But ten years ago, something changed. He was suddenly fired from the company he worked for and moved back to Tokyo, where you had been born."

"Moved back? Where did he live before then?"

"Right here, in Den City," Tagoma said. "And he worked as an assistant researcher for SOL Technologies."

Masako's eyes widened. "No," she said. "Father was a data analyst, not a researcher. And he hated large companies like SOL."

"That's because he was fired. And because of what SOL used his work for." Tagoma shrugged. "I don't know exactly what SOL did to him, but that's what he said. And a few weeks before he died, your father called me in and offered me the job of looking after you. He offered me most of his savings as payment. He told me he was being targeted for his work with SOL and he needed to ensure your safety. But he also wanted me to not tell you about this so you'd become less of a target."

Masako scowled. "…You said you know how my parents died, didn't you? I thought they were killed."

"They were," Tagoma said. "By SOL Technologies."

"What!?" Masako said, her eyes wide. "SOL wouldn't do that!"

"Even if they didn't, they were the people your father was most concerned about," Tagoma said. "Evidently, he stole something from them and they wanted it back. Very badly." He gestured to the laptop on Masako's lap. "I went to your house not long after your father was killed. Whoever was responsible searched the place and removed several things, but they missed both this and a hard drive. I tried to get in, but I could never figure out the password. Maybe you, his daughter, could get into it."

Masako frowned. This was a lot of information to deal with, but she understood there was something to do: access the laptop.

She opened it and turned the power on. After it loaded, she gasped. The screensaver was a picture of her, her father, and her mother. Her father had black hair just like her, with silver highlights at the edges. Her mother had brown hair with purple highlights in it tied back into a ponytail. He had brown eyes while she had violet eyes. All of them were smiling at the camera, her parents holding her between them.

 _Father… mother…_ This was the first time she'd seen their pictures in eight years; she hadn't been able to grab anything when she had ran out that night. She felt tears start to run down her cheeks.

She pressed the "Enter" key and the password prompt appeared. Something only she or her father would know… What could it be? Maybe…

She tried out her first name. It didn't work. Frowning, she tried "Himura," her mother's maiden name. It didn't work either. She then tried her father's last name, the name she'd abandoned at Tagoma's suggestion to make it easier to run. It worked.

"Huh," Tagoma said, looking over her shoulder. "That was… disappointingly easy. I almost feel ashamed."

There were several files on the laptop. And they all had strange names. Project Angel, Project Demon, Project Spirit… what were these? But there was one icon titled "Watch first." Raising an eyebrow, Masako clicked it.

A video popped open. It showed her father's old desk, with him sitting in it.

"Hello," he said. He adjusted the glasses he was wearing. If Masako remembered right, he had been about 32 before he died; he would be around 40 if he had lived. "If you are watching this, then it means I am dead. I can't say for sure who killed me, but that doesn't matter right now. What does matter is the truth."

Her father sighed before resuming. "My name is Hitomu Hirai," he said. "And two years ago, I was a part of an unauthorized SOL Technologies research project called the Hanoi Project…"

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Terminus**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Terminus**

Terminus activates the Field Spell Card The Hidden City. Since The Hidden City was activated, Terminus can add 1 "Subterror" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Guru from his Deck to his hand. Terminus Sets 1 monster. He activates the effect of The Hidden City, changing Subterror Guru to face-up Defense Position (1600/1800/4). Since Guru was Flip Summoned, Terminus can add 1 "Subterror" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Fiendess from his Deck to his hand. He Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. Terminus activates his face-down Trap Card Discord Link. Now neither player can Link Summon until Morningstar's next Standby Phase. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Swordsman in his hand, Special Summoning it since Terminus controls a monster and Morningstar does not (1200/900/3). Terminus activates the effect of the Subterror Fiendess in his hand, discarding it and targeting Subterror Guru. Guru is changed to face-down Defense Position and the effect of Swordsman is negated, returning Swordsman to Morningstar's hand. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Gift, discarding Swordsman to draw 2 cards. He activates the Field Spell Cyspirit Sanctuary, which increases the ATK/DEF of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls by 300. Since he controls no monsters, he activates the effect of Sanctuary to Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman to his field in Attack Position (1200→1500/900→1200/3). Morningstar Tributes Swordsman to Tribute Summon Cyspirit Illusionist (2400→2700/1000→1300/6). He activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Blast, targeting Illusionist for its effect. Illusionist's effects are negated until the End Phase and Terminus takes damage equal to half of Illusionist's original ATK (Terminus: 4000→2800 LP). Morningstar cannot conduct his Battle Phase the turn he activates Cyspirit Blast. He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He Flip Summons Subterror Guru (1600/1800/4). Due to Guru's effect, he adds Subterror Nemesis Archer from his Deck to his hand. Terminus activates the effect of Subterror Guru, targeting Cyspirit Illusionist for its effect. Guru and Illusionist are both changed to face-down Defense Position. Since a face-up monster he controls was flipped face-down and he controls no face-up monsters, Terminus activates the effect of the Subterror Behemoth Phospheroglacier in his hand, Special Summoning it in face-up Defense Position (2600/2500/8). Terminus activates the effect of Phospheroglacier to change itself to face-down Defense Position. Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change the face-down Phospheroglacier to face-up Attack Position (2600/2500/8). Since Phospheroglacier was Flip Summoned, Terminus can send 1 card from his Deck to the GY. He sends Subterror Nemesis Warrior from his Deck to the GY. Terminus Normal Summons Subterror Nemesis Archer (1600/1400/3).

Nemesis Archer attacks the face-down Illusionist. Terminus activates the effect of Nemesis Archer. Since it is attacking a face-down Defense Position monster and he controls another "Subterror" monster, Illusionist is shuffled into Morningstar's Deck. Phospheroglacier attacks Morningstar directly. Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Half-Guard, discarding Cyspirit Teleporter to halve all battle damage he receives this turn (Morningstar: 4000→2700 LP). At the end of the Battle Phase, the effect of Half-Guard lets Morningstar draw 1 card for each monster Terminus controls that battled this turn. He draws 2 cards. Terminus ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary to Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman (1200→1500/900→1200/3) from his GY in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500→800/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller to Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer (1800→2100/0→300/4) from his Deck to its Link Marker in Attack Position, but Lancer cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Cacophonic Caller: 800→1100) (Lancer: 2100→2400). Because there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600→2200/2100→2400/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman from his GY (1200→1800/900→1200/3) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller, Prisoner, and Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Bombastic Bombardier (2600→3200/3/↖↗→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Spearman from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary to move Bombastic Bombardier from his Extra Monster Zone to his center Main Monster Zone.

Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Spearman (1900→2500/100→400/4). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Gift in his GY, banishing it and targeting Spearman with its effect. He can declare a Level between 1 and 8 and change Spearman's Level to make it equal to that Level until the End Phase. He declares Level 2 (Spearman: 4→2). Morningstar uses Spearman to Link Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600→1200/1/↙) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Spearman was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates its effect, destroying all Set monsters on the field. Terminus activates his face-down Trap Card Subterror Behemoth Burrowing and banishes Subterror Fiendess from his GY. For the rest of the turn, face-down monsters he controls cannot be destroyed by card effects and they cannot be targeted with card effects. Morningstar activates the effect of Bombastic Bombardier. Since it points to 2 monsters, he can inflict 400 damage to Terminus for each "Cyspirit" Link Monster he controls. He controls 2 (Terminus: 2800→2000 LP). However, Bombastic Bombardier cannot declare an attack the turn it activates its effect. Morningstar activates the effect of Egregious Electrician, moving Bombastic Bombardier to his left Main Monster Zone to Special Summon Cyspirit Wanderer (1900→2500/200→500/5) from his hand to its Link Marker. Since Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, 1 monster on Terminus's field loses 800 ATK. Morningstar targets Nemesis Archer (Nemesis Archer: 1600→800). Morningstar uses the Link 3 Bombastic Bombardier and the Link 1 Egregious Electrician to Link Summon Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800→3400/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar uses Lancer and Wanderer to Link Summon Cyspirit Mad Mongrel (2000→2300/2/↑↓) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker. Because Lancer left the field, Datastorm Dragon's ATK goes down (Datastorm Dragon: 3400→3100).

Mad Mongrel attacks the face-down Subterror Guru. Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change Guru to face-up Defense Position (1600/1800/4) to negate the attack. Since Guru was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, letting Terminus add 1 "Subterror" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Umastryx from his Deck to his hand. Datastorm Dragon attacks and destroys Nemesis Archer, but because it points to at least 2 monsters, the battle damage is halved (Terminus: 2000→850 LP). Because Nemesis Archer was destroyed and sent to the GY, its effect activates and Terminus can Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from his Deck in face-up or face-down Defense Position. He Special Summons Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist in face-down Defense Position. At the end of the Battle Phase, because it points to at least 2 monsters and destroyed a monster by battle, Datastorm Dragon inflicts 500 damage to Terminus (Terminus: 850→350 LP). Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He Flip Summons Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist (3000/1400/11). Because Speleogeist was Flip Summoned, Terminus activates its effect, targeting Datastorm Dragon and reducing its ATK to 0 (Datastorm Dragon: 3100→0). Terminus uses Phospheroglacier and Speleogeist to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Fiendess (2000/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Behemoth Fiendess gains ATK equal to the combined Levels of the "Subterror" monsters used for its Link Summon x 100 (Behemoth Fiendess: 2000→3900). Terminus activates the effect of Behemoth Fiendess, sending Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric from his Deck to the GY to Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Umastryx from Terminus's hand in face-down Defense Position to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker. Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change Umastryx to face-up Attack Position (2000/2700/7). Because Umastryx was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, letting Terminus banish 1 monster Morningstar controls. He banishes Mad Mongrel. Since a card Behemoth Fiendess pointed to was flipped face-up, Terminus can add 1 Flip Monster from his Deck or GY to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus from his Deck to his hand. Finally, since a "Subterror Behemoth" monster was flipped face-up, Terminus can Special Summon Subterror Nemesis Warrior from his GY (1800/1200/4) in Attack Position. Terminus Tributes Guru and Nemesis Warrior to Tribute Summon Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus (3000/1800/12). Terminus Sets 1 card.

Behemoth Fiendess attacks Datastorm Dragon. Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Half-Guard in his GY, banishing it and discarding Cyspirit Shieldmaiden to halve all battle damage he takes this turn. Datastorm Dragon is destroyed (Morningstar: 2700→750 LP). Ultramafus attacks Morningstar directly, but he activates the effect of the Cyspirit Shieldmaiden in his GY, banishing it to lower the ATK of all monsters Terminus controls by Shieldmaiden's ATK until the End Phase (Behemoth Fiendess: 3900→2100) (Ultramafus: 3000→1200) (Umastryx: 2000→200). The attack continues, and due to Cyspirit Half-Guard's effect, the damage is halved (Morningstar: 750→150 LP). Umastryx attacks Morningstar directly, and the damage is halved (Morningstar: 150→50 LP). Terminus activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Mystik Wok, Tributing Umastryx and choosing its DEF. He gains LP equal to Umastryx's DEF (Terminus: 350→3050 LP). Terminus activates the effect of the Subterror Behemoth Burrowing in his GY, banishing it to switch Ultramafus to face-down Defense Position. At the end of the Battle Phase, the effect of Cyspirit Half-Guard lets Morningstar draw 1 card for every monster Terminus controls that battled this turn. Morningstar draws 3 cards. Terminus ends his turn, and the effect of Cyspirit Shieldmaiden ends (Behemoth Fiendess: 2100→3900).

 **Turn 6: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call to add Cyspirit Dancer from his Deck to his hand. He then activates the effect of Cyspirit Sanctuary to Special Summon Cyspirit Spearman from his GY (1900→2200/100→400/4) in Attack Position. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in the GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600→900/1/↙), but it cannot attack this turn. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Relocation, targeting Cyspirit Egregious Electrician and moving it to the Extra Monster Zone, but he cannot draw cards outside his Draw Phase this turn. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000→1300/200→500/2). Since Dancer was Normal Summoned, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his hand or Deck with its effects negated. He Special Summons Cyspirit Kid (300→600/200→500/1) from his Deck in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Cyspirit Kid and Cyspirit Spearman to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600→1900/2/←→) to Egregious Electrician's Link Marker. Since Kid was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can target 1 face-up card on Terminus's field and destroy it. He targets and destroys Behemoth Fiendess. Since Spearman was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, all Set monsters on the field are destroyed. The Set Ultramafus is destroyed.

Terminus activates his face-down Trap Card Necro Link and targets Behemoth Fiendess in the GY with it. Behemoth Fiendess is Special Summon to Terminus's Extra Monster Zone (2000/2/↙↘) with its ATK increased by 1500 (Behemoth Fiendess: 2000→3500). It cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects this turn, and if it leaves the field, both players will take damage equal to its original ATK. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Navigator (1300→1600/1100→1400/3) to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker. Morningstar uses Dancer, Navigator, and the Link 2 Thrilled Tunneler to Link Summon Cyspirit Neo Nova (2500→2800/4/↖←↗→) to Egregious Electrician's Link Marker. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, that monster gains 600 ATK (Neo Nova: 2800→3400). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyberse Call in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer to Neo Nova's right Link Marker (1800→2100/0→300/4). Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Egregious Electrician: 900→1200) (Lancer: 2100→2400) (Neo Nova: 3400→3700). Morningstar activates Neo Nova's third effect, increasing its ATK by 800 for every monster it points to, but only Neo Nova can declare an attack this turn. Neo Nova points to 3 monsters (Neo Nova: 3700→6100). Morningstar activates the Spell Card Gift of the Martyr, sending Egregious Electrician to the GY to increase Neo Nova's ATK by Egregious Electrician's ATK (Neo Nova: 6100→7300).

Neo Nova attacks Behemoth Fiendess. Terminus activates the effect of Necro Link in his GY, banishing it since the monster Special Summoned by its effect is being attacked. Any battle damage he would take from this battle is dealt to Morningstar as well. Behemoth Fiendess is destroyed (Terminus: 3050→0 LP) (Morningstar: 50→0 LP). The duel ends in a draw.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Spearman  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1900 DEF 100 Level: 4  
_ _This card cannot declare an attack if you control a "Cyspirit" monster besides "Cyspirit Spearman." If this card is used as material for the Link Summon of a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: Destroy all Set monsters on the field. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Spearman" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Shieldmaiden  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1800 DEF 2000 Level: 7  
_ _When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can banish this card (from your GY); lower the ATK of all monsters your opponent controls by this card's ATK until the End Phase. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Shieldmaiden" once per turn._

 _ **Discord Link Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Neither player can Link Summon until the 2_ _nd_ _Standby Phase after this card's activation. While this card is in your GY, "Discord Link" cannot be activated._

 _ **Cyspirit Gift Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Send 1 "Cyspirit" card from your hand to the GY; draw 2 cards. Once per Duel, you can banish this card from your GY and target 1 "Cyspirit" monster you control; change that monster's Level to between 1 and 8 until the End Phase. You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspirit" Gift per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Relocation Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you control no monsters in the Extra Monster Zone: Target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control; move it to an unoccupied Extra Monster Zone. The turn you activate this effect, you cannot draw cards from your Deck outside of your Draw Phase. You can only activate "Cyspirit" Relocation" once per turn._

 _ **Necro Link Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If a Link Monster leaves your field: Target that Link Monster in your GY; Special Summon it to an unoccupied Extra Monster Zone and increase its ATK by 1500. The Special Summoned monster cannot be targeted or destroyed by your opponent's card effects the turn it is Summoned. If the Special Summoned monster leaves the field, both players take damage equal to its original ATK. If the Special Summoned monster is targeted for an attack: you can banish this card from your GY; any battle damage inflicted to you by this battle is also inflicted to your opponent. You can only activate each effect of "Necro Link" once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 17 – Rising Tides_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to Ryujomaru15, HunterHQ, Ethan Kironus, D3lph0xL0v3r, Guest 1.0, Frost190, OPFan37, ClearwingYuta, Germancardfightfan, Lindia Fullmoon, and ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapter 15, and in ThePLOThand's case, also Chapter 14.

To ClearwingYuta, I imagine this chapter's, and especially the duel's ending, answers your question to a degree.

And to answer ThePLOThand's review of Chapter 15, the time I will spend following the VRAINS storyline will depend on what happens in season 2. I heard somewhere Playmaker will become a fugitive. I can't say if that's true or not, and right now I have no plans past the Tower of Hanoi arc, only vague ideas. If he does become a fugitive, then I might have Morningstar do his own thing, but we'll have to wait and see. As for the duels, yes, I write them beforehand. Most of the time this works well, but it does cause me to occasionally have problems. For example, in this chapter, I initially forgot that Datastorm Dragon prevents non-Link Monsters from attacking, so I had Lancer and Wanderer remain on the field. When I remembered that, I changed it so Morningstar summoned Mad Mongrel. In this case, that worked in my favor, as it let me show that Morningstar's anger had caused him to make a mistake. It's also why neither used their Skills; because I forgot about them, I adapted it to both duelists intentionally preventing the other from using them. As for Ritual monsters, at the minimum it will affect the Ritual chant I gave Galahad in Chapter 9. At the maximum… who knows.

Okay, this chapter was primarily about the duel between Morningstar and Terminus. It was a very tough duel to write, but I liked how it turned out, especially compared to last chapter's. And on the result of the duel, I did say back in Chapter 7 when I introduced Terminus that I planned on him staying longer. Since the duel ended the way it did, that means he'll be around for the Tower of Hanoi arc and fight Morningstar while Playmaker and Revolver fight. Also because of this, if anyone would like to suggest OC "Subterror" cards, go ahead. I imagine Terminus will need a Link-3 or higher "Subterror Behemoth" to surprise Morningstar, and including other people's cards is fun.

We also had Morningstar and Terminus learn each other's identities. I planned on this happening, but I didn't have a concrete idea until I released Chapter 14. So now Terminus is in the same position as Revolver, except Morningstar knows his identity too.

And finally, the part I was personally most concerned about, we find out the truth about Masako's past. Her father is Hitomu Hirai, Kenshin's older brother by 7 years who worked on the Hanoi Project with him and was killed by SOL 8 years ago. Or was someone else responsible? Who knows? And on Kenshin and Masako not recognizing each other in the bookstore, that's because Masako never met her uncle and Kenshin only ever saw her in pictures as a small child. Hitomu was killed because he stole something from SOL. What did he steal? You'll have to wait to find out. As for the "Projects" on his computer? I've spoken to some people about them, but I want them to be a surprise, so no mentions in the reviews, please.

Now, on the name of the next chapter… I was originally planning to start the Tower of Hanoi arc in Chapter 17, but because of the intensity of this chapter and how intense the next arc is, I decided to insert a breather chapter. There will still be a duel, but it won't have the same stakes. In addition, this chapter will give me a chance to try out OC submissions.

On a side note, information on VRAINS season 2 and new characters was released some time ago. Among the new characters, who makes the biggest impression? I like Soulburner, but I'm not sure if Takeru Homura is actually one of the children of the Lost Incident. It seems a little too convenient to assume that because he is partners with an Ignis he is one of the children, but who knows?

Thank you for reading Chapter 16 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me what your favorite moment of the chapter was. Was it the end of the duel? Terminus's letter to Morningstar? The revelation of Masako's father? When Galahad fell on top of Lilith?


	17. Chapter 17: Rising Tides

**Update**

Because of this chapter, I've gone back to Chapter 12 to make some changes regarding Takeshi. If you look hard enough, you'll be able to find them.

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Rising Tides**

"Are we there yet, Father?"

"Almost, Hitomu. Be patient."

Hitomu sighed with impatience in the backseat. Kenshin smiled as he looked in the rearview mirror. "If you want something to do, look out the window."

Hitomu did so and frowned. "I don't understand. What's so special about the ocean?"

"This is no ordinary ocean," Kenshin said. "This part of the ocean is called Stardust Road."

"Stardust Road?"

"Yeah. Every now and then, luminescent plankton gather beneath the surface. And at night, they make the ocean glow." Kenshin smiled again. "That's the reason your cousin Ryoken and his father built their house out here; to see the ocean in the starlight. It's a beautiful thing to see."

Hitomu got excited. "Do you think I'll get to see it?"

Kenshin chuckled. "I hope so, Hitomu. It's something definitely worth seeing."

Kenshin smiled to himself as he drove along the cliffs outside Den City. He was driving to his friend Ryoken's house. Ryoken wasn't actually Hitomu's cousin, but they'd spent enough time together he was considered honorary family.

After talking with Ryoken on the phone, they had agreed that Kenshin would stay at his place for the next week and a half until the Tower was completed. Kenshin would take Hitomu with him, but his mother's sister would come by soon to take him out to the country.

Kenshin wanted Hitomu to be as far away as possible when the Tower was deployed. He didn't want his son to share in the consequences of his and Ryoken's actions.

"Here we are," Kenshin said after a few minutes when the two reached Ryoken's house. It was one of the largest houses Kenshin had ever seen. Every time he visited, he couldn't help but wonder how Ryoken kept up the payments for it all these years.

When he pulled up to the front, father and son got out, Hitomu carrying a Kuriboh plushie. They walked up, but before they reached the door, Ryoken answered it.

The white-haired youth smiled at them. "It's been a while since we met in person, Kenshin," he said, his blue eyes friendly as he looked down. "Good to see you again, Hitomu."

"Cousin Ryoken!" Hitomu said, running up to Ryoken and hugging him. Ryoken kneeled down so he could hug him back. "Father said the ocean sometimes glows. Is that true?"

"Yeah, it is," Ryoken said, chuckling to himself. "It only happens at nighttime though. And it is very beautiful to see."

"Will it happen tonight?"

"I don't know. It only happens rarely." After saying that, Ryoken led the way into his home.

Once inside, Ryoken pointed to some stairs. "Your room is up there, Hitomu. Why don't you go check it out? I have some business to discuss with your father."

Hitomu looked at Kenshin, who nodded. Hitomu ran for the stairs and leapt up them, two at a time.

"I'm sorry for imposing on you like this," Kenshin said.

"It's no imposition," Ryoken said. "When is his aunt coming?"

"Maria will come by either tomorrow or the day after," Kenshin said. "She'll pick him up then. I don't want him to be in Den City when the Tower ascends."

Ryoken frowned. "You don't have to stay here, Kenshin," he said. "You can go to the country with your son too. Spectre and I can protect the Tower by ourselves. And Aso and Kyoko would both feel better knowing you're safe."

Kenshin smiled. "I know. That's why I have to see this through. For their sakes. And… I have a promise to keep."

Ryoken raised an eyebrow. "A promise?"

"After our duel, I promised Morningstar that I would answer his questions the next time we met," Kenshin explained. "He'll try to stop the Tower just like Playmaker will. That will be the perfect time."

Kenshin didn't plan on telling Ryoken he knew who Morningstar was; it would only serve as a distraction. More than that, his conflict with Morningstar felt personal. He didn't to involve Ryoken in it.

Ryoken frowned. "You are right that Morningstar and Playmaker will try to stop the Tower. But they won't be the only ones."

"No," Kenshin agreed. "Since they defeated Dr. Genome and Baira, I imagine Go Onizuka and Blue Angel will involve themselves as well. And given his disposition, Galahad will likely try to fight us, too."

"You, me, and Spectre against the five of them…" Ryoken mused. "Do you think anyone else might try to stop us?"

"I don't know about stopping us, but I suspect Lilith will show up," Kenshin said. "She'll probably want revenge against me for turning her into an Another."

Ryoken smirked. "So six opponents between the three of us. I can't say I like those odds. Or have you finished repairing that AI duelist of yours?"

"Not yet, but it should be done before the Tower is deployed. Even so, it's nothing more than a deterrent; it will only slow them down. In the meantime, I actually found someone who I think could help us."

Ryoken frowned. "Who?"

* * *

Yasutake glanced at the empty seat next to him. Masako usually sat there, but she was absent today. He had received an email from her saying she was sick, but she hadn't been specific, and he hadn't asked. Either way, he was sitting by himself today.

"Himura isn't here today?"

Or at least he had been. Aoi got up from her seat and took Masako's. They were having a free study period right now.

"No," Yasutake said. "I take it you don't know why?"

"No," Aoi said, shaking her head. "You?"

Yasutake looked at her through half-lidded eyes. "If I did, would I be asking you?"

"…Fair point." Aoi looked down at her tablet and frowned.

"…Why are you asking?" Yasutake said, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Do the two of you talk often?"

"…Not often," Aoi said. "Just little things. Homework, hobbies, that sort of thing. She… said she wanted to be my friend."

"…Huh," Yasutake finally said. He didn't really know what else to say to that.

They sat in silence for the next few minutes before Aoi broke it again, looking at her tablet. "This is interesting."

"What is?"

She held the tablet up so Yasutake could see. He raised an eyebrow as he read it out loud.

"'In order to celebrate the end of Hanoi's threat to LINK VRAINS, SOL Technologies is organizing a Challenge Duel between two of the Top 10 Charisma Duelists?'" He looked from the tablet to Aoi. "Does it say which of the Top 10?"

Aoi shook her head. "No. But…" She lowered her voice so they couldn't be overheard. "I haven't received any emails or requests about this, so I'm guessing Blue Angel isn't participating."

She was probably right; SOL wouldn't have announced the event unless they were certain of the participants. But the first part…

"A Challenge Duel?" Yasutake reread. "I've never heard of that kind of duel before. What is it?"

Aoi frowned in thought. "Basically, it's a duel where one of the duelists is experiencing some sort of handicap. Like they start with fewer Life Points, or fewer cards in their hand, or they can't play certain kinds of cards. Though that last one gets tricky."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you can't just ask a person to take the cards out of their Deck; most people only have 40 cards, so removing one means they can't duel. Oftentimes, they are told not to use certain monsters from the Extra Deck."

Yasutake frowned. "How do you know about these kinds of Duels?"

Aoi lowered her voice again. "Challenge Duels are an invention among the Charisma Duelists. A way to make matches more exciting for the audience by restricting a player's movements and forcing them to adapt. Among the Top 10, the one with a handicap is usually the one with a lower ranking, and the handicap is chosen by the person with the higher ranking. For example, if Blue Angel and Go Onizuka had a Challenge Duel, Blue Angel, in the #2 spot, would experience a handicap."

"Huh," Yasutake said, continuing to frown. "You said they are told not to use certain Extra Deck monsters. Does that mean if they do use them, they automatically lose?"

"No…" Aoi frowned again. "To be honest, that particularly rule is ill-defined. But among the Top 10, it has to do with rankings."

"Meaning…?"

"Say you accept a Challenge Duel with the condition being you can't Special Summon any monsters from the Extra Deck. You can still do it; they won't stop the duel. But you lose credibility in doing so, and in official matches like the one scheduled for tonight, if you break the handicap, you won't advance in the ranks."

Yasutake understood where she was going. "So, if Blue Angel and Go dueled, and she had a handicap but broke it, she would remain #2 even if she won?"

"Basically, yes." Aoi frowned at her tablet. "I wonder who it will be. To be honest, I'm not that familiar with the other members of the Top 10."

Yasutake could see why: Despite her dueling persona, Blue Angel was a very private person.

"I'm only familiar with Go Onizuka, Blue Angel, and Galahad," he said. "They're ranked #1, #2, and #5, right? So who are #3 and #4?"

"I can't say. I've never met #3 or #4 in person, but I've heard about them. #3 is a woman nicknamed 'The Traveler' and #4 is a man known as 'The Mariner.'"

"'The Traveler' and 'The Mariner?' Are those their avatar names?"

"No, they're just their nicknames. Like Blue Angel is known as 'The Idol of LINK VRAINS.'" She smiled as she lowered her voice again. "Or Morningstar is known as 'The Devil of LINK VRAINS.'"

Yasutake scowled. "I suspect Morningstar has mixed feelings about that name." He turned back to his own tablet. "If nothing else, this Challenge Duel should be interesting to watch."

"Yeah. Two interesting things in one day."

"Two?" Yasutake turned back to Aoi. "What's the second?"

She blinked in surprise at him. "Didn't you pay attention to the teacher earlier? Some students from Den University are stopping by to talk to some of the classes."

Den University? If Yasutake remembered right, that was the local college here in Den City. Most students who graduated from Den Academy ended up going there.

"What are they going to lecture about?"

"No idea. Probably some pre-college courses or finance issues some students have."

Yasutake filed that information away in his brain. He hadn't thought too much about higher education, but he imagined Cam would want him to at least consider it. And who knew? These college students might be worth listening to.

* * *

Yasutake walked down the steps outside of Den Academy. It was break period right now, so he decided to sit outside and think.

Evidently, he wasn't the only one who thought of that; Yusaku was also outside, sitting on a bench. Remembering something Terminus had said, Yasutake headed to join Yusaku.

"Hello."

Yusaku looked up as Yasutake approached. "Hello," he said. "Did you want something?"

Yasutake sat down next to Yusaku. He noticed that Yusaku wasn't wearing his Duel Disk. Either Ai was in his bag on the ground, or he had left him with Kusanagi.

"Did you encounter a Knight of Hanoi over the weekend?"

Yusaku narrowed his eyes. "Yes. A man named Faust. I'm guessing you also faced Hanoi?"

Yasutake nodded. "Terminus."

"The one who forced Galahad to duel you," Yusaku remembered. "You're here, so I assume you won?"

"It was a draw, actually," Yasutake said, to Yusaku's surprise. "He's still out there. What about Faust?"

"Purged," Yusaku said, frowning. "But… I'm more concerned about something else."

"What?"

Yusaku told him about Naoki getting ahold of Cyberse Wizard and then Faust kidnapping him to lure Yusaku out.

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "Shima couldn't have gotten your card on his own. Did you send it to him?"

"I didn't," Yusaku said, shaking his head. "At first, I thought Faust had somehow given it to Shima, but he denied it. And I believe he was telling the truth. And aside from Faust, there's only one other who could have sent Cyberse Wizard to Shima."

Yasutake's eyes widened. "Ai? You think it would do that?"

"I initially didn't consider it. But Ai is the only one other than me who had access to my Deck."

Yasutake frowned. He could understand the logic of Ai's plan: use Naoki to lure Faust out so they could face him. Still, using others as pawns… that wasn't something Yasutake wanted to condone.

Before he could say anything else, someone shouted at the top of their lungs, "I'M BACK, DEN ACADEMY!"

The two freshmen turned and blinked at the guy who just appeared. If Yasutake had to guess, he was about 20, with the body of an athlete. Dark blue spiky hair framed a handsome face. His ice blue eyes looked out over the Den Academy campus. Yasutake also noted he wore the Den University uniform under a dark blue sweatshirt. And the guy wasn't alone.

"Geeze. Do you have to announce yourself everywhere you go, Ichiyanagi?"

The speaker was a tall girl standing behind him, her amethyst eyes looking at him with a bored expression. Her long silver hair, which was tied back in a ponytail, reached all the way down to her waist. Like Ichiyanagi, she wore the Den University uniform, though she lacked a coat.

"Oh lighten up, Kurosaki," Ichiyanagi said, smiling at her. "This is our alma mater. And we're here to give our advice to the students here. Besides, I'm famous here." He turned and noticed Yasutake and Yusaku. "Isn't that right, freshmen? You know who I am, right?"

All the two teenagers could do was blink.

"There you are."

Everyone turned as Takeshi walked down the steps and smiled at Ichiyanagi and Kurosaki. "I was wondering when you would arrive."

"Oh?" Ichiyanagi said, raising an eyebrow. "And who are you?"

Takeshi tensed up, then relaxed, his left eye twitching. "You've never met me before," he said in a low voice. "And you graduated when I was a freshman. It makes sense you wouldn't know me." He cleared his throat, then said, "I'm Takeshi Akino, senior and Student Council President here at Den Academy." He then noticed Yasutake and Yusaku sitting nearby. "Oh hey, Fujiki. Narahiko. What are you two doing out here?"

"Thinking," Yusaku answered. He looked at the two college students. "Who…?"

Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "You didn't hear? We're getting visited by students from Den University today." He gestured to the two people standing next to him. "Allow me to introduce Ibuki Ichiyanagi, sophomore at Den University and the former soccer captain here at Den Academy."

"Yo!" Ibuki said, smiling at them. Yasutake and Yusaku just stared at him.

"And the pretty girl next to him is Katsumi Kurosaki," Takeshi continued. "Freshman at Den University and one of the smartest people you'll ever meet."

"I doubt that, President Akino," Katsumi said, her face expressionless. "You should know we aren't the only students coming; a few more will be coming later in the day."

Takeshi nodded. "Then I'll make sure to greet them. But I do need the two of you to come with me. The Student Council needs to go over the schedule with both of you."

"Aww," Ibuki said, looking disappointed. "I wanted to visit the soccer field, see how the team is doing. Maybe visit the trophy case to look over my past awards, flirt with a few pretty seniors…"

Katsumi pinched his cheek. "We're here to speak to the student body about college," she said. "Not flirt with them."

"That hurts… that hurts, Kurosaki…"

Takeshi chuckled. "Come on, I'll take you to the Student Council." He turned and went back into the building with Ibuki and Katsumi following him.

"Huh," Yasutake said, frowning. "Kurosaki…"

"You know her?" Yusaku asked.

"I've never met her, but I've heard that name before. Hang on…" He pulled out his tablet and searched for Katsumi Kurosaki. When he found what he was looking for, his eyes widened.

"Huh. Not bad." He turned to Yusaku. "That girl's only 17. She graduated two years early at the top of her class. Her scores are among the best in Den Academy's history. She was also a member of the Duel Club and Chess Club. She took the latter to the National Championship and won."

"…So how do you know her?"

"The Duel Club President mentioned her once." Yasutake frowned. "That girl is a genius. Definitely not someone to take lightly."

"And Ichiyanagi?"

Yasutake shook his head. "Never heard of him."

* * *

After meeting with the Student Council, Ibuki went to speak at a sophomore class about finances. Or at least, that was what he said he was going to do. If Katsumi was to be believed, he was probably going to speak to them about sports.

Katsumi herself would head to speak to a senior class, but there was something she had to discuss with Takeshi first.

Once they were alone, Takeshi looked out the window and smiled. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Katsumi?"

Katsumi, who had locked the door, came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. "Yeah, it has, Takeshi," she said emotionally. "I've missed you. How… how is Eiji?"

"Better," Takeshi said, turning around so he could look at her. "Or, he will be. There's a new treatment that they're going to try. If it succeeds, then Eiji will never have to worry about this illness ever again. If it doesn't…"

Katsumi smiled as she brought her hands up to either side of his face. "The treatment will work. Eiji's strong. And he has a great big brother to watch out for him."

She leaned in and kissed him. Takeshi's brain felt like it was melting. She'd kissed him many times before, but he never got used to the sensation. He hoped he never would.

He and Katsumi had been dating for over a year, before she graduated early and started attending Den University. It was because of her and Eiji that he had become Galahad. His desire to save his brother's life, and his desire to be worthy of this wonderful girl.

Once their lips parted, Takeshi smiled at her. "I'm glad to see college hasn't changed you too much. Though… do any of your classmates know about us?"

Katsumi shook her head. "I haven't told anyone. And… I don't plan on telling. Not for a while. I want you all to myself."

When he and Katsumi had started going out, they decided to keep it a secret. Takeshi had only been the Vice President of the Student Council then, but he had several duties, and she had been an important member of the Duel Club and the President of the Chess Club. Most of their activities were already in the public sphere. The two of them wanted something private, just between them.

Katsumi suddenly frowned. "I wanted to ask about something. I heard about the Challenge Duel later today. I didn't receive an invitation, but I was wondering…"

Takeshi nodded. "Yeah. I'm one of the participants. And I'm dueling #4."

Katsumi's brow furrowed. "#4," she muttered. "Fatumare. The Mariner. He's a tough opponent."

"So am I."

Katsumi's frown deepened. "Don't take this lightly, Takeshi. I know there are some Charisma Duelists who were given their spots in the Top 10 by SOL, but Fatumare isn't one of them. _I_ am not one of them."

Takeshi frowned back. "I know, Katsumi. Believe me, I am taking this seriously. If I win this duel, I'll advance in the rankings to #4. One step closer to you, #3."

"Yes. And then we'll duel. And we'll see which of us can complete our dream."

"To be #1," Takeshi remembered. "To become the best duelists in LINK VRAINS. I haven't forgotten our promise."

Katsumi smiled at him. "I know. We both joined LINK VRAINS to become stronger. And we will." She kissed him again, albeit much slower. Both of them wanted this moment to last forever.

But eventually, it had to end. Katsumi parted from him and said, "I have to be at a classroom in a few minutes to talk about entrance exams. I'll come by your place after your duel?"

Takeshi smiled at her as he walked to the table in the center of the room and started picking up papers. "I'd like that. But would you mind paying Eiji a visit this afternoon? I know he would like to see you."

Katsumi smiled back. "I will. I haven't seen him for a while myself." She unlocked the door and left the room.

Takeshi smiled to himself. That girl… Katsumi was one of the few good things that had happened to him in the last few years. When he first met her, he had been blown away by her intelligence and beauty. She seemed almost unapproachable. More than a few guys who hit on her were victims of her sharp tongue. Takeshi hadn't been one of them; he had always been too nervous.

He still remembered the first time they talked; he had been outside, watching the soccer team practice. He didn't play himself; student government and taking care of Eiji kept him busy. Katsumi had approached him and started a conversation. He had been surprised, to say the least. The smartest and one of the most beautiful students in Den Academy stopped to talk to him. And that was only the first time. Later, she would talk to him at lunch or when classes ended, usually under the pretense of business between her clubs and the Student Council.

Eventually, he learned there was more to Katsumi than just her looks and smarts. Because so many people found her intimidating, both in demeanor and skills, she hadn't made any real friends at Den Academy. She had seen Takeshi, who seemed to get along with everyone, and decided to try and befriend him. And once she did, she realized that she had developed feelings for him. When he asked her out, she had said yes immediately.

Takeshi was pretty sure he loved Katsumi, but… he had to admit he understood people's jealousy of her. Her natural talent seemed to work better than others' hard work. He remembered that when she led the Chess Club, more than one member had quit because they couldn't keep up with her. Takeshi himself sometimes felt he couldn't measure up to Katsumi. When the two of them joined LINK VRAINS, he had ended up in 5th place while she ended up in 3rd. He didn't resent her for her success, but it did make him feel unworthy of her.

That was why he wanted to win this Challenge Duel he'd been offered. To get closer to her, closer to the top. No matter what handicap he faced in this duel, he would overcome it. For himself, and to be worthy of the Traveler.

* * *

"Everyone! Are you fired up?" In the public viewing plaza, the MC shouted into his microphone before the large crowd that had gathered. "I hope so, because there is a very special show for you tonight in LINK VRAINS! To celebrate the defeat of Hanoi, SOL Technologies has announced a Challenge Duel between two of the Top 10 Charisma Duelists!"

"A Challenge Duel?" Yusaku asked. He was sitting in front of Café Nagi, a hot dog in his hands and his Duel Disk on his arm.

"That's what he said," Kusanagi, who was inside grilling hotdogs, answered him. "Those kinds of duels aren't very common outside of the Charisma Duelists."

"But what kind of duel is it, Kusanagi?"

"Basically, a duel where one of them suffers a handicap, usually the lower ranked duelist. Lower Life Points, less cards in their hands, being unable to summon certain monsters, that sort of thing."

"The whole thing is meant to make the duel more exciting."

Yusaku looked up as Yasutake and Cam walked over to his table. Cam smiled at Yusaku.

"Hey. I'm Cameron Junpei, but please call me Cam. You must be Fujiki, right?"

Yusaku nodded. "What are you two doing here?"

"Café Junpei is closed today," Yasutake answered. "And Cam wanted a hotdog. So we figured we'd watch the duel here."

"That, and I invited them," Kusanagi said, looking up from his grill. "I thought it would be nice to share a meal with friends."

Yusaku raised an eyebrow. Friends? Was that what these two were? He didn't know if he considered them friends, but Kusanagi obviously did.

"Hey, don't forget me!"

Everyone looked at the purple figure that emerged from Yusaku's Duel Disk. "I was with Kusanagi when he sent the invite," Ai said. "Did you bring what he asked for?"

Cam smirked. "Oh yeah, I brought it." He took a picture out of his picket and held it in front of Ai. "This is me kicking Kitamura out of Café Junpei."

Ai laughed at the picture. "Oh, it's just as good as I thought it would be! Please tell me you have more!"

"I think I might have a recording somewhere," Cam said, putting the picture back in his pocket. "I'll send it to Kusanagi."

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!"

The four people and one AI looked at the center television as the MC spoke again.

"The Challenge Duel will begin shortly. First, we have the challenger! While he started out as an unknown and people still seem to have a problem remembering him, he is without a doubt one of the best young duelists out there today! Ladies and gentlemen, the Knight of LINK VRAINS and ranked #5 of the Top 10, Galahad!"

The screen showed the central LINK VRAINS hub, where Galahad stood on one side of a skyscraper with an annoyed expression.

"What do you mean people can't seem to remember me!?" he shouted at the camera, which made the audience laugh. "Why is that part of my introduction!?"

"Akino seems rather sensitive to people not remembering him," Yusaku noted.

"At this point, I'm starting to think I'm not the only one doing it on purpose," Yasutake said.

"And now, we have the defender!" the MC continued. "He has faced challenge after challenge and overcame each obstacle in his way to ascend to the #4 rank. He is the master of the ocean, the unstoppable tide! He is the Mariner of LINK VRAINS! Ladies and gentlemen, Fatumare!"

A person wearing a large blue-green cloak appeared opposite Galahad. He quickly tore the cloak off, revealing a tall, tan-skinned young man. He had curly black hair that went to the nape of his neck and an impressive beard and mustache. He didn't wear a shirt, exposing an impressive musculature that would make Go jealous. From the waist down, he wore dark blue pants and boots that looked like they were made of fish scales. From the waist up, he only wore similarly designed shoulder pads and a bandolier. On his arms were dark blue gauntlets, each bearing an image of a gold trident.

Fatumare's ocean green eyes seemed to glow as he raised an arm. "Denizens of LINK VRAINS!" he shouted. "Today, I, Fatumare, will face off against Galahad!" He turned his gaze on Galahad. "Tell me, Galahad; do you really think a Knight can challenge a God?"

"God?" Yusaku repeated, frowning. "Is he that full of himself?"

"He seems to have based his avatar off of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea," Cam noted. "Maybe that's what he's referring to?"

Galahad smirked. "God or not, no challenge is too great for a Knight of Justice," he said. "I have faced the Devil himself; I am not afraid of God!"

Yasutake sweatdropped. "Does he have to be this dramatic?" Sadly, no one answered him.

Fatumare smiled at Galahad. "You are not afraid? Well then, perhaps you will change your tune when I tell you the condition for our Challenge Duel?"

Galahad narrowed his eyes. "It does not matter what my handicap is. Fewer Life Points, fewer cards in my hand, I will still emerge victorious!"

Fatumare laughed. "You think that is the handicap I chose? I have no interest in defeating someone weaker than myself. No…" His smile turned into a smirk. "I want to defeat you at your best. Which is why I chose a condition that will bother you the least of all the Charisma Duelists."

He pointed at Galahad dramatically. "Galahad! For our Challenge Duel, your handicap is that you cannot summon Link Monsters!"

"Oh!" the MC commented. "A duel where Galahad cannot use Link Monsters!? For most duelists, including the Top 2, such a handicap would be crushing!"

"But for Galahad, it's perfect," Cam said. "Since he uses Fusion, Ritual, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters alongside Link Monsters, such a ruling won't impact him too much."

Galahad smiled. "Are you sure that's the one you want? It will weaken me a little, but not enough to slow me down."

"That's why I chose it," Fatumare said. "Like I said, I wish to defeat you at your best. So, Galahad, do you accept my challenge?"

Galahad pointed dramatically at Fatumare. "I do! I will defeat you without using Link Monsters! And God will fall before man!"

"So this challenge means Galahad can't summon any Link Monsters?" Yusaku asked.

"Technically, no," Yasutake answered. "He can summon Link Monsters if he wants, but if he does so, he loses credibility, and if he wins, he won't advance in the ranks. He'll win the battle, but he'll lose the war."

* * *

The two duelists rode the data stream, with Fatumare riding a dark blue D-Board with green fins and a trident design in the center.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Fatumare: 4000 LP**

 **Galahad: 4000 LP**

"As the defendant, I shall take the first turn!" Fatumare declared. "Prepare to face the servants of the ocean! I summon Mermail Abysspike!" A merman with blonde hair wearing light blue armor appeared on Fatumare's field.

 **Mermail Abysspike ATK 1600 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"Abysspike's monster effect! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can discard one Water monster and add one Level 3 Water monster from my Deck to hand. I discard Mermail Abysshilde to add Mermail Abyssnerei from my Deck to my hand."

After doing so, Fatumare said, "I activate the effect of the Abysshilde in my Graveyard! Because it was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Mermail' monster from my hand. Come forth, Mermail Abysslung in Defense Position!" Another merman, this one with red hair, wearing black and silver armor and two massive black and gold arm shields, appeared alongside Abysspike.

 **Mermail Abysslung ATK 1200 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"Abysslung's monster effect!" Fatumare continued. "While it is face-up on the field, all Water monsters I control gain 300 attack points!"

 **Mermail Abysspike ATK 1600→1900**

 **Mermail Abysslung ATK 1200→1500**

"I activate the Spell Card: Mermail Gift!" The card showed Abysshilde opening a small box shining with light. "Since I control 2 or more 'Mermail' monsters, I can perform a second Normal Summon this turn. And if I happen to summon a 'Mermail' monster, I can draw one card. I summon Mermail Abyssnerei!" A mermaid with long white hair wearing dark blue armor appeared on his field.

 **Mermail Abyssnerei ATK 1200→1500 DEF 2000 LVL: 3**

"Since Abyssnerei is a 'Mermail' monster, I draw one card due to Mermail Gift's effect!" After Fatumare drew, he smiled. "It is time to take this duel to the next level! Appear, the circuit of the deepest ocean!"

Fatumare's hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Fish, Sea Serpent, and/or Aqua monsters! I set Abyssnerei and Abysspike in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of blue energy that entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Mermail Abyssalacia!" A woman with purple hair wearing purple armor and carrying a golden staff appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Mermail Abyssalacia ATK 1600→1900 LINK-2** ↙↘

"It doesn't exactly seem fair that Fatumare can Link Summon without penalties and Galahad can't," Ai said.

"That's the point of a Challenge Duel," Cam told the AI. "To make the duel more exciting and to see if they can overcome such a handicap."

"Abyssnerei's monster effect!" Fatumare declared. "Since this card was sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can draw then discard one card." He did so, then said, "I discarded Mermail Abyssgunde. And when Abyssgunde is discarded, I can Special Summon one 'Mermail' monster from my Graveyard. Return to me, Abysspike!"

 **Mermail Abysspike ATK 1600→1900 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

Fatumare gestured to his Link Monster. "Abyssalacia's monster effect! Any monster that it points to gains 500 attack and defense points. Abyssalacia points to Abysslung!"

 **Mermail Abysslung ATK 1500→2000 DEF 1800→2300**

"I end my turn," Fatumare said.

"Amazing!" The MC shouted. "Fatumare not only managed to Link Summon, but also summon two more monsters!"

"That won't stop Galahad," Yasutake said.

"My turn! Draw!" Galahad looked at his cards and smirked. Even if he couldn't Link Summon, he would still win. The card he drew just made that clearer.

"Since you control a monster and I do not, I can Special Summon Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight!" The blue-armored knight riding a yellow dragon appeared on Galahad's field in Attack Position.

 **Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"And since you control more monsters than I do, I can Normal Summon Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight!" A blue-armored knight carrying blue lances and riding a purple horse appeared alongside Lord Gaia.

 **Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

Before Galahad could make his next move, Fatumare spoke up. "Abyssalacia's monster effect!" he declared. "During your turn, I can discard one card to add one 'Mermail' monster from my Deck to my hand. I discard Mermail Abyssmegalo and add Mermail Abysslinde from my Deck to my hand."

Galahad smirked. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Charge of the Fierce Knight! With this card, if I perform a Fusion, Link, Synchro, or Xyz Summon using at least one 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster as Material, I can draw two cards."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "He has two Level 7 monsters," he noted. "That means…"

"Appear, the network of champions!" Galahad's hand glowed yellow as the galaxy portal appeared in the sky above the duelists. "Materials confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 7 monsters! I overlay the Level 7 Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight and Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight!" The two monsters became streams of purple and orange energy respectively and entered the portal. A pillar of light erupted from the center of the portal.

"Xyz Summon! Take flight! Rank 7! Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger!" The red armored knight riding the red mechanical dragon appeared, summoned to Galahad's Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position, circled by two green orbs.

 **Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger ATK 2600 DEF 2100 RNK: 7 OU: 2**

"Oh ho! An Xyz Summon! Even without Link Summoning, Galahad is clearly a powerful duelist!"

"Because I used Arisen Gaia and Lord Gaia to Xyz Summon, Charge of the Fierce Knight's effect activates," Galahad said. "And I draw two cards." He did so, then said, "I Set one card."

Galahad gestured to his field. "Battle! Gaia Dragon, attack Abyssalacia! Double Lance Strike!" Gaia Dragon charged Abyssalacia, but Abysslung got in the way.

As Gaia Dragon's lance struck Abysslung's shields, Fatumare smirked. "Sorry, but Abyssalacia is not going anywhere!" he declared. "So long as Abysslung is on my field, you cannot target any other Water monster for an attack!"

Galahad smirked. "I figured you would have an effect like that," he said, surprising Fatumare. "Which is why it's fortune for me that when Gaia Dragon attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage!"

Fatumare's eyes widened as Gaia Dragon destroyed Abysslung. The backlash from the explosion stung Fatumare, making him wince.

 **Fatumare: 4000→3700 LP**

"And the Knight of LINK VRAINS has drawn first blood!" the MC commented. "How will Fatumare respond?"

Fatumare grit his teeth. "Because Abysslung is no longer on the field, Abyssalacia and Abysspike lose their attack bonus."

 **Mermail Abyssalacia ATK 1900→1600**

 **Mermail Abysspike ATK 1900→1600**

"Not bad, Galahad," he then said. "But your damage was but a prick in the finger. How will you topple a god like that?"

"With this!" Galahad said, selecting a new card. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Pursuit of the Fiend! Since my Xyz Monster destroyed a Defense Position monster, I can detach all of Gaia Dragon's Overlay Units. And then it can make a second attack!"

Fatumare's eyes widened. "What?" The green orbs circling Gaia Dragon burst as the monster roared.

"I then activate the effect of Charge of the Fierce Knight!" Galahad continued. "By sending this card to the Graveyard, I can change your monster's battle position! I change Abysspike to Defense Position!"

Fatumare grit his teeth. "So he's going for maximum damage."

"Battle! Gaia Dragon, attack Abysspike!" Gaia Dragon charged Abysspike as Galahad continued speaking. "And as before, Gaia Dragon inflicts piercing battle damage! Double Lance Strike!" Gaia Dragon's lance pierced Abysspike, destroying it. Fatumare swerved from the backlash of Galahad's attack.

 **Fatumare: 3700→1900 LP**

"I end my turn," Galahad said as Gaia Dragon returned to his side.

"Amazing!" the MC shouted. "In just one turn, Galahad depleted over half of Fatumare's Life Points! Can the Mariner come back from a devastating setback?"

Fatumare laughed. "Impressive! So this is the strength of a Knight? Certainly, it is more than I expected." He smirked as he looked back at Galahad. "But now it is God's turn to strike. Prepare yourself, Galahad! My turn! Draw!"

Looking at his card, Fatumare said, "I activate the Spell Card: Cards of the Abyss!" The card showed Great White and Skull Kraken falling into a bottomless abyss. "With this card, I can shuffle up to three Water monsters in my Graveyard back into my Deck. Then, I can draw an equal number of cards. I shuffle the Abyssgunde, Abyssnerei, and Abysspike in my Graveyard back into my Deck, then draw three cards."

Fatumare drew and smirked. These would do nicely. "I summon Mermail Abysslinde!" A blue-haired mermaid wearing red armor appeared on his field.

 **Mermail Abysslinde ATK 1500 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"And now I activate the effect of the Mermail Abyssnerei in my hand!" he declared. "By discarding it and targeting a Water monster I control, I can destroy another Water monster in my hand or on my field and increase the first monster's attack and defense points by the destroyed monster's attack points until the end of the turn. I destroy Abysslinde to increase Abyssalacia's attack points by 1500!" Abysslinde shattered as Abyssalacia glowed.

 **Mermail Abyssalacia ATK 1600→3100**

"Abysslinde's monster effect!" Fatumare continued. "If she destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Mermail' monster from my Deck. I summon Mermail Abyssdine in Attack Position!" A little girl mermaid with pink hair and blue armor appeared on his field.

 **Mermail Abyssdine ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 3**

"Abyssdine's monster effect! When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Mermail' monster, I can Special Summon one Level 3 or lower 'Mermail' monster in my Graveyard. Return to me, Abyssnerei in Attack Position!"

 **Mermail Abyssnerei ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3**

"And now, I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn to bring back Abysslinde in Attack Position!" Abysslinde reappeared, summoned to Abyssalacia's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Mermail Abysslinde ATK 1500 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"Because Abyssalacia points to Abysslinde, Abysslinde gains 500 attack and defense points!"

 **Mermail Abysslinde ATK 1500→2000 DEF 1200→1700**

"Why would he summon so many monsters?" Ai asked. "None of them are strong enough to defeat Gaia Dragon. Oh! Is he going to Link Summon?"

"No," Yusaku said, narrowing his eyes.

"All three of those monsters are Level 3," Yasutake said.

Fatumare gestured above him. "Appear! The network of the deepest ocean!" His hand glowed yellow as the galaxy portal appeared above them. "Materials confirmed! The summoning conditions are three Level 3 monsters! I overlay the Level 3 Abyssdine, Abysslinde, and Abyssnerei!" His three monsters all became streams of blue energy that entered the portal. A pillar of light erupted from said portal.

"Xyz Summon! Surface! Rank 3! Mermail Abysstrite!" This mermaid has the tail of a dolphin and wore elaborate purple armor. A golden crown sat atop her purple hair and she carried a golden scepter. She smiled as she was summoned to Abyssalacia's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position, circled by three blue lights.

 **Mermail Abysstrite ATK 1600 DEF 2800 RNK: 3 OU: 3**

"And as before, Abysstrite gains 500 attack and defense points because Abyssalacia points to it!"

 **Mermail Abysstrite ATK 1600→2100 DEF 2800→3300**

"Oh! Fatumare has Xyz Summoned as well! Xyz vs. Xyz! This duel is becoming even more amazing!"

"Huh," Galahad said, impressed. "I wasn't expecting you to Xyz Summon. I thought you would only Link Summon."

Fatumare smiled back at Galahad. "It is true I don't often use Xyz Summoning. But ever since your duel with Morningstar, there has been renewed interest in the older summoning methods. You shouldn't be surprised if your opponents start using Xyz, Synchro, Fusion, or even Ritual Summoning now."

"Renewed interest?" Galahad muttered. "Because of me? I would have thought it would be because of her…"

"I activate the Spell Card: Xyz Treasure Ticket!" Fatumare said, interrupting Galahad's thoughts. "This card lets me draw cards equal to the Rank of a Rank 4 or lower Xyz Monster I control. Abysstrite is Rank 3, so I can draw three cards!"

He drew, then said, "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Abyss-scale of the Mizuchi! And I equip it to Abysstrite!" Abysstrite's armor changed color to white and green. "The monster equipped with Mizuchi gains 800 attack points!"

 **Mermail Abysstrite ATK 2100→2900**

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "One monster with 3100 attack points and another with 2900 attack points… Not good."

"I Set one card," Fatumare said, then he gestured to Abyssalacia. "Battle! Abyssalacia, attack Gaia Dragon!" Abyssalacia lifted her scepter in the air then pointed it at Gaia Dragon. A blast of water erupted from the scepter and struck Gaia Dragon, which cried out as it was destroyed. Galahad winced from the damage.

 **Galahad: 4000→3500 LP**

"If he attacks directly with Abysstrite, Galahad will only have 600 Life Points left," Cam noted.

Galahad smirked. "If you think this ends here, it won't!" he declared. "Trap activate! Extra Switch!" The card showed Junk Warrior and Number 39: Utopia, with the latter fading as the former shone with light. "Since a monster in the Extra Monster Zone I control was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, this card lets me Special Summon a monster from the Extra Deck with the same attack points as the destroyed monster!"

Fatumare's eyes widened. "Meaning you can summon a monster with 2600 attack points?"

"So long as I summon it in Attack Position, yes!" Galahad gestured to his field. "Take flight, Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion!" A portal appeared, out of which a blue knight riding a red dragon appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion ATK 2600 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"Oh!" the MC commentated. "Galahad lost his Xyz Monster, but he has now replaced it with a Fusion Monster! Amazing!"

"Sky Galloping Gaia's monster effect!" Galahad declared. "When this monster is Special Summoned, I can add one 'Spiral Spear Strike' from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand." He added a card from his Deck to his hand.

Fatumare smirked. "Not bad. But now you'll lose your Fusion Monster! Abysstrite, attack Sky Galloping Gaia!" Abysstrite gathered water in her hands and blasted Sky Galloping Gaia with it.

"Since Sky Galloping Gaia was summoned by the effect of Extra Switch," Galahad said. "It cannot be destroyed by battle this turn!"

"But you will still take damage!" Galahad winced from the backlash of Abysstrite's attack.

 **Galahad: 3500→3200 LP**

Fatumare smiled again. "Impressive, Mr. Knight. You have weathered God's assault for now. It will be a different story next turn. I end my turn, and Abysstrite's attack points return to normal."

 **Mermail Abysstrite ATK 3100** → **1600**

After Fatumare said he ended his turn, Galahad suddenly received an electrical shock. As everyone watched in surprise, Galahad explained, "During the End Phase of the turn I activate Extra Switch, I take 800 points of damage."

 **Galahad: 3200→2400 LP**

"My turn! Draw!" Galahad drew and looked at his cards. He was going to enjoy this. "I activate the card I added through Sky Galloping Gaia's effect. The Spell Card: Strike of the Fierce Knight!" The card showed Arisen Gaia with circles of wind wrapped around its lance.

"What?" Fatumare said, surprised. "But I thought you added Spiral Spear Strike!"

"Thanks to Strike of the Fierce Knight's effect, its name is always treated as 'Spiral Spear Strike!'" Galahad revealed. "This card, however, can only target a monster I control with either 2300 or 2600 attack points. And during this turn, that monster can inflict piercing battle damage. I target Sky Galloping Gaia for its effect!"

Fatumare smirked. "Impressive use of tactics, but it will avail you not! I activate the effect of Abyss-scale of the Mizuchi! When you activate the effect of a Spell Card, Mizuchi negates that effect and sends itself to the Graveyard!" Abysstrite's armor returned to normal as its attack points decreased.

 **Mermail Abysstrite ATK 2900→2100**

Fatumare suddenly realized something and smiled. "That was your goal, wasn't it? To get rid of my Equip Spell."

"Of course," Galahad said, smiling as well.

"Eh? What are they talking about?" Ai asked.

"The effect of Mizuchi is mandatory," Yusaku told him. "Meaning Fatumare had no control about which Spell Card it negated. And with it gone, Abysstrite is weaker than Sky Galloping Gaia."

"I activate the effect of Strike of the Fierce Knight in my Graveyard!" Galahad declared. "By banishing a monster in my Graveyard, I can add this card to my hand. I banish Gaia Dragon to return Strike of the Fierce Knight to my hand, and then I activate it, targeting Sky Galloping Gaia!"

Fatumare smirked again. "So not only did you get rid of my Equip Spell, but you were able to activate your card anyway. But since Abysstrite's defense points are higher than Sky Galloping Gaia's, I imagine you have another plan in mind."

"Naturally," Galahad said. "But first, I have another play to make. I summon Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight!" A knight in blue and green armor riding a purple horse appeared on his field. "I can Normal Summon Charging Gaia without Tributing, but in exchange its attack points become 1900."

 **Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300→1900 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"I Set one card," Galahad said, then gestured to Sky Galloping Gaia. "Battle! Sky Galloping Gaia, attack Abyssalacia!" Sky Galloping Gaia charged the said monster, but Fatumare spoke up.

"Abysstrite's monster effect!" he declared. "By detaching one Overlay Unit from Abysstrite, I make her the target of your attack!" One of the orbs circling Abysstrite lit up as she positioned herself in front of Abyssalacia.

 **Mermail Abysstrite OU: 3→2**

Galahad grit his teeth. "You may reduce the damage, but you will still lose your monster! Go, Sky Galloping Gaia! Double Dragon Lance!" Sky Galloping Gaia enveloped itself in flames as it charged Abysstrite, destroying her and making Fatumare wince.

 **Fatumare: 1900→1400 LP**

"Since Sky Galloping Gaia inflicted battle damage, Strike of the Fierce Knight's effect activates!" Galahad said. "And I can now draw two cards, but I then must discard one card." He drew, then discarded Spiral Spear Strike.

Fatumare smirked. "You aren't the only one who can activate an effect," he said. "Abysstrite's monster effect! When Abysstrite is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a 'Mermail' monster from my Graveyard!"

Galahad's eyes widened. "What?"

"Come to me, Mermail Abyssmegalo!" A giant red humanoid fish appeared on Fatumare's field, summoned to Abyssalacia's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. It wore golden armor and carried a massive spiked cutlass.

 **Mermail Abyssmegalo ATK 2400 DEF 1900 LVL: 7**

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "Fatumare discarded that card with Abyssalacia's effect on Galahad's last turn."

"And remember; because Abyssalacia points to Abyssmegalo, it gains 500 attack and defense points!"

 **Mermail Abyssmegalo ATK 2400→2900 DEF 1900→2400**

"Impressive monster," Galahad said. "A pity it doesn't matter." He gestured to his other monster. "Charging Gaia! Attack Abyssalacia and destroy her!" Charging Gaia raced for Abyssalacia, but Fatumare only smirked.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" he asked as his shoulder pads glowed blue. "I activate my Skill! Mermail Redirection! By banishing a 'Mermail' Xyz Monster from my Graveyard, I can change your monster's attack target!" Galahad's eyes widened in surprise. "I banish Abysstrite to make Charging Gaia attack Abyssmegalo!"

Charging Gaia turned to the right and charged Abyssmegalo, which swung its cutlass at Charging Gaia. "My Skill prevents either monster from being destroyed by this battle," Fatumare said. "But you will still take damage!" The cutlass and lance struck each other, creating a blast of wind that hit Galahad, making him cry out.

 **Galahad: 2400→1400 LP**

Galahad grit his teeth. "I end my turn."

"Their Life Points are equal now," Kusanagi said. He turned to Yasutake. "You dueled Galahad before. Do you think he'll win?"

"I can't say," Yasutake answered. "I get the feeling neither of them has shown their full power yet."

"My turn! Draw!" Fatumare drew, and seeing what he got, laughed. "Yes! With this, victory belongs to God! I activate the Equip Spell Card: Abyss-scale of Cetus and equip it to Abyssalacia!" The purple armor that Abyssalacia wore expanded to cover more of her body. "With this card, Abyssalacia gains 800 attack points!"

 **Mermail Abyssalacia ATK 1600→2400**

Yusaku narrowed his eyes. "With that, Abyssalacia and Abyssmegalo are strong enough to destroy Galahad's monsters."

"But not strong enough to win the duel," Yasutake noted. "He must have another move to make."

"Continuous Trap activate!" Fatumare declared. "Abyss-sphere! This card lets me Special Summon one 'Mermail' monster from my Deck with its effects negated. However, I cannot activate any Spell Cards. Come to me, Mermail Abyssteus in Attack Position!" A medium-sized green humanoid fish in purple and white armor appeared, carrying a red coral spear.

 **Mermail Abyssteus ATK 1700 DEF 2400 LVL: 7**

Yasutake's eyes widened. "Uh oh."

Galahad's eyes narrowed. "Two Level 7 monsters…"

Fatumare smirked. "You may be a master of all the summoning methods, but I am a master of Xyz Summoning. Let me show you my true power!" He gestured above him. "Appear! The network of the deepest ocean!" His hand glowed yellow as the galaxy portal appeared above them. "Materials confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 7 Water monsters! I overlay the Level 7 Abyssmegalo and Abyssteus!" His two monsters became streams of blue energy that entered the portal. A beam of light erupted from it as Fatumare continued chanting.

"Xyz Summon! Surface! Rank 7! Mermail Abyssgaios!" A massive monster emerged from the portal. It had the upper body of a man, but the lower body of a blue dragon covered with green armor. Above the waist, it was a muscular old man wearing blue armor, with long grey hair. Abyssgaios swung a massive trident as it was summoned to Abyssalacia's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position, circled by two blue lights.

 **Mermail Abyssgaios ATK 2800 DEF 1600 RNK: 7 OU: 2**

"And as you know, Abyssgaios gains 500 attack and defense points because Abyssalacia points to it!"

 **Mermail Abyssgaios ATK 2800→3300 DEF 1600→2100**

"3300 attack points…" Yasutake muttered, frowning.

"That must be his true ace monster," Yusaku said, likewise frowning.

Fatumare smirked. "I imagine you're going to enjoy Abyssgaious's first effect," he said. "So long as it has Overlay Units attached, Level 5 or higher monsters cannot attack!" Galahad's eyes widened.

"So that's why the condition for this duel was Galahad couldn't use Link Monsters," Ai said. "He already used his Xyz Monster, so if he wants to win, he'll need to Link Summon."

"Don't be so sure," Yasutake said. "Galahad is smarter than he looks. He'll find a way."

"I Set one card," Fatumare said, then gestured to his field. "Battle! Abyssgaios, attack Sky Galloping Gaia!" Abyssgaios raised its trident, but Galahad smirked.

"Trap activate!" he declared. "Mirror Force!" The card he showed shined bright. "Since you declared an attack, this card destroys all Attack Position monsters you control!" A bright beam burst from the card and headed for Fatumare's field, but he only smirked.

"That won't work," Fatumare said. "I activate the effect of Abyss-scale of Cetus! When the effect of a Trap Card is activated on your field, that effect is negated, and Cetus is sent to the Graveyard!" Abyssalacia's armor glowed and created a barrier around Fatumare's field that deflected Mirror Force.

Galahad grit his teeth, but said, "Since your Equip Spell left the field, that means Abyssalacia loses 800 attack points!"

 **Mermail Abyssalacia ATK 2400→1600**

"The battle continues!" Fatumare declared. "Destroy his dragon, Abyssgaios!" Abyssgaios's trident glowed with light, which it then released as lightning aimed at Sky Galloping Gaia. Galahad looked at a card in his hand but decided against using it. The attack hit, destroying Sky Galloping Gaia and making Galahad cry out.

 **Galahad: 1400→700 LP**

"And now, I-."

"I activate the effect of Extra Switch in my Graveyard!" Galahad declared, interrupting Fatumare. "Since a monster I control in the Extra Monster Zone was destroyed, I can banish Extra Switch and Special Summon a monster with the same attack points as Sky Galloping Gaia from my Extra Deck in Attack Position!"

"Oh?" Fatumare said, raising an eyebrow. "Sky Galloping Gaia had 2600 attack points. I remember from your duel with Morningstar that you have at least two other monsters with 2600 attack points. A Synchro Monster and a Link Monster." Fatumare looked at Abyssgaios. "So long as Abyssgaios has Overlay Units, Level 5 or higher monsters cannot attack. But since they don't have Levels, that effect doesn't apply to Link Monsters. Tactically, it would make more sense to summon a Link Monster."

Fatumare smirked. "Of course, if you do that, you won't advance in the ranks if you win. But to win this duel… there really is only one choice, isn't there?"

"This is tricky," Ai commented, crossing its arms. "He can summon a Link Monster that can attack to avoid Abyssgaios's effect, but if he does, the point of this duel will be for nothing."

A screen appeared in front of Galahad. It showed the monsters he could summon with Extra Switch's effect. Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth, a Synchro Monster, and Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow, a Link Monster. Galahad smirked. Fatumare was right; there was only one choice.

"With Extra Switch's effect, I summon Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth in Attack Position!" The mechanical warrior and horse appeared on his field, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 2600 DEF 800 LVL: 6**

Fatumare's eyes widened, but then he smiled. "I see. So that's the kind of person you are, Galahad." He laughed. "Perfect! But let's see if you can still win!" He gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Abyss-supremacy!" His face-down card opened, revealing an image of Abyssgaios glowing with blue energy.

"Eh!?" Ai said, shocked. "He just Set that card this turn! How can he activate it!?"

"Abyss-supremacy can be activated the turn it is Set if I control a 'Mermail' monster," Fatumare explained. "And until your next End Phase, it increases the attack points of one 'Mermail' monster I control by 1000! I choose Abyssalacia!"

 **Mermail Abyssalacia ATK 1600→2600**

"This duel is over, Galahad!" Fatumare declared. "Abyssalacia, attack Charging Gaia!" Water erupted from Abyssalacia's scepter and blasted Charging Gaia, but Galahad wasn't worried.

"It will never be that easy, Fatumare!" Galahad declared. "I activate the effect of the Kuriboh in my hand! By discarding it, the damage from this battle is reduced to 0!" Charging Gaia was shattered by the attack, but a small furry brown monster appeared and kept Galahad from getting hit.

Fatumare laughed. "Not bad, Galahad. I end my turn. So then, how are you going to defeat me? As I told you before, so long as Abyssgaios has Overlay Units, Level 5 and above monsters cannot attack!"

 _And if you summon an Xyz Monster or a low-Level monster,_ he thought. _I can detach one Overlay Unit from Abyssgaios to negate the effects of all monsters you control with lower attack points than Abyssgaios._

"Things do not look good for Galahad!" the MC commentated. "With 700 Life Points, a Synchro Monster that cannot attack, and only one card in his hand; if he does not pull out a game changer now, he will lose! Is this the end for the Knight of LINK VRAINS?"

Galahad smiled. "Of course not!" he shouted. "A true Knight does not give up until the very end!" He placed his hand on his Deck as the card materialized. _I need a certain card to turn this around_ , he thought. _A monster that will bypass both of his Abyssgaios's effects._

As he closed his eyes in thought, he didn't notice the figure on a nearby skyscraper, watching the duel. The woman wore a long black dress, with dark gold armor covering her shoulders, chest, and waist. A dark gold circlet wrapped around her short black hair. Her amethyst eyes watched as Galahad took his turn.

Galahad opened his eyes. "My turn! Draw!" He drew, and looking at his card, he smiled. _It's here!_

"I summon Squire of Gaia!" A short young man with dark green skin wearing basic blue armor appeared, a small sword in its right hand.

 **Squire of Gaia ATK 800 DEF 1200 LVL: 2**

Fatumare's eyes widened. "That's-."

"A Tuner monster," Yasutake said, narrowing his eyes.

Galahad smiled. "Appear! The rings of the champion!" As his outstretched hand glowed green, Squire jumped forward and out of sight. In a flash of light, two green rings raced back and stopped in front of Galahad.

"Materials confirmed!" Galahad chanted. "The summoning conditions are one Warrior Tuner and one or more non-Tuner Warrior monsters! I tune the Level 2 Squire of Gaia to the Level 6 Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!" His Synchro Monster galloped into the rings and quickly turned into an orange outline with six stars inside it. The outline faded and the stars straightened out, and then disappeared as a surge of light passed through the rings.

"Synchro Summon! Charge forth! Level 8! Gaia Knight, the Vanguard of Earth!"

The monster that emerged from the rings looked very similar to the Force of Earth, but not completely. Instead of mechanical lances, it carried two red pentagonal shields. The yellow portions of its armor had turned gold and the blue parts gleamed like sapphires. Mechanical sapphire and gold wings had sprouted from the horse. The horse whinnied as it and its rider were summoned to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Gaia Knight, the Vanguard of Earth ATK 3200 DEF 1800 LVL: 8**

"Oh! Galahad has summoned a new Synchro Monster!"

"Amazing!" Ai said. "That thing looks powerful!"

"Squire of Gaia's monster effect!" Galahad continued. "If it is used to Synchro Summon a Warrior Synchro Monster, that monster gains 600 attack points until my next Standby Phase!"

 **Gaia Knight, the Vanguard of Earth ATK 3200→3800**

Fatumare smirked. "With that attack boost, it's immune to my Abyssgaios's effect," he said to himself. He then raised his voice to say, "Impressive monster, but so long as Abyssgaios has Overlay Units, it cannot attack!"

"Are you sure about that?" Fatumare gasped at Galahad's words. "Since I Synchro Summoned Vanguard of Earth using Force of Earth, it is unaffected by your card effects and cannot be targeted by the same until my next Standby Phase!"

Fatumare's eyes widened. "Unaffected by my card effects?" That meant Abyssgaios's attack prevention effect wouldn't work on Vanguard of Earth!

Galahad smirked. "And now, I start my Battle Phase, and it is here that the true power of the Vanguard of Earth is unleashed! When I start the Battle Phase, I can discard one card from my hand and choose one of three effects to activate. I discard Beginning Knight to activate Vanguard of Earth's second effect!"

"And that is…"

Galahad's smirk grew. "If Vanguard of Earth battles a monster, all battle damage it inflicts is doubled!" Fatumare's eyes widened. "Battle! Vanguard of Earth, attack Abyssalacia!" Vanguard of Earth charged the Link Monster, but Fatumare only smirked.

"It will not be that easy! I activate the effect of Abyss-supremacy in the Graveyard! If you attack a 'Mermail' monster, I can banish Abyss-supremacy to change the target of your attack! Vanguard of Earth must now attack Abyssgaios!" Vanguard of Earth leapt into the air, over Abyssalacia and charged Abyssgaios.

Galahad smiled. "Fine then. Go, Vanguard of Earth! Destroy Abyssgaios with Ultimate Spiral Force!" One of Vanguard of Earth's shields morphed into a long red lance, which it charged Abyssgaios with. Abyssgaios struck back with lightning from its trident, but Vanguard of Earth continued its charge, wrapping itself in wind. It broke through the lightning and pierced Abyssgaios, which exploded from the attack. Fatumare cried out from the doubled damage.

 **Fatumare: 1400→400 LP**

After steadying himself, Fatumare laughed. "A good try, Galahad!" he shouted. "But I still have Life Points! And with Abyssalacia on my field, I still have a chance!"

"…Tell me something," Galahad said, surprising Fatumare. "Every move you've made has, in some way or other, protected Abyssalacia. I can understand simple tactics, but your actions suggest more. Does that card mean something to you?"

Fatumare was silent. He remembered back to that day…

* * *

"Dad!" Ibuki cried out, running down the stairs. His father was about to leave for work and turned to look at the young boy. He smiled at the child.

"What is it, Ibuki?" he asked, somewhat wearily. "I have to go to work."

"I know, I know, but… you'll be back, right? In time for my birthday dinner?"

His father frowned. "To be honest, I'm not sure, son. I've had to sail out further over the last few weeks. I'm not sure what time I'll be home." Seeing the downcast look on his son's face, he put a hand in his pocket. "Tell you what, how about I give you your present early?"

"Really?" Ibuki said, brightening up immediately. "Won't mom get mad?"

"I'm willing to risk it this time," his father said, taking a card out of his pocket. "Here."

Ibuki took the card and his eyes widened. "A Link Monster? For real?"

"Yes," the adult said, nodding. "Mermail Abyssalacia. A fine card for that ocean Deck you're building." He smiled at his son. "You may not have the disposition of a fisherman like your father, but you'll make a fine duelist. And one day, maybe you'll stand at the top, as the God of dueling."

Ibuki smiled. "That sounds better than being the God of fishermen."

His father laughed. "I can't disagree with you. Well… I have to head out now. I'll see you later, son."

"Bye, dad! Good luck!"

His father never made it in time for dinner. Ibuki fell asleep waiting for him. And when he woke up in the morning, his mother was crying. There had been a storm the night before, and his father's ship had been lost in it.

Ibuki had spent the last 10 years moving on from that accident, looking towards the future. And all the time, he carried and protected the last card his father gave him…

* * *

Fatumare pulled himself back to the present and smiled. "Abyssalacia is a good card," he said to Galahad. "If I cannot protect my best monsters, what kind of God am I?"

Galahad smiled back. "Nice answer," he said. "Unfortunately… I have an answer too." He narrowed his eyes. "I made a promise to become the best duelist I can be. And I will fulfill it!" He gestured to his field. "I activate my Skill! Second Charge! By banishing three Warrior monsters from my Graveyard, I can conduct a second Battle Phase!"

Fatumare's eyes widened. "I banish Arisen Gaia, Charging Gaia, and Lord Gaia from my Graveyard!" All three cards appeared in front of Galahad and crumbled into darkness. "That means the Vanguard of Earth can attack one more time!"

 _And I have nothing to stop it_ , Fatumare thought. He smiled to himself. _In that case…_

"Go on, Galahad!" he shouted. "Show the Mariner the strength of the Knight!"

"Right!" Galahad shouted back. "Go, Vanguard of Earth! Ultimate Spiral Force!" Vanguard of Earth charged, its shield once again transformed into a lance. Wind encased the monster as it charged and pierced Abyssalacia with its lance, destroying it. As the backlash from the attack engulfed him, Fatumare smiled.

 **Fatumare: 400→0 LP**

"The duel is over!" The MC shouted over the cheering crowd. "The winner is Galahad, the Knight of LINK VRAINS!"

"Yahoo!" Ai cheered, then looked at Yasutake and Yusaku. "Why aren't you two cheering? That was an amazing duel, wasn't it?"

"It was," Yasutake agreed. "Galahad has proven himself to be a talented duelist, even when facing a handicap. And now he'll move up in the rankings."

"You don't seem happy about that," Ai said.

Yasutake blinked at the AI. "What are you talking about? I am happy about it."

Ai sighed. "You're just like Yusaku…"

"What are you talking about?" Yusaku asked Ai.

Cam and Kusanagi laughed. "It's pointless to tell these two," Cam said.

"Agreed," Kusanagi said, smiling.

Galahad landed next to Fatumare, who was laying down on a nearby skyscraper.

"You okay?" he asked the Mermail duelist, who nodded.

"Yeah. Just relaxing a bit," he said. He stood up, then took Galahad's hand and raised it high. "Everyone! This is your victor today! I, Fatumare, the Mariner of LINK VRAINS, have lost to him! Per the rules of the Challenge Duel, I abdicate my position as the 4th best duelist in LINK VRAINS to this Knight!"

The crowd cheered as Fatumare released Galahad's arm. "Good job, Galahad," he said, smiling at him. "You said you have a dream to fulfill, right?"

Galahad nodded. "Yeah, I do. And so do you, right?"

Fatumare's smile turned into a smirk. "Every person has a dream." After saying that, he logged out.

Galahad sighed as he looked over LINK VRAINS. _I will become #1,_ he thought. _I will prove to myself that I am worthy of you, Katsumi. And I will surpass you, Persephone._ He then logged out.

The woman in black who watched the duel smiled to herself. "Well done, Galahad," she said. "I suppose that means you and I are next, isn't it? I can't wait to see how much you've grown." She logged out.

* * *

Cam and Yasutake both stood up. "Well this was interesting," Cam said, stretching. "We should do it again some time."

"Except next time, let's do it at Café Junpei," Kusanagi said, smiling at the two. "Yasutake promised some free pastries."

Cam smiled back. "Fair enough." He turned to leave, but Yasutake didn't.

"There's one thing I forgot to mention earlier, Fujiki," he said, drawing everyone's attention. "When I dueled Terminus, he said something that I think you'll want to know."

Yusaku frowned. "What?"

"He said he was one of the researchers of the Hanoi Project."

Yusaku and Kusanagi froze on hearing that. "You're certain he said that?" Yusaku said, his eyes narrowed and his voice low.

Yasutake nodded. "Yes. And when I asked him the reason for the Project, he said it was to save the world."

"…Save the world?" Kusanagi muttered, balling his fists. "How… how does what he did to my brother save the world?"

"We don't know," Cam said, his face grave. "He didn't elaborate. But… we know who he is in real life."

"You do?" Yusaku said in surprise.

"But when we went to confront him, he was gone," Yasutake said, disappointing Kusanagi and Yusaku. "Worse, he left a note. He knows who I am."

Yusaku's eyes widened then narrowed. "Do you believe he'll tell anyone?"

Yasutake shrugged. "I don't know. But he said we'll meet again when 'the Tower rises.'"

Kusanagi frowned. "What tower?"

"No clue," Cam said. "And we can't track him. We'll just have to wait for him or Revolver to reveal themselves."

"Revolver will show up," Yusaku said with certainty. "He isn't the type to sit on his hands."

"And when he shows up, Terminus will too," Yasutake said. "Then we'll both get the answers we need."

* * *

"So that is one of the people opposing us," Revolver said. He, Spectre, and Terminus were standing in their stronghold, looking at a screen. It had been showing the duel between Fatumare and Galahad. "I must admit, he will be a difficult opponent."

"Agreed," Terminus said, scowling.

"You seem uncharacteristically upset, Terminus," Spectre noted. "Does Galahad upset you?"

"It's not him. It's… the person we'll be meeting."

Spectre frowned. "Aren't you the one who suggested him?"

"Yes, but only because we need numbers. In any other situation, I would send this person straight to jail." Terminus turned to Revolver, who was still staring at the screen. "Is something wrong, Revolver?"

"No," Revolver said, frowning. "That card Galahad used against Fatumare… Mirror Force, right?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"I was just thinking… Link Monsters can only exist in Attack Position, so Mirror Force would be a good counter for them, wouldn't it?"

Thinking about it, Terminus nodded. "Unless they had anti-destruction effects, yes. That's why Galahad's Mirror Force failed against Morningstar's Cyspirit Winning Wrestler." Terminus frowned at Revolver. "Back to the subject at hand… I know my feelings and Spectre's on the individual I suggested, but I don't know yours."

"I want to meet him first before forming an opinion," Revolver said, closing the screen. "But first… do you trust this person, Terminus?"

Terminus shook his head. "No. But he's the only one I know outside of the Knights of Hanoi who would fight to defend the Tower."

"Talking about me?"

Startled, the three turned around. A tall man had appeared behind them. He was covered head to foot in white robes, with purple lines running across his arms and legs. Golden boots and gloves stuck out, as did the mask he wore. It was primarily white, but also had gold designs over it.

"Forgive me," he said. His voice was harsh and low, barely above a whisper. "When I received Terminus's message, I couldn't wait. I've spent the last ten hours looking for this place."

Revolver narrowed his eyes. "I take it you are Thaumiel?"

The man bowed. "Indeed I am. Though, that name is rather new. I used to have another."

"And what name was that?"

"It doesn't matter anymore," Thaumiel said. "Unless you care about the Breaking of Osaka."

Revolver's and Spectre's eyes widened. "That… that was you?" Spectre said, admiration in his voice. "Someone hacked into the public safety systems and shut them down. The entire city fell into chaos for over an hour. Hundreds ended up in the hospital and more than a few died."

"Why would you do that?" Revolver asked. "For what reason did you hack the public safety systems?"

Thaumiel seemed to consider it, then shrugged. "Why not?" he asked, surprising Revolver. "I saw a vulnerability in the system, I took advantage of it. I was curious to see what would happen. Though," he added, "it didn't go as well as it could have."

"What do you mean?" Terminus asked, his distaste for Thaumiel evident in his voice.

Thaumiel's voice seemed to get even lower as he said, "A little pest took issue with my fun. She insisted on restarting the systems. When I protested, she defeated me and forced the system back up." He clenched his fist. "I will never forget her… because of her, I have spent the last two years in jail. If I wasn't as smart as I am, I would still be there."

Revolver scowled. Whoever the girl was who had beaten Thaumiel, he congratulated her. This man was sick, even by Revolver's standards. Still…

"What offer did Terminus make you?" he asked.

Though they couldn't see his face, his voice suggested a grin. "To be part of the greatest cybercrime in history. How could I resist an invitation like that?"

Revolver turned to Terminus. His face was blank, but Revolver could tell from his clenched fist that although he disliked Thaumiel, he wanted Revolver to bring him on.

"Very well," Revolver said, turning back to Thaumiel. "We accept your help. Terminus will contact you when it's time."

Thaumiel bowed. "I will be certain to answer." He disappeared after saying that.

"He is a distasteful individual," Terminus said. "If we didn't need numbers, I wouldn't go near him."

Revolver turned to Terminus. "Is he really responsible for the Breaking of Osaka?"

Terminus nodded. "And half a dozen other confirmed cybercrimes. He's suspected to be responsible for over a dozen more. He's an extremist, an anarchist, who only seems to want to cause as much chaos as possible."

Spectre smiled. "Working with such a man sounds fun."

"Keep a close eye on him," Revolver said to Terminus. "The Tower will cause enough damage. I don't want someone like him running wild."

"Believe me, Revolver. Neither do I."

* * *

 **Galahad vs. Fatumare**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Fatumare**

Fatumare Normal Summons Mermail Abysspike (1600/800/4). Since Abysspike was Normal Summoned, he can discard 1 Water monster and add 1 Level 3 Water monster from his Deck to his hand. He discards Mermail Abysshilde and adds Mermail Abyssnerei from his Deck to his hand. Since Abysshilde was sent to the GY, its effect lets Fatumare Special Summon one "Mermail" monster from his hand. He Special Summons Merail Abysslung (1200/1800/4) in Defense Position. So long as Abysslung is on the field, all Water monsters Fatumare controls gain 300 ATK (Abysspike: 1600→1900) (Abysslung: 1200→1500). Fatumare activates the Spell Card Mermail Gift. Since he controls 2 "Mermail" monsters, he can perform a 2nd Normal Summon, and if that monster is a "Mermail" monster, he can draw 1 card. Fatumare Normal Summons Mermail Abyssnerei (1200→1500/2000/3). Since Abyssnerei is a "Mermail" monster, Fatumare draws 1 card. Fatumare uses Abyssnerei and Abysspike to Link Summon Mermail Abyssalacia (1600→1900/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Abyssnerei was sent from the field to the GY, Fatumare can draw 1 card then discard 1 card. He draws, then discards Mermail Abyssgunde. Since Abyssgunde was discarded to the GY, Fatumare can target and Special Summon one "Mermail" monster from his GY. He Special Summons Abysspike in Attack Position (1600→1900/800/4). Since Abyssalacia points to Abysslung, it gains 500 ATK/DEF (Abysslung: 1500→2000/1800→2300). Fatumare ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Galahad**

Galahad draws. Since Fatumare controls a monster and he does not, he Special Summons Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight (2300/2100/7) in Attack Position. Since Fatumare controls more monsters than he does, Galahad Normal Summons Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight (2300/2100/7) in Attack Position without Tributing. Fatumare activates the effect of Abyssalacia, discarding Mermail Abyssmegalo to add Mermail Abysslinde from his Deck to his hand. Galahad activates the Continuous Spell Card Charge of the Fierce Knight. The first time he performs a Fusion, Link, Synchro, or Xyz Summon using at least one "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster as Material, he draws 2 cards. Galahad overlays the Level 7 Arisen Gaia and Lord Gaia to Xyz Summon Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger (2600/2100/7) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Because he Xyz Summoned using Arisen Gaia and Lord Gaia, Galahad draws 2 cards due to Charge of the Fierce Knight's effect. He Sets 1 card.

Gaia Dragon attacks Abyssalacia, but while Abysslung is on the field, Galahad cannot target face-up Water monsters for attacks, except Abysslung. Gaia Dragon attacks Abysslung, and because Abysslung is in Defense Position, Gaia Dragon inflicts piercing battle damage. Abysslung is destroyed (Fatumare: 4000→3700 LP). Since Abysslung is no longer on the field, Abyssalacia's and Abysspike's ATK returns to normal (Abyssalacia: 1900→1600) (Abysspike: 1900→1600). Galahad activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Pursuit of the Fiend. Since an Xyz Monster he controls destroyed a Defense Position monster, he can detach all its Overlay Units to let it make a second attack. He detaches all the Overlay Units from Gaia Dragon (Gaia Dragon: 2 OU→0 OU). Galahad activates the effect of Charge of the Fierce Knight, sending it to the GY to change Abysspike to Defense Position. Gaia Dragon attacks and destroys Abysspike, inflicting piercing battle damage (Fatumare: 3700→1900 LP). Galahad ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Fatumare**

Fatumare draws. He activates the Spell Card Cards of the Abyss. He shuffles up to 3 Water monsters in his GY back into his Deck, then draws an equal number of cards. He shuffles Abyssgunde, Abyssnerei, and Abysspike back into his Deck, then draws 3 cards. Fatumare Normal Summons Mermail Abysslinde (1500/1200/3). He activates the effect of the Abyssnerei in his hand, discarding it and targeting Abysslacia. Abysslinde is destroyed, and Abyssalacia gains ATK equal to Abysslinde's ATK until the end of the turn (Abyssalacia: 1600→3100). Since Abysslinde was destroyed and sent to the GY, Fatumare can Special Summon 1 "Mermail" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons Mermail Abyssdine (1000/200/3) in Attack Position. Because Abyssdine was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Mermail" monster, Fatumare can target 1 Level 3 or lower "Mermail" monster in his GY and Special Summon it. He Special Summons Abyssnerei (1200/2000/3) in Attack Position. Fatumare activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn to Special Summon Abysslinde (1500/1200/3) from his GY in Attack Position. Since Abyssalacia points to Abysslinde, Abysslinde gains 500 ATK/DEF (Abysslinde: 1500→2000/1200→1700). Fatumare overlays the Level 3 Abyssdine, Abysslinde, and Abyssnerei to Xyz Summon Mermail Abysstrite (1600→2100/2800→3300/3) to Abyssalacia's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Fatumare activates the Spell Card Xyz Treasure Ticket, targeting Abysstrite and drawing cards equal to its Rank. He draws 3 cards. Fatumare activates the Equip Spell Card Abyss-scale of the Mizuchi, equipping it to Abysstrite. Abysstrite gains 800 ATK (Abysstrite: 2100→2900). Fatumare Sets 1 card.

Abyssalacia attacks Gaia Dragon. Gaia Dragon is destroyed (Galahad: 4000→3500 LP). Galahad activates his face-down Trap Card Extra Switch. Since a monster he controls that was in the Extra Monster Zone was destroyed, he can Special Summon 1 monster from the Extra Deck in Attack Position, so long as its ATK is equal to the destroyed monster's. Galahad Special Summons Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion (2600/2100/7) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Because Sky Galloping Gaia was Special Summoned, Galahad can add 1 "Spiral Spear Strike" from his Deck to his hand. He adds Strike of the Fierce Knight, which is always treated as "Spiral Spear Strike." Abysstrite attacks Sky Galloping Gaia. Due to the effect of Extra Switch, Sky Galloping Gaia cannot be destroyed by battle this turn (Galahad: 3500→3200 LP). Fatumare ends his turn, and the ATK of Abyssalacia returns to normal (Abyssalacia: 3100→1600). Due to the effect of Extra Switch, Galahad takes 800 damage during the End Phase (Galahad: 3200→2400 LP).

 **Turn 4: Galahad**

Galahad draws. He activates the Spell Card Strike of the Fierce Knight, targeting Sky Galloping Gaia. Now if Sky Galloping Gaia attacks a Defense Position monster, Sky Galloping Gaia inflicts piercing battle damage. Since Galahad activated the effect of a Spell Card, the effect of Abyss-Scale of the Mizuchi activates. The effect of Strike of the Fierce Knight is negated and Mizuchi is sent to the GY (Abysstrite: 2900→2100). Galahad activates the effect of Strike of the Fierce Knight in his GY, banishing Gaia Dragon from his GY to add Strike of the Fierce Knight to his hand. He activates Strike of the Fierce Knight, targeting Sky Galloping Gaia. Galahad Normal Summons Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight, whose ATK becomes 1900 because it was Normal Summoned without Tributing (Charging Gaia: 2300→1900/2100/7). Galahad Sets 1 card.

Sky Galloping Gaia attacks Abyssalacia, but Fatumare activates the effect of Abysstrite, detaching 1 Overlay Unit to change the attack target to Abysstrite (Abysstrite: 3 OU→2 OU). Sky Galloping Gaia attacks and destroys Abysstrite (Fatumare: 1900→1400 LP). Since the monster targeted by Strike of the Fierce Knight inflicted battle damage, Galahad can draw 2 cards, but then discard 1. He draws, then discards Spiral Spear Strike. Since Abysstrite was destroyed and sent to the GY, its effect activates, letting Fatumare target 1 "Mermail" monster in his GY and Special Summon it. He Special Summons Mermail Abyssmegalo (2400→2900/1900→2400/7) in Attack Position to Aybssalacia's bottom-left Link Marker. Charging Gaia attacks Abyssalacia, but Fatumare activates his Skill, Mermail Redirection. Once per duel, by banishing a "Mermail" Xyz Monster from his GY, he can change the attack target of an opponent's monster, and neither monster will be destroyed. He banishes Abysstrite from his GY and switches Charging Gaia's attack to Abyssmegalo. Due to Mermail Redirection, Charging Gaia is not destroyed (Galahad: 2400→1400 LP). Galahad ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Fatumare**

Fatumare draws. He activates the Equip Spell Card Abyss-scale of Cetus, equipping it to Abyssalacia and increasing its ATK by 800 (Abyssalacia: 1600→2400). Fatumare activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Abyss-sphere, which lets him Special Summon 1 "Mermail" monster from his Deck with its effects negated. He Special Summons Mermail Abyssteus (1700/2400/7) in Attack Position. Fatumare overlays the Level 7 Abyssmegalo and Abyssteus to Xyz Summon Mermail Abyssgaios (2800→3300/1600→2100/7) to Abyssalacia's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. So long as Abyssgaios has Overlay Units attached, Level 5 or higher monsters cannot attack. Fatumare Sets 1 card.

Abyssgaios attacks Sky Galloping Gaia, but Galahad activates his face-down Trap Card Mirror Force, destroying all Attack Position monsters Fatumare controls. Since Galahad activated a Trap Card, the effect of Cetus negates that effect and sends itself to the GY (Abyssalacia: 2400→1600). The attack continues and Sky Galloping Gaia is destroyed (Galahad: 1400→700 LP). Galahad activates the effect of the Extra Switch in his GY. Since a monster he controls that was in the Extra Monster Zone was destroyed, he can banish Extra Switch from the GY to Special Summon 1 monster with the same ATK as Sky Galloping Gaia from his Extra Deck in Attack Position. Galahad Special Summons Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth (2600/800/6) to the Extra Monster Zone. Fatumare activates his face-down Trap Card Abyss-supremacy, which can be activated the turn it is Set if he controls a "Mermail" monster. It increases the ATK of 1 "Mermail" monster Fatumare controls by 1000 until Galahad's next End Phase. He targets Abyssalacia (Abyssalacia: 1600→2600). Abyssalacia attacks Charging Gaia. Charging Gaia is destroyed, but Galahad activates the effect of the Kuriboh in his hand, discarding it to reduce the battle damage to 0. Fatumare ends his turn.

 **Turn 6: Galahad**

Galahad draws. He Normal Summons Squire of Gaia (800/1200/2). He tunes the Level 2 Squire of Gaia to the Level 6 Gaia Knight to Synchro Summon Gaia Knight, the Vanguard of Earth (3200/1800/8) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Since Squire of Gaia was used to Synchro Summon Vanguard of Earth, Vanguard of Earth gains 600 ATK until Galahad's next Standby Phase (Vanguard of Earth: 3200→3800). Because it was Synchro Summoned using Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth, Vanguard of Earth cannot be targeted by, and is unaffected by, Fatumare's card effects until Galahad's next Standby Phase.

At the start of his Battle Phase, Galahad activates the effect of Vanguard of Earth, discarding Beginning Knight. Now, if Vanguard of Earth battles an opponent's monster, any battle damage it inflicts is doubled. Vanguard of Earth attacks Abyssalacia. Fatumare activates the effect of Abyss-supremacy in his GY, banishing it to change the attack target to Abyssgaios. Abyssgaios is destroyed and the battle damage is doubled (Fatumare: 1400→400 LP).

Galahad activates his Skill, Second Charge. At the end of the Battle Phase, he can banish 3 Warrior monsters from his GY to conduct a second Battle Phase. He banishes Arisen Gaia, Charging Gaia, and Lord Gaia from his GY. Vanguard of Earth attacks and destroys Abyssalacia (Fatumare: 400→0 LP). Galahad wins.

* * *

 _ **Squire of Gaia  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Warrior/Tuner] ATK 800 DEF 1200 Level: 2  
_ _If this card is as Synchro Material for the Synchro Summon of a Warrior Synchro Monster, that monster gains 600 ATK until your next Standby Phase. The turn this card is used to Synchro Summon, you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck, except Warrior monsters._

 _ **Gaia Knight, the Vanguard of Earth  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Warrior/Synchro/Effect] ATK 3200 DEF 1800 Level: 8  
_ _1 Warrior Tuner + 1 or more Warrior non-Tuner monsters  
_ _If this card is Synchro Summoned using "Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth" as Synchro Material, it cannot be targeted by, and is unaffected by, your opponent's card effects until your next Standby Phase. At the start of your Battle Phase, you can discard 1 card from your hand to activate one of the following effects:  
_ _-If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.  
_ _-If this card battles an opponent's monster, any battle damage this card inflicts to your opponent is doubled.  
_ _-If this card destroys a monster by battle: gain LP equal to either the ATK or DEF (whichever is lower) of the destroyed monster._

 _ **Mermail Gift Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Activate only if you control 2 or more "Mermail" monsters. You can conduct 2 Normal Summons/Sets this turn. If you Normal Summon a "Mermail" monster with this effect: draw 1 card. You can only activate "Mermail Gift" once per turn._

 _ **Cards of the Abyss Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Target up to 3 Water monsters in your GY; shuffle them into your Deck, then draw cards equal to the totaled number of shuffled Water monsters. You can only activate "Cards of the Abyss" once per turn._

 _ **Extra Switch Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If a monster in the Extra Monster Zone you control is destroyed and sent to the GY: Special Summon 1 monster with ATK equal to the destroyed monster from the Extra Deck in Attack Position. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot be destroyed by battle this turn. During the End Phase, take 800 damage. If a monster in the Extra Monster Zone you control is destroyed and sent to the GY, you can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 monster with ATK equal to the destroyed monster from the Extra Deck in Attack Position. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot be destroyed by battle this turn. You can only activate 1 effect of "Extra Switch" per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Strike of the Fierce Knight Normal Spell Card  
**_ _(This card's name is always treated as "Spiral Spear Strike".)  
_ _Target 1 monster you control with 2300 ATK or 2600 ATK; during the Battle Phase, if that monster attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent. If the targeted monster inflicts battle damage: Draw 2 cards, then discard 1. If this card is in your GY, you can banish 1 monster in your GY; add this card to your hand. You can only activate this effect of "Strike of the Fierce Knight" once per turn._

 _ **Abyss-supremacy Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Mermail" monster you control; increase its ATK by 1000 until your opponent's next End Phase. If you control a "Mermail" monster, you can activate this card the turn it was Set. When an opponent's monster attacks a "Mermail" monster while you control two or more monsters, you can banish this card from your GY; change the attack target to an appropriate "Mermail" monster you control. You can only activate 1 effect of "Abyss-supremacy" per turn, and only once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

Note: I've decided to include previews for the next several chapters, partly because I'm confident in the order, but also because I want to try something new.

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 18 – Door to the Abyss. As Masako goes through her father's files, Morningstar is drawn into LINK VRAINS by an unknown feeling. In his search, he is confronted by an unexpected foe…_

 _Chapter 19 – The Tower of Hanoi. Hanoi has deployed its ultimate weapon to destroy LINK VRAINS. Morningstar, Playmaker, and their allies all join forces to bring a stop to Hanoi's plan. Before Lilith, an old enemy appears and unveils his new power…_

 _Chapter 20 – An Old Score. Lilith does her best against her opponent, but he overwhelms her with raw power. Unleashing her own new power, Lilith fights back. Will fate swing her way?_

 _Chapter 21 – Nature's Revenge. An old enemy, looking for revenge, confronts Morningstar. He does everything he can to overcome them, but they still stand. And when the truth is revealed, Morningstar must make a choice…_

 _Chapter 22 – Angel's Wrath. Morningstar is pushed into a corner as his allies are threatened. Pushed past his breaking point, Morningstar releases his anger and calls on a terrifying new monster…_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to HunterHQ, ClearwingYuta, Ryujomaru15, ThePLOThand, D3lph0xL0v3r, Frost190, and Linda Fullmoon for reviewing Chapter 16. Also thank you to Sanokal and Hawkatana for reviewing Chapter 1.

To answer ThePLOThand, yes, I suppose Morningstar can do that with Neo Nova, Rapid Revolutionary, and Winning Wrestler. But I have yet to write a duel where that happens, and I can't say when it will.

Linda Fullmoon: How many cards are in Morningstar's Deck? As many as he needs.

Credit to Ezilo for the creation of Squire of Gaia and Gaia Knight, the Vanguard of Earth. The Vanguard of Earth's effects worked perfectly when I wrote this duel, so thank you.

An even larger thank you to ThePLOThand, who is the creator of Fatumare, aka Ibuki Ichiyanagi, and Thaumiel. I hope I did their characters justice. As for Katsumi Kurosaki, she was submitted by Ethan Kironus, so credit to him for her, while her VRAINS avatar name, Persephone, was suggested by HunterHQ. That said, Den University, and the two being students of said college, is all my idea.

Like I said last time, this chapter is a sort of breather chapter before the Tower of Hanoi arc, so I decided to introduce three OCs here. I'm undecided if Fatumare will be a recurring player, but Thaumiel certainly will be, and because of her connection to Takeshi, so will Katsumi, or Persephone as she's known in LINK VRAINS. Unfortunately, she won't get to duel until season 2. Sorry.

As for the idea of the Challenge Duel, I came up with that after I wrote the duel. I noticed that Galahad never Link Summoned, so I decided to provide an in-universe reason why he did not. And now, he is #4 among the Charisma Duelists. Sadly, this will not impact his memorability.

Like I said above, I'm rather confident about the next few chapters coming out, so I have provided previews and teasers for the next five chapters. Which of them is your favorite?

Thank you for reading Chapter 17 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me what you think of the idea of the Challenge Duel, of Fatumare, Katsumi, Thaumiel, the previews, and/or your favorite moments of the chapter.


	18. Chapter 18: Door to the Abyss

**Update**

I've decided that I'm going to be placing the information on the cards I've made on my profile page. If the information there contradicts the information in the chapter it debuts in, the profile page is right. It will take me a while to set up, so please be patient.

Also, I've decided to make some changes to Idealistic Idol's and Necrocoding's effects because of this chapter. The changes will be on the profile page, not in the chapter they debuted in. The reason for this? The chapter Idealistic Idol debuted in ran out of life in Doc Manager, and editing my profile is much easier.

* * *

 **Chapter 18: The Door to the Abyss**

Terminus looked out over LINK VRAINS. Specifically, he looked at the AI duelists that were appearing everywhere. Kitamura must have dispatched them after the duel between Fatumare and Galahad. He was certain they were meant to reassert SOL's control over LINK VRAINS. As pointless as that was.

He turned and smirked behind him as a figure walked up. "It's time to show what you can do, HAI-B," he said. An AI duelist, similar in design to the ones below Terminus but colored white, silver, and gold, stood next to him.

Terminus looked down at a squad of eight AI duelists. "They are your target. Defeat them."

"Acknowledged," HAI-B responded. It leapt down from the building and challenged the AI Duelist Squad to a duel.

After 10 minutes, the entire squad was defeated. Terminus smirked and looked at another squad of AI duelists nearby. He was about to order HAI-B to duel them when suddenly they were all struck with gold lightning.

Terminus's eyes widened then narrowed. "What was that?" He leapt from building to building until he reached the source of the lightning. It was Thaumiel.

The masked duelist turned and looked at Terminus. "Hello, Terminus," he said, his voice low and raspy. "Pleasant day, isn't it?"

"Why are you here?" Terminus asked, scowling at Thaumiel. "I thought you agreed to wait until we called you."

Thaumiel shrugged. "I got bored. I thought I would challenge SOL's AI duelists. But these things are pathetic." He turned and looked at HAI-B as it walked up to Terminus. "That, on the other hand, looks like it might be a challenge. Would you mind if I took a swing at it?"

Terminus shook his head. "We need it to fight Morningstar and Playmaker. Revolver already destroyed it once; I can't have you destroying it too."

Thaumiel sighed in disappointment. "Pity. Well, you should send it away then. I don't think you'll want it to be caught in this." Thaumiel started pushing some buttons on his Duel Disk.

Warily, Terminus sent HAI-B back to Hanoi's stronghold. "What are you doing?"

"Testing a little something I built," Thaumiel said. His Duel Disk released what appeared to be fireflies. "Go, little ones. Find your targets."

The fireflies dispersed. Terminus watched as they spread across LINK VRAINS. He saw one approach an AI duelist. The second it touched it, the AI duelist started malfunctioning and eventually broke apart.

Terminus's eyes widened. "What is this?"

Thaumiel chuckled. "An anti-AI program. Just one of those things can tear an AI duelist apart at its base level."

Terminus turned to Thaumiel. "Can it work on Playmaker's AI?"

Thaumiel shook his head. "Revolver gave me a rundown on that thing. Its programming is far too adaptive and complicated for my program to work. AI duelists like those things are much easier to destroy." He laughed again. "Ah. I can imagine the look on Kitamura's face right now. Ruining the day of people like that… it's good I can still take pleasure in the simple things."

Terminus frowned. "The Tower will rise soon. Until then, stay out of sight. You are an unknown quantity to Playmaker's allies. We would keep it that way."

Thaumiel sighed. "Oh, you are such a killjoy. Fine. I'll wait. But when the Tower does its job, I want a front row seat."

* * *

Yasutake opened the door to Café Junpei. He noticed Cam behind the counter motioning to him and headed over.

"Hey," Cam said, smiling. "How was school?"

"Same as usual," Yasutake answered. Frowning, he said, "Masako Himura was absent today. She's been absent for quite some time now."

Cam raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with her?"

"I don't know," Yasutake said. "She has sent emails handing in her homework and sent me a few messages, but nothing explaining why she's gone."

Cam frowned. "I hope she's okay. She seems like a good kid."

Yasutake just frowned. Masako hadn't missed a day of class since she transferred to Den Academy, but she'd missed almost an entire week of classes. Something had to be wrong, but Yasutake wasn't sure if he had the right to ask her.

"Putting Masako aside, was there something you wanted?" Yasutake asked Cam.

"Oh right! Come into the back. I have something to show you."

Once they were in the back, Cam fired up the monitors. He quickly opened a file and showed the contents to Yasutake, who raised an eyebrow.

"LVSS Support System?" Yasutake asked.

"Kusanagi designed it and sent me a copy," Cam explained. "It's designed to detect any abnormality in LINK VRAINS. Not only that, it also works as a tracker and lets me follow you in real time."

"Interesting," Yasutake said, impressed. While Cam was usually always in contact with him on missions, he had to release a drone in order for Cam to see and locate him. This LVSS system might come in handy.

"What about the anti-purge program? Is that complete?"

"Almost. Kusanagi finished his half. I just need to make a few more tweaks. And of course, we need to test it."

"Without a Knight of Hanoi, that's going to be-."

Yasutake stopped talking as he experienced a strange feeling. What… what was that? It almost felt like a heartbeat. This strange pressure…

"Yasu?" Cam said, concerned. "Is something wrong?"

Yasutake stood up from his chair. "I'm heading into LINK VRAINS," he said. "Something's about to happen."

"A-Alright. Be careful."

* * *

Terminus frowned at the screen in front of him. This… this couldn't be right. If it was, then it changed everything, didn't it?

"Terminus."

He turned around as Revolver materialized behind him. "It's almost time," he said. "What are you doing?"

"Going over something I found when I dueled Morningstar," Terminus answered. "Do you remember our conversation about summoning energy?"

"Yes. And you said that three of Morningstar's monsters gave off more energy than they should."

"I got the chance to take a closer look at one of those monsters when I dueled him," Terminus said. "Neo Nova. When it was summoned, I scanned its energy. And I found this." He showed Revolver the screen. "Do you recognize this code?"

Revolver looked at it and his eyes widened. "That's-."

"Yes," Terminus interrupted. "I don't know how or why Neo Nova has this code, but I imagine Idealistic Idol and Winning Wrestler do, too."

Revolver was silent, but then he turned from the screen to Terminus. "You are certain this code is real?"

"As certain as I can be." Terminus turned back to the screen. "But… it's incomplete. Missing several pieces. If I had to guess, someone divided this code into chunks and divided it among certain Cyspirit Link Monsters."

Revolver frowned. "How many?"

"Five, at the very minimum. Based on readings of the other monsters he's used, I don't think the code is spread out among all the Cyspirit Link Monsters. But if he were to use all the monsters that have this code in a duel…"

"…That would be bad," Revolver concluded. "Or… perhaps it would be good. It could help us in the long run."

" _If_ we can get the cards away from Morningstar or defeat him in a duel. And that's unlikely to happen."

"Even so…" Revolver smirked. "I am aware you have unfinished business with Morningstar, Terminus. But a duelist like him… I want to face him myself."

Terminus smiled. He wasn't surprised. Revolver was someone who liked pushing himself to his limits and seeing how far he could push others. "If you do, be careful. By my calculations, his skills are equal to if not greater than Playmaker's."

* * *

Masako frowned at her father's laptop. If she was honest, she disliked it. While it was providing a great deal of answers, it was shattering the image she had built of her father. She didn't appreciate that any more than she appreciated being cooped up in her apartment.

Masako glanced up at Tagoma, who was drinking his coffee. "How much longer do I have to stay home?" she asked. "I'm missing school. More than that, I'm missing out on making friends."

"You're not leaving until I'm certain there are no side effects," Tagoma said, not bothering to look up. "Besides, you can't be bored. You have your father's computer to keep you busy, don't you?"

Masako scowled at him. "More like torment me." She returned her gaze to the laptop. "The Hanoi Project… were you a part of it?"

Tagoma frowned at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well… eight children were kidnapped, and my father and his co-workers were scientists. They probably couldn't have done it on their own."

"Meaning they hired people to do it," Tagoma said, understanding her logic. "To answer your question, no. I met Hitomu about a year and a half before he died. That was after the Project ended." Tagoma's gaze turned introspective. "I've heard of the Lost Incident before. About eight children going missing. But I had no idea Hitomu and his boss were behind it."

Masako sighed. "I wish he hadn't been. Crimes of this nature and degree are enough for a life sentence. And the idea that my father tortured children…"

"Then don't focus on that part," Tagoma advised. "Focus on the other part. The files said something about his work after the Incident ended, didn't they?"

Masako frowned again. "Yeah they did." Evidently, her father and his co-workers had been briefly detained when the Project ended. Everyone except Dr. Kogami had been released, but when he was freed, her father stole something from SOL. The video didn't say what, but it was apparently very valuable.

"My father said he used what he stole from SOL to start his own research project, codenamed Project Trinity," she said. "And from there, he developed three sub-projects: Project Angel, Project Demon, and Project Spirit."

"And the nature of those projects?"

"Making cards," Masako said. That part had surprised her. Especially the cards being made.

She opened a video her father had left on Project Trinity and played it for Tagoma.

"Using what I have stolen from SOL, I have created three incredibly powerful archetypes," Hitomu said. "I intend for these archetypes to be the pinnacle of dueling. The duelists who use them will be champions of the dueling world.

"Unfortunately, I am running short on time. I have only managed to create most of the physical cards for one of the archetypes. This one is the largest, and while it lacks the raw power the other two possess, it has far more versatility. That is the main strength of the Cyspirit monsters."

Tagoma's eyes widened. "Cyspirit? But that's-."

"Morningstar's Deck," Masako finished. "I know. I was surprised too. I have no idea how he obtained them, but there's more."

"I have not yet given the other two archetypes physical form. As of this recording, they exist solely in digital form. To ensure security, I have placed the two archetypes on separate hard drives, which I have hidden in my house."

Masako frowned. "You said you only found one hard drive, right?"

"I did," Tagoma said, also frowning. "Whoever killed him must have taken the other." His frown turned into a scowl. "The Cyspirit monsters are Cyberse type, the rarest type in the world. It stands to reason the other two archetypes he created are also Cyberse type."

"Have you accessed that hard drive to check?"

"I've been trying, but it's difficult. The encryption on it is far stronger than that laptop's. But after hearing that recording, I'm not sure I should decrypt it."

"What do you mean?"

"Hanoi is trying to destroy the Cyberse," Tagoma said. "That's why only people like Morningstar and Playmaker have access to those cards. If there really are Cyberse cards on this drive, it could make us a target of Hanoi. We already have SOL to worry about because of your father. I'd rather not have another enemy."

Masako gave him a bad look. "After what Terminus did to me, isn't Hanoi already our enemy? And you said I need better weapons to fight against Hanoi. What better weapon than the Cyberse itself?"

Tagoma frowned then sighed. "This conversation is pointless if I can't access the hard drive at all. Does that thing say anything about the two archetypes he didn't make into physical cards?"

"He did mention their names in another video," Masako said. "He said they're called Cyangels and Cydemons. Those two, along with the Cyspirits, are meant to represent Earth, Heaven, and Hell."

"Huh," Tagoma said, frowning. "The Cyangels being Heaven, Cydemons being Hell, which would leave the Cyspirits representing Earth. It would explain why almost all of Morningstar's monsters are based off humans. But why would your father make monsters like these?"

"I think… I think he felt guilty."

Tagoma raised an eyebrow. "Guilty? About the Lost Incident?"

Masako nodded. "I've read in some psychology books that when people commit heinous acts, they sometimes turn to a higher power for comfort. I do remember my father started carrying a cross on him the last few months before he died. Maybe he saw making these archetypes as some form of atonement."

Tagoma frowned, thinking about Masako's words. "Maybe." Then he realized something. "Wait. That video you showed; it said he only created _most_ of the physical Cyspirit cards. Doesn't that mean there a few he didn't make?"

Masako smiled. "As a matter of fact, yes. I found a file here with the data of two Cyspirit Link Monsters."

"Really?" Tagoma said, standing up. "Can I see them?"

Masako brought them up and showed the screen to Tagoma, who frowned at it. "Well, we can't use those. But… those two are powerful. Maybe if we can get in touch with Morningstar, we can sell these to him."

"Maybe," Masako said half-heartedly. Tagoma's idea made sense from a monetary perspective, but a part of her wanted to just give Morningstar these two cards. She owed him for saving her, after all. More than that, he probably needed the cards.

 _Hanoi is only getting stronger,_ Masako thought. _And Morningstar is on the front lines. If he is going to win, then he'll need cards as powerful as these._

* * *

Morningstar landed on the ground in front of an underground entrance.

"The LINK VRAINS sewer?" Cam asked over the com. "Really? You do remember the last time you went down there, right?"

"I've been trying to forget it, actually," Morningstar responded. "But I'm tired of waiting for Revolver or Terminus to show themselves. The underground is the least explored section of LINK VRAINS. If Hanoi is planning something, they'll be down here." _Plus_ , he thought. _That strange feeling I had before. Something is telling me I'll find the answer underground._

Cam sighed. "Just be careful. I'd rather you not run into another data monster again."

Morningstar scowled at that memory. "I'd like that too." He leaped down the hole into the underground and landed next to a waterway.

"This sewer system runs throughout LINK VRAINS," he said. "If Hanoi is down here, there should be some evidence at the reprocessing plant at the center."

"Stay alert," Cam said. "The reprocessing plant's security aside, you might run into Terminus again. Are you sure you can beat him?"

"Yes," Morningstar answered. "I've added some cards to my Deck that will tear his Deck apart." After his duel with Terminus and his Subterror monsters, Morningstar had made a few changes to his Deck's structure and added some Cyspirit Link Monsters he hadn't used in a while.

"While you're walking, maybe you could answer a question I've had for a while."

"What's that?"

"You only have 24 Cyspirit Link Monsters, right? Not 26?"

Morningstar frowned. "Yeah," he said. "Considering the names, there should be 26 of them, but yes, I only have 24."

"Huh," Cam said. "Wonder where the last two are."

"That-." Morningstar gasped and stumbled. What was that? That was the same feeling he'd had in the real world. Only much stronger. What was this pressure?

"Yasu?"

"I'm definitely on the right track," Morningstar said, shaking his head. "There's something down here. And I'm going to find it." He started running to get there faster.

Cam frowned. He didn't understand how Yasutake could sense things in the network, but it was a useful skill to have. And if it led him to Hanoi, that would be so much better.

Morningstar ran down the sewer, occasionally sliding down steep ledges or using his Data Anchor to get across a gap. He knew he was heading towards the reprocessing plant, but he didn't know what was drawing him there or what he would find on the way.

Eventually, he came to a large underground cavern. Data spilled out of openings in the side into the bottom, while a single bridge led across the gap. All he had to do was cross it, and he would reach the reprocessing plant.

But… Morningstar's eyes narrowed as he picked up a sound. Someone was at the other end.

That person stepped out of the shadows and smirked when he saw Morningstar.

"Morningstar," Revolver said. "I can't say I was expecting to see you here. Why are you traipsing through the sewers? This doesn't seem to be your kind of place."

"I wasn't expecting to find you here, either, Revolver," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes. "Though I'm not surprised; the sewers are an excellent place to hide if you don't want to be found."

"Oh? Hide? You think I'm hiding?"

"That, or there's something down here you don't others to know about." Morningstar took a few more steps forward. "What are you doing at the reprocessing plant?"

Revolver's smirk widened. "That's none of your business. But if you want to know, there's only one way to find out."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes further. "A duel?"

"Yes," Revolver answered. "I just got some new cards and was looking for someone to test them on. You'll do nicely."

Morningstar scowled. "I won't go down easily," he said, raising his Duel Disk.

"It wouldn't be fun if you did."

"Be careful, Yasu," Cam said. "This guy nearly beat Playmaker."

"I know, Cam," Morningstar whispered back. "I can't take this duel lightly."

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Revolver: 4000 LP**

"I shall go first!" Revolver declared. Looking at his cards, he chose one. "I summon Gateway Dragon!" A six-sided golden gate appeared, out of which a three-armed golden dragon appeared.

 **Gateway Dragon ATK 1600 DEF 1400 LVL: 4**

"Gateway Dragon's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower Dragon monster from my hand. Come, Sniffer Dragon!" The gate opened again, and a red and black humanoid dragon emerged in Attack Position.

 **Sniffer Dragon ATK 800 DEF 400 LVL: 2**

"Sniffer Dragon's monster effect! When it is Summoned, I can add a second Sniffer Dragon to my hand," Revolver said. After doing so, he said, "By discarding the Sniffer Dragon I just added, I can Special Summon Defrag Dragon in Attack Position!" A dark blue metal dragon with red and green holographic wings appeared on Revolver's field.

 **Defrag Dragon ATK 1000 DEF 600 LVL: 3**

"Three monsters," Morningstar muttered, narrowing his eyes. "This…"

"Appear! The future circuit that lights up my path!" Revolver declared, his hand sparking with blue electricity. The Link portal appeared in the air above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two Dragon monsters! I set Defrag Dragon, Gateway Dragon, and Sniffer Dragon in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the top-left, top, and top-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Flash Charge Dragon!" A large purple and white dragon appeared on Revolver's field, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone. It had two massive cannons attached to its sides, one on its head, and wheels on its feet.

 **Flash Charge Dragon ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↖↑↗

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "It only points to my field? Why would he summon a monster like that?"

Revolver took another card from his hand. "I Special Summon Linkbelt Wall Dragon from my hand in Defense Position!" Behind Revolver, a massive blue and yellow dragon with two silver arms appeared.

 **Linkbelt Wall Dragon ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 6**

"I can Special Summon this monster when a Dragon Link Monster is summoned to my field," Revolver explained. "When it is Special Summoned, it gets two Wall Counters." Two of its four red eyes lit up.

 **Linkbelt Wall Dragon: 0 WC→2 WC**

"Neither of us can summon a Link Monster whose Link Rating is higher than the number of Wall Counters," Revolver continued. "And only Link Monsters can attack!"

"And they can only attack Linkbelt Wall Dragon," Morningstar said. "I remember this monster from your duel with Playmaker. Because he didn't know this monster's effects, you stalled him." He narrowed his eyes. "It won't stall me."

Revolver smirked. "We'll see, won't we? I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" After Morningstar said that, Revolver pointed to Linkbelt Wall Dragon.

"Linkbelt Wall Dragon's monster effect! During each of our Standby Phases, it gains a Wall Counter!" Another of Linkbelt Wall Dragon's eyes lit up.

 **Linkbelt Wall Dragon: 2 WC→3 WC**

Morningstar looked from Linkbelt Wall Dragon to Flash Charge Dragon. Since it only pointed to his field, he was certain its effect activated if he summoned to its Link Markers. Well, better to spring the trap early.

"Since you control monsters and I do not, I Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" The skeleton warrior carrying two swords appeared, summoned to Flash Charge Dragon's top-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Because Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar continued. "I add Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke from my Deck to my hand."

Revolver smirked. "You fool. Flash Charge Dragon's effect activates! Once per turn, when a monster is Normal or Special Summoned to its Link Marker, that monster is destroyed, and you take 500 points of damage!" Morningstar's eyes widened. The gun barrel at the end of Flash Charge Dragon's tail rose up and fired a blast at Swordsman, destroying it. Morningstar winced from the damage.

 **Morningstar: 4000→3500 LP**

"So that's what its effect is," Morningstar said, scowling. "But that effect only activates once per turn. And it will benefit me too."

Louder, he said, "Since I took effect damage, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Saver from my hand!" The dwarf skeleton in white armor carrying a small shield appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Saver ATK 0 DEF 1300 LVL: 2**

"The turn Saver is summoned by its effect, all effect damage for the rest of the turn is negated," Morningstar said, making Revolver smirk.

"Since you control a Link Monster and I do not, I can Special Summon this monster. Appear, Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke!" The dwarf skeleton carrying a crank drill appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke ATK 200 DEF 500 LVL: 2**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar's hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Cyspirit Saver in the Link Marker!" His monster entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker, but that monster cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. I summon Cyspirit Teleporter in Attack Position!" The grey-armored skeleton appeared and waved its baton.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Once again, the Link portal appeared above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cacophonic Caller, Teleporter, and Tunnel Tyke in the Link Markers!" His three monsters became whirlwinds of energy, entering the bottom-left, top, and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!" The skeleton in a blue trench coat appeared and raised both its pistols as it flapped its wings in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

Revolver smirked. _That monster is strong enough to destroy Linkbelt Wall Dragon,_ he thought. _But knowing Morningstar, he isn't done._

"When there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon this monster," Morningstar continued. "Come, Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a blue prisoner's uniform appeared, summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"I activate the effect of the Teleporter in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. I summon Cyspirit Swordsman in Defense Position!" His monster returned to the field, summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

Revolver grit his teeth. Flash Charge Dragon also pointed to Swordsman, but it could only use its effect once per turn.

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Rapid Revolutionary, attack Linkbelt Wall Dragon!" Rapid Revolutionary's pistols merged to form a rifle. "Rapid Revolutionary's monster effects! Because it points to at least one monster, it gains 500 attack points because it is battling a non-Link Monster!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2700**

"And because Rapid Revolutionary points to at least two monsters and is attacking a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage! Go! Final Revolution Shot!" Rapid Revolutionary's rifle glowed as it fired a blast of energy. Linkbelt Wall Dragon exploded from the blast, pushing Revolver back.

 **Revolver: 4000→3400 LP**

"I Set one card," Morningstar said. "I end my turn."

Revolver smirked. "Not bad. In one turn, you did more than Playmaker did. But… I find myself wondering something."

"What's that?"

"Why do you fight?"

Morningstar started. "Why does that matter?"

"You're a bounty hunter," Revolver said. "More than that, you're a bounty hunter who was hired by SOL to retrieve Playmaker's AI. But instead of hunting him down, you team up with him to fight Hanoi. Instead of searching for him, you go looking for me. I've seen your Data Anchor in action. You could have challenged Playmaker any number of times, but you didn't. So why? Why do you fight? Why do you ignore the chance to complete your contract?"

Morningstar didn't respond immediately. He mulled Revolver's questions over in his head. If he was honest, they were questions he had been asking himself for quite some time.

"I really don't know why I haven't finished my contract," he said at last. "I imagine the higher-ups at SOL are becoming impatient with me. But… it doesn't feel like the right time to finish it. But you're wrong about something. I did hunt him down. We dueled. And I lost."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Playmaker and I will duel again. And I will win. But as for why I am challenging Hanoi? At first it was because SOL offered me a reward for it. But… then I learned about the Hanoi Project." Revolver narrowed his own eyes. "I did not know about the connection between Hanoi and the Lost Incident before. So perhaps I am challenging you because, like Playmaker, I want to learn the truth behind the Incident. Or maybe I'm challenging you because I want to protect people. Could it be as simple as that?"

"…It would be nice if things were as simple as that," Revolver said softly. "But it is not so. The world is complicated. And people do things for reasons even they don't fully understand."

Morningstar frowned. "You asked me why I fight. I suppose it's because I have something to protect. Someone to provide for. What about you? What do you fight for?"

Revolver thought about it seriously and said, "I fight to fulfill someone else's wishes."

"Who?"

"That doesn't matter to you. What does matter is that I will go to whatever lengths to complete my mission." Revolver put his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!"

He looked at his new card and smirked. "I summon Triggering Wurm!" A red mechanical dragon shaped like a comma appeared on Revolver's field.

 **Triggering Wurm ATK 600 DEF 600 LVL: 2**

"Manifest! The future circuit that lights up my path!" Revolver declared, his hand sparking with blue electricity. The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two Effect Monsters. I set the Link 3 Flash Charge Dragon and Triggering Wurm in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy and, with Flash Charge Dragon separating into three whirlwinds, entered the bottom-left, top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Topologic Bomber Dragon!" The massive metallic orange dragon with green lines running over its body appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Topologic Bomber Dragon ATK 3000 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Revolver's ace monster…" he muttered. "Its effect is very bad for me."

Revolver smirked again. "Triggering Wurm's effect activates!" he said. "Since I used it to Link Summon a Dark Link Monster, I can Special Summon Triggering Wurm from my Graveyard next to its Link Marker." Morningstar's eyes widened as Triggering Wurm reappeared in Attack Position, summoned to Topologic Bomber Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Triggering Wurm ATK 600 DEF 600 LVL: 2**

"Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect activates!" Revolver declared as massive green holographic wings appeared on Topologic Bomber Dragon. "When a monster is Special Summoned next to a Link Monster's Link Marker, all monsters in our Main Monster Zones are destroyed! Full Overlap!"

Morningstar braced himself as green energy released from Topologic Bomber Dragon's wings blasted his and Revolver's fields. When the smoke cleared, Cyspirit Prisoner, Cyspirit Swordsman, and Triggering Wurm were gone.

"When a Link Monster's effect destroys Triggering Wurm, I draw one card from my Deck," Revolver said, drawing his card. On seeing what it was, he smirked. _Yes_ , he thought. _Morningstar will be a perfect test subject for this._

"Battle!" Revolver declared. "Topologic Bomber Dragon, attack Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary! Ultimate Malicious Code!" Topologic Bomber Dragon gathered red energy and blasted Rapid Revolutionary with it. Before it hit-.

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Battle Barrier! Since I have a 'Cyspirit' monster either on my field or in my Graveyard, the battle damage is reduced to 0!" Rapid Revolutionary was destroyed by the attack, but a barrier formed around Morningstar, preventing him from taking damage.

Revolver only smirked. "Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect activates!" he declared. "Since it attacked an opponent's monster, you take damage equal to your monster's original attack points! Aiming Blast!" Topologic Bomber Dragon gathered red lightning around its body which it then released.

The shockwaves hit Morningstar, making him cry out and pushing him backwards several feet. He went to his knees and panted from the attack.

 **Morningstar: 3500→1300 LP**

"Yasu!" Cam cried out. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Morningstar said as he got back on his feet. Watching him, Revolver smirked.

"Not bad," he said. "Even if you lost all your monsters, you reduced the damage a little bit. I Set one card. I end my turn."

 _Go ahead and take your turn, Morningstar,_ Revolver thought. _My face-down Trap Card is my newly acquired Mirror Force. I want to see a bounty hunter of your caliber fall into despair from facing it!_

Morningstar grit his teeth. _His Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect activates whenever a monster is Special Summoned to any monster's Link Marker,_ he thought. _Which means that I need a monster that can protect my monsters from destruction effects._

He sighed. There was only one monster in his Deck that could truly defeat Topologic Bomber Dragon. Looking at his hand, he saw he had a card to summon it, but he needed it in the Graveyard first. And that meant…

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, and on seeing what card he drew, smiled. Perfect.

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Gift!" he shouted. "By discarding a 'Cyspirit' card, I can draw two cards!" He discarded his card then drew. Looking at his new cards, he smiled again. With these cards, he could push Revolver into a corner.

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Call!" he said. "This lets me add one Level 4 or below Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Sorceress to my hand, and then I'll summon it!" The skeleton in a black dress carrying a metal staff appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Sorceress ATK 1400 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

"Sorceress's monster effect! When she is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Return to me, Cyspirit Swordsman!"

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

 _It's time_ , Morningstar thought. Out loud, he said, "I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Necrocoding that I just sent to the Graveyard! By banishing it and two 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Link-3 or lower 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Extra Deck!" Revolver's eyes widened in surprise. "I banish Necrocoding, Cacophonic Caller, and Rapid Revolutionary!"

The three cards disappeared as Morningstar took a card from his Extra Deck. "With Necrocoding's effect, I summon Cyspirit Winning Wrestler!" A massive skeleton encased in light appeared on Morningstar's field. When the light faded, the skeleton threw back its black cape, revealing its black wrestling uniform and two championship belts. It spread its metal wings and roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

Revolver's eyes widened then narrowed. He quickly pulled up an energy reader and had it read Winning Wrestler.

 _Yes_ , he thought. _The same code Terminus found in Neo Nova. So that means Winning Wrestler…_

Revolver's thoughts were interrupted by Morningstar's next words. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal once again appeared above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cyspirit Sorceress and Cyspirit Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the left and top arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Idealistic Idol!" The skeleton in a sleeveless dress appeared, its black hair in a ponytail falling behind it as it spread its wings. It was summoned to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500 LINK-2** ←↑

"Ha!" Revolver laughed. "Have you forgotten? Topologic Bomber Dragon's effect activates when _any_ monster is Special Summoned to a Link Monster's Link Marker. Full Overlap!" Topologic Bomber Dragon's wings reappeared and released green energy, causing explosions on Morningstar's field. But when the smoke cleared, Idealistic Idol remained, with Winning Wrestler standing protectively in front of it.

"Necrocoding treats Winning Wrestler as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating," Morningstar revealed. "And even if it did not, it points to Idealistic Idol. And so long as Winning Wrestler points to at least one monster, 'Cyspirit' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by card effects!"

Revolver's eyes widened in shock. They could not be destroyed by card effects? But… that meant his face-down Mirror Force Trap Card was useless! Remembering what Terminus said, Revolver opened the energy reader again. Yes, Idealistic Idol was showing the same code as Neo Nova and Winning Wrestler. But if that was the case…

"I activate the effect of the Cyberse Call in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared, interrupting Revolver's thoughts. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Cyberse monster from the Graveyard. Return, Cyspirit Prisoner!" Prisoner returned, summoned to Idealistic Idol's left Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Cyspirit Twin Shield!" The card showed Cyspirit Gardna's shields, each glowing with white light. "If I don't control a 'Cyspirit' monster, this card is destroyed. And I'm equipping it onto Topologic Bomber Dragon!"

"What?" Revolver said, surprised. "You're equipping a Spell Card to my monster?"

"That's right," Morningstar said as Topologic Bomber Dragon gained a white aura. "Twin Shield's effect prevents the equipped monster from being destroyed by battle or card effects twice per turn."

 _Why would he do that?_ Revolver wondered. Then his eyes widened in realization. _Wait, that Idol's effect!_

"Idealistic Idol's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Since it points to two monsters, I can target one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, except itself, and have that monster make up to three attacks against your monsters during the Battle Phase. However, other monsters I control cannot attack. I target Winning Wrestler for this effect!" Idealistic Idol spread its arms and showered Winning Wrestler with white light. Winning Wrestler roared and glowed in response.

"Battle!" Morningstar continued. "Winning Wrestler, attack Topologic Bomber Dragon!" He pointed at said monster, then said, "Winning Wrestler's second effect activates! Since it points to at least two monsters and is attacking a Special Summoned monster, that monster loses attack points equal to half the attack points of a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster Winning Wrestler points to! Topologic Bomber Dragon loses attack points equal to half of Idealistic Idol's attack points! Overpower Aura!" Winning Wrestler's wings glowed white as Topologic Bomber Dragon glowed red.

 **Topologic Bomber Dragon ATK 3000→2250**

"Go, Winning Wrestler! Raw Power Rampage!" Winning Wrestler roared and charged Topologic Bomber Dragon, striking it in the chest with one of its fists. Revolver flinched from the backlash.

 **Revolver: 3400→3150 LP**

"Because of Cyspirit Twin Shield, Topologic Bomber Dragon cannot be destroyed twice per turn," Morningstar reminded Revolver. "But thanks to Idealistic Idol's effect, Winning Wrestler can attack three times. And each time it attacks, it can activate its effect!" Revolver's eyes widened. This was really going to hurt.

"The second attack! Winning Wrestler, attack Topologic Bomber Dragon! And once again, Overpower Aura!"

 **Topologic Bomber Dragon ATK 2250→1500**

"Winning Wrestler! Raw Power Rampage!" This time, Winning Wrestler struck Topologic Bomber Dragon on the head. Because of Twin Shield, it wasn't destroyed, but Revolver was pushed back from the force of the attack.

 **Revolver: 3150→2150 LP**

"Twin Shield's effect only prevents Topologic Bomber Dragon's destruction twice," Morningstar said. "That means it won't be able to stop its destruction now." He gestured to his field. "The third attack! Go, Winning Wrestler! Overpower Aura!"

 **Topologic Bomber Dragon ATK 1500→750**

"End his monster, Winning Wrestler! Raw Power Rampage!" Winning Wrestler roared as it glowed with white energy and charged Topologic Bomber Dragon, which blasted red energy at Winning Wrestler. Morningstar's monster powered through the blast and struck Topologic Bomber Dragon with both of its fists, destroying it in a massive explosion and knocking Revolver off his feet and back several feet.

 **Revolver: 2150→400 LP**

"The battle isn't done yet," Morningstar said to Revolver as he stood back up. "Since Winning Wrestler destroyed your monster by battle, Idealistic Idol's effect activates, and you take 300 points of damage!" Idealistic Idol rose in the air as her wings shone. "Ideal Light!" Revolver winced from the light and covered his eyes.

 **Revolver: 400→100 LP**

"Yes!" Cam cheered. "Yes! You have Revolver down to 100 Life Points! One more turn, and this duel is over!"

"Idealistic Idol has one more effect," Morningstar told Revolver as he recovered. "So long as it points to at least one monster, you take 200 points of damage whenever either of us Link Summons. Since you only have 100 Life Points, if you Link Summon once, you'll lose."

Revolver was silent for a long time. Then his shoulders started shaking. Morningstar watched with surprise as Revolver's laughter rose in volume and echoed around the chamber.

"Uh… what's he so happy about?" Cam asked, perturbed.

Revolver finally stopped laughing and smirked at Morningstar. "Amazing!" he said. "You eliminated my lead in a single turn and pushed me down to 100 Life Points. Facing you… is making my blood boil." His smirk widened. "You're pushing me greatly. I look forward to pushing you back!"

Morningstar grit his teeth. That wasn't the reaction he had been expecting. Before either of them could say anything more, however, a screen appeared next to Revolver.

"Revolver!" The person on the other end was Terminus. "You need to leave that duel now!"

"What?" Revolver said, shocked. "I can't leave this duel unfinished!"

"This is more important," Terminus said. He changed the image on the screen. Revolver watched and scowled.

"Ghost Girl…" he muttered. "So someone found our secret." He glanced at Morningstar, then said, "Still, I can't leave Morningstar unattended here. Can't you deal with Ghost Girl?"

"You're much closer than me. And as for Morningstar…"

Revolver looked behind him as a new figure emerged from the shadows behind him. Morningstar's eyes narrowed.

"Who's there? Is that you, Terminus?"

The figure walked out, revealing a humanoid figure colored white, silver and gold.

Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise. "That… Isn't that one of Kitamura's AI duelists?"

Revolver scowled at it as it approached. "Terminus made it," he said. "But he did base it off Kitamura's designs."

"I am designated AI Duelist Prototype HAI-B," the AI duelist said. "I am commanded to take over for Master Revolver."

"What?" Morningstar said in surprise.

Before he or Revolver could respond, the AI beeped, and both of their Duel Disks displayed the message "Duel Hacked."

 **Morningstar: 1300 LP**

 **Prototype HAI-B: 100 LP**

"Terminus," Revolver muttered to his screen. "What is this?"

"HAI-B is taking over your duel," Terminus replied. "It can stall Morningstar while you deal with Ghost Girl."

Revolver scowled and turned to Morningstar. "We'll have to finish this another time," he said. "There's another insect I have to squash." He turned and walked back down the tunnel.

"Revolver!" Morningstar shouted. "Wait! Come back here!"

"Your opponent is me," HAI-B said. "In taking Master Revolver's place, I have his field, Graveyard, Life Points, and number of cards in my hand."

Morningstar grit his teeth. As much as he wanted to follow Revolver, he had to deal with this thing.

"A Hanoi AI duelist," he muttered. "I wasn't expecting something like this."

"Me neither," Cam said. "I can't get a full read on it, but its programming is likely far stronger than Kitamura's. Don't let your guard down."

"I won't," Morningstar replied. "I Set one card. I end my turn. And during the End Phase, the effect of Necrocoding returns Winning Wrestler to my Extra Deck." He watched as his large monster disappeared, leaving Idealistic Idol and Prisoner. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The emotions both cards had been emitting had been making him tense up. Thankfully, Winning Wrestler's absence cleared his head.

"My turn! Draw!" HAI-B drew a card, then chose the one that had already been in its hand. "I Set one monster."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. What was it planning?

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Book of Taiyou," HAI-B then said. "This card flips one face-down monster into face-up Attack Position. I flip my Set monster face-up." The Set monster flipped up, revealing a plant monster with a metal eye on one end and a tree on the other. "I flip Fiber Jar face-up."

 **Fiber Jar ATK 500 DEF 500 LVL: 2**

Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise. "Fiber Jar?" he said. This was bad.

"Fiber Jar's Flip Effect activates," HAI-B said. "If Fiber Jar is flipped face-up, all cards in both players' hands, fields, and Graveyards are shuffled into their Decks. Then we each draw five cards." Fiber Jar began emitting red pulses from its eye.

Morningstar grit his teeth and gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Cyspirit Restoration!" The card's image was of a skeleton in a nurse's outfit, placing a thermometer in Winning Wrestler's mouth. "By Tributing a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I gain Life Points equal to its Link Rating times 800. I Tribute Idealistic Idol!" Idealistic Idol disintegrated as Morningstar's body glowed and healed his wounds.

 **Morningstar: 1300→2900 LP**

Fiber Jar's effect continued and Prisoner, itself, and the face-down card on HAI-B's field disappeared. Morningstar took the cards from his Graveyard and returned them to his Deck and Extra Deck. He then drew, as did HAI-B.

"Because Master Revolver has left the duel, his cards are removed from the game," HAI-B said. "I activate the Spell Card: Foolish Burial. This card sends one monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Aromage Bergamot from my Deck to the Graveyard."

After it said that, Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Aromage? Oh brother…

"I activate the effect of the Aromaseraphy Angelica in my hand," HAI-B continued. "By discarding it, I can target an 'Aroma' monster in my Graveyard and gain Life Points equal to its attack points. I target Bergamot and gain Life Points equal to its 2400 attack points."

 **Prototype HAI-B: 100→2500 LP**

"An Aroma Deck," Cam muttered over the com. "That kind of Deck focuses on regaining Life Points. This is going to be tricky."

"I activate the Spell Card: Garden's Gift," HAI-B said. The card showed Aromaseraphy Angelica standing in front of a gate made of vines. "As I have two or more 'Aroma' monsters in my Graveyard and control no monsters, I can draw one card. If that card is an 'Aroma' monster, I can Special Summon it in Attack Position. If it is not, then it is sent to the Graveyard." HAI-B drew, then said, "I drew Aromage Jasmine, which is Special Summoned in Attack Position." A little girl with long white hair appeared on its field.

 **Aromage Jasmine ATK 100 DEF 1900 LVL: 2**

"I activate the Spell Card: Dian Keto the Cure Master," HAI-B said. "This card increases my Life Points by 1000."

 **Prototype HAI-B: 2500→3500 LP**

"Aromage Jasmine's monster effect! Once per turn, if I gain Life Points, I can draw one card." It drew, then said, "I activate the effect of the Aromaseraphy Angelica in my Graveyard. As I control an 'Aroma' monster and my Life Points are higher than yours, I can Special Summon Angelica in Attack Position." Another little girl, this one with green fairy wings, appeared on its field.

 **Aromaseraphy Angelica ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

HAI-B raised its hands above it. "Circuit, open!" it declared as its hands glowed blue. The Link portal appeared above it. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Plant monsters. I set Aromage Jasmine and Aromaseraphy Angelica in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Aromaseraphy Jasmine!" A blue-haired young woman wearing a blue jacket and blue pants emerged from the portal. She had green fairy wings on her back and carried a staff with a large blue ball on the end. She was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone and winked at Morningstar.

 **Aromaseraphy Jasmine ATK 1800 LINK-2** ↙↘

Morningstar grit his teeth. "So this is its Link Monster…"

"As Angelica left the field, it is banished," HAI-B said. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Aroma Garden. I activate Aroma Garden's effect. Once per turn, if I control an 'Aroma' monster, I can gain 500 Life Points and all monsters I control gain 500 attack and defense points until the end of your next turn."

 **Prototype HAI-B: 3500→4000 LP**

 **Aromaseraphy Jasmine ATK 1800→2300**

"Jasmine's monster effect! Once per turn, if I gain Life Points, I can add one Plant monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Aromage Rosemary from my Deck to my hand."

HAI-B gestured to its field. "Battle! Jasmine, attack Morningstar directly!" Jasmine swung her staff and blasted Morningstar with a gust of wind. He cried out as he was pushed back several feet.

 **Morningstar: 2900→600 LP**

"I Set one card," HAI-B said. "I end my turn."

Morningstar grit his teeth. "This thing's dueling is better than Kitamura's AI duelists, no question."

"Good thing you increased your Life Points," Cam said. "Otherwise you would have lost from that attack."

"I know," Morningstar said, placing his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his card and frowned. Because they had been banished, Cacophonic Caller, Rapid Revolutionary, and Teleporter hadn't returned to his Deck or Extra Deck from Fiber Jar's effect. Still, he wouldn't need them to win this.

"I summon Cyspirit Lancer!" The skeleton carrying a lance and shield appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"And because Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

"And because there is a 'Cyspirit' monster on my field, I can Special Summon this monster. Come, Cyspirit Strategist!" A metal skeleton appeared, wearing a metallic black and grey tuxedo. It carried a complicated sextant in its right hand and wore futuristic goggles around its neck. A single blue eye shone out of its head as it was summoned in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Strategist ATK 1600→1900 DEF 100 LVL: 4**

"Finally, since you control a Link Monster and I don't, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Armorer from my hand!" A large skeleton wearing blacksmith's clothes covered with a metallic black apron appeared on his field in Attack Position. Its arms were made of metal, as was the hammer it wielded in its right hand. A single red eye shone in its skull, which also had a beard made of metal.

 **Cyspirit Armorer ATK 1200→1500 DEF 2000 LVL: 6**

"Cyspirit Armorer's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, I can target a Link Monster on the field and send Armorer to the Graveyard. Then, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Armor Tokens to my field, equal to that monster's Link Rating. I target Jasmine, which means I summon two Cyspirit Armor Tokens!" Armorer disappeared, and in its place rose two dwarf skeletons with large heads in blacksmith's clothes, both in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Armor Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 2 x 2**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster. I set one Cyspirit Armor Token in the Link Marker!" The token became a whirlwind of energy that entered the bottom-left arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!" The skeleton in overalls carrying an electrical box appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600→900 LINK-1** ↙

"Egregious Electrician's monster effect! Once per turn, I can move a monster from a zone it points at to another Main Monster Zone. Then, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to that zone. I move Cyspirit Lancer to Special Summon Cyspirit Wanderer!" The skeleton in a poncho appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900→2200 DEF 200 LVL: 5**

"Wanderer's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, one monster on your field loses 800 attack points! Digital Drain!" Wanderer and Jasmine both glowed.

 **Aromaseraphy Jasmine ATK 2300→1500**

"Cyspirit Strategist's monster effect! Once per turn, I can target one monster I control and treat it as an Effect Monster! I target my remaining Armor Token!" Morningstar gestured to the sky above him.

"Appear once more! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar as he continued to chant. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' Effect Monsters! I set my second Armor Token, Egregious Electrician, Strategist, and Wanderer in the Link Markers!" All four monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left, top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!" The metallic grey dragon with red and silver wings emerged from the portal and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800→3100 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure!" Morningstar continued. "This card lets me draw cards equal to the number of Link Monsters on the field. There are two, so I draw two cards!" After looking at his cards, he picked one of them. "As there is a 'Cyspirit' monster on the field, I can Special Summon this monster. Come, Cyspirit Linker!" The skeleton in black armor wearing gauntlets with red arrows appeared, summoned to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700→2000 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"Datastorm Dragon points to Cyspirit Lancer and Cyspirit Linker," HAI-B said. "Its effect prevents non-Link Monsters from declaring attacks. Morningstar's next move must be Link Summoning Mad Mongrel or Thrilled Tunneler."

Morningstar smirked. "Must it?" he asked. "Let's test that theory. Battle! Datastorm Dragon, attack Aromaseraphy Jasmine! Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon blasted Jasmine with blue energy. The monster screamed but wasn't destroyed.

"As my Life Points are higher than yours, Jasmine's effect prevents it, and Plant monsters it points to, from being destroyed by battle," HAI-B said.

"But you still take damage!" Morningstar reminded the AI. Sure enough, the backlash from the attack struck HAI-B, pushing it backward and making both its arms fizzle.

 **Prototype HAI-B: 4000→2400 LP**

"Error," HAI-B said. "Datastorm Dragon's effect halves all battle damage it inflicts when it points to at least two monsters."

"Normally, that's true," Morningstar said, smirking again. "But not this time. When I use Cyspirit Strategist to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, that monster's effects are negated until the End Phase!"

 _Normally, Strategist's effect is detrimental to me,_ Morningstar thought. _That's why I took it out of my Deck before. But when used to summon Datastorm Dragon, it's far more helpful._

"Since Datastorm Dragon's first effect is negated, that means my other two monsters can attack!" Morningstar declared. "Go, Cyspirit Lancer! Digital Lance!" Lancer charged Jasmine and struck it with its lance.

"Jasmine might not be destroyed by this battle, but you will still take damage!"

 **Prototype HAI-B: 2400→1800 LP**

"Your turn, Linker! Digital Strike!" Linker punched Jasmine with its glowing gauntlets, but Jasmine withstood the attack. HAI-B, on the other hand, was pushed backwards.

 **Prototype HAI-B: 1800→1300 LP**

"I can't inflict any more damage," Morningstar said. "But I can still do more. Appear for a third time! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared once again above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 4 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Cyspirit Linker in the Link Marker!" Linker became a whirlwind of energy and entered the top arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Hallowed Healer!"

A metal skeleton appeared and was enveloped in light. When the light dissipated, the skeleton was wearing white robes with a red cross on the front and back. Small metal wings grew from its back and a small glowing halo circled its head, out of which blue and red eyes glowed. Morningstar's new Link Monster was summoned to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Hallowed Healer ATK 1000→1300 LINK-1** ↑

"Hallowed Healer's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, if it is co-linked with a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can gain Life Points equal to half that monster's original attack points! Sacred Healing!" The red cross on Hallowed Healer's robes glowed, as did Morningstar.

 **Morningstar: 600→2000 LP**

"Continuous Trap activate!" HAI-B declared. "Humid Winds! Once per turn, if I pay 1000 Life Points, I can add one 'Aroma' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add a second Aromaseraphy Angelica from my Deck to my hand."

 **Prototype HAI-B: 1300→300 LP**

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. _It waited until my Battle Phase ended to use that card,_ he thought. _If he had used it earlier, my monsters would have been able to destroy Jasmine._

"I-." Morningstar gasped and stumbled. What the-? That same feeling from earlier. That pressure… it almost felt like a heartbeat. Only it was much louder and stronger than before. What was it?

Shaking his head, Morningstar said, "I Set one card. I end my turn. And with my End Phase, the effect of Aroma Garden ends and Jasmine loses 500 attack points."

 **Aromaseraphy Jasmine ATK 1500→1000**

"My turn! Draw!" HAI-B drew, then said, "I activate the effect of Humid Winds. As my Life Points are lower than yours, I can gain 500 Life Points."

 **Prototype HAI-B: 300→800 LP**

"Jasmine's monster effect! Once per turn, if I gain Life Points, I can add one Plant monster from my Deck to my hand. I add a second Aromage Bergamot from my Deck to my hand."

After adding said card to its hand, HAI-B said, "I Normal Summon Aromage Rosemary." A young woman with blue hair and blue robes carrying a staff appeared on HAI-B's field.

 **Aromage Rosemary ATK 1800 DEF 700 LVL: 4**

"I activate the effect of the Aromaseraphy Angelica in my hand. By discarding it, I target the Aromage Bergamot in my Graveyard and gain Life Points equal to its attack points. I gain 2400 Life Points."

 **Prototype HAI-B: 800→3200 LP**

Morningstar grit his teeth. In just a few moves, this AI had undone most of the damage he had inflicted.

"Rosemary's monster effect! Once per turn, if I gain Life Points, I can target one face-up monster on the field and change its battle position. I change Cyspirit Lancer to Defense Position."

Morningstar grit his teeth again. "As Lancer is in Defense Position," he said begrudgingly. "Its effect no longer boosts my monsters' attack points."

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 3100→2800**

 **Cyspirit Hallowed Healer ATK 1300→1000**

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→1800**

"As my Life Points are higher than yours and I control an 'Aroma' monster, I can activate the effect of the Aromaseraphy Angelica in my Graveyard," HAI-B said. "And Special Summon it to my field in Attack Position."

 **Aromaseraphy Angelica ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Is that thing going to Link Summon again?" Cam asked Morningstar.

Morningstar looked at the card information on Angelica and his eyes widened. "No way-."

HAI-B raised its arms. "Rings, open!" Angelica leaped high in the air out of sight. In a flash of light, a single green ring descended. "Materials confirmed! The summoning conditions are one Tuner and one or more non-Tuner monsters! I tune the Level 1 Aromaseraphy Angelica to the Level 4 Aromage Rosemary!" The ring wrapped around Rosemary, which turned into an orange outline of itself with four stars inside. The outline faded, and a surge of light went through the ring.

"Synchro Summon! Come! Level 5! Aromaseraphy Rosemary!"

A grown woman, similar in appearance to Aromage Rosemary but with wings and a staff with more flowers on it, appeared on HAI-B's field in Attack Position, summoned to Jasmine's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Aromaseraphy Rosemary ATK 2000 DEF 900 LVL: 5**

"A Synchro Monster?" Monringstar said in surprise. His eyes then narrowed. "It looks like Fatumare was right. Galahad using the older summoning methods has caused a revival, even among the Knights of Hanoi."

"Rosemary's monster effect!" HAI-B said. "While my Life Points are higher than yours, all Plant monsters I control gain 500 attack and defense points."

 **Aromaseraphy Jasmine ATK 1000→1500**

 **Aromaseraphy Rosemary ATK 2000→2500 DEF 900→1400**

"I activate the effect of Humid Winds," HAI-B continued. "I pay 1000 Life Points to add a second Aromage Jasmine from my Deck to my hand."

 **Prototype HAI-B: 3200→2200 LP**

"I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon. This card lets me perform a second Normal Summon this turn. I summon Aromage Jasmine."

 **Aromage Jasmine ATK 100→600 DEF 1900→2400 LVL: 2**

"Jasmine's monster effect! As my Life Points are higher than yours, I can Normal Summon one Plant monster in addition to my Normal Summon. I Tribute Jasmine to Tribute Summon Aromage Bergamot!" Jasmine disappeared and a red-haired woman carrying a black staff took its place, summoned to Aromaseraphy Jasmine's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **Aromage Bergamot ATK 2400→2900 DEF 1800→2300 LVL: 6**

"I activate the effect of Aroma Garden," HAI-B said. "I gain 500 Life Points and all monsters I control gain 500 attack and defense points."

 **Prototype HAI-B: 2200→2700 LP**

 **Aromage Bergamot ATK 2900→3400 DEF 2300→2800**

 **Aromaseraphy Jasmine ATK 1500→2000**

 **Aromaseraphy Rosemary ATK 2500→3000 DEF 1400→1900**

Morningstar grit his teeth. One monster with 3000 attack points and another with 3400 attack points. This was bad.

"Rosemary's monster effect!" HAI-B declared. "As I gained Life Points, I can target one card you control and negate its effects until the end of the turn. I negate Datastorm Dragon's effects."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Since Strategist's effect had worn off, that meant that Datastorm Dragon's effect preventing non-Link Monsters from attacking had returned. But because of Rosemary, that meant Bergamot and Rosemary could attack as well.

"Bergamot's monster effect!" HAI-B then declared. "If I gain Life Points, Bergamot gains 1000 attack and defense points until the end of my opponent's next turn."

 **Aromage Bergamot ATK 4400 DEF 2800→3800**

"4400 attack points!?" Cam said into the com. "Are you kidding me?"

"Battle!" HAI-B declared. "Bergamot will attack Cyspirit Lancer!"

"What?" Morningstar said, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Lancer is in Defense Position," Cam said. "Why is it attacking with Bergamot?"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling he should stop this attack. "I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Gardna in my hand!" he declared. "If you attack a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon this monster and make you attack it!" A skeleton in black armor carrying two large shields appeared, summoned to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Gardna ATK 1000 DEF 2000 LVL: 4**

Bergamot redirected its attack at Gardna as HAI-B said, "Bergamot's monster effect! While my Life Points are higher than yours, Plant monsters I control inflict piercing battle damage when battling a Defense Position monster!" Morningstar's eyes widened as Bergamot's staff struck Gardna.

"Gardna's second effect!" Morningstar said over the backlash from the attack. "It isn't destroyed by this battle and all battle damage I take this turn is halved!" He slid backwards a few feet from the attack, but he remained standing.

 **Morningstar: 2000→800 LP**

"A good thing you switched the attack to Gardna," Cam said. "If that had hit Lancer, you would have lost."

"Gardna can only redirect one attack," HAI-B noted. "And Bergamot's effect grants piercing battle damage to all my Plant monsters. One attack against Lancer will end this duel. Battle! Aromaseraphy Rosemary, attack Cyspirit Lancer!" Rosemary gathered energy with her staff and blasted Lancer with it. Before it hit-.

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Trapdoor!" The card showed Rapid Revolutionary falling down a hole in the ground. "I can only activate this card if I have no cards in my hand and control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster in the Extra Monster Zone. All monsters in the Extra Monster Zones are sent to the Graveyard, and all monsters in the Main Monster Zones are changed to Defense Position!" Jasmine and Datastorm Dragon disintegrated while Bergamot and Rosemary kneeled. The attack from Rosemary dissipated as its owner had changed battle positions.

"I end my turn," HAI-B said.

Cam breathed a sigh of relief. "That was too close," he said. "If it had a second Link Monster…"

"Thankfully, it didn't," Morningstar said, placing his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!" Looking at his card, he smirked.

 _Both of its monsters are in Defense Position,_ he thought. _I imagine Terminus is watching this right now. I think I'll show him one of the monsters I added to my Deck to defeat him._

"I switch Cyspirit Lancer to Attack Position," he said. "And since it is now in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Gardna: 1000→1300**

 **Cyspirit Hallowed Healer ATK 1000→1300**

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Wanderer in my Graveyard," Morningstar continued. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard, but that monster cannot attack this turn. Return to me, Egregious Electrician!"

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600→900 LINK-1** ↙

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar's hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Egregious Electrician, Gardna, and Hallowed Healer in the Link Markers!" All three monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Quixotic Queen!"

A skeleton made of white metal emerged form the portal. It was soon encased in light. When the light faded, it was wearing an elaborate black and gold dress, with frills everywhere. A golden circlet had appeared on its head, as had long blonde hair that went down to its waist. It carried a golden scepter in its right hand, which it waved in the air. Its blue and red eyes gleamed as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone, empowered by Cyspirit Lancer.

 **Cyspirit Quixotic Queen ATK 2300→2600 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"Error," HAI-B said. "An unknown monster has appeared. Going through countermeasures."

"You won't find any," Morningstar said. "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Cyspirit Multiplier and equip it to Quixotic Queen! With this, my Queen can make two attacks against your monsters this turn."

"Pointless," HAI-B said. "Aromage Bergamot has 3800 defense points. Attacking Bergamot will result in Morningstar's loss. Furthermore, if an 'Aroma' monster is destroyed by battle or card effect, Aroma Garden increases my Life Points by 1000."

"Is that so? Then I'll have to fix that." Morningstar gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Trapdoor in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card my opponent controls. I'll destroy Aroma Garden!" The Field Spell shattered, but its effect remained, boosting Bergamot and Rosemary's attack and defense points.

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Quixotic Queen, attack Aromage Bergamot!" Quixotic Queen lifted her scepter and blasted white energy at Bergamot.

"As stated before, Bergamot has 3800 defense points while Quixotic Queen has 2600 attack points," HAI-B said. "Morningstar will take 1200 points of damage. Victory is mine."

"No, it isn't," Morningstar said. "Quixotic Queen's monster effect! If it points to at least one monster and attacks a Defense Position monster, that monster is destroyed at the start of the Damage Step! Utopic Lightning!" The light from Quixotic Queen's scepter struck Bergamot, destroying it in an explosion.

"Cyspirit Multiplier allows Quixotic Queen to attack twice," Morningstar reminded HAI-B. "Quixotic Queen, attack Rosemary! And with its effect, Rosemary is destroyed Utopic Lightning!" Once again, HAI-B's monster was struck with white lightning, destroying it.

"My field is empty," HAI-B said. "But Quixotic Queen cannot attack again. And Cyspirit Lancer only possesses 2100 attack points. If it attacks directly, I will still have 600 Life Points."

"No, you won't," Morningstar said. "Battle! Cyspirit Lancer, attack HAI-B directly!" Lancer charged the AI duelist. "I activate the effect of the Hallowed Healer in my Graveyard! By banishing it, an attacking 'Cyspirit' monster I control gains 1000 attack points until the End Phase!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 2100→3100**

"Go, Lancer!" Morningstar shouted. "End this duel! Digital Lance!" Lancer charged and struck HAI-B in its core with its lance, causing a massive explosion. Morningstar watched as HAI-B broke down from the damage and its parts disintegrated.

 **Prototype HAI-B: 2700→0 LP**

"Well, that was annoying," Morningstar said, scowling at where the AI duelist had been.

"Hurry," Cam said. "Revolver went back down that path. He should be down there somewhere."

"Right."

Morningstar hurried across the bridge and found himself in a long hallway. Eventually, he reached the end, and what he found surprised him.

"Playmaker?" he said. The duelist in question, turned around at hearing his name.

"Morningstar?" he said in surprise. "What are you doing down here?"

"I was about to ask you that," the bounty hunter said. He then noticed the gate blocking their path. "What the-?"

He came up to the gate and looked in. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw.

He recognized this place as the reprocessing plant. At the center of the room was a massive red sphere with tendrils of energy coming out of it. And circling the sphere, in the middle of a Data Storm, were-.

"Ghost Girl?" Morningstar said. "And she's dueling Revolver?" He narrowed his eyes. "So she's the reason Revolver bailed."

"Bailed?" Ai asked Morningstar. "What do you mean?"

"I ran into Revolver when I was searching this place," the hunter answered. "We dueled for a bit, but then he ran off. An AI duelist took his place. Guess this must be the reason he bailed."

"Eh?" Ai said. "An AI duelist? I thought Hanoi hates AI."

"Revolver said it was Terminus's idea," Morningstar said. He would have said more, but their conversation was interrupted by Ghost Girl's duel with Revolver.

"I activate my Skill, Secret Cure!" The two turned and watched as Ghost Girl started to glow.

Looking at the duel layout, Morningstar's eyes widened. "Revolver has 400 Life Points left," he said. "That means he can use Storm Access."

"Ghost Girl is trying to prevent it," Playmaker said. "She'll need a monster with at least 700 attack points."

Unfortunately, Ghost Girl drew Altergeist Kunquery, which had 0 attack points. Which meant neither of them gained Life Points.

"Ha!" Revolver said, smirking. "You're third rate. Luck has forsaken you."

Morningstar scowled. The wind in the room was too great for him or Playmaker to call out to either duelist. But there was something more important right now. He activated the scanner in his Duel Disk and directed it at the red sphere.

"Cam," he whispered. "What is this thing?"

"No idea," Cam responded. "The scanner needs time to work. It would take less time if you could get closer, but that's not happening."

Morningstar left the scanner running as he returned his attention to Ghost Girl and Revolver. He watched as Ghost Girl activated Altergeist Protocol. Clever. With a face-up Altergeist card, she could summon Kunquery and negate an attack.

Unfortunately, her efforts were for naught as Revolver activated a Counter Trap Card from his hand by paying half his Life Points that reset Protocol and kept her from activating any Trap Cards for the remainder of the turn.

"You've known Ghost Girl for a while, right?" Playmaker asked Morningstar. "Do you think she can win?"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "That depends on whether Revolver's luck with Storm Access is as good as yours is."

They watched as Revolver summoned Background Dragon, a medium-sized meta dragon with orange armor, red claws, and green crystals on its shoulders, and Sniffer Dragon, which added another Sniffer Dragon to Revolver's hand, which he summoned.

"I'll now show you my new power," Revolver said, smirking. Morningstar narrowed his eyes. Here it comes.

"I can hear the pulse of an unknown power hiding in the network," Revolver said. Strands of the Data Storm emerged from the red sphere. "It's waiting for me to take it." Revolver's hand glowed purple after he said that. The strands came together and formed a tsunami of data. "Come, Data Storm!" The tsunami submerged Revolver in it.

"This is bad," Ai said.

They watched as Revolver broke out of the Data Storm and held his hand out. "Manifest! The future circuit that lights up my path!" His hand glowed as the Link portal appeared in front of him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two Effect Monsters! I set Background Dragon and the two Sniffer Dragons in the Link Markers!" All three monsters became bullets of energy that entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Topologic Trisbaena!"

A massive mechanical dragon appeared on Revolver's field. It was mostly black and white with red patches on it, as well as several panels.

"A new Topologic!" Playmaker said, shocked at Trisbaena's appearance.

The hacker and hunter watched as Revolver Special Summoned Defrag Dragon from the Graveyard and revealed Trisbaena's effect.

"What?" Morningstar said in surprise. "It banishes every Spell and Trap Card on the field?"

"That's way overpowered!" Ai complained.

Morningstar watched with increasing panic as Ghost Girl's Life Points went down and Revolver ordered Trisbaena to attack. No…

"Final Vulnerable Code!"

The blast of pink energy hit Ghost Girl head on.

"Emma!" Cam and Morningstar shouted. The former was standing up, a shocked expression on his face.

As her Life Points hit 0, Ghost Girl was flung from her D-Board, hit the wall, and fell in front of Morningstar and Playmaker.

"Hang in there, Ghost Girl!" Playmaker said.

"Emma!" Morningstar said, his expression panicked.

"Eh?" Ai asked. "Who's Emma?"

Ghost Girl pushed herself up and gave a small laugh. "F-For a professional, you're pathetic, Morningstar. Don't you know it's rude to call people by their real names here?"

Morningstar scowled. "Never mind that. Playmaker and I will save you!" He and Playmaker both pulled on the bars, but they wouldn't budge.

"This is more important," Ghost Girl said, raising her left arm. "This treasure is incredible. The best I've ever acquired." A yellow light emerged from her Duel Disk and flew into Playmaker's Duel Disk.

"You must take that data out of here," Ghost Girl said. She turned to Morningstar. "I imagine you have your own copy, right? With that scanner of yours?" Morningstar looked at his Duel Disk and nodded. The scan was complete.

Ghost Girl turned back to Playmaker. "As you said Playmaker, something is happening in LINK VRAINS."

Playmaker hardened his expression. "Okay. I promise."

The two gasped on seeing Ghost Girl glow red. Her avatar started to break apart at her feet.

"What's happening?" Playmaker asked.

"Be careful of Revolver," Ghost Girl said. "He has a terrifying card-." That was as far as she got before she disintegrated completely.

"Ghost Girl!" Playmaker shouted, reaching out of the bars. Morningstar was too shocked to say anything.

"Emma…" Cam whispered, staring at the screen. "Emma…"

The two duelists watched as the data that had been Ghost Girl became part of the giant red sphere.

"The way she vanished was horrible!" Ai shouted, panicking himself.

Revolver suddenly appeared, jumping off his D-Board and landing in front of them.

"You're late, Playmaker," Revolver said, smirking. Then he turned to Morningstar. "So are you. Terminus's toy delayed you longer than I thought it would. I'll have to reevaluate my assessment of you."

Morningstar opened his mouth, but Playmaker beat him to it. "Revolver! What did you do with Ghost Girl?"

"She became the foundation to save the world," Revolver answered. "She won't come back."

"What are you doing?"

"The Tower of Hanoi has already activated," Revolver said. "If you want to stop this game, you must defeat me, Playmaker." He turned to Morningstar. "And you must defeat Terminus, bounty hunter. He's looking forward to seeing you again."

Tendrils emerged from the red sphere and traveled upwards out of the reprocessing center. Other tendrils emerged and broke through the walls. Revolver turned and jumped off the ledge.

"Revolver!" Playmaker called out, but Revolver had left on his D-Board.

"Wait, Revolver!" Playmaker called again, pulling on the bars.

"Hey, Playmaker!" Ai protested. "You promised Ghost girl that you'll bring back the data!"

Playmaker ignored Ai and said, "Come back, Revolver!"

"Playmaker, we're in real danger!" Ai said.

Turning to Playmaker, who still didn't move, Morningstar punched him in the face. Playmaker turned to him, surprised more than hurt.

"Morningstar?"

"Log out, you idiot!" Morningstar shouted at him. He then logged out himself.

* * *

"Cam!" Yasutake shouted as he walked out of the sealed room.

"Yasu!" Cam said, his relief evident. "Nice punch." Yasutake ignored that and looked at the monitors. He gasped.

"What… what is that?"

The two watched as, in LINK VRAINS, a massive beam of light emerged from the ground. Tendrils of purple energy wrapped themselves around the beam and formed some kind of support structure. Shockwaves radiated outwards of the tower as a golden ball of energy traveled upwards. Once it hit the top, it exploded outwards.

"What… what is this?"

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Revolver/Prototype HAI-B**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Revolver**

Revolver Normal Summons Gateway Dragon (1600/1400/4). He activates the effect of Gateway Dragon to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Dragon monster from his hand. He Special Summons Sniffer Dragon (800/400/2) in Attack Position. As it was Special Summoned, Revolver activates the effect of Sniffer Dragon to add another Sniffer Dragon from his Deck to his hand. Revolver activates the effect of Defrag Dragon in his hand, sending another monster from his hand to the GY to Special Summon it. He sends Sniffer Dragon to the GY to Special Summon Defrag Dragon in Attack Position (1000/600/3). Revolver uses Defrag Dragon, Gateway Dragon, and Sniffer Dragon to Link Summon Flash Charge Dragon (2300/3/↖↑↗) to the Extra Monster Zone. As a Dragon Link Monster was Special Summoned, Revolver activates the effect of Linkbelt Wall Dragon in his hand, Special Summoning it in Defense Position (0/2100/6). As Wall Dragon was Special Summoned, its effect activates, placing 2 Wall Counters on it (Wall Dragon: 0 WC→2 WC). The other effect of Wall Dragon prevents both players from summoning Link Monsters whose Link Rating is higher than the number of Wall Counters Wall Dragon has. Revolver ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. During the Standby Phase, Wall Dragon gains a Wall Counter (Wall Dragon: 2 WC→3 WC). Since Revolver controls a monster and he does not, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) to Flash Charge Dragon's top-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Because Swordsman was Special Summoned by its own effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke to his hand. Since a monster was Normal or Special Summoned to a zone Flash Charge Dragon points to, its effect destroys that monster and inflicts 500 damage to Morningstar. Swordsman is destroyed (Morningstar: 4000→3500 LP). Since he took effect damage, Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Saver in his hand, Special Summoning it in Attack Position (0/1300/2). Morningstar takes no effect damage for the remainder of the turn. Because Revolver controls a Link Monster and he does not, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke from his hand (200/500/2). Morningstar uses Saver to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates Cacophonic Caller's effect to Special Summon Cyspirit Teleporter (500/1500/3) from his Deck to its Link Marker in Attack Position, but Teleporter cannot attack and it is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller, Teleporter, and Tunnel Tyke to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary to the Extra Monster Zone (2200/3/↙↑↓). As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker in Defense Position (1600/2100/5). Morningstar activates the effect of the Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) from his GY to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position.

Rapid Revolutionary attacks Linkbelt Wall Dragon. Because it points to at least 1 monster and is battling a non-Link Monster, Rapid Revolutionary gains 500 ATK (Rapid Revolutionary: 2200→2700). Linkbelt Wall Dragon is destroyed, and because Rapid Revolutionary points to at least 2 monsters, it inflicts piercing battle damage (Revolver: 4000→3400 LP). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Revolver**

Revolver draws. He Normal Summons Triggering Wurm (600/600/2). Revolver uses Triggering Wurm and the Link 3 Flash Charge Dragon to Link Summon Topologic Bomber Dragon (3000/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Triggering Wurm was used as a Link Material for the Link Summon of a Dark Link Monster, Revolver activates its effect to Special Summon it to a zone that Link Monster points to. He Special Summons it to Topologic Bomber Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker (600/600/2) in Attack Position. As a monster was Special Summoned to a zone a Link Monster points to, the effect of Topologic Bomber Dragon activates, destroying all monsters in the Main Monster Zones. Prisoner, Swordsman, and Triggering Wurm are destroyed. As Triggering Wurm was destroyed by a Link Monster's effect, Revolver draws 1 card.

Topologic Bomber Dragon attacks Rapid Revolutionary. Rapid Revolutionary is destroyed, but Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Battle Barrier, reducing the battle damage to 0 and ending the Battle Phase. Because Topologic Bomber Dragon attacked an opponent's monster, Revolver activates its effect to inflict Rapid Revolutionary's original ATK to Morningstar as damage (Morningstar: 3500→1300 LP). Revolver Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Gift, discarding Cyspirit Necrocoding to draw 2 cards. He then activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call, adding Cyspirit Sorceress from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Sorceress (1400/400/4). Because Sorceress was Normal Summoned, Morningstar activates its effect to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position. He Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Necrocoding in his GY. Since he controls no monsters in the Extra Monster Zone, he banishes it, Cacophonic Caller, and Rapid Revolutionary from his GY. He can then Special Summon 1 Link-3 or below "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his Extra Deck, have it treated as a Link Summon, and treat that monster as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Winning Wrestler (2500/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar uses Sorceress and Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Idealistic Idol (1500/2/←↑) to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker. Since a monster was Special Summoned to a Link Monster's Link Marker, the effect of Topologic Bomber Dragon activates, but because Winning Wrestler points to at least 1 monster, "Cyspirit" monsters Morningstar controls cannot be destroyed by Revolver's card effects. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyberse Call in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) to Idealistic Idol's left Link Marker in Defense Position. Morningstar activates the Equip Spell Card Cyspirit Twin Shield and equips it to Topologic Bomber Dragon. Now Topologic Bomber Dragon cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects twice per turn.

Morningstar activates the effect of Idealistic Idol, targeting Winning Wrestler. Since Idealistic Idol points to 2 monsters, Winning Wrestler can make up to 3 attacks on Revolver's monsters this Battle Phase. Winning Wrestler attacks Topologic Bomber Dragon. As it points to at least 2 monsters and is attacking a Special Summoned monster, Morningstar activates the effect of Winning Wrestler, targeting Idealistic Idol. Topologic Bomber Dragon loses ATK equal to half of Idealistic Idol's ATK (Topologic Bomber Dragon: 3000→2250). Because of Cyspirit Twin Shield, Topologic Bomber Dragon isn't destroyed (Revolver: 3400→3150 LP). Winning Wrestler attacks Topologic Bomber Dragon again and activates its effect, targeting Idealistic Idol (Topologic Bomber Dragon: 2250→1500). Because of Cyspirit Twin Shield, Topologic Bomber Dragon isn't destroyed (Revolver: 3150→2150 LP). Winning Wrestler attacks Topologic Bomber Dragon a third time, activating its effect and targeting Idealistic Idol (Topologic Bomber Dragon: 1500→750). Topologic Bomber Dragon is destroyed (Revolver: 2150→400 LP). Since Winning Wrestler destroyed a monster by battle, Idealistic Idol deals 300 damage to Revolver (Revolver: 400→100 LP).

At this point, Prototype HAI-B takes over for Revolver. It has the same field, LP, GY, and number of cards in its hand.

Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, the effect of Necrocoding returns Winning Wrestler to Morningstar's Extra Deck.

 **Turn 5: Prototype HAI-B**

HAI-B draws. It Sets 1 monster. It then activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Book of Taiyou, flipping its face-down Fiber Jar into Attack Position (500/500/3). Because Fiber Jar was flipped face-up, its effect activates, and both players shuffle all cards in their hands, fields, and GYs into their Decks and draw 5 cards. Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Restoration, Tributing Idealistic Idol to gain LP equal to its Link Rating times 800 (Morningstar: 1300→2900 LP), but HAI-B takes no effect damage this turn. Fiber Jar, Prisoner, HAI-B's face-down card, and all the cards in HAI-B's and Morningstar's GYs are shuffled back into their Decks. Because Revolver is no longer part of the Duel, his cards are removed from the game.

HAI-B activates the Spell Card Foolish Burial, sending Aromage Bergamot from its Deck to the GY. It activates the effect of the Aromaseraphy Angelica in its hand, discarding it and targeting Bergamot in its GY. HAI-B gains LP equal to Bergamot's ATK (HAI-B: 100→2500 LP). HAI-B activates the Spell Card Garden's Gift. Since it has 2 "Aroma" monsters in its GY and controls no monsters, it can draw 1 card, and if it is an "Aroma" monster, HAI-B can Special Summon it in Attack Position. If it is not, then it is sent to the GY. HAI-B draws and Special Summons Aromage Jasmine (100/1900/2). It activates the Spell Card Dian Keto the Cure Master, increasing its LP by 1000 (HAI-B: 2500→3500 LP). Since HAI-B's LP are higher than Morningstar's and it gained LP, HAI-B activates Jasmine's effect to draw 1 card. Since its LP are higher than Morningstar's and HAI-B controls an "Aroma" monster, HAI-B activates the effect of Angelica in the GY, Special Summoning it (0/0/1) in Attack Position. HAIB uses Angelica and Jasmine to Link Summon Aromaseraphy Jasmine (1800/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because it left the field, Angelica's effect banishes itself. HAI-B activates the Field Spell Card Aroma Garden. Since it controls an "Aroma" monster, HAI-B activates the effect of Aroma Garden. It gains 500 LP and all monsters it controls gain 500 ATK/DEF until the end of Morningstar's next turn (HAI-B: 3500→4000 LP) (Jasmine: 1800→2300). Since HAI-B gained LP, the effect of Jasmine lets it add 1 Plant monster from its Deck to its hand. It adds Aromage Rosemary to its hand. Jasmine attacks Morningstar directly (Morningstar: 2900→600 LP). HAI-B Sets 1 card (Humid Winds). It ends its turn.

 **Turn 6: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4) in Attack Position. Because Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100). Since there is a "Cyspirit" monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Strategist (1600→1900/100/4) in Attack Position. Since HAI-B controls a Link Monster and he does not, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Armorer from his hand (1200→1500/2000/6) in Attack Position. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Armorer, targeting Jasmine for its effect. Cyspirit Armorer is sent to the GY, and Morningstar can Special Summon Cyspirit Armor Tokens, equal to Jasmine's Link Rating. Morningstar Special Summons 2 Cyspirit Armor Tokens (0/0/2) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses 1 Cyspirit Armor Token to Link Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600→900/1/↙) to the Extra Monster Zone. He activates the effect of Egregious Electrician, moving the Lancer it points at to a different zone to Special Summon the Cyspirit Wanderer (1900→2200/200/5) in his hand to its Link Marker in Attack Position. Since Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, Morningstar can lower the ATK of 1 of HAI-B's monsters by 800 (Jasmine: 2300→1500). Morningstar uses the Armor Token, Egregious Electrician, Strategist, and Wanderer to Link Summon Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800→3100/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Strategist was used to Link Summon Datastorm Dragon, its effects are negated until the End Phase. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Link Treasure, drawing cards equal to the number of Link Monsters on the field. Morningstar draws 2 cards. Since there is a "Cyspirit" monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700→2000/800/4) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position.

Datastorm Dragon attacks Jasmine. Since HAI-B's LP are higher than Morningstar's, Jasmine and Plant monsters it points to cannot be destroyed by battle (HAI-B: 4000→2400 LP). Lancer attacks Jasmine (HAI-B: 2400→1800 LP). Linker attacks Jasmine (HAI-B: 1800→1300 LP). Morningstar uses Linker to Link Summon Cyspirit Hallowed Healer (1000→1300/1/↑) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker. Since Hallowed Healer is co-linked with a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, he activates its effect, letting him gain LP equal to half of Datastorm Dragon's original ATK (Morningstar: 600→2000 LP). HAI-B activates its face-down Continuous Trap Card Humid Winds, paying 1000 LP (HAI-B: 1300→300 LP) to add 1 "Aroma" monster from its Deck to its hand. It adds a 2nd Aromaseraphy Angelica to its hand. Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, and the effect of Aroma Garden ends (Jasmine: 1500→1000).

 **Turn 7: Prototype HAI-B**

HAI-B draws. Since its LP are lower than Morningstar's, it activates the effect of Humid Winds to gain 500 LP (HAI-B: 300→800 LP). Since HAI-B gained LP, the effect of Jasmine lets it add 1 Plant monster from its Deck to its hand. It adds a 2nd Aromage Bergamot to its hand. HAI-B Normal Summons Aromage Rosemary (1800/700/4). HAI-B activates the effect of the Angelica in its hand, discarding it and targeting the Bergamot in its GY. HAI-B gains LP equal to Bergamot's ATK (HAI-B: 800→3200 LP). Since HAI-B gained LP, the effect of Rosemary lets it target 1 monster on the field and change its battle position. HAI-B changes Cyspirit Lancer to Defense Position. Because Lancer is no longer in Attack Position, the ATK of Datastorm Dragon, Hallowed Healer, and Lancer return to normal (Datastorm Dragon: 3100→2800) (Hallowed Healer: 1300→1000) (Lancer: 2100→1800). Since its LP are higher than Morningstar's and it controls an "Aroma" monster, HAI-B activates the effect of the Angelica in its GY, Special Summoning it in Attack Position (0/0/1), but it will be banished if it leaves the field. HAI-B tunes the Level 1 Angelica to the Level 4 Rosemary to Synchro Summon Aromaseraphy Rosemary (2000/900/5) to Jasmine's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Since HAI-B's LP are higher than Morningstar's Rosemary's effect increases the ATK/DEF of Plant monsters it controls by 500 (Jasmine: 1000→1500) (Rosemary: 2000→2500/900→1400).

HAI-B activates the effect of Humid Winds, paying 1000 LP (HAI-B: 3200→2200 LP) to add a 2nd Aromage Jasmine from its Deck to its hand. HAI-B activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting it perform a 2nd Normal Summon this turn. It Normal Summons Aromage Jasmine (100→600/1900→2400/2). Since HAI-B's LP are higher than Morningstar's, Aromage Jasmine lets HAI-B Normal Summon 1 Plant monster in addition to its Normal Summon/Set. It Tributes Aromage Jasmine to Tribute Summon Aromage Bergamot (2400→2900/1800→2300/6) to Jasmine's bottom-right Link Marker. HAI-B activates the effect of Aroma Garden, increasing its LP by 500 and increasing the ATK/DEF of all monsters it controls by 500 (HAI-B: 2200→2700 LP) (Bergamot: 2900→3400/2300→2800) (Jasmine: 1500→2000) (Rosemary: 2500→3000/1400→1900). Since HAI-B gained LP, the effect of Rosemary activates, letting it negate the effects of 1 face-up card on Morningstar's field. HAI-B targets and negates the effects of Datastorm Dragon. Since HAI-B gained LP, the effect of Bergamot activates, increasing its ATK/DEF by 1000 until the end of Morningstar's turn (Bergamot: 3400→4400/2800→3800).

Bergamot attacks Lancer, but Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Gardna in his hand, Special Summoning it in Defense Position (1000/2000/4) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker and making it the target of Bergamot's attack. Since HAI-B's LP are higher than Morningstar's, Bergamot's effect inflicts piercing battle damage whenever a Plant monster HAI-B controls battles. Since it was Special Summoned by its effect, Gardna halves all battle damage Morningstar takes this turn and it cannot be destroyed by this battle (Morningstar: 2000→800 LP). Rosemary attacks Lancer, but Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Trapdoor. Since he has no cards in his hand and controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster in the Extra Monster Zone, Datastorm Dragon and Jasmine are sent to the GY and all monsters in the Main Monster Zone are changed to Defense Position. Bergamot and Rosemary are both changed to Defense Position. HAI-B ends its turn.

 **Turn 8: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He switches Cyspirit Lancer to Attack Position. Because Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Gardna: 1000→1300) (Hallowed Healer: 1000→1300) (Lancer: 1800→2100). He activates the effect of the Cyspirit Wanderer in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600→900/1/↙) from his GY. Morningstar uses Egregious Electrician, Gardna, and Hallowed Healer to Link Summon Cyspirit Quixotic Queen (2300→2600/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the Equip Spell Card Cyspirit Multiplier, equipping it to Quixotic Queen and letting it make 2 attacks against HAI-B's monsters. He then activates the effect of the Cyspirit Trapdoor in his GY, banishing it to destroy Aroma Garden.

Quixotic Queen attacks Bergamot. Since Quixotic Queen points to at least 1 monster and it is attacking a Defense Position monster, Morningstar can destroy that monster. Bergamot is destroyed. Quixotic Queen attacks Rosemary. Quixotic Queen's effect activates, destroying Rosemary. Lancer attacks HAI-B directly. Since a "Cyspirit" monster is attacking, Morningstar activates the effect of the Hallowed Healer in his GY, banishing it to increase the attacking "Cyspirit" monster's ATK by 1000 until the End Phase (Lancer: 2100→3100). The attack continues (HAI-B: 2700→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Strategist  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1600 DEF 100 Level: 4  
_ _If you control a "Cyspirit" monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only Special Summon "Cyspirit Strategist" once per turn this way. Once per turn: You can target 1 "Cyspirit" Normal Monster you control; until the end of this turn, that monster is treated as an Effect Monster. If this card is used as material for the Link Summon of a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: That Link Summoned monster's effects are negated until the End Phase._

 _ **Cyspirit Armorer  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1200 DEF 2000 Level: 6  
_ _If your opponent controls a Link Monster and you do not, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). Once per turn: You can target 1 Link Monster on the field and send this card to the GY; Special Summon a number of "Cyspirit Armor Tokens" (Cyberse/LIGHT/Level 2/ ATK 0/DEF 0) equal to the targeted Link Monster's Link Rating. You cannot Special Summon other monsters the turn you activate this effect, except for "Cyspirit" monsters. You can only control 1 "Cyspirit Armorer"._

 _ **Cyspirit Hallowed Healer  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 1000 LINK-1_ ↑  
 _1 Level 4 "Cyspirit" monster  
_ _Once per turn, if this card is co-linked with a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: you can gain LP equal to half the original ATK of the monster co-linked with this card. The turn you activate this effect, your opponent takes no effect damage. This card cannot declare an attack the turn you activate this effect. If a "Cyspirit" monster you control declares an attack, you can banish this card from your GY; the attacking "Cyspirit" monster gains 1000 ATK until the End Phase._

 _ **Cyspirit Quixotic Queen  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2300 LINK-3_ ↙↑↘  
 _2+ "Cyspirit" monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, at the start of the Damage Step: You can destroy that monster.  
_ _-2 or more: If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step.  
_ _-3: Once per turn, at the end of the Damage Step, if this card destroyed an opponent's monster by battle: you can target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy that card._

 _ **Cyspirit Twin Shield Equip Spell Card  
**_ _Destroy this card unless you control a "Cyspirit" monster. The equipped monster cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects twice per turn. If this card leaves the field, destroy the equipped monster._

 _ **Cyspirit Restoration Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Tribute 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster on your side of the field; gain LP equal to its Link Rating x 800. The turn you activate this effect, your opponent takes no effect damage. You can only activate "Cyspirit Restoration" once per turn._

 _ **Garden's Gift Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you have 2 or more "Aroma" monsters in your GY and control no monsters: draw 1 card; if the card is an "Aroma" monster, you can Special Summon it in Attack Position. If not, send it to the GY._

 _ **Cyspirit Trapdoor Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If your opponent's monster declares an attack while you have no cards in your hand and control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster in the Extra Monster Zone: send both monsters in the Extra Monster Zone to the GY and switch all monsters in the Main Monster Zones to Defense Position. You can banish this card from your GY; target and destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 19 – The Tower of Hanoi_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to HunterHQ, ZarcEternal, SoulMatter, ClearwingYuta, D3lph0xL0v3r, Ethan Kironus, sanedimentio, Guest, ThePLOThand, and Lindia Fullmoon for reviewing Chapter 17.

I already told Ethan this, but just in case there is any confusion, Thaumiel is male.

Before I answer Lindia Fullmoon, I want to say this: please limit yourself to one review per chapter. I like that it brings my count up, but it is a little irritating. But to answer your question about Morningstar having an Ignis… I won't. I'm still nailing down details at this stage. Spoilers.

Okay, this chapter takes place between Episodes 30 and 31. After Chapter 14, I wanted to write a Morningstar vs. Revolver duel, but considering the Tower of Hanoi arc and how it ended, I wasn't sure of where to put it. So I decided to have it here, and there technically was no winner because Prototype HAI-B took over so Revolver could duel Ghost Girl. Also, this gave me the chance to showcase my new favorite Morningstar combo: Winning Wrestler, Idealistic Idol, and Cyspirit Twin Shield. This combo was the reason I changed Winning Wrestler's effects, because if it had just 100 more attack points, Revolver would have lost. The fact that the combo inflicts so much damage is the reason why I had HAI-B use an Aroma Deck, as it is one of the best Decks at regaining Life Points.

There were two other major parts I want to talk about. The first is Masako and her father's files. Yes, Hitomu Hirai is the creator of the Cyspirit monsters, and there are two more on his computer. Those two will be revealed before the Tower of Hanoi arc ends, and I hope everyone will like them. It also mentions two new archetypes for Hidden Memories: Cyangels and Cydemons. Because of the pacing, neither archetype will make a physical appearance until season 2, which I am sorry about. What I will say is that like the Cyspirits, both archetypes will focus on Link Summoning, but not to the same degree as the Cyspirits.

The last thing I want to talk about: the code that Terminus and Revolver found in Morningstar's monsters. What is it about? You'll have to wait and find out.

Thank you for reading Chapter 18 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me what your favorite moment of the chapter was. Mine was the aforementioned Winning Wrestler-Idealistic Idol-Twin Shield combo.


	19. Chapter 19: The Tower of Hanoi

**Chapter 19: The Tower of Hanoi**

"What… what the hell is this?"

Yasutake stared at the monitors, shock overcoming every other emotion.

In the center of LINK VRAINS, a massive purple tower had appeared and connected to the sky. Its base was made of several purple tendrils, and a massive grey ring was forming around a purple sphere. That ring was absorbing the nearby buildings, converting them into data.

Cam scowled. "Everything in LINK VRAINS is being turned into data and absorbed by that thing."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes and hooked his Duel Disk up to the computer. "I scanned this thing before it was activated. Hopefully this data can give us a clue as to what this thing is and how to stop it."

Cam nodded. "I just hope it's worth it. For Emma's sake…"

Yasutake looked at Cam and frowned. "I know, Cam. I want Revolver to pay for what he did to her, too. But we have to stay focused. Getting angry right now won't help her."

Cam gave a small smile. "I didn't think I'd get this worried about her," Cam said. "Guess some people are harder to remove from your heart than you would think." He started typing, analyzing the information Yasutake scanned.

* * *

In the hospital room, Takeshi stared at the television. It showed the massive tower being constructed.

"Brother, what is that?"

Takeshi turned to look at the bed. Eiji was looking from Takeshi to the television and back.

Takeshi tried to give a reassuring smile. "I'm not sure, Eiji. We'll have to wait and see, I think." He turned back to the television and frowned. _But,_ he thought, _I'm certain this is the work of Hanoi. They're the only ones who could do something like this. Or_ would _do something like this._

Next to him, Katsumi also frowned at the television. "Don't worry, Eiji," she said. "Whatever that is, we'll know more soon." She reached out and took Takeshi's hand.

The three gasped when the camera panned to show some people running away. All of them turned red and broke into data.

"What… what was that?" Takeshi asked, his eyes wide.

Yasutake grit his teeth. "Damn it. Hanoi isn't just converting the environment into data. They're doing it to people's avatars."

"Brother, what's going to happen to those people?" Eiji asked Takeshi.

Takeshi didn't answer. He couldn't answer.

"K-Katsumi?" Eiji said, turning to the girl, who shook her head.

"I don't know, Eiji," she answered. "But… hopefully something can be done soon."

Takeshi gasped. Eiji and Katsumi turned and watched as one avatar tried to log out but failed. He then turned red and broke apart too.

"They can't even log out?" Takeshi said, clenching his fists. "Those… those…"

* * *

"Next on the news, SOL Technologies, manager of the VR space LINK VRAINS, held an emergency press conference to announce the shutdown of LINK VRAINS."

Masako scowled at the television. She and Tagoma had watched as… whatever that thing was… started destroying LINK VRAINS. But the cameras from inside LINK VRAINS had all shut down, leaving only the news.

"Is the Another incident happening again?" the anchor asked her co-host.

"Hmm, hard to tell," he replied. "SOL Technologies announced a shutdown, but people can still log into LINK VRAINS. Rumors say that they've lost control."

"That's a concern," his co-host said. _Of course it's a concern,_ Masako thought, her scowl deepening. _But do you have to say that with a straight face? You look like you just reported on the weather._ "We'll report any further details as we receive them. In other news…"

Tagoma muted the television. "Damn it," he said, scowling. "That thing is Hanoi's work, I know it."

"Of course it is," Masako said. "No one else can make something like that." _But… what is their endgame?_

* * *

"Ha!" Cam cheered. "The analysis is finished!" He and Yasutake looked at the data and gasped.

"This is…"

"That letter," Yasutake said. "The one from Terminus. He talked about something called 'the Tower.' And when Playmaker and I confronted Revolver, he said, 'The Tower of Hanoi has already activated.'"

"Tower of Hanoi?" Cam repeated, his eyes wide. "The puzzle game?"

Yasutake's eyes narrowed. "That game is based off an old myth involving an Indian temple. It has a large room with three poles and 64 discs. The priests of that temple have been moving those disks in accordance with a prophecy. According to that myth, when all the discs are on the last pole, the world will end. Revolver's making that myth a reality."

Cam turned back to the monitors. "Those rings substitute for discs," he said, frowning. "The central pillar extends from the underground reprocessing plant. The top is connected to the LINK VRAINS network. That sphere in the center of the pillar is the reprocessing plant's core. Since it has appeared, the core has continued to absorb the surrounding data. And the speed of absorption hasn't decreased."

"Hanoi built this using the reprocessing plant," Yasutake said.

"The data suggests that the tower will create six rings in total. One ring per hour."

"And what will happen when it's complete?" Yasutake asked, dreading the answer.

Cam frowned. "The core will release high density data to external networks. More than computers can withstand. All records and programs that are connected to those networks will be erased. Power plants, hospitals, public safety systems… they'll all shut down. If the Tower is complete, humanity will revert to an era when there were no computers."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes again. "What about systems not connected to the network? Revolver is doing this to destroy Playmaker's AI, right? He must have a way to ensure its destruction."

"He does," Cam responded. "The release of the high density data will spread to all major devices in a chain reaction. The resulting pulse will be magnified and transmitted."

"That means devices not connected to the network will also be destroyed," Yasutake said, finishing Cam's thoughts. "So it's like a worldwide EMP weapon."

Cam grit his teeth. "This… this is crazy. Revolver and Terminus will cause untold destruction just to destroy one AI? There's no telling how many people will be hurt or killed from this."

Yasutake grit his teeth and pressed some buttons. Soon, the feed from LINK VRAINS, which had been cut before, resumed.

"What?" Cam said in surprise. "You restored the feed? How?"

"I left a few inactive drones in LINK VRAINS a while ago," Yasutake responded. "To provide surveillance in case we needed it. I wasn't sure if I could activate them from the outside, but it looks like I can activate this one at least." The camera from the drone panned over LINK VRAINS. "There should be audio, too. With this, we can get a clearer picture of what's going on."

"I'm Kitamura, the one in charge of LINK VRAINS's security for SOL Technologies! I want to speak to the Knights of Hanoi's leader!"

Yasutake and Cam blinked. Yasutake rotated the drone so that it could locate the source of that voice. Sure enough, they soon found Kitamura on top of a rooftop, some distance from the Tower.

"Kitamura?" Cam said in surprise. "What's he doing in LINK VRAINS?"

"Is he challenging Hanoi himself?" Yasutake wondered. He had no idea of Kitamura's skills, but he imagined they wouldn't be enough.

Kitamura looked around as no one appeared. "I revealed my identity and came here!" he shouted. "I'm not here to negotiate! Or trap you! I just want to talk! Please answer me!"

"What do you want?"

Kitamura turned around at those words. Yasutake rotated the drone's camera so it showed the other person.

"Who are you?" Kitamura asked.

"I'm Revolver, leader of the Knights of Hanoi," Revolver said. Yasutake narrowed his eyes. Akira had known who Revolver was, but Kitamura didn't? He really was incompetent.

"Revolver?" Kitamura cleared his throat. "I'm Kitamura, SOL Technologies' security-."

"State your business," Revolver interrupted. "If it's garbage, I'll erase you."

"Please be garbage," Cam whispered. "Please be garbage." Yasutake gave Cam a look, then returned his attention to the screens.

"T-Take it easy," Kitamura said placatingly. "There's no one in LINK VRAINS, except for us. All news outlets have left, so no one is covering LINK VRAINS."

"So?"

"No one is listening to us," Kitamura said confidently. Cam couldn't help but snicker.

"So this will be a secret agreement just between us." Yasutake narrowed his eyes. What was Kitamura up to? Was he trying to bargain with Revolver?

"So?"

"I'll get right to the point." _About time_ , Yasutake thought. "Team up with me to rule LINK VRAINS."

Yasutake blinked then turned to Cam. "He… can't be serious. Can he?"

Cam scowled at the screen. "Kitamura doesn't have a sense of humor. And he's an incompetent coward who only cares about himself. He must be serious."

"I realize that you're in a superior position than me," Kitamura continued. "Because LINK VRAINS is currently in Hanoi's hands. But SOL Technologies won't remain silent. They'll do whatever it takes to regain control… But if I'm on your side, since I manage LINK VRAINS, your rule will be absolute. We can acquire a fortune if we work together."

 _The idiot,_ Yasutake thought, narrowing his eyes. He must not know what the Tower's true purpose was. Hanoi didn't want to control LINK VRAINS; they wanted to destroy it.

"I see," Revolver said, smiling. "How interesting." Yasutake blinked as Kitamura smiled. "But if you want to join us, we must test your abilities." Revolver turned around. "Handle this."

As Revolver walked into a portal, Kitamura said, "Hey! Where are you going?"

"I'm honored to meet you."

Yasutake gasped. He knew that voice. He reoriented the camera.

"Hello. My name is Spectre." Yasutake narrowed his eyes. He hadn't seen this Knight since he had dueled him.

"Spectre?" Kitamura asked.

"I'll test your abilities," Spectre said. "In a Master Duel."

"Master Duel?" Kitamura repeated.

"Yes." Spectre then turned and looked at Yasutake's drone. "But first, why don't we have some privacy?" The man snapped his fingers and the camera fizzled out.

"What the-?" Yasutake said, gritting his teeth as he pushed some buttons. "Damn it. The drone was destroyed."

Cam looked at Yasutake. "That was recorded, right?"

"Of course," Yasutake said, pulling the video up. "Why?"

"No reason," Cam said. "I just thought that if Kitamura somehow gets out of that, we might be able to blackmail him with that."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "You're eviler than I thought you were Cam."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cam scowled. "I honestly don't think much of Kitamura, but betraying SOL? I thought he would at least have some measure of loyalty to them."

"People reap what they sow," Yasutake said, scowling with Cam. "Bishop and the others put Kitamura in charge because they thought they could control him. But the man is so blinded by his own ego, he didn't even bother trying to find Hanoi. Instead he just dispatched AI duelists."

Yasutake started typing again. "I'll try to get the rest of my drones online. The Tower will have erased some, but I think I can find at least one."

After a minute, the video returned. "Is that one of your drones?" Cam asked.

Yasutake shook his head. "This is the news service. A few journalists must have remained." _Probably that Frog and Pigeon duo_ , he thought.

Yasutake's eyes widened at what he saw. Kitamura was still dueling Spectre, but it looked like the duel was over. One of Spectre's monsters – a green-cloaked and blue skinned warrior carrying a sword – charged Kitamura and slashed him. Kitamura fell onto his back as his Life Points hit 0.

Yasutake's eyes narrowed. "The feed was only off for a minute or so. He lost that easily?"

"Damn fool," Cam muttered.

Unfortunately, the camera was too far away to pick up on what Kitamura and Spectre were saying. They watched as Spectre walked up to Kitamura. Whatever they talked about, it didn't go well for Kitamura. Spectre snapped his fingers, then Kitamura turned red. Cam's and Yasutake's eyes widened as Kitamura broke apart into data.

"Damn," Cam whispered. "I know he deserved that, but _damn_."

Spectre then turned to the camera and spoke loud enough for them to hear. "This is a warning," he said. "Those who enter LINK VRAINS will end up the same as him. But if you don't care, feel free to come." The feed cut off after that.

Yasutake scowled at the screen.

"He's challenging Playmaker," Cam said.

"He's challenging anyone," Yasutake corrected. "More than that… that monster he used to defeat Kitamura wasn't a Machine monster. I didn't recognize it from our duel."

Cam looked at Yasutake. "You think he changed Decks?"

"Or he fought me with some kind of test Deck," Yasutake said, frowning. "He mentioned Revolver had made a card just to defeat me. I guess the Deck he used was made to accommodate it." After saying that, he stood up.

"You're going back in?" Cam said, his eyes wide.

"Not yet," Yasutake said. "There's something I have to do first."

* * *

Takeshi watched, his face grim as the feed cut out.

"Brother?"

He turned to look at Eiji. "It will be alright, won't it? Playmaker will stop Hanoi, won't he?"

Takeshi struggled to smile. "Yeah," he said. "He will. I know it."

 _And he won't be alone,_ Takeshi thought. Katsumi frowned at him, but before she could say anything, the door opened.

"We're sorry to interrupt," the doctor said. "But it's time for the operation."

"Ah. No worries," Takeshi said. He looked back at Eiji. "You ready?"

Eiji frowned. "I don't know. But… for you, brother, I'll go through with it. Will… will you be here, when I get back?"

Takeshi smiled warmly at his little brother. "Yes. I will. I promise."

He helped Eiji into a wheelchair, which the nurse pushed out of the door. Katsumi watched them go, then turned and frowned at Takeshi.

"You're going in, aren't you?"

Takeshi narrowed his eyes. "I have to, Katsumi. Not just because Hanoi has to be stopped; but to pay back Terminus." He looked at the television. "I know he gave my brother a second chance at life, but he used him against me. He manipulated me into doing his dirty work. If I don't repay him for that… then I won't be able to live with myself."

Katsumi closed her eyes and smiled. "I know," she said. "I love that part of you, Takeshi. But… be careful, please?"

Takeshi turned and smirked at her. "Who, me?"

Katsumi frowned at him. "I'm being serious, Takeshi."

Takeshi's smirk turned into a smile. "I know, Katsumi. Don't worry. I won't lose to Terminus." He held up his Duel Disk. "I just got a new card. A card that will render Terminus powerless."

"Is that so? Then… I'll give you some help, too." Katsumi rolled up her sleeve, revealing a Duel Disk. She pushed some buttons, which made Takeshi's Duel Disk beep. He looked at it and his eyes widened.

"Katsumi… you're giving me this?"

"You and I are the only duelists I know who can use it," Katsumi said, smiling at him. "Defeat Terminus and come back. You made a promise to Eiji, after all."

"I know. And I'll make one to you, as well." Takeshi brought his fist to his chest. "I promise you, Katsumi. I will return!"

* * *

Masako stood up from the couch and picked up her Duel Disk from the table.

Tagoma turned to her with wide eyes. "What are you doing? You're not actually thinking of going to LINK VRAINS?"

"Yes, I am," Masako replied, pressing some buttons.

"But… this isn't our fight. Don't you remember what happened in your duel with Terminus?"

"Yes, I do," Masako said, looking at Tagoma. "That's why I have to go. I have to get revenge for him defeating me. More than that, I owe Morningstar a debt for saving me. This is how I'll repay him."

Tagoma scowled at her. "If you lose, you'll become part of that thing. Like all those other people."

Masako smirked. "No risk, no reward, right? That's what you always said before."

Tagoma struggled with himself then sighed. "Alright. I'll let you go. But first…" He brought out his own Duel Disk and pushed some buttons. Masako looked at her Duel Disk and her eyes widened.

"This is-."

"Your birthday present this year," Tagoma said. "I was planning on waiting, but I think you'll need it now more than ever."

Masako smiled. "Thank you, Tagoma. But I'll need more than this." She picked up her father's laptop and connected her Duel Disk to it.

"What are you doing?"

"Downloading the two Cyspirit monsters that are on this," she answered. "We'll need every advantage we can get, and if Morningstar has these two cards, he'll be unstoppable."

Tagoma scowled then sighed. "You're going to give those to him for free, aren't you?"

"If you want, I can ask him to owe us a favor in return."

"…That would be useful. Having LINK VRAINS's best bounty hunter owe us works for me."

* * *

Yasutake walked into Sachi's room and sat in the chair. She was currently on her bed, her arms wrapped around her legs. She was awake, but her dull eyes stared out into nothing.

Yasutake remembered when she had spoken to him. _Yasu is my friend_. She had woken up from nightmares since then, but it had happened less frequently. And every time it happened, either Cam or Yasutake had been here, saying three things to her to calm her down.

"Hey, Sachi." She didn't respond to him. While she seemed calmer than ever before, she still didn't talk to him or Cam. "I want you to know something. I'm… going to be doing something dangerous. Something potentially life-threatening. But… it's something I have to do."

He was silent in thought, then said, "I know who was responsible for what happened to us. The Lost Incident. I know who was responsible. And they're threatening more than just us now."

He narrowed his eyes. "One: the Knights of Hanoi are responsible for what happened to us. I'll hunt them down and get justice for us. Two: they are threatening all of LINK VRAINS with their next plan. I won't let them succeed. Three." On the last one, his voice became gentler. "I will defeat them. All of them. And I'll come back to you and Cam. You and Cam… are the people I care about most in this world."

They sat in silence for a minute, then Yasutake stood up. He turned to leave and opened the door.

"Yasu will win."

He stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at Sachi. She hadn't moved and her eyes hadn't changed, but there was no mistaking her mouth moving.

"Yasu… will win. Yasu always wins. No matter what… I have faith in Yasu."

She closed her eyes and tucked her head in. Yasutake felt something on his cheek. Reaching up, he wiped away a tear. He turned around and walked out the door.

* * *

Cam looked up as Yasutake walked in. "Hey. We have another problem."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, a voice came from the computers. "Morningstar."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "Bishop," he said. "This isn't a good time."

"I am aware. You are watching what is happening in LINK VRAINS?"

"The Tower of Hanoi? Yes, I'm seeing it."

"If that thing is not shut down in six hours, the world's network will collapse."

"I also know that."

There was silence for a bit before Bishop said, "Do you remember the last time I called?"

"Yes. You called offering me a job to capture Playmaker's AI. For twice my usual rate."

"I'm offering you another bounty," Bishop said. "Shut the Tower down. Defeat the Knights of Hanoi. I'll offer you three times your usual rate."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "That's very generous of you. I assume there's a catch."

"Not on this bounty, no," Bishop said. "But there is one on the Playmaker bounty."

"And that is…?"

"My colleagues have lost patience with you," Bishop said. "As have I in this regard. After this crisis is over, we'll be making a general announcement. A public bounty on Playmaker's head."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes again. "That will only make my job harder," he said. "These things take time. It will take even more if I'm tripping over amateurs."

"The people Knight and Rook have been in contact with are not amateurs. I assume you remember Blood Shepherd?"

"I've been trying to forget him, actually. You're saying they're bringing _him_ on?"

"It's only talk at this point, but they'll hire him eventually. Along with others. The only reason I am giving you an advanced warning is so you can hunt Playmaker down before Blood Shepherd and other bounty hunters like him arrive. If you acquire Playmaker's AI before we make the announcement, we'll gladly pay you the public amount."

"Which is…?"

"Five times larger than what I was offering you before."

Yasutake whistled and pretended to think it over. "Alright, Bishop. Once the Tower has collapsed, I'll resume the hunt. And I'll retrieve that AI."

"I know you will, Morningstar," Bishop said. He ended the call after that.

Cam looked at Yasutake. "Are you really going to do this, Yasu? I was starting to think of Fujiki and Kusanagi as friends."

"So was I," Yasutake said. "But I accepted a contract for Ai. My hunter's honor obliges me to complete it. And if I can retrieve Ai, that means Fujiki won't have to deal with people like Blood Shepherd." He shuddered thinking of that man. While some bounty hunters like himself and Emma had some standards, all Blood Shepherd cared about was money. Even Yasutake, who was a better duelist and hunter than him, didn't want to face him.

"But that's a secondary concern." Yasutake looked at the screens showing the Tower. "Playmaker will try to stop the Tower. And I'm going to help him."

Cam frowned. "Since the core absorbed the data material, there are no Data Storms in LINK VRAINS, except near the Tower. You'll have to go in on foot."

"I'll still go," Yasutake said, narrowing his eyes. "Terminus is there. I know he is. And he has the answers Playmaker and I are searching for."

 _Maybe that's what I've been searching for all this time. For answers to bring peace to myself and Sachi._

Yasutake headed for the sealed room, but Cam grabbed his sleeve. "Wait. There's something you should take with you." Cam took a small disc and inserted it into Yasutake's Duel Disk. Looking at the screen, Yasutake raised an eyebrow.

"This is the anti-purge program?"

"Yeah," Cam said, nodding. "I made a few slight modifications. It should keep someone from being turned into data. It will only work once, so be careful. If only I'd finished it in time for Emma…"

Yasutake clenched his fist and looked Cam in the eye. "I'll bring her back, Cam," he said. "We both have our issues with her, but she was a friend in the past. And she didn't deserve what happened to her."

Cam nodded. "Agreed. Bring her back. Then I can yell at her for losing in person." Yasutake smiled and turned around.

Yasutake entered the sealed room and, taking out his Deck, inserted it into his Duel Disk. "Deck set!"

Masako, Takeshi, and Yasutake all shouted, "Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

As Morningstar descended into LINK VRAINS, he noticed a familiar figure and smirked. "Hello, Playmaker!"

Playmaker looked up as Morningstar landed next to him.

"I expected to find you here."

"Playmaker!" The two turned to the left.

"Go Onizuka!" Playmaker said with surprise as the man ran towards them.

"Hey! Over there!" Ai said, pointing to the right. They turned as Blue Angel walked up to them.

"So you three came too," she said.

"Not just them."

The three turned as Galahad came, walking up from behind Playmaker.

"Why are you here?" Playmaker asked all of them.

"That's what I was going to say," Go said. "Especially you, Blue Angel. I thought you only fought for yourself."

"Lay off her, Go," Galahad said.

"It's alright, Galahad," Blue Angel said, before turning to Go. "I learned something from my duels. When people believe in you, you're fighting for everyone. So Blue Angel fights for everyone from now on!"

"I'm the same," Go said. "I'm LINK VRAINS's hero, so it's my mission to protect this place!"

"Always full of energy," Ai commented.

Go looked at the AI. "So that's Ignis, the special AI."

"I have a wonderful name, you know! Ai! Call me Master Ai from now on! Actually, Lord Ai! No, Professor Ai! No, Aiai!"

"What an arrogant AI."

The five turned as a new figure came around the corner.

"A pity a loud mouth isn't all that's needed to win duels," Lilith said, looking at Ai with a bored expression. "Otherwise we could just leave this whole thing to you and Playmaker."

"Eh?" Ai said. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Her name is Lilith," Morningstar answered. "She's a bounty hunter like me."

"A bounty hunter?" Go said, his disgust evident. "So you're here to make money?"

"Go easy on her," Galahad said. "I've met her before. She's no friend of Hanoi."

Lilith looked at Galahad and smirked. "Who are you again?"

Galahad fell over, then stood up again. "What do you mean by that!? We met before, didn't we!? I'm Galahad, the 4th best duelist in all of LINK VRAINS!"

"Oh, now I remember you. But I thought you were the 5th best? Did someone retire?"

"Why you-!"

"Playmaker," Blue Angel said, interrupting Galahad's tirade. "Why are you here?"

"For three reasons," Playmaker responded. "One: I'll stop the Tower of Hanoi that's causing this. Two: I'll rescue Ghost Girl, who gave me info about that tower. And three: I must end it with the person behind this incident."

Blue Angel's eyes widened. "Something happened to Ghost Girl?"

"Yeah. Revolver, the Knights of Hanoi's leader, defeated her. She was turned into data and absorbed into the core."

"No way," Blue Angel said, covering her mouth. Galahad and Lilith just scowled.

"She gave you info about the tower?" Go asked. "What info?"

Playmaker pointed at the Tower. "Revolver will use that Tower of Hanoi to execute a terrifying plan."

"What plan?"

"To destroy the entire network," Morningstar answered.

"What?" Go said in shock.

"That's impossible," Blue Angel said.

"Not impossible." Everyone turned to Lilith. "I met someone who tried something similar once. They were only able to shut a portion of the network down for a time, but…" She looked at the Tower. "That person's code was far inferior to whatever that thing is."

"When the Tower of Hanoi is complete," Playmaker said. "It will erase all information on the network."

"But," Blue Angel said. "If that happens, won't it erase the consciousnesses of Ghost Girl and everyone who was absorbed?"

"Exactly. That's why I must stop it before it activates."

"And I don't want to be erased either," Ai interjected.

"But how can it be stopped?" Go asked.

"By defeating Revolver," Playmaker answered.

"Not just him," Morningstar said. "There is another Knight with him. A man named Terminus. Undoubtedly, he's at the Tower too." Galahad narrowed his eyes on hearing that.

"The time limit is six hours," Ai said.

"Six hours!" Blue Angel, Galahad, Go, and Lilith said in surprise.

"Or the Tower of Hanoi will be completed," Ai finished.

Playmaker looked at the Tower. "Revolver is waiting at the Tower of Hanoi. And I will end it with him!"

"And so is Terminus," Morningstar said. "I have my own business with him to finish."

Go raised a fist. "I'm going too!"

"Me too!" Blue Angel.

"Don't leave me out!" Galahad said.

"No, go home," Playmaker said. "It's too dangerous."

Blue Angel smiled. "I knew you'd say that."

"After hearing this, I can't go home," Go said. "It's my duty to protect the children's futures, dreams and hopes!"

"I feel the same," Blue Angel said. "We must rescue Ghost Girl too!"

"Not just her!" Galahad said. "Many innocent people were caught in that thing. We have to save them too!"

Lilith sighed. "I don't know about saving or protecting people. But if that thing is completed, I'll be out of a job. That would be annoying to deal with."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes at Playmaker. "They aren't changing their minds, Playmaker. And neither am I. I will confront Terminus again. And I will defeat him."

Playmaker stared at Morningstar for a while then closed his eyes. "Do whatever you want," he said to all of them.

"Belligerent as always," Ai said.

"Among the six of us, one of us must defeat Revolver and Terminus!" Blue Angel said.

"Be careful, all of you," Playmaker said. "According to Ghost Girl, Revolver has a terrifying card."

They all nodded in response.

"Let's meet again if we're still alive," Blue Angel said.

"And celebrate our victory," Galahad added. "I know a great cyber café around here somewhere. Though, it might have turned into data by now…"

"Good luck," Go said.

"See ya!" Ai said.

Blue Angel, Go, and Playmaker all turned and ran down the streets. Galahad and Lilith made to follow them, but Morningstar stopped them.

"Galahad, Lilith," he said, making the two turn to him. "I have to know. Why are the two of you here?"

Galahad smiled. "What other reason? To protect this place! I can't entertain a crowd from the real world!"

Morningstar frowned at him. "You're here for Terminus too, aren't you?"

Galahad sighed. "Yes, I am. He used my brother against me and forced me to duel you. I can't forgive such an act." He narrowed his eyes. "I know you have your own business with Terminus, Morningstar. But so do I. And if I get to him first, I will defeat him."

Morningstar looked at Galahad then turned to Lilith. "And you? I assume you want revenge for what Terminus did to you?"

Lilith scowled at him. "Of course," she said. "I'm not like you, Playmaker, or this fool and his Charisma Duelist pals."

"Eh?" Galahad said, his anger evident. "Who are you calling-!?"

"I have to be realistic," Lilith said, ignoring Galahad. "I can't concern myself with fancy ideals or right and wrong. But… I can repay my debts. And I owe Terminus for what he did to me. And… I owe you for saving me, Morningstar."

"I was going to duel Terminus anyway, Lilith," Morningstar said. "You don't owe me anything."

"You saying that doesn't change things," Lilith said, raising her Duel Disk. "You may feel differently, but I pay what I owe. That's why I'm giving you these."

Morningstar raised an eyebrow as she took some cards from her Duel Disk and held them out to him. He took them and looked at them.

His eyes widened in shock. "These-."

"Yes," Lilith interrupted. "I can't tell you where I got them, but I figure these will help you defeat Terminus. You can owe me a favor in return."

Morningstar thought about it, then pressed a button on his Duel Disk. A golden sphere appeared, which he offered to Lilith.

She raised an eyebrow. "This is…?"

"Something for you to blackmail Kitamura with when this is over," he said. "I'm assuming he didn't pay you for dueling me. You can force him to with this."

"Oh?" Lilith smirked at hearing that. "That does sound good. Alright. Our debts are paid."

"You two are horrible," Galahad said. "You're openly talking about blackmailing the security manager of SOL Technologies. And who just became part of that monstrosity."

"That's the benefit of being a bounty hunter, Galahad," Lilith said, smiling cutely at the Charisma Duelist. "We can be honest about how the people we take jobs from are scumbags."

"Don't say that with that kind of cute voice! And stop smiling at me like that!"

"Enough!" Morningstar said sharply. "We've wasted enough time as it is. Let's go!"

"Right!"

The three turned and headed down different roads. Galahad followed the same road as Go and Morningstar went after Playmaker. Lilith, on the other hand, took a different path than Blue Angel.

Lilith sighed as she ran. "Honestly," she said. "Morningstar and Playmaker are one thing; at least those two have a sense of realism. But dealing with Charisma Duelists… what have I gotten myself into?"

"If you're getting cold feet, little girl, you can always log out," Tagoma said into her earpiece. Lilith narrowed her eyes. His voice sounded scratchy.

"Tagoma, I'm hearing some interference. Is that on your end?"

"No. The Tower appears to be emitting some kind of signal that's disrupting communications. The closer you get to it, the worse our connection will be."

"Great."

Lilith continued to run, but when she reached an intersection, she gasped then scowled.

"Whoever's there, come out," she said. "I know you're hiding."

"…Well, well… You have gotten stronger, Lilith."

Lilith gasped as a person rounded a corner and came into view. He wore mostly white robes, with purple lines running up the arms and legs. Golden boots and gloves covered his hands and feet, and a gold and white mask covered his face.

Lilith narrowed her eyes. That tone he used… "Do I know you?" she asked. "I'm certain I haven't seen you before."

The man chuckled. "Well, that is just hurtful, Lilith. I honestly thought it wouldn't matter what avatar I used; you would always recognize me. After all, I can never forget you… Masako."

Lilith's eyes widened. He knew her real name? But that was impossible! Only one other person besides Tagoma knew she was Lilith and… no. It couldn't be.

"Who…," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Who are you?"

He chuckled again as he reached up and took his mask off, revealing his face. His skin was very pale, with sunken brown eyes. Long, shaggy black hair went down to his collarbone. A long scar went across his left cheek up towards his forehead.

Lilith started shaking. No. This was impossible. Someone had to mimicking him. But that scar… she would always remember it. She had been the one to give it to him. And only he could recreate it so vividly.

"Issei?" she said, her horror evident. "Issei Kamakura?"

The man laughed as he put his mask back on. "I go by Thaumiel now," he said. "I had to change avatars after you defeated me."

"Kamakura?" Tagoma said, shock and surprise evident in his voice. "That's… that's not possible! He's supposed to be in jail!"

"How?" Lilith asked, her eyes wide. "How are you here? You were sent to prison for what you did in Osaka!"

"You mean for what _you_ did in Osaka," Thaumiel corrected her. "I would have gotten away clean if you hadn't insisted on restarting the systems." Thaumiel shook his head. "I thought we had something special. But I try to have a little fun, and not only do you object, you throw me to the wolves. But to answer your question, I escaped. Took me longer than I thought it would, but now I'm here."

Thaumiel's voice lowered. "I've waited for my chance to get revenge on you for what you did to me, Masako. I didn't reveal your identity to anyone because I wanted to be the one to make you suffer. And now, Terminus has given me that chance."

"Terminus? So you're with the Knights of Hanoi now?"

Thaumiel seemed to consider that. "I don't know if 'with' is the right word. I haven't joined them officially or anything. In fact, I can tell Revolver and Terminus don't like me. They think I should be back in prison. But I don't care about that. I care about what the Tower will do."

"You mean shut down every computer in the world?"

Thaumiel laughed. "Oh, it will do more than that. Untold chaos, destruction… it will be beautiful. The greatest cybercrime in all of history, and my name will be attached to it." His voice lowered. "The fact I can get revenge on you at the same time is merely a side benefit. But a very good one."

"People will die, Issei," Lilith said, her voice low. "If that thing is finished, thousands of people all over the world will die."

"Yes," Thaumiel said. "And it will be beautiful. That's why I can't have you interfere like you did back in Osaka. I can't have you spoiling my fun again."

Lilith grit her teeth. "You're challenging me to a duel? What will happen if I lose?"

"You'll become part of the Tower," he said casually. "Just like that foolish Ghost Girl. But don't feel too worried about it. Your new friends, especially Morningstar, will be joining you soon enough."

"Be careful, Masako," Tagoma said. "Kamakura's insane, but he's dangerous."

Lilith knew that all too well. Thaumiel was perhaps the most dangerous opponent she had ever faced. Morningstar and Terminus were likely better duelists than him, but both of them had moral codes that held them in check. Thaumiel had no such restraint.

"I defeated you once before, Iss-, no, Thaumiel," Lilith said, correcting herself. "I can do it again."

"I've become far stronger than the last time we fought," Thaumiel said, smirking beneath his mask. "I'll defeat you in a Master Duel!"

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Lilith: 4000 LP**

 **Thaumiel: 4000 LP**

Looking at his cards, Thaumiel laughed. "I shall go first. Let me show you my new power!" He selected two cards in his hand. "With the Scale 1 Qliphort Monolith and the Scale 9 Qliphort Scout, I set the Pendulum Scale!"

Lilith's eyes widened with surprise. "Pendulum!?" she repeated.

On either end of Thaumiel's field, two pillars of light appeared. In the pillar on his right, a massive stone tablet with a blue crystal in the center and red lines across it appeared. In the pillar on his left, a large green and yellow spaceship with a green crystal in the center appeared.

 **Qliphort Monolith Scale 1**

 **Qliphort Scout Scale 9**

"This… this can't be," Lilith said, her eyes wide. While Pendulum monsters had been popular before, the release of Link Monsters, the change to the Master Rules, and the relocation of the Pendulum Zones, had hit them hard. So hard that it was rare to see a Pendulum Monster in the online card shops, let alone in a duel.

Thaumiel laughed at the expression on Lilith's face. "Because you betrayed me, my hatred and desire for revenge made me grow stronger. And this is the result of your betrayal." He gestured to the pillar on his left. "Qliphort Scout's Pendulum effect! Once per turn, I can pay 800 Life Points to add one 'Qli' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Qliphort Disk from my Deck to my hand." Thaumiel didn't react as his Life Points took a hit.

 **Thaumiel: 4000→3200 LP**

"And now it's time." Thaumiel spread his arms wide. "With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 8 at the same time!" he shouted. "Come forth! My servants! Qliphort Shell and Qliphort Stealth!"

A portal opened between the pillars, out of which two lights emerged. The lights hit his field and then dissipated, revealing two monsters. The first looked like a green and grey top, with several spikes on the edges. The second was a transparent fighter, with only a central jewel visible. Both were summoned in Attack Position.

 **Qliphort Shell ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8 PS: 9**

 **Qliphort Stealth ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8 PS: 1**

"Two monsters with high attack at once," Lilith muttered.

"Shell's and Stealth's effects activate!" Thaumiel declared. "As they were Special Summoned, their Levels become 4 and their original attack points become 1800!"

 **Qliphort Shell ATK 2800→1800 LVL: 8→4**

 **Qliphort Stealth ATK 2800→1800 LVL: 8→4**

Lilith gasped. "Why would you intentionally weaken your monsters?"

"Because they won't remain for long," Thaumiel responded, then gestured to his field. "I Tribute Shell and Stealth to Tribute Summon Qliphort Disk!" Both monsters disappeared as a monster that resembled a rainbow-colored UFO appeared on Thaumiel's field.

 **Qliphort Disk ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 7 PS: 1**

"Qliphort Disk's monster effect!" Thaumiel declared. "If it is Tribute Summoned by Tributing a 'Qli' monster, I can Special Summon two 'Qli' monsters from my Deck! Come to me, Qliphort Carrier and Qliphort Helix!"

A large white monster white orange lines that resembled an aircraft carrier appeared on Thaumiel's field. Alongside it was a monster that resembled a boat attached to spiral gold and silver bands. Both were summoned in Attack Position.

 **Qliphort Carrier ATK 2400 DEF 1000 LVL: 6 PS: 1**

 **Qliphort Helix ATK 2400 DEF 1000 LVL: 6 PS: 9**

"And just like Shell and Stealth, since Carrier and Helix were Special Summoned, their Levels become 4 and their original attack points become 1800."

 **Qliphort Carrier ATK 2400→1800 LVL: 6→4**

 **Qliphort Helix ATK 2400→1800 LVL: 6→4**

Thaumiel chuckled. "As impressive as my monsters are, they are but the opening act. It is time for my ace monster to take center stage!" He gestured upwards as his hand glowed blue. "Appear! The circuit of the ancient machine!" The Link portal appeared high in the sky above him.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Machine monsters! I set Qliphort Carrier and Qliphort Helix in the Link Markers!" Carrier and Helix became orange and silver whirlwinds of energy, respectively. The whirlwinds entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red. The portal glowed with energy as Thaumiel continued.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Qliphort Genius!"

The monster that appeared resembled the jewel that had been visible on Qliphort Stealth, but there was no light in it. The sphere in the center of it broke apart, revealing a figure made of shadows that emerged from it. The entire jewel seemed to radiate darkness as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Qliphort Genius ATK 1800 LINK-2** ↙↘

Lilith grit her teeth. "So this is your Link Monster," she said.

Thaumiel laughed. "Genius is unaffected by Spell and Trap effects," he said. "And the activated effects of other Link Monsters. Furthermore, Disk is unaffected by the activated effects from any monster whose original Level or Rank is lower than its current Level. I Set one card and end my turn."

Thaumiel then gestured to the pillar on his right. "The Pendulum effect of Qliphort Monolith activates! During the End Phase of my turn, if I Tribute Summoned, I can draw cards equal to the number of 'Qli' monsters I Tributed. I Tributed two, so I draw two cards."

Thaumiel drew, then laughed again. "This… this is the new power I have acquired, Lilith." He clenched his fist in front of him. "Prepare yourself, my old friend. For soon, you shall experience my vengeance!"

* * *

 **Lilith vs. Thaumiel**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Thaumiel**

Thaumiel activates the Scale 1 Qliphort Monolith and the Scale 9 Qliphort Scout in his Pendulum Zones. Thaumiel activates the effect of the Qliphort Scout in the Pendulum Zone, paying 800 LP to add 1 "Qli" card from his Deck to his hand (Thaumiel: 4000→3200 LP). He adds Qliphort Disk from his Deck to his hand. Thaumiel Pendulum Summons Qliphort Shell (2800/1000/8/9) and Qliphort Stealth (2800/1000/8/1) in Attack Position. Because Shell and Stealth were Special Summoned, their Levels become 4 and their original ATK becomes 1800 (Shell: 2800→1800/9→4) (Stealth: 2800→1800/1→4). Thaumiel Tributes Shell and Stealth to Tribute Summon Qliphort Disk (2800/1000/7/1). Since Disk was Tribute Summoned, Thaumiel can Special Summon 2 "Qli" monsters from his Deck, but they are destroyed during the End Phase. He Special Summons Qliphort Carrier (2400/1000/6/1) and Qliphort Helix (2400/1000/6/9) from his Deck in Attack Position. Because Carrier and Helix were Special Summoned, their Levels become 4 and their original ATK becomes 1800 (Carrier: 2400→1800/6→4) (Helix: 2400→1800/6→4). Thaumiel uses Carrier and Helix to Link Summon Qliphort Genius (1800/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Thaumiel Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, since he Tribute Summoned this turn, the effect of Monolith lets him draw cards equal to the number of "Qli" monsters he Tributed for Tribute Summons this turn. He draws 2 cards.

This duel will continue…

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 20 – An Old Score_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to D3lph0xL0v3r, HunterHQ, sanedimentio, Guest, Aira Aura, ClearwingYuta, Lindia Fullmoon, Guest, Guest, GreenD109, and ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapter 18 of Hidden Memories.

To answer HunterHQ, I have not decided if Morningstar will use the other summoning methods. All the Cyspirit Extra Deck monsters he owns are Link Monsters, so either new ones will have to be made, or they'll be of a different archetype.

On sanedimentio's question about banned/limited Cyspirits, I would definitely agree to Mad Mongrel and Neo Nova at least getting limited. I would also see Necrocoding, Cacophonic Caller (since the only limit is Level 4 or lower), and possibly Winning Wrestler getting limited or semi-limited.

Both Guest reviews provided some interesting ideas, but I won't respond them to keep myself from giving away spoilers. But I am glad there is interest in Sachi. I'm looking forward to developing her character.

Okay, this chapter is officially the shortest chapter I've ever written, but I think that's to be expected; previous chapters have covered one or more episodes or had long duels. This chapter only has the first turn of a duel, like Episode 32. The rest of the duel will be in Chapter 20. Also, starting with this chapter, this duel, and the next three, will take place over two chapters each.

In this chapter, we saw the Tower rise and everyone gather to face it. Galahad, Lilith, and Morningstar have joined Playmaker and his allies to destroy the Tower, and while Galahad does have some noble reasons, all three are essentially there for Terminus. Lilith also gave Morningstar the last two Cyspirit Link Monsters, and she received a new card from Tagoma. Galahad also got a card from Katsumi, which I hope everyone will like when it shows up.

We also have the reveal of Thaumiel's Deck, and it is the Qliphort Pendulum archetype. The Qliphort archetype was suggested by sanedimentio, but the man himself, including his real life name Issei Kamakura, was created by ThePLOThand. A huge thank you to him, as well as letting me work out his personality and backstory.

I just want to say this about Thaumiel's character. You might think he is like Spectre; a character with a tragic past who became a monster. Someone who, even if they are despicable, you can understand how they got there. Thaumiel is not that kind of character.

Thaumiel is the kind of character who takes pleasure in causing as much pain and suffering as possible because he can. I am not writing him to be sympathetic or tragic. I am writing him to be the vilest person I can possibly create. The kind of character you hope will lose in the biggest way possible. It might make a bit flat compared to other villains lime Revolver or Terminus, but I really wanted a truly evil character, and that person is Thaumiel.

Thank you for reading Chapter 19 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me whose goodbye you liked the most: Takeshi's, Masako's, or Yasutake's?


	20. Chapter 20: An Old Score

**Update**

I've made changes to Thrilled Tunneler's effect. Now, when it attacks directly, instead of dealing halved damage, its attack points are halved until the End Phase. The reason why will become evident in Chapter 21.

* * *

 **Chapter 20: An Old Score**

 _2 years ago…_

Masako waited in line for her coffee. She liked little cafés like this; they always had an atmosphere of comfort, which was something rare for her since her parents' murder.

She got her coffee and turned to head to the table Tagoma had reserved but bumped into someone else.

"Oh, sorry," she said, looking at the man she'd bumped into.

"No worries," he said, smiling at her. He had pale skin and chin-length black hair. Brown eyes looked Masako up and down. If she had to guess, he was probably 16 or so. "It's my fault for not looking where I was going." He turned and headed over to a table by himself.

Masako watched him leave, then headed over to Tagoma's spot. He was looking at her through half-lidded eyes.

"Who's your new friend?" he asked her. Masako rolled her eyes at him as she sat down next to him.

"I just met him. Don't look too much into it."

"Excuse me."

The two looked up. The guy had come back and was standing in front of them. "Could we talk some more?" he asked Masako. "I… would like to know you better."

Masako raised an eyebrow. She didn't see a problem with that. She liked attention. "Okay, but why? We just bumped into each other."

The youth smiled at her. "I found myself entranced by your eyes. There's… an intensity in them. One I find attractive."

Masako found herself smiling. This man was charming, no doubt about it. Ignoring Tagoma's warning look, she said, "Sure, we can talk. I'm Masako Himura. What's your name?"

The man's smile became wider. "Issei Kamakura. A pleasure to meet you."

* * *

 _Present day…_

Lilith looked out over the field and read the current situation.

 **Lilith: 4000 LP**

 **Thaumiel: 3200 LP**

Thaumiel had a jewel-shaped monster in his Extra Monster Zone. A shadow emerged from the center of the jewel and enshrouded it in darkness. Behind it was a monster shaped like a flying saucer with rainbow light emanating from it. Both were in Attack Position.

 **Qliphort Genius ATK 1600 LINK-2** ↙↘

 **Qliphort Disk ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 7 PS: 1**

In his Spell & Trap Card Zones, there was a Set card, and two pillars of light on either end of his field. In the pillar on Thaumiel's right, there was a stone tablet with a blue crystal in the center. In the left pillar, there was a green and yellow spaceship with a green crystal in the center.

 **Qliphort Monolith Scale 1**

 **Qliphort Scout Scale 9**

"My turn! Draw!" Lilith looked at her cards and chose one. "I summon Magical Musketeer Kidbrave!" A young blonde man in a cowboy's outfit carrying a revolver appeared on her field.

 **Magical Musketeer Kidbrave ATK 1600 DEF 200 LVL: 3**

Thaumiel chuckled. "I remember your Magical Musket monsters. They let you activate 'Magical Musket' Spell and Trap Cards from your hand, yes?"

"And I can do so during either player's turn," Lilith said. "I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon. This lets me perform a second Normal Summon or Set this turn. But that's not all it does." She gestured to her monster. "Kidbrave's monster effect! Since a Spell or Trap Card was activated in its column, I can discard a 'Magical Musket' card and then draw two cards."

Lilith did so, then said, "Thanks to Double Summon, I summon Magical Musketeer Calamity!" A woman with short red and white hair wearing skintight brown leather appeared, carrying a rocket launcher.

 **Magical Musketeer Calamity ATK 1500 DEF 1300 LVL: 4**

Thaumiel laughed again. "You based your avatar off this monster, didn't you? How lazy of you."

"Calamity is a powerful woman," Lilith said. "And I'm even stronger." She selected another card in her hand. "I activate the Continuous Trap Card Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal! With this card in play, 'Magical Musket' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by card effects." She then gestured to her field. "Calamity's monster effect! Since a Spell or Trap Card was activated in its column, I can Special Summon a 'Magical Musket' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position."

"I see," Thaumiel said, nodding. "That card you discarded with Kidbrave's effect was a monster card, wasn't it?"

Lilith ignored him and said, "Return to me, Magical Musketeer Caspar!" A young man in a red coat with wild blonde hair carrying a large pistol appeared on Lilith's field, summoned in Defense Position.

 **Magical Musketeer Caspar ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3**

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Steady Hands!" Lilith declared. "And I'll target Kidbrave with it. Steady Hands now doubles Kidbrave's attack and defense points until the End Phase!"

 **Magical Musketeer Kidbrave ATK 1600→3200 DEF 200→400**

"Caspar's monster effect! Since a Spell or Trap Card was activated in its column, I can add a 'Magical Musket' card from my Deck to my hand, so long as it has a different name than the activated card."

Lilith took the card from her Deck and showed it to Thaumiel. "And I'll activate the card I just added. The Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Cross-Domination! Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, this card lets me change the attack and defense points of one monster on the field to 0 and negate its effects until the end of the turn."

Thaumiel laughed. "Have you forgotten? Since Genius was Link Summoned, it is unaffected by Spell and Trap Cards!"

"Your Link Monster might be, but your other monster isn't! I'll change Disk's attack and defense points to 0!"

 **Qliphort Disk ATK 2800→0 DEF 1000→0**

"Tch." Thaumiel grit his teeth. "So this is what you're going for. You aim to take Disk out with Kidbrave?"

"Yes," Lilith said. "I'm ending this right now, Thaumiel!" She gestured to the field. "Battle! Kidbrave, attack Qliphort Disk! Fourth Bullet!" Kidbrave aimed its revolver at Disk and fired a blast of yellow energy.

Thaumiel laughed. "Did you think it would be that easy?" He gestured to his own field. "Counter Trap activate! Negate Attack!"

"What?"

A barrier appeared in front of Disk and blocked Kidbrave's attack. "Negate Attack, like the name says, negates your attack," Thaumiel said. "Not only that, but it ends your Battle Phase. Did you really think I would let you win so easily?"

Lilith grit her teeth and looked at her hand. There were two Spell Cards in her hand. One was useless right now, but the other…

Lilith narrowed her eyes and remembered her duel with Terminus. He had exploited her Deck's major weakness in that it required a face-up Magical Musket monster in order to work. Issei was smart enough to know that. Even if he wasn't, there was no shame in being cautious.

"I Set one card," Lilith said. "I end my turn. And the attack and defense points of Kidbrave and Disk return to normal."

 **Magical Musketeer Kidbrave ATK 3200→1600 DEF 400→200**

 **Qliphort Disk ATK 0→2800 DEF 0→1000**

"Oh?" Thaumiel said. "A face-down card? That's not like you, Lilith. You must have learned a few lessons since our time together." He chuckled lightly. "Nevertheless, your efforts will amount to nothing. My turn! Draw!"

* * *

Morningstar ran down the street. "Cam, can you hear me?" he asked into his earpiece.

"Yeah, I can." Cam's voice came over the com, but there was static. "Interference is going to increase the closer you get to the Tower. I'll do what I can to strengthen the signal. Shouldn't be too hard with the equipment we have."

That was true; To keep a close eye on Morningstar, Cam had bought and designed some of the best communication technology on the planet. But even their tech had its limits.

"What about my drones? Did you find any more of them?"

"Afraid not. The Tower must have destroyed all of them."

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Great. Well, I still have the one in my Duel Disk. It'll suffice. Can you track our associates?"

"Afraid not. The only one I can find is Playmaker, and that's because Kusanagi hooked me up to his own LVSS Support System. He's not far ahead of you."

Morningstar nodded and picked up the pace. He had to hurry and reach the Tower before it was completed.

* * *

"I activate the Spell Card: Pendulum Paradox!" Thaumiel said. "With this, I can add two face-up Pendulum Monsters from my Extra Deck to my hand, so long as they have the same Scales but different names. I'll add Qliphort Helix and Qliphort Shell from my Extra Deck to my hand."

Lilith grit her teeth. Instead of being sent to the Graveyard when they left the field, Pendulum Monsters were placed face-up in the Extra Deck. That meant it was possible to summon them again. Of course, with only the Extra Monster Zone available to them, that normally meant only one could be summoned from the Extra Deck at a time. But with a Link Monster in the Extra Monster Zone…

Thaumiel pointed to the sky. "With the set Pendulum Scale, I can Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 8 at the same time!" he shouted. "Come forth! My servants! From the Extra Deck, Qliphort Carrier and Qliphort Stealth! And from my hand, Qliphort Helix!"

A large white aircraft carrier with orange lines covering appeared, summoned to Genius's bottom-left Link Marker. To Genius's bottom-right Link Marker, a transparent fighter jet with only a visible central jewel was summoned. They were joined by a boat attached to spiral gold and silver bands. All three monsters were summoned in Attack Position.

 **Qliphort Carrier ATK 2400 DEF 1000 LVL: 6 PS: 1**

 **Qliphort Stealth ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8 PS: 1**

 **Qliphort Helix ATK 2400 DEF 1000 LVL: 6 PS: 9**

"The effects of my three monsters activate! When they are Special Summoned, their Levels become 4 and their original attack points become 1800."

 **Qliphort Carrier ATK 2400→1800 LVL: 6→4**

 **Qliphort Helix ATK 2400→1000 LVL: 6→4**

 **Qliphort Stealth ATK 2800→1000 LVL: 8→4**

Thaumiel gestured to his Link Monster. "Qliphort Genius's monster effect! As two monsters were Special Summoned to its Link Markers at the same time, I can add one Level 5 or higher Machine monster from my Deck to my hand. I add a second Qliphort Stealth from my Deck to my hand."

Thaumiel took his card from his Deck and laughed. "It's time for me to get serious. I activate the Field Spell Card: Laser Qlip! With this card, I can Normal Summon one 'Qli' monster in addition to my Normal Summon. And the Normal Summons of 'Qli' monsters cannot be negated." Lilith grit her teeth. That meant Thaumiel could summon two new monsters this turn.

"I Tribute Qliphort Carrier and Qliphort Helix!" Thaumiel declared. "To Tribute Summon Qliphort Shell!" The aircraft carrier and boat disintegrated, and a monster resembling a silver top with green crisscrossing lines appeared on Thaumiel's field.

 **Qliphort Shell ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8 PS: 9**

"And now my Deck's true power reveals itself! Since Carrier was Tributed, I can return one monster on the field to the hand!" Lilith's eyes widened. "I'll return your Kidbrave to your hand!" Lilith grit her teeth as Kidbrave disappeared from the field.

"And since Helix was Tributed, I can target and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your field!" Thaumiel said, gesturing to Lilith's field. "I'll destroy your Continuous Trap! Fiendish Deal!" Lilith flinched from her card exploding, but then smirked.

"You seem to have forgotten Fiendish Deal's effect," Lilith said. "When you destroy it with a card effect, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand. I'll add Steady Hands from my Graveyard to my hand!"

Thaumiel chuckled. "I see what you are planning. When I attack Calamity or Caspar, you'll activate Steady Hands from your hand and double your monster's attack points. A solid strategy. Too bad it's pointless." He gestured to his field again. "Qliphort Shell's monster effect! Since it was Normal Summoned by Tributing at least one 'Qli' monster, it can make a second attack during each Battle Phase! And if it attacks a Defense Position monster, Shell will inflict piercing battle damage!"

Lilith grit her teeth again. That was bad. Two attacks and the ability to inflict piercing battle damage?

Thaumiel gestured to the pillar on his left. "Qliphort Scout's Pendulum effect! Once per turn, I pay 800 Life Points to add one 'Qli' card from my Deck to my hand. This time, I'll add the card Saqlifice." Thaumiel only laughed softly as his Life Points went down.

 **Thaumiel: 3200→2400 LP**

"And now, I'll activate the Equip Spell Card: Saqlifice. And I'll equip it to Qliphort Stealth!" Stealth glowed as Thaumiel's new card was equipped. "Saqlifice increases Stealth's attack points by 300 and prevents it from being destroyed by battle."

 **Qliphort Stealth ATK 1800→2100**

"But that is not all Saqlifice does," Thaumiel continued. "It also treats the equipped monster as two Tributes if I Tribute it to summon a 'Qli' monster." Lilith gasped. "That's right. Thanks to my Field Spell, I can Normal Summon again. And by Tributing the Qliphort Stealth treated as two monsters, I Tribute Summon my second Stealth!" Stealth disintegrated, only to reappear again. This time however, its attack points and Level were their original values.

 **Qliphort Stealth ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8 PS: 1**

"Qliphort Stealth's monster effect! When it is Tribute Summoned, I can return one card on the field to the hand." He pointed at Lilith's field. "I'll return Caspar from your field to your hand!"

"Tch." Lilith grit her teeth as Caspar disappeared.

"Stealth's is not the only effect that activates. Since Saqlifice was sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can add one 'Qli' monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Qliphort Cephalopod to my hand."

Thaumiel looked at his new card and chuckled. "Of course, it doesn't matter what I add. This is the end for you, after all." He gestured to his field. "Qliphort Genius's monster effect! Once per turn, I can target one face-up card on each of our fields! And until the end of the turn, the effects of those cards are negated!" Lilith gasped again. "That's right, Lilith. I negate the effects of Qliphort Disk and Magical Musketeer Calamity!" The dark aura that Genius emitted spread to Disk and Calamity, overpowering them. Calamity screamed as she was depowered.

Thaumiel laughed. "With Calamity's effects negated, you can't activate any 'Magical Musket' Spell or Trap Cards from your hand! So, is there anything you have to say before you lose?"

Lilith looked at the monsters Thaumiel had on his field. Qliphort Disk, Qliphort Genius, Qliphort Shell, and Qliphort Stealth. Three of them had 2800 attack points and the last one had 1800 attack points. And one of them could attack twice. Lilith grit her teeth.

"Nothing to say? Very well then. Let silence be your epitaph." Thaumiel gestured to the flying saucer. "Battle! Qliphort Disk, attack Magical Musketeer Calamity! Piece Break!" Disk gathered energy which it fired at Calamity. Before it hit-.

"I activate my face-down Quick-Play Spell Card!" Lilith declared. "Magical Musket – Power Shot!" The card showed Calamity's rocket launcher bursting with red light. "This card increases the attack points of one 'Magical Musket' monster I control by 800 until the end of the turn! In addition, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle this turn!"

 **Magical Musketeer Calamity ATK 1500→2300**

"Your monster may survive, but you will still take damage!" The blast hit Calamity. Calamity screamed, but she wasn't destroyed. Lilith winced from the attack's backlash.

 **Lilith: 4000→3500 LP**

Thaumiel chuckled. "So you'll survive this turn. But… this turn will hurt." He gestured to a different monster. "Qliphort Stealth, attack Calamity! Hindrance of Wisdom!" Stealth loaded missiles which it fired at Calamity. Again, Calamity wasn't destroyed, but Lilith was pushed back.

 **Lilith: 3500→3000 LP**

Thaumiel gestured to a third monster. "Your turn, Qliphort Shell! Attack Calamity with Merciful Concealment!" The outer points on Shell charged red lasers which it fired at Calamity. The monster survived, but Lilith winced again.

 **Lilith: 3000→2500 LP**

"And remember. Because Shell was Tribute Summoned, it can attack twice! Merciful Concealment!" Lilith cried out from the backlash of Shell's lasers. The force was enough to knock her off her feet.

 **Lilith: 2500→2000 LP**

Thaumiel laughed. "I think that's enough for this turn. I don't want to end this so soon. I Set one card and end my turn. Thus, the effects of my Genius and your Power Shot end."

 **Magical Musketeer Calamity ATK 2300→1500**

Thaumiel gestured to the pillar on his right. "Qliphort Monolith's Pendulum effect! During the End Phase, I draw cards equal to the number of 'Qli' monsters I Tributed this turn. I Tributed three, so I draw three cards." He drew and laughed as Lilith stood up. "It is your turn, my old friend. Please make it count."

Lilith glared at Thaumiel. "Your Helix," she said.

"Oh? What about it?"

"It could destroy any Spell or Trap Card. You could have destroyed my face-down card instead of Fiendish Deal. But you didn't. Why?"

Thaumiel pretended to think about and laughed. "Why? Well, I did suspect that it was a card to either block my attack or reduce the damage. But I wanted you to use it." His voice lowered. "I don't want this to end so quickly, Masako. I want to take my time. I want to whittle away your Life Points as slowly as I possibly can. And I want you to watch helplessly as I do it." He clenched his fist. "I want you to suffer, Lilith. Like you made me suffer. Only then will I be satisfied."

Lilith narrowed her eyes. This man… how had she let Issei fool her into believing he was a good person when they first decided to work together?

* * *

 _2 years ago…_

"Issei, I can't see."

"I want it to be a surprise. And I don't trust you not to open your eyes."

Masako laughed as she felt Issei's hands cover her eyes. She'd seen the apartment where he lived alone before. So what did he want to show her? All she knew was it better not be a bed, because Tagoma would kill her if it was.

"Alright. Here we are."

Issei removed his hands from Masako's eyes. She gasped in surprise. She was looking at a desk with several computers on it. On one of the monitors was information about the LINK VRAINS network.

"You asked what I do for a living," Issei said. "I figured I would finally show you." He stood in front of the computers to face her. "The truth is… I'm a hacker. I break into things like corporations and steal their data."

"You steal information from companies?" Masako said, her eyes widened. "Isn't that illegal?"

"Technically yes but look at what I'm breaking into." Issei drew her attention to one of the screens. "This insurance company's CEO cheated his customers out of millions of dollars. This pharmaceutical mogul rose prices on his products to the point where almost no one could buy them." Issei turned to look at Masako. "I hack into these companies and expose their secrets to the world. People like them… they're nothing more than scum, but they wrap themselves in fancy suits and think it makes them above right and wrong. I bring these people to the attention of the authorities to bring them down."

"That's… amazing, Issei." Masako stared at him with wide eyes. "But… but why are you showing me this?"

Issei smiled. "Because I want you to join me, Masako. I can't fight this battle alone forever. I'll need help. And I know you're smart and skilled; you'd be a powerful ally. Perhaps even more powerful than Morningstar."

"Morningstar? Who's that?"

Issei gout a faraway look in his eye. "A bounty hunter in LINK VRAINS. He only appeared a year ago, but he's already regarded as one of the best. I want to be famous like him. For the world to know my name." He returned his attention to Masako. "I can see it in your eyes, Masako. You know I'm doing the right thing. What do you say? You want to join me in LINK VRAINS?"

Masako thought about it. Tagoma wouldn't like it, but she was feeling rebellious. And accepting would mean she would get to see Issei more.

She smiled at him. "I'd love to join. But… I don't have an avatar. Or a Duel Disk or Deck."

"I can change that." Issei gave her a blood-red Duel Disk with a small screen. "This is based off the schematics for a new Duel Disk I found in SOL Technologies' databanks. I already loaded a Deck; the archetype's name is Magical Musket."

"Magical Musket, huh…"

"As for the avatar, well… it's ultimately up to you what kind you want."

"I suppose so… What's your avatar?"

Issei smiled. "My avatar's name is Adam. The first human to be created by God."

"Is that so? Then why don't I call myself Eve?"

Issei laughed. "That isn't bad, but it's kind of plain. 'Plain' isn't the word that comes to mind when I look at you." He held his chin in one hand as he thought. Then he smiled. "I know! What about Lilith? She was Adam's first wife before she was cast out by God."

"Eh? Doesn't that make her evil? I don't want to be named after something evil!"

"Good and evil are in the eyes of the beholder. Look at Morningstar; his name refers to Satan, but he's a good guy. You could be just like him."

Masako thought about it and smiled. Carrying the name of evil and being on the side of good… there was something appealing about that.

"Alright," she said. "From now on, I'm Lilith. A pleasure to meet you, Adam."

Issei laughed and wrapped Masako in his arms. She closed her eyes and hugged him right back.

If only she had kept her eyes open. Maybe then she would have seen the sadistic smile that had spread over Issei's face…

* * *

 _Present day…_

"My turn! Draw!" Lilith looked at her cards, then chose one. "I activate the Spell Card: Magical Musket – Criminal Bounty!" The card showed Zakiel, Calamity, and Caspar. The latter two were tied up together while Zakiel was grinning at a chest filled with gold. "As I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can discard two cards and then draw three cards." Lilith discarded the Caspar and Kidbrave that Thaumiel had returned to her hand, then drew. She then gestured to Calamity.

"Calamity's monster effect! Since a Spell or Trap Card was activated in her column, I can Special Summon a 'Magical Musket' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position! Return to me, Caspar!" The young man reappeared on Lilith's field.

 **Magical Musketeer Caspar ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3**

"And now I'll Tribute Calamity to Tribute Summon my ace monster!" Lilith declared as Calamity disappeared. "Come to me, Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel!" A portal of light appeared on her field, out of which a blue demon emerged. It wore a long black coat and spread large red wings from its back. Long hair framed its face, which was obscured by a red mask. Zakiel lifted its two pistols and gave a wide smile.

 **Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 2500 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

Thaumiel chuckled softly. "So… there it is."

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Steady Hands!" Lilith said. "And I'll target Zakiel with it!"

 **Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 2500→5000 DEF 2500→5000**

Thaumiel growled. 5000 attack points? Not good.

"Caspar's monster effect! Since a Spell or Trap Card was activated in its column, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card from my Deck to my hand, so long as it has a different name. I'll add a second Cross-Domination from my Deck to my hand."

Lilith took her new card, then chose a different one. "I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! With this, I Special Summon Kidbrave from my Graveyard in Attack Position!" The cowboy carrying a revolver reappeared on Lilith's field.

 **Magical Musketeer Kidbrave ATK 1600 DEF 200 LVL: 3**

Lilith narrowed her eyes. Thaumiel had one face-down card, which she was sure was a Trap Card to either protect his monsters or prevent battle damage. But she didn't have any other options.

"Battle! Zakiel, attack Qliphort Genius!"

"Tch!" Thaumiel grit his teeth. "Trying to end this in one attack?"

"Go, Zakiel! Seventh Bullet!" Zakiel charged its handguns and fired two blasts of red energy. The attack struck Genius, causing a massive explosion.

Lilith waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, Genius was gone, but Thaumiel's Life Points hadn't changed.

"Sorry to spoil your fun," Thaumiel said. "But I activated the Trap Card Impenetrable Attack. This card allows me to either prevent a monster's destruction by battle or negate all battle damage I would take. I chose the latter."

Lilith narrowed her eyes but continued her turn. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Cross-Domination! And I'll target Qliphort Shell with it!" The silver and green top glowed as its effects were negated and its attack and defense points went down.

 **Qliphort Shell ATK 2800→0 DEF 1000→0**

"Kidbrave's monster effect! Since a Spell or Trap Card was activated in its column, I discard the Magical Musketeer Wild in my hand to draw two cards!" Lilith drew, then gestured to her monster. "Go, Kidbrave! Attack Shell! Fourth Bullet!" Kidbrave fired a shot at Shell, destroying it.

Thaumiel chuckled. "Smart move. Shell could attack twice and inflict piercing battle damage, so you decided to prioritize it over Disk and Stealth. Your tactics haven't changed that much, Lilith."

"Tch." Lilith grit her teeth, then said, "I end my turn. And then the effect of Steady Hands ends and Zakiel's attack and defense points return to normal."

 **Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel ATK 5000→2500 DEF 5000→2500**

Thaumiel laughed. "Tell me something, Lilith. How does it feel? To be stymied twice in your efforts to defeat me?"

Lilith didn't answer. Instead, she just glared at him.

Thaumiel sighed. "You always have to ruin my fun, don't you? Very well. My turn! Draw!"

After Thaumiel drew, Lilith said, "I activate the Trap Card Magical Musket – Desperado from my hand!"

"What?"

"Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, Desperado lets me destroy one face-up card on the field!" Lilith declared. "I'll destroy Qliphort Monolith!" Her Trap Card fired a red beam at the stone in the pillar and disintegrated it, causing the pillar to vanish.

Thaumiel growled as Lilith continued. "Caspar's monster effect! Since a Spell or Trap Card was activated in its column, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card from my Deck to my hand aside from Desperado. I'll add Magical Musket – Last Stand to my hand."

Thaumiel clenched his fists then unclenched them and laughed. "Very clever, Lilith," he said. "You activated your card during my turn so you could use Caspar's effect again. And instead of targeting one of my monsters, you disrupted my Pendulum Scale so I couldn't Pendulum Summon again. Not to mention Zakiel's effect. It lets you draw cards during the End Phase, yes? I take back what I said earlier; your tactics have improved since we last dueled."

 _And you have one more trick up your sleeve_ , Thaumiel thought. _That card you added – Last Stand – can negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card. Meaning that if I set another card in the Pendulum Zone, you can negate its activation and destroy it. Very clever. But it won't save you, betrayer._

"Qliphort Scout's Pendulum effect! Once per turn, I pay 800 Life points to add a 'Qli' card from my Deck to my hand. I add a second Qliphort Disk from my Deck to my hand."

 **Thaumiel: 2400→1600 LP**

 _Your Last Stand card can only be activated if I activate a Spell or Trap Card_ , Thaumiel thought. _It doesn't stop me from activating the effects of Continuous Spell Cards like Scout._

"With the Scale 1 Qliphort Disk, I reset the Pendulum Scale!" A second flying saucer appeared in a pillar of light on Thaumiel's right.

 **Qliphort Disk Scale 1**

"Not happening!" Lilith said, selecting a card from her own hand. "From my hand, I activate the Counter Trap Card Magical Musket – Last Stand! Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, the activation of one Spell or Trap Card is negated, and that card is destroyed! So your Disk is wiped out!" The monster in the pillar shattered.

"Normally, Pendulum Monsters go to the Extra Deck when destroyed," Thaumiel said. "But because you negated Disk's activation, that means it goes to the Graveyard."

Lilith ignored him and gestured to one of her monsters. "Kidbrave's monster effect! I discard Magical Musketeer Doc and draw two cards!"

Thaumiel laughed. "So, you managed to disrupt my Scale. Too bad it's only temporary. I activate the Spell Card: Trap for Trap!"

Lilith's eyes widened. "What?"

The card showed one Trap Card crumpling and disintegrating while another Trap Card shone brightly in the background. "This is a very special Spell Card. If I banish a Trap Card from my Graveyard, I can activate a Normal Trap Card from my hand." Lilith gasped in surprise. "I banish the Negate Attack in my Graveyard to activate the Trap Card Qlimate Change! With this card, I can add up to three face-up 'Qli' Pendulum Monsters from my Extra Deck to my hand. I'll add Qliphort Carrier, Qliphort Helix, and Qliphort Monolith from my Deck to my hand."

Lilith grit her teeth. "Damn it," she muttered. "I only slowed him down."

Thaumiel laughed. "That was a clever trick, destroying my Pendulum Scale. But as you can see, it was only temporary. I reset the Pendulum Scale with the Scale 1 Qliphort Monolith!" The massive stone returned to the pillar on Thaumiel's right.

 **Qliphort Monolith Scale 1**

"With the reset Pendulum Scale, I can now Special Summon monsters between Levels 2 and 8 at the same time!"

"You can," Lilith said. "But I still have moves to make."

"Hmm?" Thaumiel said, surprised at the interruption.

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Magical Musket – Fiendish Barricade from my hand!" Lilith declared. The card showed Zakiel standing in front of Caspar, with its wings forming a shield. "So long as Fiendish Barricade is in play, you cannot remove 'Magical Musket' monsters I control from the field with card effects!"

Thaumiel gasped, then laughed. "I see. So that means I can't return your monsters to your hand with Carrier's effect. Oh well." He gestured to the sky. "Pendulum Summon! Come forth! My servants! From the Extra Deck, Qliphort Shell! And from my hand, Qliphort Carrier and Qliphort Helix!"

The top-like monster reappeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. In the Main Monster Zones, the aircraft carrier and boat attached to a spiral materialized, both summoned in Attack Position.

 **Qliphort Shell ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8 PS: 9**

 **Qliphort Carrier ATK 2400 DEF 1000 LVL: 6 PS: 1**

 **Qliphort Helix ATK 2400 DEF 1000 LVL: 6 PS: 9**

"And as before, since all three monsters were Special Summoned, their original attack points become 1800 and their Levels become 4."

 **Qliphort Carrier ATK 2400→1800 LVL: 6→4**

 **Qliphort Helix ATK 2400→1800 LVL: 6→4**

 **Qliphort Shell ATK 2800→1800 LVL: 8→4**

Thaumiel started to laugh. "You have evaded me long enough, Lilith," he said. "I said before that I would make you suffer before you lose. Well, now I will show you true despair." He gestured once more to the sky. "The monster I am about to summon cannot be Special Summoned and can only be Normal Summoned by Tributing 3 'Qli' monsters. I Tribute Carrier, Helix, and Shell to Tribute Summon Apoqliphort Skybase!"

The three monsters turned into energy and traveled upwards into the sky. When they hit the clouds, they disappeared. Suddenly, a bright light spread throughout the sky. Lilith covered her eyes to keep herself from being blinded.

* * *

Morningstar looked to his right, gasped, and stopped running.

"Yasu?" Cam said. "You've stopped moving. What's wrong?"

Morningstar didn't answer. He just continued to stare, his eyes wide as _something_ descended from the sky.

"Yasu?"

Morningstar gasped. "Sorry, Cam," he said. He turned and resumed running for the Tower.

* * *

Lilith watched in awe of the monster that descended. It was a massive battle platform, easily larger than any monster she'd ever seen, even larger than Terminus's Subterror Behemoth monsters. It was colored mostly white with gold bands interlaced across it. She couldn't see it from the ground, but on the top part of Skybase, there was a black tower, serving as central command.

 **Apoqliphort Skybase ATK 2900 DEF 2500 LVL: 9**

Thaumiel laughed. "Impressive, isn't it?" he said. "This is the ultimate machine of war. And the _second_ most powerful monster in my Deck."

Lilith's eyes widened even further. The second most powerful? Thaumiel had a monster even stronger than this?

"But Skybase isn't what you have to worry about at the moment," Thaumiel said as he gestured to Lilith's field. "Since I Tributed Helix, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your field! Say goodbye to Fiendish Barricade!" An explosion engulfed Lilith's card, but to Thaumiel's surprise, Fiendish Barricade remained when the smoke cleared.

Lilith smirked. "Sorry to disappoint you, but Fiendish Barricade cannot be destroyed by card effects once per turn. Meaning you can't activate Carrier's effect either."

"Hmm," Thaumiel said. "Disappointing, but irrelevant. Besides, it won't change what comes next." He gestured to the monster above him. "Skybase's monster effect! Once per turn, I can take control of one of your monsters until the End Phase!"

Lilith gasped. "What!?"

"I think I'll take control of your precious Zakiel!" Lilith stared, eyes wide, as Zakiel disappeared from her field and reappeared on Thaumiel's.

 _I-It's alright,_ Lilith thought. _Skybase's effect lasts until the End Phase. If I survive this turn, Zakiel will return to me, and then I can use its effect to gain new cards._

Thaumiel started laughing again. "I know what you're thinking," he chided Lilith. "You're thinking I'll attack you with Zakiel. Sorry, but I have a different plan in mind. Or have you forgotten about my Field Spell?"

Lilith's eyes widened. "Oh yes. Laser Qlip lets me Normal Summon a second time, so long as it's a 'Qli' monster." Thaumiel gestured to his field. "I Tribute Qliphort Disk and Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel to Tribute Summon Qliphort Cephalopod!" Disk and Zakiel disappeared and were replaced by a worm-like machine monster. It was primarily green and white, with a red crystal in its forehead.

 **Qliphort Cephalopod ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 7 PS: 9**

Lilith grit her teeth. Great. Not only did she lose Zakiel, but she had to face a new Qliphort monster.

"Cephalopod's monster effect!" Thaumiel declared. "If it is Tribute Summoned by Tributing a 'Qli' monster, and you have more monsters in the Graveyard than I do, I gain Life Points equal to the differences times 300, then you take the same amount of damage!"

Lilith's eyes widened in surprise. "I only have one monster in my Graveyard," Thaumiel said. "The Qliphort Disk you destroyed with Last Stand. But you have four monsters in the Graveyard. That means I gain 900 Life Points and you take 900 points of damage!" Thaumiel laughed and Lilith winced as they both glowed.

 **Thaumiel: 1600→2500 LP**

 **Lilith: 2000→1100 LP**

"Next, I activate the Spell Card Pendulum Halt!" Thaumiel declared. "Since I have at least three monsters with different names face-up in my Extra Deck, I can draw two cards." He looked at his cards, laughed, then turned to Lilith.

"Do you want to hear something interesting?" he asked her.

"No," Lilith said.

"Oh, but I think you do," Thaumiel said. "It relates to my avatar's name. And yours."

Lilith's eyes widened. "What? What are you talking about?"

Thaumiel briefly laughed. "The Qliphort monsters represent the Qliphoth," he said. "In Jewism mysticism, the Qliphoth are the representations of evil or impure forces. There are ten such representations, and they make up the Qliphoth Tree, otherwise known as the Tree of Death. And every one of those representations is associated with two things: a spiritual force, and a demon."

He gestured to Skybase. "This monster you see before you is connected to the demon Satan himself. And the spiritual force it represents is known as the twins of God. It is the shadow side of the crown of God. And its true name is Thaumiel."

"…So what?" Lilith asked. "Are you trying to say you're the Devil?"

Thaumiel laughed. "Of course not. That title belongs to Morningstar. No, what I'm saying is that I'm not a devil, an angel, or even a human. I'm a force of nature, dedicated to destroy that which is created. And no matter who I face, I will destroy everything."

Lilith was silent for three seconds, then said, "You're insane. You know that, right?"

Thaumiel laughed again. "That's the reaction I expected. I thought you were special when we first met, but then I saw you were just like the rest of humanity; flawed, imperfect. A fake. Not part of the true reality. And just like them your mind is too small to comprehend what I seek to become."

He paused, then said, "Of course, it is not just me that is connected to the Qliphoth. You are too. But, why don't we forget that for the moment? I'm starting to get bored."

Thaumiel gestured upwards. "Battle! Apoqliphort Skybase, attack Magical Musketeer Kidbrave! Shadow of Imbalance!" Several tubes opened on Skybase's sides, releasing dozens of missiles that the hatches. Lilith watched with growing dread as the missiles neared her field. The missiles hit Kidbrave, creating a massive explosion.

Thaumiel watched the smoke gather. _Skybase's attack points are 2900 and her Kidbrave's attack points were 1600,_ he thought. _With only 1100 Life Points, she won't have survived this._

When the smoke cleared, he gasped. Lilith remained standing, her Lie Points untouched. "Sorry, but you'll have to get used to disappointment. Since you declared an attack while I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, the battle damage from your attack becomes 0."

Thaumiel growled from underneath his mask. He clenched his fist as he said, "Well then, I'll just have to keep hitting you! Cephalopod, destroy Caspar! Fire of Restraint!" The red gem in Cephalopod's front section gathered red light, which it fired at Caspar. Lilith shield herself from the backlash with her arms.

"And now there's nothing standing between you and my Stealth," Thaumiel said. "Goodbye, old friend. End this, Qliphort Stealth! Hindrance of Wisdom!" Stealth loaded missiles and fired them at Lilith. She shielded herself again as they exploded around her.

Thaumiel glared then gasped as the smoke cleared. Again, Lilith was standing, though her legs were increasingly wobbling. Unlike last time, however, her Life Points had changed.

 **Lilith: 1100→550 LP**

"…How?" Thaumiel asked, his voice lower than usual.

Lilith smirked at him. "If you attack me directly, I can send Fiendish Barricade to the Graveyard to reduce the battle damage to 0," she said. "And all it costs is halving my Life Points."

Thaumiel was silent, but then he started laughing. "Amazing," he said. "Just when I think I'm finally rid of you, you somehow hold on by the skin of your teeth. It's admirable. It's just a shame it's so annoying."

Thaumiel selected the last cards in his hand. "I Set two cards face-down. I end my turn. Normally, the effect of my Monolith would activate and let me draw new cards, but since I activated Pendulum Halt this turn, I cannot add cards from my Deck to my hand. It's your turn, Lilith."

"Right." Lilith placed her hand above her Duel Disk, then winced. This duel was beginning to take its toll on her. The constant attacks, her barely surviving… It was nothing like it had been the last time they had fought. The last time, and the first time, Lilith's heart had broken…

* * *

 _2 years ago…_

Lilith logged into the server and looked around in horror.

"Adam! What is this?"

Adam, whose avatar was a young man wearing a white cloak, turned to look at her, but then turned back to the screen he was looking at.

"It's my latest challenge," he said. "I found a flaw in the system. I thought it would be fun to exploit it."

"A challenge?" Lilith repeated, shocked beyond horror. "A-Adam… people are dying!"

"Yes," he said nonchalantly. "They are."

He moved to the side so Lilith could see the screen. It showed an intersection where there had been a pileup. The traffic lights had stopped working, so the cars had all crashed into each other. The screen shifted to show a train fail to stop at its station and continue speeding along its route. It then shifted to show several more intersections, all with crashed cars and people either running around or lying on the ground, covered in blood.

"N-No," Lilith said, her voice small. "T-This must be a lie. Y-You wouldn't do this. Y-You said you worked for justice!"

"Justice?" Adam finally turned to face her. His face was distorted with a sadistic grin. "Don't you remember what I said? Good and evil are in the eye of the beholder. That was the only truth I told you. I don't care about justice or avenging the wronged."

"W-What?" Lilith said, her entire body shaking. "N-No. Y-You said you broke into companies to help the people they wronged!"

Adam laughed. "Yes, I did say that. And you believed it? You really are stupid, Lilith. No…" His smile became even wider and disturbing. "No, I don't hack into companies to help people. I hack into them to release their secrets. To cause panic and chaos. Think about it; a company responsible for guarding secrets suddenly has those secrets released to the public. There is always distress, always panic when this happens. That is what I live to see; people understanding that no matter how hard they try to organize the world, chaos will always be a part of it."

Lilith kept shaking as he continued. "Really, these people are fools. Thinking they can impose order on the world? Chaos is the natural order of things; most of the world is just in denial. But I'm not. I know the truth. And I embrace it. That humans are meant to fight against each other. And destroy each other."

"…You used me," Lilith said quietly. "You lied to me. Everything was a lie, wasn't it?"

Adam thought about it. "Not as much as you would think. I was completely honest about what I do for a living; I just lied about my reasons. Though that doesn't make you less of a fool."

"…Adam… I loved you," she said in shock. Adam laughed cruelly in response.

"Love? You think so? Well, let me tell you something, _Masako_. Yes, I used you. I used you like so much of humanity will use you. At least I'm honest about it. And yet…" He narrowed his eyes in disgust at her. "It was so easy to manipulate you. You're like a child, desperately looking for someone, anything, to cling to. People like you… disgust me. Looking at the world with wide eyes, trusting the first person who smiles at you. Here's the truth, Masako: no one cares about your thoughts or emotions; they only care about your looks. To them, you're just a doll, a trophy, meant to be put on a shelf and forgotten."

Lilith was still shaking, but now it was rage. "…Stop it," she said, her voice low. "…Stop it now, Adam."

Adam smirked. "Why would I do that? I don't want the fun to end."

Lilith raised her Duel Disk. "I'll make you stop."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You'll duel me to restart the system? Alright, then. I could use a little more _personal_ entertainment." He raised his own Duel Disk. "It's pointless though. There's no way a fake like you can defeat me."

* * *

 _Present day…_

"My turn! Draw!" Lilith looked at her card, but before she could make a move, Thaumiel gestured to his field.

"Continuous Trap activate! Re-qliate!" Thaumiel laughed as his card activated and glowed. "With this card, you're finished, Lilith. If a Level 4 or lower monster is Normal or Flip Summoned, or if a Level 5 or higher monster is Special Summoned, that monster's effects are negated until the end of the turn. And for the latter kind of monster, it is banished when it leaves the field."

Lilith grit her teeth. That card meant her Magical Musket monsters couldn't use their effects if they were Normal Summoned, and if she Special Summoned Zakiel, it wouldn't be able to use its effects either. But that wouldn't stop her.

"I summon Magical Musketeer Starfire!" A woman in a black and blue belly dancer's outfit appeared on her field.

 **Magical Musketeer Starfire ATK 1300 DEF 1700 LVL: 4**

 _Starfire might not be able to activate her effects,_ Lilith thought. _But I can still turn this duel around._

"I activate the Spell Card: Magical Musket – Armed Rebellion!" The card showed weapons being handed to Caspar, Doc, Wild, and Starfire. Wild was smiling crazily at the mini-machinegun given to him. "Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower 'Magical Musket' monsters from my Graveyard. Come to me, Magical Musketeer Calamity and Magical Musketeer Kidbrave!" The red-haired woman carrying a rocket launcher and the blonde-haired young man carrying a revolver reappeared on Lilith's field, both in Attack Position.

 **Magical Musketeer Calamity ATK 1500 DEF 1300 LVL: 4**

 **Magical Musketeer Kidbrave ATK 1600 DEF 200 LVL: 3**

"The monsters Special Summoned by Armed Rebellion cannot attack and have their effects negated," Lilith continued. "And if they leave the field, they are banished."

Thaumiel laughed. "Then what is the point of summoning them? The only monster you can attack with is too weak for any of my monsters."

"You're wrong," Lilith said, glaring at Thaumiel. "You may have given me this Deck, but I have improved on it. And I've been given a gift by a good friend to defeat you."

Lilith gestured to the sky. "Appear! The circuit of the devil's bullet!" Her hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared in the sky above.

"What!?" Thaumiel screamed. "T-That's not possible! You don't have any Link Monsters!"

"Arrowheads confirmed!" Lilith shouted. "The summoning conditions are 3 'Magical Musket' monsters! I set Calamity, Kidbrave, and Starfire in the Link Markers!" All three monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right Link Markers, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Magical Musket Sovereign Ottokar!"

The monster that appeared was similar in appearance to Zakiel, but only in structure. Its skin was colored white, while the trench coat it wore was a mixture of red and gold. White angelic wings spread out from its back, while silver hair hung from its head, topped with a golden crown. Ottokar hefted two massive pistols as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Magical Musket Sovereign Ottokar ATK 3000 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"W-What is this?" Thaumiel asked. Even though his face was covered, Lilith could tell he was staring at her new monster. "I've never heard of this monster before…"

Lilith smirked. "Now who's panicking?" she asked him. "Since Calamity and Kidbrave left the field, they are banished by Armed Rebellion's effect. And since Link Monsters don't have Levels, your Re-qliate Trap Card won't work on it. And now I'll activate the Spell Card: Magical Musket – Urgent Battle!" The card showed Ottokar with its wings spread, raining gunfire down into an army. "With this card, Ottokar can attack up to three of your monsters this turn! In exchange, the attack and defense points of monsters on the field cannot be changed by card effects this turn."

Thaumiel growled. Three attacks? Ottokar was more powerful than all of Thaumiel's monsters, and it could attack all three?

Lilith gestured to her field. "Ottokar's monster effect! When a Spell or Trap Card is activated in the column of a zone it points to, I can banish one Level 4 or lower 'Magical Musket' monster from my Graveyard, and then activate its effect as Ottokar's!"

Thaumiel growled again. That meant she could activate any of her monster's effects!

"I banish Caspar from the Graveyard! And that means I can add a 'Magical Musket' card from my Deck with a different name from Urgent Battle!" A transparent image of Caspar reappeared then shattered. "I add a second Cross-Domination from my Deck to my hand." As she did so, she smirked at Thaumiel. "It's a good thing you lowered my Life Points. I can't activate this effect of Ottokar's if my Life Points are 1000 or more." Thaumiel growled in response.

Lilith pointed to Thaumiel's field. "It's finally time for payback, Thaumiel! Ottokar, attack Apoqliphort Skybase! Ultimate Bullet!"

Ottokar laughed as it hefted both its pistols and pointed them at Skybase. The pistols charged and fired two massive bursts of yellow energy at Skybase, which pierced the underside. Thaumiel cringed as Skybase started to explode all over before finally being destroyed in a massive explosion.

 **Thaumiel: 2500→2400 LP**

"And I'm far from done! Continue your attack, Ottokar! Destroy Cephalopod and Stealth! Double Ultimate Bullet!"

Ottokar laughed again as it pointed a handgun at each monster and fired. The shots pierced each monster's armor, destroying them instantly. Thaumiel cried out as his Life Points took two separate hits.

 **Thaumiel: 2400→2200→2000 LP**

Lilith smirked. "Now you're the one with no monsters, Thaumiel," she gloated. "How does it feel to be powerless?" Thaumiel didn't respond. Instead, he just clenched his fist.

"It's still my turn, and I think I'll repeat what I did last turn. I activate the effect of Armed Rebellion in my Graveyard! Since I control a 'Magical Musket' monster, I can banish Armed Rebellion to destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your field! I'll destroy Qliphort Monolith!" Her card reappeared on the field and blasted Monolith, but before it hit-.

"Trap activate!" Thaumiel declared. "Qlife's End! When this card is activated, it Special Summons itself as an Effect Monster!" A rainbow-colored gem appeared on Thaumiel's field in Attack Position.

 **Qlife's End ATK 1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"The turn I activate Qlife's End, 'Qli' Spell and Trap Cards I control cannot be destroyed by card effects!" The blast hit Monolith, but it dissipated. Lilith narrowed her eyes, but then gestured to her field.

"You may have prevented me from destroying your card, but in so doing, you activated Ottokar's effect!"

"What?" Thaumiel said with surprise. "But you already activated Ottokar's effect!"

Lilith smirked. "Ottokar can activate its effect up to three times per turn," she revealed. "I'll banish Magical Musketeer Doc from my Graveyard. Doing so lets me add one 'Magical Musket' card from my Graveyard to my hand. I'll return Desperado from my Graveyard to my hand."

After doing, Lilith said, "I Set one card. I end my turn."

Thaumiel was silent, so Lilith spoke up. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you fell apart just from taking a little damage?"

"…How dare you."

"Eh?" Lilith was surprised by Thaumiel's tone.

"How dare you," he said in a low voice. "How dare you damage me. I am beyond you and the rest of humanity! I am the only real one! The rest of you are fakes! I will punish you for damaging me!" He placed his hand on his Duel Disk. "My turn! Draw!"

Lilith spoke up before he could. "I activate the Trap Card Magical Musket – Desperado! With this, I destroy your Monolith!" The card appeared and blasted Monolith, destroying it.

"And since a Spell or Trap Card was activated in the column of a zone it points to, Ottokar's effect activates!" Lilith continued. "I banish the Magical Musketeer Wild from my Graveyard to activate its effect! I shuffle three 'Magical Musket' cards in my Graveyard back into my Deck and then draw one card." Lilith shuffled Criminal Bounty, Power Shot, and Steady Hands back into her Deck, then drew.

Thaumiel was silent again, but then started laughing, louder and louder. Lilith narrowed her eyes at him.

"You fool!" he shouted, raising his head. "You should have destroyed Scout! Now you've given me the key to your ruin!" He gestured to the pillar on his left. "Qliphort Scout's Pendulum effect! I pay 800 Life Points to add one 'Qli' card from my Deck to my hand!"

 **Thaumiel: 2000→1200 LP**

After taking the card, Thaumiel laughed. "Do you remember what I told you? About how Skybase represents a force that I named myself after?"

He didn't bother to wait for Lilith's reply. "Well there's another force, and its name is Lilith." Lilith's eyes widened in surprise. "And you're about to see the monster that represents that force!"

Thaumiel gestured to the only monster on his field. "If I Tribute Qlife's End to Tribute Summon an 'Apoqliphort' monster, it counts as three Tributes! I Tribute Qlife's End to call upon the ultimate weapon of mass destruction!"

Qlife's End flew up into the atmosphere as it started to glow. Once it reached the clouds, it burst into light so bright that Lilith covered her eyes. When the light faded, and she could see again, Lilith gasped.

A massive structure – one even larger than Skybase – had appeared in the sky. It consisted of a central platform attached to four legs. It was colored white and purple, with crisscrossing lines all over it. The insides of its legs radiated rainbow light.

"Behold!" Thaumiel shouted. "My most powerful monster, and the last monster you will ever see! Apoqliphort Towers!"

 **Apoqliphort Towers ATK 3000 DEF 2600 LVL: 10**

"A Level 10 monster?" Lilith said with surprise.

Thaumiel laughed. "This is the worst monster for you to face, Lilith," he said. "For you see, so long as Towers is on the field, all Special Summoned monsters lose 500 attack and defense points!" Lilith gasped as Ottokar lost attack points.

 **Magical Musket Sovereign Ottokar ATK 3000→2500**

"And that is merely Towers' first effect!" Thaumiel continued. "I activate its second effect! Once per turn, you must send a monster from your hand or your side of the field to the Graveyard!"

Lilith grit her teeth. Since Ottokar was the only monster on her field, she would normally have to send it. Thankfully…

"I discard the Magical Musket Minion Kilian in my hand," she said, disappointing Thaumiel.

He scoffed. "No matter. This is more satisfying to watch anyway. I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Apoqlipse of Destruction!" The card showed Towers releasing powerful laser beams outwards across a landscape, destroying everything in its path. "Since I control an 'Apoqliphort' monster, all Special Summoned monsters lose 500 attack and defense points!" Lilith growled as Ottokar's attack points decreased again.

 **Magical Musket Sovereign Ottokar ATK 2500→2000**

"Apoqlipse of Destruction has one more effect," Thaumiel revealed. "When an 'Apoqliphort' monster attacks, you cannot activate any Spell or Trap Cards!" Lilith gasped as Thaumiel laughed. "Not that it would do you any good anyway. I know what your face-down card is, and my Towers is unaffected by Spell and Trap effects!"

Thaumiel laughed again, more maniacally than ever. "This… this is the end, Masako! Prepare to become nothing more than data! Prepare to join the world in oblivion!" He gestured to his field. "Apoqliphort Towers, attack and destroy Magical Musket Sovereign Ottokar! Judgment of the Divine!"

Countless purple lasers erupted from all over Towers and fired outwards. They bended so that they headed towards Ottokar. Lilith faced the lasers, a determined expression on her face.

The blast hit, creating a massive explosion that funneled upwards into the sky. When Morningstar looked back, he gasped at the sight of the explosion. "What is that?" he wondered aloud.

"Masako!" Tagoma shouted into his earpiece. "Oi! Little girl! Can you hear me!?"

Thaumiel watched as the smoke began to clear and started to laugh again. "At last…" he said, ecstatic. "At long last… I am finally free of her." His laughter increased in volume.

That was until he heard someone say, "Think again."

He stopped laughing and watched as the smoke finally started to dissipated. Lilith was still standing, breathing heavily, her clothes torn, and her Life Points almost gone. But she was still there.

 **Lilith: 550→50 LP**

"…No!" Thaumiel suddenly shouted. "No, that's not possible! You should be defeated! You should be dead! How is it you are still alive!?"

Lilith smirked and held up a card. It showed an impish little creature holding a massive anti-tank weapon. "By banishing the Magical Musket Minion Killian from my Graveyard," she explained. "It halved the battle damage I took."

Thaumiel growled. "Even so, you lost your monster-." Then he gasped as the rest of the smoke cleared and Ottokar was revealed to be still standing. "H-How?"

"Since Ottokar doesn't point to any monsters, it cannot be destroyed by battle," Lilith said. She started to laugh. "You failed, Thaumiel. I'm still here."

Thaumiel growled again but then started to laugh. "You may still be here," he said. "But you won't be for long. Towers has 3000 attack points and your Sovereign only has 2000. And since it's a Link Monster, it cannot change to Defense Position. On my next turn, this duel is over! I end my turn."

Lilith lifted her hand, but then stumbled and fell to one knee.

"Oi, Masako, are you alright? Can you still fight?"

Lilith managed a smirk. "Of course I can, Tagoma," she said. "I managed last time, didn't I?"

* * *

 _2 years ago…_

Adam yelled as he was thrown backward on the ground. Her monsters disappearing, Lilith ran up to the screen and pressed some buttons, hurriedly reactivating the public safety systems. She watched as the streetlights started working again and the trains finally stop. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"How… how dare you…"

Lilith turned around to look at Adam, glaring up at her from the ground. "How dare you ruin my fun," he said, hate glimmering in his eyes. "I'll return the favor." He logged out after saying that.

Realizing immediately what Adam was planning on doing, Lilith logged out too.

Masako opened her eyes just in time to see Issei charge her. She tried to dodge, but Issei's computer room was too narrow. She ended up on the floor, with Issei's hands around her neck.

"You stopped my fun!" Issei shouted at her, spittle dripping from his mouth, his eyes wide and crazed. "You ruined my plan! For that, I'll kill you, bitch! You can join the rest of the fakes!"

Masako's vision started to black out as she reached out. She finally managed to grab a nearby hard drive. Ripping it away from its cords, she hit Issei in the head with it. Issei was sent tumbling off her from the blow, dazed and blinking. Coughing, Masako stood up and ran out of the room.

"You're not getting away from me, Masako!"

Masako headed for the kitchen. There was no doubt in her mind that Issei planned to kill her. She needed something to defend herself with. She quickly found a drawer and opened. She pulled out a steak knife and whipped around just in time to see Issei try to charge her again. She lashed out with the knife and made him cry out with pain.

Issei backed away from her, his hand covering his face. He glared at her as blood dripped from the left side of his face.

"You… how dare you?" he said, his eyes filled with rage. "How dare you cut me? How dare a fake like you hurt me?"

"I'm not fake," Masako said, her voice shaking as she held the knife outwards. "I'm real."

Issei laughed. "You think so? Like I said, guys will only glance your way for your looks. They won't care about what's underneath. As far as they're concerned, you're just a trophy, something to brag about. You will never be real to them!"

Issei took a step forward, but-.

SMASH!

Issei collapsed, unconsciously on the ground. Masako gasped. Behind him was Tagoma, carrying the laptop he'd just smacked Issei with.

"I got your message," Tagoma said, referring to the message Masako had sent him when she started her duel. "It took me a while to get here."

"T-Tagoma," Masako whimpered, her eyes watering. She dropped the knife and stumbled over to Tagoma, who reached out and hugged her.

"Easy, easy, little girl," Tagoma whispered to her. "It's alright. It's over now. Issei can't hurt you now."

Masako didn't say anything. She only cried into Tagoma's shoulder.

* * *

 _Present day…_

Lilith stood up with some difficulty and put her hand on her Deck. "My turn! Draw!" Lilith looked at her card and frowned.

Thaumiel laughed on seeing her frown. "I guess you didn't get what you needed. Too bad! Now end your turn so I can destroy you!"

Lilith looked at her card, then looked up at Thaumiel. "I'm wondering something," she said, surprising Thaumiel.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"What Galahad might do in my shoes," she said. "Or Morningstar. Or Playmaker, or Go Onizuka, or Blue Angel. The lot of them came here to save people, and I just joined them to get revenge against Terminus."

Thaumiel scoffed. "What does it matter what they would do? Your path is your own."

"…On that, we can agree," Lilith said. She thought it over, then said, "I think I know what they would do. Galahad and the Charisma Duelists would try to understand you. They would try to get you to come over to their side. Morningstar and Playmaker would most likely just defeat you, but they would listen to your motivations."

Lilith narrowed her eyes. "Now, me… I don't care at all why you do what you do, Thaumiel. You're a sick waste of human space, and me attempting to understand you is a waste of effort on my part."

Thaumiel laughed. "Such sweet talk, Lilith. Are you sure you hate me?"

"Yes," Lilith answered instantly. "I hate you. I hate you for what you did in Osaka. I hate you for what you did to me. You used me, manipulated me into doing your dirty work, and then you tried to kill me. I'm not going to listen to you. I'm going to defeat you. And send you back to prison where filth like you belongs."

Thaumiel laughed again. "You think you can defeat me? Your Life Points are at 50 and your only monster has only 2000 attack points. You have a useless Set card and one card in your hand. What chance do you have?"

Lilith smiled, startling Thaumiel. "Just the chance I need," she said. She then gestured to her field. "I activate my face-down Quick-Play Spell Card: Cross-Domination! With this, your Towers' attack and defense points become 0 and its effects are negated!"

Thaumiel laughed. "Were you not listening? Towers is unaffected by Spell and Trap effects! That means you just wasted your card!"

"It wasn't a waste," Lilith said, causing Thaumiel to stop laughing. "Your monster may be immune to Spell and Trap effects, but mine isn't!" She gestured to her field again. "Ottokar's monster effect! Since a Spell or Trap Card was activated in the column of a zone it points to, I can banish the Magical Musketeer Starfire from my Graveyard and activate its effect as Ottokar's!"

"What!?"

"Starfire lets me Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Magical Musket' monster from my Deck in Defense Position," Lilith said. "And now Ottokar has that power. Join your king, Magical Musketeer Caspar!" A young man with wild blonde hair carrying a handgun appeared, summoned to Lilith's field in Defense Position.

 **Magical Musketeer Caspar ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 3**

"Your Re-qliate Trap Card only negates the effects of Level 4 and below monsters if they are Normal Summoned," Lilith said, reminding Thaumiel of his card's effects. "Since Caspar was Special Summoned, its effects remain. And that is why I'll win!"

She took the only card in her hand and played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon! This lets me perform two Normal Summons this turn! But far more importantly…" She then gestured to the left side of her field. "Caspar's monster effect! Once per turn, if a Spell or Trap Card is activated in its column, I can add one 'Magical Musket' card from my Deck to my hand, so long as it has a different name from the activated card. And the card I'll add…"

Lilith took the card from her Deck and showed it to Thaumiel. "…Is the one I'll now activate. The Quick-Play Spell Card: Magical Musket – Steady Hands! And with this, Ottokar's attack points become twice its original attack points!" Ottokar roared as it glowed red and its attack points increased.

 **Magical Musket Sovereign Ottokar ATK 2000→6000**

"W-What?" Thaumiel said, shaking in disbelief. "6-6000 attack points? N-No, this is impossible! This is supposed to be my revenge! I'm supposed to win this duel! I'm the only real one in this world!"

"No," Lilith said, narrowing her eyes. "You're just a sick person, Issei. A very sick person. And just like before, you'll lose to me!" She gestured to her Link Monster. "Battle! Magical Musket Sovereign Ottokar, attack Apoqliphort Towers!"

Ottokar spread its wings and launched into the air. Once it was parallel with Towers, it charged both of its guns.

"End this, Ottokar! Ultimate Bullet!" Ottokar released a massive blast of yellow energy at Towers. It pierced the center structure of Towers, going straight through it. Once the energy dissipated, it showed a hole going through to the other side. Towers soon started to explode all over as it fell to the ground.

"No! Thaumiel shouted in disbelief. "I trained to win! I became stronger than anyone! I will not lose now!"

"You already have, Issei," Lilith said, quietly. She watched as Thaumiel's monster collapsed on top of the screaming duelist, creating a massive dust cloud. When the dust settled, Towers had disappeared, but Thaumiel was lying on his back, defeated.

 **Thaumiel: 1200→0 LP**

Thaumiel coughed and laughed softly as he raised his head to look at Lilith. His mask had cracked and fallen off him, so Lilith could see his face. The face framed by long black hair, and a scar she gave him.

"This… this isn't over," he said as his body started to turn red. "I'll come back, Masako. I always will." He smirked at her as his body disintegrated. "You'll never be free of me." After saying that, he broke apart completely, leaving Lilith alone.

"Looks like he became part of the Tower," Tagoma said. "…You okay, little girl?"

Lilith sighed. "No, Tagoma. Issei was right; this isn't over. We'll need to find him in the real world and bring in him once the Tower is taken care of."

"Agreed," Tagoma said. "Someone like that is too dangerous to leave walking around. But like you said, the Tower takes priority."

Lilith took a step forward, then promptly fell to her knees. "Damn it," she said, gritting her teeth as she shakily stood up. "That duel was more intense than my previous ones."

As she finally stood up straight, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye and gasped. A massive tornado of wind and rose petals was reaching upwards to the sky.

"What the-?" she said. "What is that?" Having a bad feeling, Lilith started running towards the tornado.

* * *

 _2 years ago…_

Masako leaned against the car window, looking out at the Osaka skyline, barely seeing it. Tagoma was driving, and neither of them were talking.

After he saved her and deleted all records of Lilith from Issei's equipment, Tagoma had called the police over to arrest Issei. They had found him tied up, with the evidence of his actions waiting for them. Masako and Tagoma had watched on the news as Issei was hauled out, spitting and laughing at the police. At first, Masako had been heartbroken to learn the truth. Now she just looked at Issei with disgust.

Deciding they needed a change of scenery, Masako and Tagoma had packed up and left their apartment. They planned to head to Kyoto. Hopefully, they could start anew there.

"So…" Tagoma said, breaking their silence. "Are you going to delete your avatar?"

Masako didn't respond for a few minutes, then said, "No." Her voice was hard. "Issei may have suggested it, but's it mine. I won't let him take that from me." She looked at the Duel Disk on her wrist. The Duel Disk Issei had given her. "I'll keep the Magical Musket Deck he gave me, too. It will be too much of a hassle to get a new Deck."

 _Besides,_ Masako thought. _I need to remember what happened. No matter how much it hurts, I need to remember._

Masako steeled her resolve. Issei had taken a great deal from her, but he would not destroy her. She would keep moving forward, no matter what he had said.

 _Here's the truth, Masako: no one cares about your thoughts or emotions; they only care about your looks. To them, you're just a doll, a trophy, meant to be put on a shelf and forgotten… You will never be real to them!_

That was what Issei had said to her. His words had hurt, but when Masako looked back, she realized he had a point. At school, guys flattered her, told her she was beautiful. But they never asked her what she thought or what she liked. They were shallow people. Not fakes like Issei had said they were, but shallow.

 _But you're wrong, Issei,_ Masako thought. _There are people out there who would love me for me. Who would see me for who I really am. I know it. And one day… I'll meet someone like that._

"So what's next?" Masako asked Tagoma. "Back to odd jobs to get by?"

"…That's what I was thinking," Tagoma said. "But… I think we might have another avenue."

Masako looked at him curiously. "I was just thinking… that maybe you could put that avatar of yours to good use. There are companies out there who put prices on people's avatars and data. There's good money in that area."

Masako raised an eyebrow. "You mean bounty hunting? I'm not sure I like the idea of going after people for money."

"It's just a suggestion," Tagoma said. "There are some bad apples out there. I've heard about this one guy named Blood Shepherd who's particularly ruthless. But then there are people like Morningstar who everyone seems to like."

Masako thought about it. She remembered Issei talking about Morningstar, and when he had suggested the name Lilith for her. _Good and evil are in the eyes of the beholder. Look at Morningstar; his name refers to Satan, but he's a good guy. You could be just like him._

Masako smiled. That was an idea she liked. "Alright then," she said. "We'll be bounty hunters."

 _And one day_ , she thought. _I'll meet Morningstar. And see what side the Devil is really on._

* * *

 **Lilith vs. Thaumiel**

Lilith has 4000 LP, 5 cards in her hand, and no cards on the field. Thaumiel has 3200 LP, 2 cards in his hand, 1 Set card, the Scale 1 Qliphort Monolith and the Scale 9 Qliphort Scout in his Pendulum Zones, Qliphort Genius (1600/2/↙↘) in the Extra Monster Zone, and Qliphort Disk (2800/1000/7/1) in Attack Position.

 **Turn 2: Lilith**

Lilith draws. She Normal Summons Magical Musketeer Kidbrave (1600/200/3). Kidbrave's effect lets Lilith activate "Magical Musket" Spell/Trap Cards from her hand during either player's turn. She activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting her perform a 2nd Normal Summon this turn. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in Kidbrave's column, Lilith can discard 1 "Magical Musket" card and draw 2 cards. She discards Magical Musketeer Caspar. Lilith Normal Summons Magical Musketeer Calamity (1500/1300/4). Lilith activates the Continuous Trap Card Magical Musket – Fiendish Deal from her hand. Now "Magical Musket" monsters she controls cannot be destroyed by card effects. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in Calamity's column, Lilith can Special Summon 1 "Magical Musket" monster from her GY in Defense Position. She Special Summons Caspar (1200/2000/3) in Defense Position. Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Steady Hands, targeting Kidbrave for its effect. Kidbrave's ATK/DEF becomes double its original ATK/DEF until the End Phase (Kidbrave: 1600→3200/200→400). Because Lilith activated a Spell/Trap Card in Caspar's column, she can add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand, so long as it has a different name than the activated card. She adds Magical Musket – Cross-Domination to her hand. Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cross-Domination, targeting Qliphort Disk, changing its ATK/DEF to 0 and negating its effects until the end of the turn (Disk: 2800→0/1000→0).

Kidbrave attacks Disk, but Thaumiel activates his face-down Counter Trap Card Negate Attack, negating Kidbrave's attack and ending the Battle Phase. Lilith Sets 1 card. She ends her turn, and the ATK/DEF of Kidbrave and Disk return to normal (Kidbrave: 3200→1600/400→200) (Disk: 0→2800/0→1000).

 **Turn 3: Thaumiel**

Thaumiel draws. He activates the Spell Card Pendulum Paradox, which lets him add 2 face-up Pendulum Monsters with the same Pendulum Scale but different names from his Extra Deck to his hand. He adds Qliphort Helix and Qliphort Shell from his Extra Deck to his hand. (Pendulum Paradox is activated in the same column as Calamity, but her effect does not activate because there are no "Magical Musket" monsters in Lilith's GY). Thaumiel Pendulum Summons Qliphort Carrier (2400/1000/6/1) to Genius's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position and Qliphort Stealth (2800/1000/8/1) to Genius's bottom-right Link Marker in Attack Position from his Extra Deck, and Qliphort Helix (2400/1000/6/9) in Attack Position from his hand. Since Carrier, Helix, and Stealth were all Special Summoned, their Levels become 4 and their original ATK becomes 1800 (Carrier: 2400→1800/6→4) (Helix: 2400→1800/6→4) (Stealth: 2800→1800/8→4). Since 2 monsters were Special Summoned to Genius's Link Markers at the same time, Thaumiel can add 1 Level 5 or higher Machine monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds a second Qliphort Stealth from his Deck to his hand. Thaumiel activates the Field Spell Card Laser Qlip. During his Main Phase, he can Normal Summon 1 "Qli" monster in addition to his Normal Summon/Set. Thaumiel Tributes Carrier and Helix to Tribute Summon Qliphort Shell (2800/1000/8/9). Since Carrier was Tributed, Thaumiel can target and return 1 monster on the field to the hand. He targets and returns Kidbrave to Lilith's hand. Since Helix was Tributed, Thaumiel can target 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field and destroy it. He targets and destroys Fiendish Deal. Since Fiendish Deal was sent to the GY by an opponent's card effect, its effect activates, letting Lilith add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her Deck or GY to her hand. She adds Steady Hands from her GY to her hand. Since Qliphort Shell was Normal Summoned by Tributing at least 1 "Qli" monster, it can make a second attack during each Battle Phase, and if it attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage.

Thaumiel activates the effect of the Qliphort Scout in his Pendulum Zone, paying 800 LP (Thaumiel: 3200→2400 LP) to add 1 "Qli" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Saqlifice from his Deck to his hand. Thaumiel activates the Equip Spell Card Saqlifice, equipping it to Qliphort Stealth. Stealth gains 300 ATK, cannot be destroyed by battle, and is treated as 2 Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a "Qli" monster (Stealth: 1800→2100). Thaumiel Tributes Stealth to Tribute Summon a second Qliphort Stealth (2800/1000/8/1). Since Stealth was Tribute Summoned, Thaumiel can target one card on the field and return it to the hand. He targets and returns Caspar to Lilith's hand. Since Saqlifice was sent from the field to the GY, Thaumiel can add 1 "Qli" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Qliphort Cephalopod to his hand. Thaumiel activates the effect of Genius, targeting Qliphort Disk and Calamity on Lilith's field, negating their effects until the end of the turn.

Disk attacks Calamity, but Lilith activates her face-down Quick-Play Spell Card Magical Musket – Power Shot, targeting Calamity. Until the End Phase of the turn, Calamity gains 800 ATK and cannot be destroyed by battle this turn (Calamity: 1500→2300). The attack continues, but Calamity is not destroyed (Lilith: 4000→3500 LP). Stealth attacks Calamity (Lilith: 3500→3000 LP). Shell attacks Calamity (Lilith: 3000→2500 LP). Since Shell was Tribute Summoned, it can attack twice per turn. Shell attacks Calamity (Lilith: 2500→2000 LP). Thaumiel Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, and the effect of Power Shot ends (Calamity: 2300→1500). The effect of the Qliphort Monoloth in Thaumiel's Pendulum Zone activates, letting him draw cards equal to the number of "Qli" monsters he Tributed for Tribute Summons this turn. He draws 3 cards.

 **Turn 4: Lilith**

Lilith draws. She activates the Spell Card Magical Musket – Criminal Bounty. Since she controls a "Magical Musket" monster, she can discard 2 cards then draw 3. She discards Caspar and Kidbrave and draws 3 cards. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in Calamity's column, Lilith can Special Summon 1 "Magical Musket" monster from her GY. She Special Summons Caspar (1200/2000/3) in Defense Position. Lilith Tributes Calamity to Tribute Summon Magical Musket Mastermind Zakiel (2500/2500/8) via its effect. Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Steady Hands, targeting Zakiel and making its ATK/DEF equal to double its original ATK/DEF until the end of the turn (Zakiel: 2500→5000/2500→5000). Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in the same column as Caspar, Lilith can add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds Magical Musket – Cross-Domination. Lilith activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Kidbrave (1600/200/3) from her GY in Attack Position.

Zakiel attacks and destroys Qliphort Genius, but Thaumiel activates his face-down Trap Card Impenetrable Attack and chooses to take no battle damage during the Battle Phase this turn. Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cross-Domination, targeting Shell. Shell's ATK/DEF become 0 and its effects are negated until the End Phase (Shell: 2800→0/1000→0). Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in the same column as Kidbrave, Lilith discards Magical Musketeer Wild and draws 2 cards. Kidbrave attacks and destroys Shell. Lilith ends her turn, and the effect of Steady Hands ends (Zakiel: 5000→2500/5000→2500).

 **Turn 5: Thaumiel**

Thaumiel draws. From her hand, Lilith activates the Trap Card Magical Musket – Desperado. Since she controls a "Magical Musket" monster, she can target and destroy 1 face-up card on the field. She destroys the Qliphort Monolith in Thaumiel's Pendulum Zone. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in the same column as Caspar, Lilith can add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds Magical Musket – Last Stand from her Deck to her hand. Thaumiel activates the effect of Qliphort Scout in his Pendulum Zone, paying 800 LP (Thaumiel: 2400→1600 LP) to add Qliphort Disk from his Deck to his hand. Thaumiel activates the Scale 1 Qliphort Disk in his Pendulum Zone, but Lilith activates the Counter Trap Card Magical Musket – Last Stand, negating the activation of an opponent's Spell/Trap Card as she controls a "Magical Musket" monster and destroying it. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in Kidbrave's column, Lilith discards Magical Musketeer Doc and draws 2 cards. Qliphort Disk is sent to the GY. Thaumiel activates the Spell Card Trap for Trap. By banishing Negate Attack from his GY, he can activate 1 Normal Trap Card from his hand. Thaumiel activates Qlimate Change from his hand. The effect of Qlimate Change lets Thaumiel add up to 3 face-up "Qli" Pendulum Monster Cards from his Extra Deck to his hand. He adds Qliphort Carrier, Qliphort Helix, and Qliphort Monolith from his Extra Deck to his hand.

Thaumiel activates the Scale 1 Qliphort Monolith in his Pendulum Zone. Lilith activates the Continuous Spell Card Magical Musket – Fiendish Barricade from her hand. So long as Fiendish Barricade is face-up, "Magical Musket" monsters Lilith controls cannot be removed from the field by Thaumiel's card effects. Thaumiel Pendulum Summons Qliphort Shell (2800/1000/8/9) from the Extra Deck to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position, and Qliphort Carrier (2400/1000/6/1) and Qliphort Helix (2400/1000/6/9) from his hand, both in Attack Position. Since Carrier, Helix, and Shell were all Special Summoned, their original ATK becomes 1800 and their Levels become 4 (Carrier: 2400→1800/6→4) (Helix: 2400→1800/6→4) (Shell: 2800→1800/8→4). Thaumiel Tributes Carrier, Helix and Shell to Tribute Summon Apoqliphort Skybase (2900/2500/9). Since Helix was Tributed, Thaumiel can target and destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. He targets Fiendish Barricade, but Fiendish Barricade's effect prevents it from being destroyed by card effects once per turn. Thaumiel activates Skybase's effect, targeting Zakiel and taking control of Zakiel until the End Phase. Thaumiel Tributes Disk and Zakiel to Tribute Summon Qliphort Cephalopod (2800/1000/7/9). Since Cephalopod was Tribute Summoned by Tributing a "Qli" monster and Lilith has more monsters in her GY than Thaumiel, Thaumiel gains LP equal to the difference x 300 and Lilith takes the same amount as damage. The difference is 3 (Thaumiel: 1600→2500 LP) (Lilith: 2000→1100 LP). Thaumiel activates the Spell Card Pendulum Halt. Since he has 3 or more face-up Pendulum Monsters with different names in his Extra Deck, he draws 2 cards.

Skybase attacks Kidbrave, but Lilith activates the effect of Fiendish Barricade, reducing the battle damage to 0 since she controls a "Magical Musket" monster. Kidbrave is destroyed. Cephalopod attacks and destroys Caspar. Stealth attacks Lilith directly, but she activates the effect of Fiendish Barricade, sending it to the GY and halving her LP to reduce battle damage to 0 (Lilith: 1100→550 LP). Thaumiel Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn. The effect of Pendulum Halt prevents him from adding cards from his Deck to his hand, so the effect of Qliphort Monolith does not activate.

 **Turn 6: Lilith**

Lilith draws. Thaumiel activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Re-qliate. Now, if a Level 4 or lower monster is Normal or Flip Summoned, its effects are negated until the end of the turn. And if a Level 5 or higher monster is Special Summoned, its effects are negated until the end of the turn, and it is banished when it leaves the field. Lilith Normal Summons Magical Musketeer Starfire (1300/1700/4). She activates the Spell Card Magical Musket – Armed Rebellion. Since she controls a "Magical Musket" monster, she can Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monsters from her GY in Attack Position, but they cannot attack, their effects are negated, and they are banished when they leave the field. Lilith Special Summons Calamity (1500/1300/4) and Kidbrave (1600/200/3). Lilith uses Calamity, Kidbrave, and Starfire to Link Summon Magical Musket Sovereign Ottokar (3000/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since they left the field, Calamity and Kidbrave are banished. Lilith activates the Spell Card Magical Musket – Urgent Battle, targeting Ottokar. This turn, Ottokar can make up to 3 attacks on Thaumiel's monsters. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in a column Ottokar points to, Lilith activates its effect, banishing 1 Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monster from her GY and activating its effect as Ottokar's effect. Lilith banishes Caspar from her GY, and then adds a "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds Magical Musket – Cross-Domination.

Ottokar attacks Skybase, destroying it (Thaumiel: 2500→2400 LP). Ottokar attacks and destroys Cephalopod (Thaumiel: 2400→2200 LP). Ottokar attacks and destroys Qliphort Stealth (Thaumiel: 2200→2000 LP). Lilith activates the effect of the Armed Rebellion in her GY, banishing it to target and destroy Qliphort Monolith, but Thaumiel activates his face-down Trap Card Qlife's End, Special Summoning itself as an Effect Monster (1800/1000/4) in Attack Position. The turn Qlife's End is Summoned, "Qli" Spell/Trap Cards Thaumiel controls cannot be destroyed by card effects. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in a column Ottokar points to, Lilith activates its effect, banishing Doc from her GY, and activating its effect to add 1 "Magical Musket" card from her GY to her hand. She adds Desperado from her GY to her hand. Lilith Sets 1 card. She ends her turn.

 **Turn 7: Thaumiel**

Thaumiel draws. Lilith activates the Trap Card Magical Musket – Desperado from her hand, targeting and destroying Qliphort Monolith. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in a column Ottokar points to, Lilith activates its effect, banishing Wild from her GY, and activating its effect to shuffle 3 "Magical Musket" cards in her GY back into her Deck and draw 1 card. She shuffles Criminal Bounty, Power Shot, and Steady Hands in her GY back into her Deck, then draws 1 card. Thaumiel activates the effect of Qliphort Scout in his Pendulum Zone, paying 800 LP (Thaumiel: 2000→1200 LP) to add 1 "Qli" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Apoqliphort Towers. The effect of Qlife's End lets it be treated as 3 Tributes for the Tribute Summon of an "Apoqliphort" monster. Thaumiel Tributes Qlife's End to Tribute Summon Apoqliphort Towers (3000/2600/10). So long as Towers is on the field, all Special Summoned monsters lose 500 ATK/DEF (Ottokar: 3000→2500). Thaumiel activates Towers' effect, forcing Lilith to send a monster from her hand or field to the GY. Lilith discards the Magical Musket Minion Kilian from her hand. Thaumiel activates the Continuous Spell Card Apoqlipse of Destruction. Since he controls an "Apoqlipghort" monster, all Special Summoned monsters lose 500 ATK/DEF (Ottokar: 2500→2000), and when an "Apoqliphort" monster attacks, Lilith cannot activate any Spell/Trap Cards.

Apoqliphort Towers attacks Ottokar, but Lilith activates the effect of Magical Musket Minion Kilian in her GY, banishing it to halve the battle damage she would take. The attack continues, but since Ottokar does not point to any monsters, it cannot be destroyed by battle (Lilith: 550→50 LP). Thaumiel ends his turn.

 **Turn 8: Lilith**

Lilith draws. She activates her face-down Quick-Play Spell Card Cross-Domination, targeting Apoqliphort Towers for its effect. However, Towers is unaffected by Spell/Trap effects, so Cross-Domination has no effect. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in a column Ottokar points to, its effect activates, and Lilith banishes Starfire from her GY to activate her effect. Lilith can now Special Summon one Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monster from her Deck in Defense Position. Lilith Special Summons a second Caspar (1200/2000/3). Lilith activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting her perform a second Normal Summon this turn. Since a Spell/Trap Card was activated in Caspar's column, Lilith can add a "Magical Musket" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds Steady Hands from her Deck to her hand. Lilith activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Steady Hands, targeting Ottokar for its effect and making its ATK equal to double its original ATK (Ottokar: 2000→6000) until the end of the turn.

Ottokar attacks and destroys Towers (Thaumiel: 1200→0 LP). Lilith wins.

* * *

 _ **Magical Musket Sovereign Ottokar  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Fiend/Link/Effect] ATK 3000 LINK-3_ ↙↓↘  
 _3 "Magical Musket" monsters  
_ _During either player's turn, you can activate "Magical Musket" Spell/Trap Cards from your hand. Up to thrice per turn, if a Spell/Trap Card is activated in the same column as a zone this card points to: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monster in your GY; Banish that monster and activate its effect as this card's effect. You cannot activate this effect if your LP are 1000 or higher. If this card points to no monsters, it cannot be destroyed by battle._

 _ **Magical Musket Minion Kilian  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Fiend/Effect] ATK 1000 DEF 200 Level: 2  
_ _During either player's turn, you can activate "Magical Musket" Spell/Trap Cards from your hand. If a "Magical Musket" monster you control is battling, you can banish this card (from your GY); all battle damage you take this turn is halved. You can only activate this effect of "Magical Musket Minion Kilian" once per turn._

 _ **Magical Musket – Power Shot Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Magical Musket" monster you control; until the end of the turn, it gains 800 ATK and cannot be destroyed by battle. You can only activate 1 "Magical Musket – Power Shot" per turn._

 _ **Magical Musket – Criminal Bounty Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you control a "Magical Musket" monster: Discard 2 cards, then draw 3 cards. You can only activate 1 "Magical Musket – Criminal Bounty" per turn._

 _ **Trap for Trap Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Banish 1 Trap Card from your GY; This turn, you can activate 1 Normal Trap Card from your hand. You can only activate 1 "Trap for Trap" per turn._

 _ **Magical Musket – Fiendish Barricade Continuous Spell Card  
**_ " _Magical Musket" monsters you control cannot be removed from the field by an opponent's card effect. Once per turn: If an opponent's monster declares an attack while you control a "Magical Musket" monster; you can make the battle damage you take from this battle 0. The first time this card would be destroyed by an opponent's card effect each turn, it is not destroyed. When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack, you can send this card you control to the GY and pay half your LP; make the battle damage you take from this attack 0. You can only control 1 "Magical Musket – Fiendish Barricade"._

 _ **Magical Musket – Armed Rebellion Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you control a "Magical Musket" monster: Target 2 Level 4 or lower "Magical Musket" monsters in your GY; Special Summon them to your field in Attack Position with their effects negated. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot attack and are banished when they leave the field. If you control a "Magical Musket" monster: You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 Spell/Trap Card on your opponent's field; destroy it. You can only activate each effect of "Magical Musket – Armed Rebellion" once per turn._

 _ **Magical Musket – Urgent Battle Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Magical Musket" monster you control; this turn, it can make up to three attacks on monsters during the Battle Phase, also your other monsters cannot attack. The ATK/DEF of monsters on the field cannot be changed by card effects the turn you activate this effect. You can only activate 1 "Magical Musket – Urgent Battle" per turn._

 _ **Apoqlipse of Destruction Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _All Special Summoned monsters lose 500 ATK/DEF. If an "Apoqliphort" monster you control attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. If there is no "Apoqliphort" monster on the field, send this card to the GY._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 21 – Nature's Revenge_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to HunterHQ, uyigho98, ClearwingYuta, Guest, ThePLOThand, Frost190, sanedimentio, D3lph0xL0v3r, Nirvash Neo, BladeKnightmare, Lindia Fullmoon, GreenD109, Ethan Kironus, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 19 of Hidden Memories.

Nirvash Neo: Yes, both the Cyangel and Cydemon archetypes will appear in season 2, but I won't say who will use them. As for them including the other summoning methods, I haven't decided on that yet. I do plan on each archetypes having at least 8 Link Monsters, but that's it at this point.

Lindia Fullmoon: I like your idea of Shockwave Dragon, especially its design, but there's one problem with it: It's too powerful. If it appears, I'm going to have to nerf it. On another note, I've been thinking about incorporating Cyberse Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters in season 2. I won't say how they'll appear, but I was wondering if I could rewrite Shockwave Dragon as a Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monster – after it is nerfed, of course. Like I said, though, good design.

Credit to ThePLOThand for the creation of Magical Musket Sovereign Ottokar. I changed its effects around so that Lilith wouldn't use it immediately, but I like how it turned out.

Okay, this chapter featured the remainder of the duel between Lilith and Thaumiel. Since Lilith lost both of her previous duels, I needed to have her win this one. That meant creating a lot of OC cards for the Magical Musket archetype. If not for those cards, Thaumiel would have won this. sanedimentio is right; Qliphorts are stupid powerful.

We also had the backstory between Lilith and Thaumiel shown, and quite frankly, it was tricky to write. I hope it ties into why Masako likes Yasutake, as well as her liking of Morningstar. I also hope that it shows just how despicable Thaumiel, or Issei, really is. He is someone I hope everyone will hate.

Small note: Originally, I was planning for Tagoma to betray Masako and duel her in this chapter. He was going to use a Vendread Deck and would be fighting because Hanoi offered him a large sum of money. But I decided not to, because I wanted to have Masako's guardian not be a total ass. This change also allowed me to incorporate one of the worst people you can imagine into this story.

In case anyone is wondering, I do intend for Thaumiel to return, if only because I think it would awesome for him to duel Soulburner. It is too much of an opportunity for a character voiced by Yuki Kaji to face someone named Issei. But I don't have a set idea on when that would be or how it would happen, so it's just an idea at this stage.

Thank you for reading Chapter 20 of Hidden Memories. Please post a review of what you thought of the chapter. What did you think of the flashbacks? What did you think of Thaumiel? Feedback is very important to me, and the continual improvement of Hidden Memories.


	21. Chapter 21: Nature's Revenge

**Chapter 21: Nature's Revenge**

"Thaumiel lost."

"I have to admit I did not expect that. After seeing his Deck, I assumed Lilith would be no match for him."

"We underestimated her. But it appears she has gotten sidetracked. And Spectre managed to defeat Blue Angel. Now he is moving to intercept Morningstar and Playmaker."

"He can only handle one of them at a time. And we are needed here to defend the Tower."

"Do not worry. We still have one last card to play."

* * *

Lilith ran through the streets. She had to have been imagining things. After defeating Thaumiel she had noticed a tornado of rose petals. If she wasn't mistaken, it had appeared on the route Blue Angel had taken. While Lilith didn't care about what happened to Blue Angel, she suspected she would find a Knight of Hanoi there. If she could defeat them, it would be one less enemy to take care of.

As Lilith rounded the corner, she gasped. Blue Angel was lying on the ground, her wings ripped from her back and her hair fallen out of its twin tails.

"Blue Angel!" Lilith shouted, running towards the fallen idol. But when she got within a few feet, the ground beneath her suddenly broke apart.

"What the-?" Massive vines covered in thorns emerged from the ground and wrapped around Lilith, imprisoning her in a cone of vines. She was trapped.

"The hell?" Lilith said, reaching out for the vines.

"I wouldn't do that."

Lilith turned at the voice and gasped. She wasn't the only one imprisoned. A tall man with blue and teal hair in a fancy suit was also trapped in a cage. And behind him was an old man with a beard and green eyes wearing a lab coat.

"Just like Mr. Zaizen's cage, yours contains a strong computer virus," the old man said. "If you touch it, you'll become part of the Tower."

Lilith narrowed her eyes at the old man. "Who are you?" she asked. "I'm guessing you're a Knight of Hanoi, but you don't look like a duelist."

The old man closed his eyes. "I suppose it's no surprise you don't know me." He opened his eyes and said, "My name is Doctor Kiyoshi Kogami."

Lilith gasped. Kogami? Hadn't her father worked on the Hanoi Project under a Dr. Kogami?

"But this is impossible!" the man in the other cage, who Lilith recognized as Akira Zaizen, said. "SOL's files said you were dead!"

Dr. Kogami refocused his attention on Akira. "I did die," he said. "Due to SOL Technologies."

"SOL Technologies?" Akira repeated.

Dr. Kogami smirked. "But I resurrected." Lilith narrowed her eyes. SOL Technologies killed him? And he resurrected? What did that mean?

Evidently Akira was wondering the same thing. "SOL Technologies killed you? What do you mean?"

"Ten years ago, I worked for SOL Technologies," Dr. Kogami said.

"You're saying that the company ordered the Lost Incident?" Akira asked. Lilith narrowed her eyes further. Her father's files had told her about the Lost Incident, but they hadn't mentioned whether they had been sanctioned by the people up top.

"No. That company can't comprehend my ideas," Dr. Kogami said. "When the incident came to light, they imprisoned me and my closest assistant and covered everything up." Akira gasped in surprise. "In order to monopolize the Ignis I developed. They smelled money when it came to the Ignis. If the incident was publicized, they thought the police would seize the Ignis."

"No way…" Lilith looked at Akira with sympathy. She didn't know him that well, but she knew he was loyal to SOL. Hearing his bosses committing acts like this couldn't be easy.

Dr. Kogami continued his story. "They infected me with a computer virus to put me in a coma. I was able to go home three years after the incident. They thought I was dead. But my son didn't give up. He removed the virus, and he recreated my mind in the network."

"Your son?" Lilith said, surprised. "You mean Revolver?"

Dr. Kogami looked at her and nodded. "Yes. Revolver is my son."

"Did you and Revolver form the Knights of Hanoi to get revenge on SOL Technologies?" Akira asked Dr. Kogami.

"Revenge is incorrect," the doctor said. "Our only goal is to kill the Ignis."

 _But hurting SOL is surely a wonderful side benefit,_ Lilith thought.

"Why?" Akira asked.

"They were supposed to guide the world," Dr. Kogami explained. "But they're savages that'll destroy the world."

"Savages?"

"No one knows what it truly means for an AI to have free will. They're far beyond what I imagined." Dr. Kogami glanced over to the Tower. "They must be dealt with."

"Dr. Kogami." The two men looked over at Lilith. "You said they imprisoned you and your closest assistant. What happened to them?"

Dr. Kogami's gaze softened. "Dr. Hitomu Hirai," he said, delivering an unexpected shock to Lilith. "He was my primary aid in the Lost Incident. But he was released after only a few months. I understand he had connections with the company leaders."

His gaze then hardened. "That is another reason to destroy the Ignis," he said. "Hitomu and his family were killed shortly before I was released. I am almost certain SOL was responsible." He closed his eyes. "Because I created the Ignis, Kenshin's family was destroyed. Another reason to undo what I did."

Kenshin? Why did that name sound familiar…?

"Wait!" Akira said. "What'll happen to my sister?"

Wait. Sister? Lilith's eyes widened as she glanced back at Blue Angel. Wasn't Akira related to…

Dr. Kogami opened his eyes and glanced at Blue Angel. "Those imprisoned in the Tower can no longer escape. When the Tower of Hanoi is completed, data worldwide will be destroyed. Even us since we're part of the data."

Lilith gasped. "You mean… if the Tower is completed, you'll all die?"

"Yes. We will. But that is the price we are willing to pay."

"You've involved everything for the Ignis, including yourselves," Akira said.

"It's the only way left. The Tower of Hanoi will be completed soon. If you want to see the world end, stay there." The man warped away after saying that.

"Dr. Kogami!" Akira shouted. But the man was gone.

Akira grit his teeth and turned back to Blue Angel. "Aoi! Aoi!" He and Lilith both watched in horror as Blue Angel broke apart into blue data and disintegrated.

"Aoi…" Lilith whispered. "Aoi Zaizen… you were Blue Angel?" She remembered talking to the girl at Den Academy. She was distant and cautious of everyone. A good policy to have. But she was nice to Lilith. And she had been friendly to Yasutake. Lilith grit her teeth.

"Tagoma," Lilith whispered into her earpiece. "Anything you can do about this?"

"Not with the equipment I have," Tagoma said. She could barely hear his voice through the interference. "The code behind those cages is first-rate. I'm good, but you'd need a specialist for those."

"Great," Lilith said, scowling. Realizing there was nothing to do, she turned to her fellow prisoner. "I'm sorry about your sister," she said to Akira, who refocused on her.

"You're Lilith, right?" he asked. "A bounty hunter?"

"Yep, that's me. I'm surprised you know me."

Akira narrowed his eyes at her. "I've seen your files. Kitamura hired you to hunt Morningstar."

Lilith chuckled. "Yes. And when I lost, he refused to pay me."

"What are you doing here? Did one of my superiors offer a bounty on Hanoi?"

"Sadly, no." Lilith sighed. "I'm just here to pay back a debt. And look where it got me." She sighed again, then smiled sadly at Akira. "I know it's not much consolation, but if the Tower is destroyed, I'm sure your sister will be set free."

Akira frowned. "I hope you're right. But Revolver is a dangerous opponent. And the man who defeated Aoi…"

Lilith's smile grew. "Don't worry," she said. "We have the Devil on our side. We can't lose."

* * *

Morningstar ran down the streets. He'd gotten sidetracked a few times from things in the sky, but he was back on course now. And thanks to a few shortcuts, he'd gotten farther than he otherwise would have.

"We've got a problem, Yasu," Cam said. There was a little static, but not enough to keep Morningstar from hearing him. Or the solemnity in his voice.

"What is it?" Morningstar had a bad feeling in his gut.

"Blue Angel just dueled Spectre," Cam said. "That Frog and Pigeon duo broadcast it for everyone to see."

Morningstar stopped running as dread settled in him. "Oh no… don't tell me?"

"Yeah… she lost. Badly."

After a few seconds, Morningstar balled his fists and grit his teeth. "Damn it," he said. "I hope I run into Spectre soon. Because I could use an outlet."

"Well if you do, be careful. He was using some strange Plant Deck that focused on gaining Life Points."

"Not Aromage?"

"No. Something based around a tree." Morningstar nodded, filing that information away, then resumed running. If his sense of direction was right, then around the next corner should be…

Morningstar turned the corner and gasped. Playmaker was right in front of him.

"Playmaker!"

The duelist turned, as did the AI in his Duel Disk.

"Morningstar," Playmaker said. "I thought you would take a different route."

"Galahad planned on following Go," Morningstar said. "I figured I'd follow you for the time being." His face turned solemn. "And with Blue Angel defeated, going in groups seems safer."

Playmaker gasped. "Blue Angel lost? To who?"

"To Spectre," Morningstar said, scowling. "Hopefully, we'll run into him next."

He stepped up alongside Playmaker and looked out before him. There were two massive suspension bridges over the ocean, side by side.

"These bridges are our fastest route to the Tower," Ai said. "But they're starting to break apart. We need to go now!"

"Agreed." Morningstar nodded. "I'll take the left bridge and you take the right. Let's go!"

Playmaker nodded and headed for the right bridge. Morningstar resumed running.

As he ran, he glanced over at the Tower. One of its rings was now complete, and another was half done. That meant they only had about four-and-a-half hours left. _Terminus_ , he thought. _I will get answers from you. And you will pay for what you did to me and Sachi._

As Morningstar refocused, he noticed something in front of him and stopped. The space in front of him warped as someone stepped out. Morningstar narrowed his eyes.

"Spectre," he said. "I was hoping to see you again."

Spectre smirked. "It is good to see you again, Morningstar. I've been looking forward to a rematch with you."

"That's fine with me. I know about what you did to Blue Angel."

Spectre scoffed. "I suppose that ally in your ear told you. Yes, I defeated her. Without having to use my full strength, in fact." He smirked again. "Such a foolish idol. She kept going on and on about blue love or something. I have no idea what that vain girl was talking about."

The Knight of Hanoi glanced over at the other bridge. "I imagine Master Revolver would want me to focus on Playmaker, but this is personal between us. And there's another opponent for Playmaker to fight."

"Another opponent?" Morningstar repeated. He looked at the other bridge and gasped. "That's-!"

* * *

Playmaker ran down the bridge. Glancing to the left at the other bridge, he narrowed his eyes.

"That looks like Spectre!" Ai said, looking in the same direction as Playmaker. "Guess Morningstar got his wish. Think we should cheer him on?"

"We don't have time," Playmaker said. "Morningstar can handle himself. And while he's dueling Spectre, we can go-." The hacker looked ahead, gasped, and stopped. The air in front of him had warped. A humanoid figure stepped out of it.

"Found Playmaker," it said. "Engaging Duel Mode."

"Hey!" Ai said, surprised. "Isn't that-?"

"Yes," Playmaker said, narrowing his eyes. "An AI duelist."

The figure in front of him resembled the one he had dueled in the SOL databanks, except it was white, silver, and gold.

"It looks like one of Kitamura's AI duelists," Ai said. "Wait… didn't Morningstar say he fought an AI duelist in the sewers?"

"He did. This must be another of them." Playmaker grit his teeth. "Get lost!" he said to the AI duelist. "I don't have time for this!"

The AI ignored him and said, "I am designated AI Duelist Prototype HAI-C. I have been programmed by Masters Revolver and Terminus to engage and defeat the duelist known as Playmaker."

"Revolver and Terminus both programmed you?" Playmaker asked, but the AI duelist did not respond. Playmaker growled. "We don't have time for this, but it's not budging," he said. "We'll have to defeat it."

"It shouldn't be too difficult to do that," Ai said. "If Morningstar defeated one even after being weakened by Revolver, we can defeat one too!"

Playmaker readied his Duel Disk, as did the AI duelist.

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Playmaker: 4000 LP**

 **Prototype HAI-C: 4000 LP**

* * *

"It looks like Playmaker will be rather busy for a while," Spectre said, turning back to Morningstar. "Terminus's designs are based off Kitamura's, but they are far superior. And that one over there is stronger than the one you defeated. But that doesn't matter to us."

Spectre then noticed something. "Oh, that on the other hand does."

Morningstar looked up and gasped. A cloud of blue data was traveling through the air. It was a much brighter blue than the other data particles around it. Spectre reached out and the data traveled to his hand, where it hung in the air. The particles briefly reflected an image before continuing to the Tower.

"Blue Angel!" Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes at Spectre.

Spectre scoffed. "She had no skill, so she wasn't ready to save me."

Morningstar growled. "You…"

"I'll send you to the same place as her," Spectre said, spreading his arms. "You and she are friends, aren't you? It would be fitting for you to join her. At least then she won't be alone again."

Morningstar growled again and activated his Duel Disk. "You'll answer to me for that!"

Spectre placed one hand in the other. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Spectre: 4000 LP**

"I shall go first!" Spectre declared, waving his hand and revealing his cards. He smirked. "You may have defeated me before, Morningstar, but that was with a test Deck Master Revolver gave me. With my true Deck, you don't stand a chance!"

Spectre touched one of his cards. "I summon Sunseed Genius Loci!" A golden statue with a green base holding a brown seed appeared on Spectre's field.

 **Sunseed Genius Loci ATK 0 DEF 600 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The future circuit that lights up our path!" Spectre raised his hand in the air as it glowed blue. A massive Link portal appeared on the ground behind Spectre. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Plant Normal Monster. I set Sunseed Genius Loci in the Link Marker!" Genius Loci became an orange whirlwind that entered the bottom Link Marker opposite Spectre.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Sunavalon Dryas!"

Morningstar watched in surprise as the ground behind Spectre broke apart and something rose out of it. His monster was a giant tree with a few bulbs hanging from the branches and what appeared to be a face in the center.

 **Sunavalon Dryas ATK 0 LINK-1** ↓

Morningstar frowned. "0 attack points?" _But Cam said Spectre defeated Blue Angel with a tree monster,_ he thought. _This must be it._

"I Set one card and end my turn," Spectre said.

* * *

"I shall take the first turn," HAI-C said. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Vendread Nights!"

"Vendread?" Playmaker repeated, surprised. Wasn't that archetype-?

"I activate the effect of Vendread Nights," HAI-C continued. "By discarding one card, I can add one 'Vendread' monster from my Deck to my hand. I discard a card to add Vendread Houndhorde from my Deck to my hand."

After doing so, HAI-C said, "Since Vendread Striges was sent to the Graveyard, its effect activates. I can then reveal one 'Vendread' card in my hand and then Special Summon Striges. I reveal Vendread Houndhorde and Special Summon Vendread Striges!" A demonic bird with several spikes popping out on every side appeared in Attack Position.

 **Vendread Striges ATK 500 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"If Striges is Special Summoned by its effect, it will be banished when it leaves the field," HAI-C said. "I summon Vendread Houndhorde." Three demonic dogs, each with several spikes on their backs, appeared on its field.

 **Vendread Houndhorde ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 3**

"Both of those monsters have very low attack points," Ai said. "Is this thing planning to Link Summon?"

"No," Playmaker said, scowling. "It's doing something else."

"Eh? What?"

"I activate the Spell Card: Vendread Relocation," HAI-C said. Its card showed Houndhorde and Striges, with another larger monster cloaked in shadows in the background. "As I control two Level 4 or lower 'Vendread' monsters, this card lets me add one 'Revendread' Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. Then I add one 'Vendread' Ritual Monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand, except for Revendread Slayer."

"What!?" Ai said, shocked. "Ritual!?"

"I add Revendread Origin and Vendread Chimera from my Deck to my hand," HAI-C continued. "And now I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Revendread Origin!"

The card appeared on its field and glowed. "I Tribute monsters from my hand and field whose total Level equals or surpasses the 'Vendread' Ritual Monster that I'm Ritual Summoning from my hand. I Tribute the Level 2 Vendread Striges and the Level 3 Vendread Houndhorde!"

A dark blue circle with five blue flames appeared on HAI-C's field. Houndhorde and Striges disintegrated, and their energy went into the center of the circle. A pillar of blue light emerged from the circle.

"The contract has been made. The beast of the deepest night inherits these two souls! Ritual Summon! Rise! Level 5! Vendread Chimera!"

A nightmarish monster emerged from the pillar. It seemed to resemble several monsters all stitched together, with multiple heads all over it. They all roared as Chimera was summoned in Attack Position.

 **Vendread Chimera ATK 2300 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

"A Ritual Monster!" Ai screeched. "I've never faced one of those before!"

"Neither have I," Playmaker said, narrowing his eyes. This wasn't going to be as easy as he had hoped.

"As the Special Summoned Striges left the field, it is now banished," HAI-C said. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

 _Even if it surprised me, I cannot let my guard down,_ Playmaker thought. He placed his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!"

* * *

"Cam, how did Blue Angel lose?" Morningstar whispered. "Her Deck is designed to deal repeated effect damage. If I hadn't blocked that when I dueled her, I would have lost."

"From what I saw, that tree has some kind of healing effect," Cam said. "Be very careful, Yasu. His Deck is far more powerful than the one you dueled against before."

Morningstar scowled. "It doesn't matter how powerful he is. I'll still win. But…" The hunter refocused on Spectre.

"I have to admit, I'm curious about something," he said, surprising Spectre. "Why do you fight?"

Spectre scoffed. "What a basic question," he said. "I fight for Master Revolver, of course."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Such blind loyalty is foolhardy," he said. "Don't you know what Revolver and Terminus are trying to do?"

"I think I have a good idea," Spectre said, frowning at Morningstar.

"If the Tower of Hanoi is finished, the worldwide network will be destroyed," Morningstar said. "As a result, many people will die in the real world. And that doesn't even count the people absorbed by the Tower."

"I am aware of that," Spectre said, unfazed. "Even if the world is destroyed, I'll always be on Master Revolver's side!"

Morningstar growled. "Why? Why would you have such loyalty to a person like Revolver? Don't you know what he and the Knights of Hanoi did? About their involvement in the incident ten years ago?"

Spectre scoffed and closed his eyes.

"That incident ruined mine and Playmaker's lives," Morningstar said. "More than that, it ruined the lives of the people I care about the most." The hunter narrowed his eyes. "This fight is personal between me and Terminus, and Playmaker and Revolver. An outsider like you shouldn't be involved in this!"

"Oh?" Spectre said, smirking. "So you think I'm an outsider." His smirk widened. "But I'm fully involved in the incident."

Morningstar blinked in surprise. "You're involved? How?"

"The Lost Incident ten years ago," Spectre started, clearly enjoying this. "Eight children were kidnapped. They were imprisoned in separate rooms." Morningstar's eyes widened. It couldn't be… "So the eight didn't know each other's faces. Just like I didn't know you or Playmaker, you didn't know me."

"You… you mean…?"

"Yes," Spectre said. "I'm one of the eight children."

"W-What?" Morningstar said, his eyes wide.

"What!?" Cam said, his eyes wide as he stared at the screen. He couldn't see what was happening, but he could hear Morningstar and Spectre's conversation. Spectre was there with Yasutake, Yusaku, and Sachi? How was that possible? And why would one of the tortured children be involved with the Knights of Hanoi?

"You're one of the children?" Morningstar said, surprised. "If that's true, then why are you a Knight of Hanoi? If you endured the same hell as us-."

"Hell? What do you mean?" Spectre asked. He was genuinely confused. Seeing Morningstar's shocked expression, he wondered, "Am I different? Seems so from your point of view. Probably from Playmaker's perspective, too."

Spectre smirked. "I grew up in an orphanage. Because I never had relatives, I lacked the ability to mingle with others. Even among people, I was always alone and bored. That's when that incident occurred." His smile became genuine. "That incident entertained me."

"You… enjoyed the incident?"

Spectre laughed. "Yes. I enjoyed it. It was fun. Even if I could go home, loneliness and boredom awaited me. I lived like a specter, a ghost. No one talked to me. No one cared about me. But it was different there. Someone was testing me. Someone expected big things for me. When I realized that, I felt the will to live for the first time." He spread his arms wide. "It was like a dream." He then brought a hand to his temple. "Unfortunately, that fun time came to an end."

"…"

Morningstar stood there in silence, slowly processing Spectre's words.

"You probably can't understand. Because if the incident hurt you, you must've led a happy life before the incident."

"H-Happy?" Morningstar whispered, too low for Spectre to hear.

Spectre ignored the shaking hunter and continued his story. "After the incident, I was returned to the orphanage. I was forbidden to talk about my experience. Adults treated me cautiously, keeping me at arm's length. I was more alone than before."

Morningstar held his rising fury in, wanting to hear what else Spectre had to say.

"I escaped from the orphanage and went to the restricted area. It was locked after the incident. I kept waiting there." Spectre smiled again. "Thinking about that time… hoping those fun times would come back. And that came true."

Morningstar blinked, his surprise momentarily taking over his anger.

Spectre closed his eyes. "When I saw him, I knew instantly that he came for me."

"He must mean Revolver…" Cam said into Morningstar's ear, though Morningstar barely heard him. His surprise was vanishing, and his rage was returning. Happy…

"You don't hate the Knights of Hanoi?" Morningstar asked, trying and failing to maintain his calm as his voice broke. "Like Playmaker does?"

"Hate?" Spectre said, surprised. "Revolver gave me a place to belong. So why would I?" Morningstar didn't answer. He only narrowed his eyes further. "Am I weird? But I think you and Playmaker are weirder, him loudly proclaiming his sense of justice and you claiming to be a devil, when you don't have it in you to be cruel. Isn't cruelty an essential part of being a devil?"

Morningstar finally stopped holding his anger in. "How… how dare you…"

"Huh?" Spectre said, confused.

"How dare you… HOW DARE YOU SAY THE INCIDENT WAS FUN!" Morningstar shouted, surprising Spectre, who subconsciously took a step back.

"That incident… it stole hope from me," Morningstar said, his voice low and angry. "Right before the incident, for the first time in my life, I understood what it meant to feel hope and kindness." His mind flashed back to that night. Rain pouring down into the alley. The thunder covering the sound of the trashcan lid hitting the ground. The light from the church…

"More than what it did to me, the incident ruined the lives of the two people I care about more than anything!" Morningstar continued. "And you dare stand there and say that incident was _fun_ for you!?" Morningstar growled. "I don't care if you were there with us. You're in my way. My turn! Draw!"

* * *

"Aw, look like Morningstar's the lucky one," Ai said, looking over at the other bridge. "His opponent summoned a tree!"

"Spectre defeated Blue Angel," Playmaker reminded Ai. "There's likely more to that tree." Playmaker took a card from his hand. "By sending a Level 2 or lower monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon this monster. Come, Bitrooper!" A white and yellow armored mechanical warrior appeared in Attack Position.

 **Bitrooper ATK 1500 DEF 2000 LVL: 4**

"I summon ROM Cloudia!" A ram with black fur and pink horns appeared on his field.

 **ROM Cloudia ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"ROM Cloudia's effect activates!" Playmaker declared. "As it was Normal Summoned, I can add one Cyberse monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I'll add the monster I just discarded to my hand."

After taking the card from the Graveyard, he said, "I activate the effect of the Latency I just added to my hand. When it is added from the Graveyard to my hand, I can Special Summon it!" An armored machine woman in a pink dress holding an hourglass appeared in Attack Position.

 **Latency ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" As Playmaker's hand glowed, the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse monsters! I set Bitrooper, Latency, and ROM Cloudia in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Encode Talker!" The white armored warrior carrying a shield appeared on Playmaker's field.

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↑↓↘

"Since the Special Summoned Latency was used to Link Summon, I draw one card!" Playmaker drew, then said, "I summon Backup Secretary!" A purple-haired woman in armor appeared, summoned to Encode Talker's bottom-right Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Backup Secretary ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 3**

"I can Special Summon Backup Secretary if I control a Cyberse monster," Playmaker explained to the AI, which didn't respond. "Battle! Backup Secretary, attack Vendread Chimera!" Backup Secretary charged Vendread Chimera.

"Chimera's attack points are 2300," HAI-C said. "And Backup Secretary's attack points are 1200. Logic suggests that Playmaker will use Encode Talker's effect."

Playmaker ignored the AI duelist and said, "Encode Talker's effect activates! When my monster it points to battled a monster with higher attack points, my monster cannot be destroyed by that battle, and I take no battle damage!" Backup Secretary punched Chimera, which blasted her away. "And then, either Encode Talker or a monster it points to gains attack points equal to Chimera's attack points until the End Phase. I will increase Encode Talker's attack points!"

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300→4600**

"Vendread Chimera's effect activates!" HAI-C suddenly declared. "As it was Ritual Summoned using Vendread Striges, it gains this effect: After battling an opponent's monster, I can draw one card, then discard one card." HAI-C drew, then discarded.

"It gained an effect?" Ai repeated.

"It must be part of the Vendread strategy," Playmaker said. "But it won't happen again. Encode Talker, attack Vendread Chimera! Final Encode!" A sword emerged from Encode Talker's shield as it charged Chimera. It slashed and created a massive cloud of smoke.

"Yes!" Ai cheered. "With that, we should have inflicted 2300 points of damage!"

Playmaker waited then gasped. The smoke cleared, revealing Vendread Chimera and the unhurt HAI-C.

"Eh?" Ai said, surprised. "What gives? Why didn't it take damage?"

"When you attacked, I activated the Trap Card Waboku," HAI-C explained to the confused hacker and AI. "It reduces all battle damage I took to 0 and prevents my monsters from being destroyed by battle this turn." It then gestured to Chimera. "Vendread Chimera's effect activates! As it battled your monster, I draw then discard a card."

Playmaker grit his teeth. "This AI is more defensive than the one I fought in the databank," he said.

"Its strategies seem to revolve around Ritual Summoning and granting its Ritual Monsters effects," Ai noted. "This is going to be tricky."

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Cache!" Playmaker said. "As I control a Cyberse monster whose attack points are different from its original attack points, I can draw two cards." After drawing, he said, "I Set two cards. I end my turn."

* * *

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cyberse Infinite Coding!" Morningstar declared. "This card gains a Cyberse Counter every time a Cyberse Link Monster is Link Summoned. And since you control monsters and I don't, I Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" The white skeleton in blue armor appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Swordsman's effect activates! If it is Special Summoned by its own effect, I can add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke from my Deck to my hand."

He took the card from his Deck, then said, "As you control a Link Monster and I do not, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Armorer!" The skeleton in a blacksmith's outfit appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Armorer ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 6**

"And now I'll Special Summon Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke by the same method!" The dwarf skeleton carrying a crank drill appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke ATK 200 DEF 500 LVL: 2**

"I summon Cyspirit Teleporter!" The black skeleton in grey armor carrying a baton appeared.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar's hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Teleporter in the Link Marker!" His monster became a whirlwind of energy that entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Infinite Coding's effect! As a Cyberse Link Monster was Link Summoned, it gains one Cyberse Counter!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding 0 CC→1 CC**

"Cacophonic Caller's effect activates! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker, but it cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Come, Cyspirit Navigator!" The skeleton in a pirate's outfit appeared, summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300 DEF 1100 LVL: 3**

"Appear once more! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared once again above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cacophonic Caller and Navigator in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Jubilant Jester!"

A white metal skeleton appeared on the field and was then enveloped in light. When the light faded, it was wearing a black and gold medieval jester's outfit and carrying a small staff. It wore a black and gold jester hat atop its white skull as blue and red eyes shone and silver metal wings spread from its back. Jubilant Jester spun around and posed as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 1800 LINK-2** ↙↘

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC**

"A new 'Cyspirit' Link Monster," Spectre mused, frowning.

"As long as Jubilant Jester points to at least one monster," Morningstar said. "All 'Cyspirit' monsters I control gain 400 attack and defense points. Digital Jubilance!"

 **Cyspirit Armorer ATK 1200→1600 DEF 2000→2400**

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 1800→2200**

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1600 DEF 900→1300**

 **Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke ATK 200→600 DEF 500→900**

"I activate the effect of Infinite Coding," Morningstar continued. "By removing two Cyberse Counters, I draw one card."

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 2 CC→0 CC**

"As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon this card. Come, Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a prisoner's uniform appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600→2000 DEF 2100→2500 LVL: 5**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared for a third time in the air above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions two Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Swordsman and Tunnel Tyke in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the top-left and left arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire!"

A large skeleton emerged from the portal and was enveloped in white light. When the light faded, the skeleton wore silver plate armor and a metal helmet covered its skull as wings spread outwards from its back. Blue and red eyes shone as it swung a sword and red shield. It was summoned to Jubilant Jester's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire ATK 1700→2100 LINK-2** ↖←

"Another new Link Monster," Spectre noted, smirking. "And you're not done yet, are you?"

"Of course not." Morningstar gestured to one of his monsters. "Cyspirit Armorer's effect activates! Once per turn, I can target a Link Monster on the field and send Armorer to the Graveyard. I can then Special Summon Cyspirit Armor Tokens equal to that Link Monster's Link Rating. I target Jubilant Jester to summon two Cyspirit Armor Tokens!" Armorer vanished and two dwarf skeletons in blacksmith's clothes appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Armor Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 2 x 2**

"Appear for a fourth time! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared once more. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' Normal Monsters! I set both Armor Tokens in the Link Markers!" The two tokens became whirlwinds of energy and entered the top-right and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Zany Zealot!"

A new skeleton emerged from the portal and was enveloped in light. When the light disappeared, the skeleton was wearing tattered priest robes with wings sprouting from the back and carried a hacksaw in its right hand and a pistol in its left. It wore a tattered silver crown on its head and its blue and red eyes shone as it was summoned to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Zany Zealot ATK 1300→1700 LINK-2** ↗→

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC**

"Zany Zealot's effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, if it is co-linked with a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Return, Cyspirit Swordsman!"

Zany Zealot laughed as it cut a hole in the ground with its hacksaw. Swordsman emerged out of the hole and gave Zany Zealot a wide berth.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→1600 DEF 900→1300 LVL: 3**

Spectre narrowed his eyes. "Now he has two non-Link Monsters," he whispered. "Interesting…"

"Appear for a fifth time! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared again above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Prisoner and Swordsman in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" The skeleton in a prospector's uniform and a drill for a right hand appeared, summoned to Zany Zealot's left Link Marker and Legendary Legionnaire's right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

Spectre's eyes widened. "Oh?" This was interesting. Jubilant Jester was in the Extra Monster Zone, and it pointed to Legendary Legionnaire and Zany Zealot, both of whom pointed to the Thrilled Tunneler between them. "Four co-linked Link Monsters? Someone's showing off."

"I don't entirely know what that tree of yours can do," Morningstar said. "But I'll go all out and end this duel on this turn." He then gestured to his field again. "Cyspirit Prisoner's effect activates! When it is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand."

He took the card from his Deck and then played it. "The card I'll add is the Continuous Spell Card: Cyspirit Supremacy Link, which I will now play!" The card showed Idealistic Idol and Winning Wrestler glowing with power, while Neo Nova glowed in the background. "So long as Supremacy Link is in play, only Link Monsters can declare an attack. But it will be destroyed during the End Phase of the turn it is activated."

Morningstar gestured to one of his monsters. "Battle! Jubilant Jester, attack Sunavalon Dryas!" Jester's staff emitted a ball of golden light, which it flung at the tree. Or at least, it should have.

"Too bad, but Dryas can't be attacked," Spectre said, smirking. "That attack changes to a direct attack on me."

Morningstar's eyes widened. "What?"

The energy hit Spectre, who winced.

 **Spectre: 4000→1800 LP**

"But Sunavalon Dryas's effect activates!" Spectre declared. "Once during each of our turns, when I take damage, a 'Sunvine' Link Monster is Special Summoned next to Dryas's Link Marker! Come, Sunvine Gardna!"

One of the pods hanging from Dryas glowed and burst as purple fluid came out of it. The fluid solidified into a brown and white warrior-like monster summoned to Dryas's Link Marker.

 **Sunvine Gardna ATK 600 LINK-1** ↑

"And I regain Life Points equal to the damage I took!" Pink vines emerged from the tree and wrapped around Spectre. He sighed as his Life Points increased.

 **Spectre: 1800→4000 LP**

"So that's how he defeated Blue Angel," Morningstar muttered, narrowing his eyes. A stall Deck… how irritating.

When the vines released Spectre, he said, "I was abandoned at the base of this tree. When I was a baby." Morningstar gasped softly. "I still remember the view I saw from this tree. This tree was in the mountain behind the orphanage. After I was abandoned, it took days until they found me. During that time, the tree protected me from the rain, wind and wild animals."

Spectre closed his eyes and smiled. "For several years, I was raised in the orphanage. But I only felt peace when I was by this tree. When times were tough, this tree healed me. And then the incident occurred. I had fun during the incident. My only concern was that I couldn't come to this tree." His eyes opened and he scowled. "But after the incident… When I returned to the orphanage, the tree was gone. Adults had their dumb reasons. That's when my attachment to society completely vanished. The only place for me is by Master Revolver's side. I give my soul to Master Revolver!"

"…Are you expecting sympathy from me?"

Spectre gasped. Morningstar's face was hard, his eyes set. "Is that why you're telling me this story? So that I'll understand you?" Morningstar closed his eyes. "Do you know what I hear? I hear a sad man who can't tell fact from fiction."

He opened his eyes and glared at Spectre. "You say that tree protected you when you were a baby? You say you still remember the stars? How? You were an infant. No human remembers that far back. Any idea of that tree protecting you was likely your own imagination."

Spectre growled. How dare Morningstar say that?

"Your backstory doesn't matter to me," Morningstar continued. "Not this part. Right now, all you are is an obstacle in my path. And one I will surpass." His eyes narrowed. "It doesn't matter how loyal you are to Revolver. Your fate will be the same."

"…"

Spectre started laughing. "Perhaps I was wrong about you. Perhaps you do have it in you to be cruel." He smirked at Morningstar. "Go on then. Remove me from your path!"

"With pleasure." Morningstar gestured to one of his Spell Cards. "The effect of Supremacy Link activates! When a co-linked 'Cyspirit' Link Monster battles, this card gains one Link Counter!" The card glowed as it gained a counter.

 **Cyspirit Supremacy Link 0 LC→1 LC**

"I activate Legendary Legionnaire's effect! Once per turn, if it points to two monsters, one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster besides itself gains 1000 attack points! I'll increase Zany Zealot's attack points!" The two monsters roared as Zany Zealot's attack points increased.

 **Cyspirit Zany Zealot ATK 1700→2700**

"Battle! Zany Zealot attacks Sunvine Gardna!" Zany Zealot charged Gardna, laughing gleefully as it swung its hacksaw. "Zany Zealot's effect activates! If it points to two monsters, it can attack twice during the Battle Phase. However, your monsters cannot be destroyed by battle this turn!"

"What?" Spectre said, surprised. He then gestured to his monster. "Sunvine Gardna's effect activates! Since it is linked to a 'Sunavalon' monster, battle damage is decreased by 800 for each of Dryas's Link Markers!" Zealot whacked Gardna on the head with its hacksaw as Spectre winced. "So the damage is 1300."

 **Spectre: 4000→2700 LP**

"Jubilant Jester's effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "If it points to two monsters and a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster besides itself inflicts battle damage, I gain Life Points equal to half the damage!" Jubilant Jester raised its staff, which shone with gold light.

 **Morningstar: 4000→4650 LP**

"And since a co-linked 'Cyspirit' Link Monster attacked, Supremacy Link gains one Link Counter!"

 **Cyspirit Supremacy Link 1 LC→2 LC**

"Since I took battle damage, I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Sunavalon Glorious Growth!" Spectre declared, his Trap Card revealing itself. "I Special Summon a Sunvine Token!" A small dark brown plant with a golden center appeared in Attack Position.

 **Sunvine Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Then, Glorious Growth allows me to use my Token and other monsters I control to Link Summon!"

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised. "You're Link Summoning on my turn?"

"Appear! The future circuit that lights up our path!" The Link portal appeared beneath Sunavalon Dryas. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two Plant monsters! I set Sunvine Token, Gardna, and Sunavalon Dryas in the Link Markers!" The two Sunvine monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows while Dryas sent vines into the bottom arrow. All three arrows turned red as a result.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Sunavalon Dryanome!" The tree grew and changed. Instead of a face, it now had a pink-skinned woman growing from the center, and there were bushes around the base with more branches surrounding it. Red pods swung from it as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Sunavalon Dryanome ATK 0 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

Morningstar grit his teeth as Spectre scoffed. "Like me, my cards surpass your expectations. My real Deck isn't like that Machine Deck I used. This Deck can defeat you handily." Spectre then gestured in front of him. "Glorious Growth's secondary effect activates! I regain Life Points equal to the damage I just took."

 **Spectre: 2700→4000 LP**

"And you take the same amount as damage!" A red vine emerged from the leaves and whipped out towards Morningstar. But Jubilant Jester got in the way and blocked it with its staff.

"So long as Jubilant Jester points to two monsters, all effect damage I take is halved!" Morningstar explained as the backlash from the attack hit him, making him wince.

 **Morningstar: 4650→4000 LP**

"Your Life Points are back to their start," Spectre said, smirking. "Just like mine are."

Morningstar growled. _That tree probably has the same effect as the last one,_ he thought. _But since it has three Link Markers, it can likely use its effect three times instead of once. In that case…_

"Zany Zealot attacks you directly!" Morningstar declared. Zany Zealot charged and smacked Spectre on the head with the blunt side of its hacksaw.

 **Spectre: 4000→1300 LP**

"Ow!" Spectre shouted, holding his head. He shot Morningstar an annoyed look. "Your monster is supposed to slash me, not hit me!"

"Tell it that," Morningstar said with a straight face. He then gestured to his field. "Due to Jubilant Jester's effect, I gain Life Points equal to half the damage, or 1350. And then Supremacy Link gains another Link Counter!"

 **Morningstar: 4000→5350 LP**

 **Cyspirit Supremacy Link: 2 LC→3 LC**

Spectre growled. "When I take battle or effect damage, Dryanome's effect activates! Up to three times during either turn, I can Special Summon a 'Sunvine' Link Monster next to Dryanome's Link Marker! Come, Sunvine Gardna!" Dryanome's eyes glowed red as one of its bulbs popped and another Gardna appeared, summoned to Dryanome's bottom Link Marker.

 **Sunvinve Gardna ATK 600 LINK-1** ↑

"And I regain Life Points equal to the damage," Spectre continued as he let go of his head.

 **Spectre: 1300→4000 LP**

"Then due to Glorious Growth, you take damage equal to the amount of Life Points I regained!"

"But due to Jubilant Jester, the damage is halved!" Morningstar reminded Spectre. A vine whipped out and was blocked by Jubilant Jester. Morningstar winced from the backlash.

 **Morningstar: 5350→4000 LP**

"No matter what you do, the result will be the same," Spectre gloated.

"Is that so?" Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes. "Battle! Legendary Legionnaire, attack Sunvine Gardna!"

"Ha!" Spectre said, smirking. "With Gardna's effect, that attack is pointless! And once it is destroyed-."

"It won't be," Morningstar said, surprising Spectre. "Since Zany Zealot activated its effect, your monsters cannot be destroyed by battle this turn. And because Legendary Legionnaire activated its effect, it cannot inflict battle damage this turn."

"What?" Spectre said, surprised. Legendary Legionnaire struck Gardna with its sword, but neither monster budged. "If you cannot destroy it or inflict battle damage, then why did you-?" Spectre gasped. "Wait, that Spell Card of yours!"

"Exactly," Morningstar said. "Supremacy Link gains one more Link Counter."

 **Cyspirit Supremacy Link: 3 LC→4 LC**

Morningstar gestured to his last Link Monster. "Thrilled Tunneler's effect activates! As it points to at least one monster, it can attack directly. However, its attack points are halved until the End Phase!" Thrilled Tunneler charged Spectre.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 2000→1000**

Morningstar then gestured to one of his Continuous Spell Cards. "I activate Supremacy Link's effect! When a co-linked 'Cyspirit' Link Monster attacks, I can send Supremacy Link to the Graveyard and then increase that monster's attack points by 800 for every Link Counter sent to the Graveyard."

Spectre gasped again. "Supremacy Link had four Link Counters," Morningstar reminded Spectre. "That means Thrilled Tunneler gains 3200 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1000→4200**

"With this attack, you'll run out of Life Points before Dryanome's effect activates!" Morningstar said. Go, Thrilled Tunneler! Cyber Drill!" Thrilled Tunneler charged at Spectre.

Spectre growled. "So you dealt repeated ineffective attacks in order to finish me off in one blow? What an incredible strategy!" He held his head in one hand.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes as Spectre smirked. "A good strategy, but it had one flaw. Glorious Growth's effect. Once per turn, when your monster attacks me directly, that attack is negated!"

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised. Thrilled Tunneler stopped charging, its drill a few meters away from Spectre's face.

"That monster can then attack again," Spectre said. "But it must attack a 'Sunvine' monster!" Sunvine Gardna stepped in front of Spectre. Thrilled Tunneler's drill struck Gardna's arms.

"Gardna's effect activates! The damage I take decreases from 3600 to 1200!" Thanks to Zany Zealot's effect, Gardna withstood Thrilled Tunneler's attack, but Spectre briefly winced from the backlash of the attack.

 **Spectre: 4000→2800 LP**

Spectre wiped his forehead. "Phew. I was in real danger there."

Morningstar grit his teeth and said, "Due to Jubilant Jester's effect, I regain Life Points."

 **Morningstar: 4000→4600 LP**

Spectre smirked. "Due to Dryanome's effect, Sunvine Gardna is Special Summoned next to its Link Marker." A second Gardna appeared, summoned to Dryanome's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Sunvine Gardna ATK 600 LINK-1** ↑

"And I regain Life Points."

 **Spectre: 2800→4000 LP**

"Then due to Glorious Growth's effect, you take damage."

"But that damage is halved because of Jubilant Jester." Morningstar winced from the backlash of the vine striking Jubilant Jester's staff.

 **Morningstar: 4600→4000 LP**

Morningstar growled as Spectre laughed. "Do you see it now, bounty hunter?" Spectre asked. "This duel is clearly heading towards your defeat. It doesn't matter how hard you hit me; I'll always recover."

"I end my turn," Morningstar said. "And because it is the End Phase, Legendary Legionnaire's effect activates and destroys Zany Zealot." The priest with a hacksaw disintegrated into light. "And then, Legendary Legionnaire activates an effect depending on the Link Rating of the destroyed monster. Because Zany Zealot was Link-2, I draw one card."

Morningstar drew, then said, "In addition, the effects of Thrilled Tunneler and Link Supremacy come to an end, so Thrilled Tunneler's attack points return to their prior value."

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 4200→1000→2000**

Cam growled. Damn it. That combo had been completely ineffective. Cam had only seen Morningstar use it once before, and it had left the opponent so scared he had surrendered without fuss. But Spectre had brushed it aside with only a few Link Monsters and a Trap Card. His Deck really was powerful.

Spectre laughed again. "My giant mother tree has no weaknesses." He then gave Morningstar a look of contempt. "We both experienced the Lost Incident. But because you're afraid to be cruel while I'm trying to save the world by serving Master Revolver, this match was decided from the start."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Don't get cocky," he said. "No duel is decided until a duelist's Life Points hit 0."

Spectre smirked. "In that case, I'll begin the countdown to your defeat and destruction. My turn. Draw."

* * *

"My turn! Draw!" HAI-C drew its card, then said, "Vendread Chimera's effect activates. If it is Ritual Summoned using Vendread Houndhorde from the field, it can banish one Spell or Trap Card you control per turn."

"Eh?" Ai said, surprised. "It can _banish_ one of our cards?"

"I will banish the card on my left." The face-down disappeared. Playmaker scowled as he removed Doppler Phase Coating from the game. "I activate the effect of the Vendread Core in my Graveyard. By banishing a Zombie monster besides itself from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it. I banish Vendread Houndhorde to Special Summon Vendread Core in Attack Position." A blue orb surrounded by flesh and eyes appeared on HAI-C's field.

 **Vendread Core ATK 0 DEF 500 LVL: 1**

"I activate the Spell Card: Preparation of Rites," HAI-C continued. "This card's effect lets me add one Level 7 or lower Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand and one Ritual Spell Card from my Graveyard to my hand. I will add Revendread Slayer from my Deck to my hand and Revendread Origin from my Graveyard to my hand."

"That's not good," Ai said. "If it has a Ritual Monster and a Ritual Spell Card…"

"It's planning to summon a new monster," Playmaker finished.

"I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Revendread Origin!"

The card reappeared on its field and glowed. "I Tribute monsters from my hand and field whose total Level equals or surpasses the 'Vendread' Ritual Monster that I'm Ritual Summoning from my hand. I Tribute the Level 1 Vendread Core and the Level 5 Vendread Chimera!"

A dark blue circle with six blue flames appeared on HAI-C's field. Core and Chimera disintegrated, and their energy went into the center of the circle. A pillar of blue light emerged from the circle.

"The contract has been made. The unsung hero of the deepest night inherits these two souls! Ritual Summon! Rise! Level 6! Revendread Slayer!"

A humanoid figure emerged from the pillar. It wore primarily black and gold armor, had metallic legs on its back, and blades on its arms. Its fiery red eyes glowed as it roared in Attack Position.

 **Revendread Slayer ATK 2400 DEF 0 LVL: 6**

"This one is even stronger than Chimera," Ai noted. "But if it attacks Encode Talker, we'll only take 100 points of damage. And due to Encode Talker's effect-."

"The effects of the Tributed Vendread Core and Vendread Chimera activate," HAI-C said, interrupting Ai.

"Don't interrupt me!"

"As Core left the field, it is now banished," HAI-C said, ignoring Ai. "And as Chimera was Tributed for a Ritual Summon, all monsters you control lose 500 attack and defense points."

Playmaker grit his teeth as his monsters glowed.

 **Backup Secretary ATK 1200→700 DEF 800→300**

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300→1800**

"I spoke too soon," Ai said, panicking. "We'll take more damage!"

"I activate the Spell Card: Ritualistic Gift," HAI-C continued. The card showed Cyber Angel Benten glowing with light. "If I control a Level 6 or higher Ritual Monster, I draw three cards. But for the rest of the turn, I cannot add cards from my Deck to my hand."

HAI-C drew, then said, "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Vendread Nightmare. And then I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Burial from a Different Dimension. This card lets me return up to three banished monsters from to my Graveyard. I return Vendread Core, Vendread Houndhorde, and Vendread Striges to my Graveyard."

"What's the point of that?" Ai asked. "Why return banished cards? And what does that Spell Card do?"

"We're about to find out," Playmaker said, bracing himself.

"Battle!" HAI-C declared. "Revendread Slayer, attack Encode Talker!" Slayer charged Encode Talker as HAI-C gestured to his monster. "Revendread Slayer's effect activates! When it battles an opponent's monster, I can banish one Zombie monster from my Graveyard to increase Slayer's attack points by 300! I'll banish Vendread Striges!"

 **Revendread Slayer ATK 2400→2700**

"So that's why it returned its monsters to the Graveyard!?" Ai shouted. "So it could banish them again?"

Slayer struck Encode Talker with the blades on its arms and caused an explosion. Playmaker braced himself again the shockwaves.

 **Playmaker: 4000→3100 LP**

"I activate Vendread Nights' effect!" HAI-C declared. "When a 'Vendread' monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle, I can banish one 'Vendread' monster from my Graveyard to let it make a second attack against one of your monsters. I banish Vendread Houndhorde to do so."

"Eh?" Ai said. "A second attack?"

"And that's not all," Playmaker said, narrowing his eyes at HAI-C's other Spell Card.

"The effect of Vendread Nightmare activates!" HAI-C said. "When a 'Vendread' Ritual Monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle, Nightmare increases that monster's attack points by 1000! Revendread Slayer gains 1000 attack points!"

 **Revendread Slayer ATK 2700→3700**

"3700 attack points!?" Ai screeched. "If that attacks us, we'll only have 100 Life Points left!"

"Correction," HAI-C said. "Revendread Slayer's effect can be activated once per battle. You will have 0 Life Points."

Playmaker just narrowed his eyes and then gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Cyberse Shatter! Since you activated a card effect that changed the attack points of exactly one monster, that effect is negated, and then I draw one card!"

"Haha!" Ai gloated. "That means your Slayer loses 1000 attack points!"

 **Revendread Slayer ATK 3700→2700**

"Confusion," HAI-C said. "You activated Cyberse Shatter now instead of when Slayer activated its own effect. Why?"

"I read your card," Playmaker said. "It was obvious what your plan was."

"Curious," HAI-C said. "No matter. Battle! Revendread Slayer, attack Backup Secretary! Once again, I activate Slayer's effect and banish Vendread Chimera!"

 **Revendread Slayer ATK 2700→3000**

"Destroy Backup Secretary, Slayer!" Slayer struck Backup Secretary with both of its blades, destroying it. Playmaker cried out from the explosion as the shockwaves pushed him back.

 **Playmaker: 3100→800 LP**

"I Set one card," HAI-C said. "I end my turn."

"That was too close," Ai said. "If we didn't have Cyberse Shatter, we would have lost. Though considering how its Field Spell and Continuous Spell Cards work, Doppler Phase Coating would have been better."

Playmaker narrowed his eyes in thought. "This AI duelist is far stronger than the one I fought in the databank," he said. "Not just in its Deck; its skill is in another class by comparison."

"It does seem more complex than the last one," Ai noted. "It said Revolver and Terminus programmed it. Their programming skills must be exceptional." He turned to face Playmaker. "But that's not going to stop us, is it?"

"Of course not," Playmaker said, placing his hand on his Deck. Before he could draw however, the ground suddenly shifted. "What the-?"

"Ah!" Ai screeched. "The bridge!" Playmaker looked up and noticed the cables holding the bridge up had started to break. The bridge was going to fall into the water.

"This is bad!" Ai said. Playmaker growled, but before he could say anything, a bright light was emitted from the other bridge.

* * *

"I activate the Spell Card: Sunvine Blossom!" Spectre's card showed a tree with pink flowers blossoming on it. "By Tributing one 'Sunvine' monster, I can draw two cards. I'll Tribute one of my Gardnas." The Gardna at Dryanome's bottom Link Marker disintegrated as Spectre drew.

Spectre smirked. "Perfect," he said. "I discard one card to activate the Continuous Spell Card: Sunvine Shrine! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Plant Normal Monster from the Graveyard." Morningstar grit his teeth. "Come, Sunseed Genius Loci!" His Plant monster returned in Attack Position.

 **Sunseed Genius Loci ATK 0 DEF 600 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The future circuit that light up our path!" The Link portal appeared underneath Dryanome. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Plant Normal Monster. I set Genius Loci in the Link Marker!" His monster became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Sunvine Thrasher!" A blue-skinned warrior wearing a green coat and cloak appeared. It swung a large sword as it was summoned to Dryanome's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 800 LINK-1** ↓

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. This was the monster that had beaten Kitamura.

"Thrasher's effect activates!" Spectre declared. "Since its linked to a 'Sunavalon' monster, it gains 800 attack points for each of Dryanome's Link Markers." Morningstar gasped as Thrasher's attack points increased.

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 800→3200**

"And now I'll activate the Equip Spell Card: Sunvine Power!" The card showed Thrasher glowing with green energy. "And I'll equip it to Thrasher!"

Spectre smirked. "Battle! Thrasher attacks Jubilant Jester!" Thrasher charged Jubilant Jester, but Morningstar didn't flinch.

"Legendary Legionnaire's effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "I increase Jubilant Jester's attack points by 1000!"

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 2200→3200**

"Our monsters' attack points are equal now," Morningstar said. "Meaning both will be destroyed."

"Are you sure about that?" Spectre asked, smirking as Morningstar gasped. "Sunvine Power's effect activates! As the equipped Thrasher is battling a Link Monster, Thrasher gains 800 attack points until the end of the battle!"

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 3200→4000**

Thrasher slashed Jubilant Jester, destroying it. Morningstar winced from the damage.

 **Morningstar: 4000→3200 LP**

"Since Jubilant Jester left the field, both of my monsters lose 400 attack points," Morningstar said, gritting his teeth. "But since the battle ended, your Thrasher loses 800 attack points."

 **Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire ATK 2100→1700**

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 2000→1600**

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 4000→3200**

"Thrasher's effect activates!" Spectre declared. "The monster that it destroyed by battle is Special Summoned to a 'Sunavalon' Link Monster's Link Marker."

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised. "You're taking Jubilant Jester?"

"Blue Angel also let me borrow many of her friends," Spectre said gleefully. Vines from Dryanome entered a portal that appeared on Morningstar's field and pulled Jubilant Jester out. It was taken over to Dryanome's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 1800 LINK-2** ↙↘

Morningstar growled. "How dare you take one of my monsters…"

Spectre laughed. "Battle! Jubilant Jester attacks Legendary Legionnaire!" Jubilant Jester gathered energy in its staff and launched it at Legendary Legionnaire. Morningstar flinched from the destruction of his monster.

 **Morningstar: 3200→3100 LP**

"This is bad," Cam said. "At this rate, you won't damage him."

"Yes I can," Morningstar whispered. "Look at his field, Cam. Dryanome points to three monsters, so he cannot Special Summon any monsters. If he can't do that, he can't replenish his Life Points. Meaning I can win."

"I'm not sure what you're mumbling about," Spectre said, interrupting Cam and Morningstar. "But if you think you're safe because Dryanome points to three monsters, you're wrong." Morningstar gasped. "Blue Angel noticed that earlier too. It didn't help her. From my hand, I summon Genius Loci!" Another seed appeared on his field.

 **Sunseed Genius Loci ATK 0 DEF 600 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The future circuit that lights up our path!" The Link portal appeared beneath Dryanome again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Plant monsters. I set Sunvine Gardna and Genius Loci in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Sunavalon Daphne!" Another tree monster with the face of a woman appeared on Spectre's field, summoned to Dryanome's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Sunavalon Daphne ATK 0 LINK-2** ←→

"Another one?" Morningstar muttered.

Spectre chuckled. "Sunavalon isn't just a giant mother tree," he said. "Daphne expands the range of my Link Markers." Morningstar growled. "Sunavalon is a sacred tree that stretches its branches."

"So with that monster, he can activate Dryanome's effect again?" Cam said, surprised.

"I Tribute Jubilant Jester to activate Daphne's effect," Spectre said. The Cyspirit Link Monster disappeared as Daphne glowed. "I return two copies of Sunvine Gardna from my Graveyard to my Extra Deck." Spectre smirked. "Now I have two open links. I Set one card and end my turn."

Morningstar growled. This wasn't good. And it was about to get worse. A nearby cable holding the bridge up snapped.

"What the-?"

Spectre looked disappointed. "This bridge is about to be destroyed. A pity. I was hoping to defeat you myself, but maybe I should let the bridge do that for you."

One of the main cables then snapped, causing the bridge to twist. Morningstar only growled and pressed a button on his Duel Disk. Spectre gasped and covered his eyes as a bright shone from the Duel Disk. When he uncovered his eyes, he gasped. The bridge, along with its partner, had both stabilized. A large dark blue circle had appeared between them, supporting them.

"What is that?" Spectre asked Morningstar.

"A stabilization program," he answered. "This isn't the first time I've dueled in a wobbly environment." Morningstar glanced up at the Tower. _But with the Tower there, I can't say for sure how long it will last,_ he thought. _Normally it would last for an hour or so, but I likely won't have that much time. I'll have to end this quickly._

Morningstar placed his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!"

* * *

Playmaker and Ai looked at the disc that had appeared out of nowhere.

"What is that?" Ai asked Playmaker.

"One of Morningstar's tools, I'm guessing," Playmaker said, narrowing his eyes. "It's keeping the bridge suspended."

"Eh? You're right! Thank you, Morningstar!"

Playmaker returned his attention to the AI duelist in front of him. "The duel continues," he said. "My turn! Draw!" Playmaker looked at the card, then played it. "I summon Widget Kid!" A kid in blue armor carrying a gun appeared on his field.

 **Widget Kid ATK 1500 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Widget Kid's effect activates! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a Cyberse monster from my hand in Defense Position!" Playmaker said. "Come, Dongle Acorn!" An acorn with eyes and a USB drive on the bottom appeared on his field.

 **Dongle Acorn ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Dongle Acorn's effect activates! If it is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a Dongle Token!" A miniature version of Dongle Acorn appeared in Attack Position.

 **Dongle Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"I summon Cyberse Whitehat!" A cowboy monster in blue and black armor wearing a white coat and hat appeared on Playmaker's field in Attack Position.

 **Cyberse Whitehat ATK 1800 DEF 2400 LVL: 6**

"I can only Special Summon Cyberse Whitehat if I control two or more monsters of the same Type," Playmaker explained to the AI duelist. "Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared in the air above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster. I set Dongle Token in the Link Marker!" The token became a whirlwind of energy that entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Link Disciple!" A red and black machine monster appeared, summoned to Playmaker's Extra Monster Zone.

 **Link Disciple ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Appear again, the circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal again appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster. I set Widget Kid in the Link Marker!" Widget Kid became a whirlwind of blue energy and entered the top arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Link Devotee!" A dark blue monster with a circle around it appeared, summoned to Link Disciple's Link Marker.

 **Link Devotee ATK 500 LINK-1** ↑

"We can't Link Summon Link-3 or higher the turn Link Devotee is Special Summoned," Ai said. "But that doesn't matter, does it?"

"Link Disciple's effect activates!" Playmaker declared. "By Tributing Link Devotee, I draw one card!" Link Devotee disintegrated and Playmaker drew. "Then I must place one card in my hand on the bottom of my Deck." He put the card he just drew back into his Deck. "And now Link Devotee's effect activates! When it is Tributed, I Special Summon two Link Tokens on my field!" Two blue and white diamond-shaped monsters appeared on his field in Attack Position.

 **Link Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two non-Token monsters! I set Cyberse Whitehat and Dongle Acorn in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Binary Sorceress!" A white humanoid monster with blue and red arrows on its chest and upper legs appeared, summoned to Link Disciple's Link Marker.

 **Binary Sorceress ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"Cyberse Whitehat's effect activates!" Playmaker declared. "When its used to Link Summon, all monsters my opponent controls lose 1000 attack points!"

 **Revendread Slayer ATK 3000→2000**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future! The summoning conditions are two Normal Monsters! I set the Link Tokens in the Link Markers!" The two Tokens entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Binary Blader!" A purple humanoid monster with blades attached to its wrists appeared, summoned to Binary Sorceress's right Link Marker.

 **Binary Blader ATK 1800 LINK-2** ←→

"I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure!" Playmaker declared. "This card lets me draw cards equal to the number of Link Monsters on the field. There are three Link Monsters, so I draw three cards!" Playmaker drew, then said, "I summon Link Infra-Flier! I can Special Summon this monster to a Link Monster's Link Marker!" A mechanical kite appeared, summoned to Binary Sorceress's left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Link Infra-Flier ATK 0 DEF 1800 LVL: 2**

"This is my final Link Summon! Appear! The circuit that leads to the future! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters! I set Link Disciple and Link Infra-Flier in the Link Markers!" The two monsters entered the bottom and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Multi Sledgehammer!" A green armored monster carrying a large black hammer appeared, summoned to Binary Sorceress's left Link Marker.

 **Multi Sledgehammer ATK 1000 LINK-2** ↓→

"Ha! Five Link Summons in one turn!" Ai gloated. "Morningstar isn't the only one who can pull that off!"

"Binary Sorceress's effect activates!" Playmaker declared. "By halving the attack points of one monster I control, another monster I control gains the same amount of attack points. I halve Binary Sorceress's attack points. Binary Blader gains that amount – 800 attack points!"

 **Binary Sorceress ATK 1600→800**

 **Binary Blader ATK 1800→2600**

"Battle! Binary Blader attacks Revendread Slayer!" Binary Blader charged Slayer. "Binary Blader's effect activates! It can attack twice during the Battle Phase, and when this effect activates, your monster won't be destroyed in battle!"

"Which means the damage will be doubled!" Ai cheered. Binary Blader struck Slayer, causing it to cry out, but it wasn't destroyed.

 **Prototype HAI-C: 4000→3400 LP**

Lilith gasped and stared in shock. The vines around Akira's cage started to grow.

"What just happened?" she asked him. "Why did the vines grow?"

"I'm not sure," he said, frowning as he backed away from the cage's walls. "Another trap by Dr. Kogami?"

"Yes! We damaged it!" Ai cheered again. Playmaker narrowed his eyes, confused. "Eh? What is it, Playmaker?"

"Revendread Slayer can increase its attack points during either player's turn," Playmaker explained. "All it requires is banishing a monster from the Graveyard. And it still has Vendread Core in its Graveyard."

"Oh! That's right. Chimera, Houndhorde, and Striges were banished, but Core is still there," Ai said. "So why didn't it banish Core to reduce the damage it would take?"

"I'm not sure," Playmaker said. Putting that thought aside, he gestured to his field. "Binary Sorceress's effect activates! When a monster co-linked with it deals battle damage, I regain that amount of Life Points." Binary Sorceress turned around and extended its arms to Playmaker. Its hands glowed gold as Playmaker's Life Points increased.

 **Playmaker: 800→1400 LP**

"Multi Sledgehammer's effect now activates! As a Cyberse Link Monster battled, it gains one Hammer Counter!" A light lit up on a blade attached to Multi Sledgehammer.

 **Multi Sledgehammer: 0 HC→1 HC**

"The second battle!" Playmaker declared. "Binary Blader attacks Slayer again!" Binary Blader struck Slayer with its blades. "And because of Binary Blader's effect, Slayer isn't destroyed!"

"But you still take 600 points of damage!" Ai reminded the AI.

 **Prototype HAI-C: 3400→2800 LP**

 _It didn't use Revendread Slayer's effect this time, either,_ Playmaker thought, narrowing his eyes. What was it planning? "Binary Sorceress's effect activates! I regain Life Points equal to the damage you took!"

 **Playmaker: 1400→2000 LP**

"And Multi Sledgehammer now gains another Hammer Counter!"

 **Multi Sledgehammer: 1 HC→2 HC**

"Multi Sledgehammer's additional effect!" Playmaker declared. "If you control a monster and Multi Sledgehammer is co-linked with a Cyberse Link Monster, it can attack you directly! And when it declares an attack, I can remove all Hammer Counters from it to activate another effect. It gains 1000 attack points for every removed Hammer Counter until the end of the turn!" The lights disappeared from Multi Sledgehammer as its hands wrapped around its hammer. It grew new hands and hefted its heavier weapon.

 **Multi Sledgehammer: 2 HC→0 HC**

 **Multi Sledgehammer ATK 1000→3000 ATK**

"It powered up!" Ai cheered. "And with 3000 attack points, it can end the duel now!"

"Attack it directly!" Playmaker declared. Multi Sledgehammer ran towards HAI-C, but it gestured to its field.

"Continuous Trap activate!" it declared. "Call of the Haunted! With this card, I Special Summon one monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Come, Vendread Core!" The orb surrounded by flesh and eyes reappeared on HAI-C's field.

 **Vendread Core ATK 0 DEF 500 LVL: 1**

"Huh?" Ai said in confusion. "Why would it summon a monster with 0 attack points in Attack Position?"

"I don't know," Playmaker said, likewise confused. "Multi Sledgehammer can still attack directly."

"Because a monster was Special Summoned to the field, a replay occurs," HAI-C said. "If Multi Sledgehammer attacks directly, Life Points will hit 0. The conditions have been met. Emergency program has been activated."

"Emergency program?" Playmaker repeated. He then gasped as a hologram appeared next to him. It showed Akira Zaizen in a cage of vines. "Zaizen?"

"Playmaker!" Akira shouted, surprised as the hacker was.

"Akira Zaizen was captured by Hanoi's program after he entered LINK VRAINS," HAI-C said. "The thorns contain a computer virus that will make him part of the Tower of Hanoi. If my Life Points decrease, the thorns grow. They have already grown from your first two attacks. If my Life Points hit 0, the thorns will encase him entirely."

"That's cheating!" Ai shouted. "I hate you, stupid AI!"

"How dare you?" Playmaker said, scowling at the AI. "Holding someone hostage to force a win? That's a dirty play!"

"I have been ordered by Master Terminus to do what is necessary in order to protect the Tower of Hanoi," HAI-C said. "That includes threatening Akira Zaizen."

"Playmaker!" Akira shouted. "Don't worry about me!" Playmaker stared at Akira, his indecision clear.

"Hey!" Ai said. "Listen to Zaizen!"

Playmaker scowled and closed his eyes. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

"What!?" Ai shouted.

"Playmaker…" Akira muttered, shocked.

"Because it is the End Phase, the effects of Binary Sorceress, Cyberse Whitehat, and Multi Sledgehammer end," Playmaker said emotionlessly.

 **Binary Blader ATK 2600→1800**

 **Binary Sorceress ATK 800→1600**

 **Multi Sledgehammer ATK 3000→1000**

 **Revendread Slayer ATK 2000→3000**

"My turn. Draw." HAI-C drew, then said, "I activate the effect of Vendread Relocation in the Graveyard. I banish it to add one 'Revendread' Ritual Spell Card from my Graveyard to my hand. Revendread Origin returns to my hand."

"You blew your one chance and now it's going to Ritual Summon again!" Ai shouted, berating Playmaker.

"Battle!" HAI-C said, surprising Ai. "Revendread Slayer attacks Binary Sorceress!" Slayer charged Binary Sorceress.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Security Block!" Playmaker declared. "And target Binary Sorceress with its effect. The turn this card is activated, the targeted monster cannot be destroyed by battle, and neither of us takes battle damage!" Slayer struck Binary Sorceress, but nothing happened.

"I Set one card," HAI-C said. "I end my turn."

"Why didn't it Ritual Summon?" Ai wondered.

"It must not have the right monster to summon," Playmaker assumed. He glanced at Core. HAI-C hadn't bothered to change its battle position. It likely assumed that Playmaker wouldn't attack it because of Akira. It was right.

* * *

"I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Sunavalon Force!" Spectre declared. "As long as I have this card, you cannot target 'Sunavalon' monsters with card effects."

Morningstar grit his teeth. He couldn't attack Spectre's monsters or target them with card effects now. But there were other strategies available to him. And since he'd decided to include that particular Link Monster…

"I activate the Field Spell Card: Cyspirit Monastery!" The card showed a massive building on a mountain, with skeletons in robes walking around it. "With this card in play, all 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters I control gain 500 attack points."

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→2100**

"And since I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, Monastery lets me Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to a zone that Link Monster points to," Morningstar continued. "I summon Cyspirit Wanderer to Thrilled Tunneler's Link Marker!" The skeleton in a poncho appeared, summoned to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 5**

"Wanderer's effect activates! When it is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, one monster you control loses 800 attack points. I'll reduce Thrasher's attack points. Digital Drain!"

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 3200→2400**

"Pointless," Spectre said, smirking. "Thrasher is still stronger than your Tunneler."

Morningstar ignored Spectre and gestured to the sky. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Wanderer in the Link Marker!" Wanderer became a whirlwind of energy and entered the right arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Vivacious Vixen!"

A fox skeleton the size of a large dog appeared on Morningstar's field. Light surrounded it, and when it faded, the fox was wearing red and silver metal armor with wings attached to its back. Blue and red eyes shone as it barked next to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Vivacious Vixen ATK 1200→1700 LINK-1** →

"Another new 'Cyspirit' Link Monster," Spectre noted.

"Because a Cyberse Link Monster was Link Summoned, Infinite Coding gains another counter."

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 3 CC→4 CC**

"Vivacious Vixen's effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "Since it was Link Summoned using a Level 5 or higher 'Cyspirit' monster, I can target and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field."

"Oh?" Spectre said, raising an eyebrow. "So which one will it be? Force or Glorious Growth?"

"Neither," Morningstar said, confusing Spectre. "I'm destroying my own Infinite Coding!" His Continuous Spell Card disintegrated after he said that.

"Oh? Why would you destroy your own card?"

"To activate its effect," Morningstar explained. "If Infinite Coding leaves the field when it has two or more Cyberse Counters, I can Special Summon a Cyberse Link Monster from my Extra Deck so long as its Link Rating is equal to or less than the total Cyberse Counters it had. Infinite Coding had four, but I don't need to summon a Link-4 monster. Instead, I'll summon the Link-3 Cyspirit Winning Wrestler!" The massive skeleton in a black wrestler's uniform appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500→3000 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

Spectre frowned. _This is the monster that defeated Galahad and almost defeated Revolver,_ he thought. _It might even be more dangerous than Datastorm Dragon._

"Infinite Coding's effect treats this as a Link Summon," Morningstar told Spectre. "That means Winning Wrestler gains access to all of its effects."

Spectre scoffed. "Summoning that monster is pointless. My giant mother tree has no weaknesses."

"I activate Vivacious Vixen's effect!" Morningstar declared, gesturing to the fox. "Once while it is face-up on the field and co-linked with a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can target a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster I control. So long as that monster is on the field, you cannot use a number of Main Monster Zones equal to the co-linked monster's Link Rating!"

Spectre gasped. "What?"

"I target Winning Wrestler," Morningstar continued. "And since Vivacious Vixen is co-linked with Thrilled Tunneler, that means you cannot use two Main Monster Zones!" Vixen spun her tail, releasing gusts of wind that struck the zones that Daphne pointed to. As Winning Wrestler glowed, both zones gained a circle-backslash symbol.

"What's this?" Spectre asked.

"Vivacious Vixen keeps you from using those zones," Morningstar said. "And due to its effect, you can't use them so long as Winning Wrestler is in play. So even if you destroy Vivacious Vixen, your zones still won't work because Winning Wrestler is here."

Spectre gasped then snarled. Damn it. How could he not have accounted for this? More importantly…

Spectre looked at Winning Wrestler. Because it pointed to two monsters, if it attacked Thrasher, then it could lower Thrasher's attack points even further by half of Thrilled Tunneler's attack points. And since he couldn't summon monsters to those zones, that meant any damage Morningstar inflicted would remain.

"Thanks to Vivacious Vixen, you can't use your Dryanome's restoration combo," Morningstar said.

"Morningstar…" Spectre grumbled. He then closed his eyes. "Oh well. I'll have to use my trump card." He snapped his fingers, confusing Morningstar.

This confusion only increased when a hologram of a cage appeared next to him. Morningstar's eyes widened on seeing who was inside.

"Lilith!" he said.

"Morningstar!" she cried out, confused and surprised.

"What's Lilith doing in a cage?" Cam asked over the earpiece. "Wasn't she heading for the Tower?"

Spectre smirked. "She went to see the results of my duel with Blue Angel, and that's how she ended up. So I formed a plan. Those thorns contain a computer virus, so touching them will infect her."

"What?"

"If I get hurt…" Spectre bit into his hand and tore away some flesh, revealing data beneath. Morningstar gasped on seeing the thorns on the cage lengthen. Lilith stepped back and scowled at them.

"…the viral thorns will grow," Spectre finished. "Fun, right? So feel free to deal me damage."

"You coward!" Lilith shouted, glaring at Spectre. "You can't beat Morningstar on your own, so you use me as a hostage to force his hand?"

Morningstar growled. "You're involving someone who has nothing to do with this into the duel? You're playing dirty!"

"Involving someone?" Spectre repeated. He then laughed. "That's funny, coming from you."

"How is that funny?" Lilith asked, scowling at the Knight of Hanoi.

"Morningstar's the reason you're here in LINK VRAINS in the first place, isn't he?" Spectre asked her. "To pay him back for saving you from Terminus? And why do you think Galahad is here? Because Terminus used him to fight Morningstar." He turned his gaze to Morningstar. "Because of you, Lilith and Galahad both came here to play heroes. Now she's paying the cost of your actions."

He smirked. "Why do you think Blue Angel is a casualty? Because of you and Playmaker. Because Playmaker hid the Ignis, and because you interfered with us and joined forces with him."

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Don't listen to him, Morningstar!" Lilith shouted. "If you don't defeat him, the Tower will be finished, and the world will pay the price! Attack him!"

Morningstar shook, then took a card from his hand. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

Lilith gasped. "No…" she whispered. "No… Morningstar…"

Spectre laughed. "Yes. That's your virtue and your weakness. Ever since our duel, I've watched how you battle." His smirk widened. "You don't have it in you to be cruel. You're called a devil, but in fact you're soft-hearted. Weak. Somewhere in that soft heart of yours is a strong sense of justice. That's why you became a bounty hunter, isn't it? To deliver justice to criminals?"

Spectre scoffed. "And that's why you'll lose. Because you can't bring yourself to make the hard decisions. In order to save that girl, you gave up your one and only chance. Your spirit is weak. Your entire being is weak. Too weak!"

Morningstar growled but said nothing. There was nothing to say.

"Don't worry, Yasu," Cam said. "I'll do what I can to free Lilith. Just hold out until I do so."

"Right," Morningstar whispered. "Good luck, Cam."

"The legendary Devil of LINK VRAINS," Spectre said, smirking at the hunter. "Because you can't be cruel, this will be your last duel. And how pathetic it will be for you. My turn! Draw!" Spectre looked at his card, then at the field. "Battle! Thrasher attacks Vivacious Vixen!" Thrasher charged Vivacious Vixen.

"Sunvine Power's effect activates, and Thrasher gains 800 attack points until the end of the Damage Step!"

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 2400→3200**

Thrasher hit the fox with its sword. The fox cried out as it split in half and disintegrated. Morningstar winced from the damage.

 **Morningstar: 3100→1600 LP**

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 3200→2400**

"When your monster is destroyed in battle, Sunavalon Force's effect activates!" Spectre declared. "Looking at the monster with the most Link Markers, you take 100 points of damage per Link Marker! The most has three Link Markers. Therefore, 300 points of damage." The card shot three red energy blades at Morningstar, making him wince and clutch his chest.

 **Morningstar: 1600→1300 LP**

"And that's not all I can do," Spectre said. "By banishing the Sunvine Blossom in my Graveyard, Thrasher can make a second attack!" Morningstar's eyes widened. "Thrasher will destroy your Thrilled Tunneler!" Thrasher slashed the skeleton monster, destroying it and making Morningstar wince again.

 **Morningstar: 1300→1000 LP**

"And once again, Sunavalon Force deals you 300 points of damage!" Three more energy blades hit Morningstar, making him cry out.

 **Morningstar: 1000→700 LP**

"Morningstar!" Lilith shouted, looking at the hunter with worry.

Spectre laughed as Morningstar steadied his breathing. "This will be the end for you, Morningstar." He looked at the other bridge. "Your stabilization program might have saved you and Playmaker from the bridges disintegrating, but it looks like Playmaker is having his own problems."

Morningstar looked over at the other bridge and gasped. "Zaizen?" he said, surprised.

"He came here to rescue his sister," Spectre explained. "And was captured just like Lilith. Now Terminus's toy is using him to hold Playmaker at bay." Spectre smirked. "The undefeated Playmaker losing to a mere AI! There is no more appropriate humiliation for him than that!"

He laughed. "Playmaker dragged Zaizen into this just as you dragged Lilith into it. And now both of you will meet your pathetic ends here and now!"

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Spectre**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Spectre**

Spectre Normal Summons Sunseed Genius Loci (0/600/1). He uses Genius Loci to Link Summon Sunavalon Dryas (0/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Spectre Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Cyberse Infinite Coding. Now, whenever a Cyberse Link Monster is Link Summoned, a Cyberse Counter is placed on Infinite Coding. Since Spectre controls monsters and he doesn't, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) from his hand in Attack Position. Since Swordsman was Special Summoned via its own effect, Morningstar adds Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke from his Deck to his hand. As Spectre controls a Link Monster and he does not, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Armorer (1200/2000/6) and Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke (200/500/2) from his hand, both in Attack Position. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Teleporter (500/1500/3). He uses Teleporter to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. As a Cyberse Link Monster was Link Summoned, Cyberse Infinite Coding gains 1 Cyberse Counter (Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC). Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller, Special Summoning Cyspirit Navigator (1300/1100/3) from his Deck to its Link Marker in Attack Position, but it cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller and Navigator to Link Summon Cyspirit Jubilant Jester (1800/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC). Since Jubilant Jester points to at least 1 monster (Swordsman), all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 400 ATK/DEF (Armorer: 1200→1600/2000→2400) (Jubilant Jester: 1800→2200) (Swordsman: 1200→1600/900→1300) (Tunnel Tyke: 200→600/500→900). Morningstar activates the effect of Infinite Coding, removing 2 Cyberse Counters (Infinite Coding: 2 CC→0 CC) to draw 1 card. Since there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600→2000/2100→2500/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Swordsman and Tunnel Tyke to Link Summon Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire (1700→2100/2/↖←) to Jubilant Jester's bottom-right Link Marker (Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC). Morningstar activates the effect of Armorer, targeting Jubilant Jester. Armorer is sent to the GY, and Morningstar can Special Summon Cyspirit Armor Tokens, equal to Jubilant Jester's Link Rating. Morningstar Special Summons 2 Cyspirit Armor Tokens (0→400/0→400/2) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses both Armor Tokens to Link Summon Cyspirit Zany Zealot (1300→1700/2/↗→) to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker (Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC). Since it is co-linked with a "Cyspriit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates Zany Zealot's effect, letting him Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY with its effects negated. He Special Summons Swordsman (1200→1600/900→1300/3) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Prisoner and Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600→2000/2/←→) to Zany Zealot's right Link Marker (Infinite Coding: 2 CC→3 CC). Since Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Supremacy Link to his hand. Morningstar activates the Continuous Spell Card Cyspirit Supremacy Link, which prevents all monsters from attacking, except Link Monsters.

Jubilant Jester attacks Sunavalon Dryas. Its effect prevents it from being attacked, but does not prevent direct attacks, so Jubilant Jester attacks Spectre directly (Spectre: 4000→1800 LP). As he took damage, Spectre activates the effect of Sunavalon Dryas, letting him Special Summon a "Sunvine" Link Monster from his Extra Deck to Dryas's Link Marker and gain LP equal to the damage he took. Spectre Special Summons Sunvine Gardna (600/1/↑) to Dryas's Link Marker (Spectre: 1800→4000 LP). As a co-linked "Cyspirit" Link Monster battled, Morningstar activates the effect of Supremacy Link, giving it a Link Counter (Supremacy Link: 0 LC→1 LC). As it points to two monsters, Morningstar activates the effect of Legendary Legionnaire to increase the ATK of 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster he controls by 1000. He targets Zany Zealot (Zany Zealot: 1700→2700). Zany Zealot attacks Gardna. As Zany Zealot battled, Morningstar activates its effect, making the opponent's monsters unable to be destroyed by battle this turn, also it can make a second attack. Spectre activates the effect of Gardna to reduce the battle damage he would take by 800 for every Link Marker a "Sunavalon" Link Monster that points to it has, in this case, one. The attack continues, but Gardna is not destroyed (Spectre: 4000→2700 LP). As a "Cyspirit" Link Monster besides Jubilant Jester inflicted battle damage, Morningstar activates its effect, gaining LP equal to half the damage dealt (Morningstar: 4000→4650 LP) and as a co-linked "Cyspirit" Link Monster battled, Morningstar activates the effect of Supremacy Link (Supremacy Link: 1 LC→2 LC). As Spectre took battle damage, he activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Sunavalon Glorious Growth, Special Summoning a Sunvine Token (0/0/1) in Attack Position, then letting him Link Summon using it and monsters he controls as Link Material. Spectre uses Sunvine Token, Gardna, and Dryas to Link Summon Sunavalon Dryanome (0/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Spectre then activates the effect of Glorious Growth, gaining LP equal to the damage taken, then inflicting that amount as damage to Morningstar, but since Jubilant Jester points to two monsters, all effect damage Morningstar takes is halved (Spectre: 2700→4000 LP) (Morningstar: 4650→4000 LP).

Zany Zealot attacks directly, with the effects of Jubilant Jester and Supremacy Link following after (Spectre: 4000→1300 LP) (Morningstar: 4000→5350 LP) (Supremacy Link: 2 LC→3 LC). As Spectre took battle damage, he activates the effect of Dryanome, which allows him to Special Summon a "Sunvine" Link Monster from his Extra Deck to a zone it points to, then he gains LP equal to the damage he took. Spectre Special Summon Sunvine Gardna (600/1/↑) to Dryanome's bottom Link Marker, and gains LP (Spectre: 1300→4000 LP). As Spectre gained LP, he activates the effect of Glorious Growth, inflicting that amount as damage to Playmaker, with the effect of Jubilant Jester halving the damage (Morningstar: 5350→4000 LP). Legendary Legionnaire attacks Sunvine Gardna, but Zany Zealot prevents Gardna's destruction by battle this turn, and since Legendary Legionnaire activated its effect this turn, Spectre takes no battle damage from battles involving it this turn. The effect of Supremacy follows after (Supremacy Link: 3 LC→4 LC).

As Thrilled Tunneler points to at least one monster, it can attack directly by halving its ATK until the End Phase. Thrilled Tunneler attacks directly (Thrilled Tunneler: 2000→1000). As a co-linked "Cyspirit" Link Monster battled, Morningstar activates the effect of Supremacy Link, sending it to the GY and increasing Thrilled Tunneler's ATK by 800 for each Link Counter Supremacy Link had on it (Thrilled Tunneler: 1000→4200) until the End Phase. As Morningstar's monster attacked directly, Spectre activates the effect of Glorious Growth to negate the attack then redirect that attack to a "Sunvine" monster he controls. He redirects the attack to Gardna, with the effect of Gardna reducing the battle damage he would take by 800 for every Link Marker a "Sunavalon" Link Monster that points to it has, in this case, three. Gardna is not destroyed due to Zany Zealot's effect, with the effect of Jubilant Jester following after (Spectre: 4000→2800 LP) (Morningstar: 4000→4600 LP). Spectre activates the effect of Dryanome and Glorious Growth in sequence, Special Summoning Gardna (600/1/↑) to the bottom-left Link Marker of Dryanome (Spectre: 2800→4000) (Morningstar: 4600→4000 LP). Morningstar ends his turn, and during the End Phase, the effect of Legendary Legionnaire destroys Zany Zealot, then applies an effect depending on Zany Zealot's Link Rating. Zany Zealot's Link Rating was 2, so Morningstar draws 1 card. The effects of Thrilled Tunneler and Supremacy Link end (Thrilled Tunneler: 4200→1000→2000).

 **Turn 3: Spectre**

Spectre draws. He activates the Spell Card Sunvine Blossom, targeting one Sunvine Gardna. Gardna is Tributed, and Spectre draws two cards. Spectre sends a card from his hand to the GY to activate the Continuous Spell Card Sunvine Shrine. Once per turn, Spectre can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Plant Normal Monster from his GY. He Special Summons Sunseed Genius Loci (0/600/1) from the GY in Attack Position. Spectre uses Genius Loci to Link Summon Sunvine Thrasher (800/1/↓) to Dryanome's bottom-right Link Marker. Spectre activates the effect of Thrasher, which lets him increase its ATK by 800 for every Link Marker a "Sunavalon" Link Monster that points to it has, in this case, three (Thrasher: 800→3200). Spectre activates the Equip Spell Card Sunvine Power and equips it to Thrasher.

Thrasher attacks Jubilant Jester. Morningstar activates the effect of Legendary Legionnaire to increase the ATK of Jubilant Jester by 1000 (Jubilant Jester: 2200→3200). Since the equipped monster is battling a Link Monster, Sunvine Power increases Thrasher's ATK by 800 until the end of the Damage Step (Thrasher: 3200→4000). Thrasher destroys Jubilant Jester (Morningstar: 4000→3200 LP) (Thrasher: 4000→3200). Since Jubilant Jester left the field, the ATK of Legendary Legionnaire and Thrilled Tunneler return to normal (Legendary Legionnaire: 2100→1700) (Thrilled Tunneler: 2000→1600). As Thrasher destroyed a monster by battle, Spectre activates its effect, Special Summoning that monster to a zone a "Sunavalon" Link Monster points to. He Special Summons Jubilant Jester (1800/2/↙↘) to Dryanome's bottom Link Marker. Jubilant Jester attacks and destroys Legendary Legionnaire (Morningstar: 3200→3100 LP).

Spectre Normal Summons Genius Loci (0/600/1). Spectre uses Genius Loci and Gardna to Link Summon Sunavalon Daphne (0/2/←→) to Dryanome's bottom-left Link Marker. Spectre Tributes Jubilant Jester to activate the effect of Daphne, returning two copies of Gardna from his GY to his Extra Deck. Spectre Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. Spectre activates the Continuous Trap Card Sunavalon Force. While Force is on the field, "Sunavalon" Link Monsters cannot be targeted by Morningstar's card effects. Morningstar activates the Field Spell Card Cyspirit Monastery, increasing the ATK of all "Cyspirit" Link Monsters he controls by 500 (Thrilled Tunneler: 1600→2100). Since he controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates the effect of Monastery to Special Summon one "Cyspirit" monster from his hand to a zone that Link Monster points to. He Special Summons Cyspirit Wanderer (1900/200/5) to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker in Attack Position. Since Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, one monster Spectre controls loses 800 ATK. Morningstar targets Thrasher (Thrasher: 3200→2400). Morningstar uses Wanderer to Link Summon Cyspirit Vivacious Vixen (1200→1700/1/→) to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker (Infinite Coding: 3 CC→4 CC). Since Vivacious Vixen was Link Summoned using a Level 5 or higher "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar can target and destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. He destroys Infinite Coding. Since infinite Coding left the field while it had two or more Cyberse Counters, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Cyberse Link Monster from his Extra Deck whose Link Rating is equal to or less than the number of Cyberse Counters it had, and have it treated as a Link Summon. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Winning Wrestler (2500→3000/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As it is co-linked with a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates the effect of Vivacious Vixen, which lets him target one "Cyspirit" Link Monster he controls and prevent the use of a number of Main Monster Zones up to the co-linked Link Monster's Link Rating while the targeted monster is on the field. Morningstar targets Winning Wrestler. Vivacious Vixen is co-linked with Thrilled Tunneler, so Morningstar can target two Main Monster Zones. Morningstar prevents the use of both zones the left and right Link Markers of Daphne point to.

At this point, Spectre reveals that Lilith has been captured and will be infected with a computer virus if Spectre's LP reduce, so Morningstar does not attack. Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Spectre**

Spectre draws. Thrasher attacks Vivacious Vixen, with the effect of Sunvine Power activating (Thrasher: 2400→3200). Vivacious Vixen is destroyed (Morningstar: 3100→1600 LP) (Thrasher: 3200→2400). As Morningstar's monster was destroyed by battle, Spectre activates the effect of Force, inflicting 100 damage to Morningstar for every Link Marker the Link Monster with the highest Link Rating on the field has, in this case, three (Morningstar: 1600→1300 LP). Since Thrasher destroyed a monster by battle, Spectre activates the effect of the Sunvine Blossom in his GY, banishing it and targeting Sunvine Thrasher. Thrasher can make a second attack during the Battle Phase. Thrasher attacks and destroys Thrilled Tunneler (Morningstar: 1300→1000 LP). The effect of Force activates (Morningstar: 1000→700 LP).

* * *

 **Playmaker vs. Prototype HAI-C (Vendread)**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Prototype HAI-C**

HAI-C activates the Field Spell Card Vendread Nights. It activates Vendread Nights' effect, discarding Vendread Striges to add Vendread Houndhorde from its Deck to its hand. Since Striges was sent to the GY, HAI-C reveals Vendread Houndhorde in its hand to Special Summon Striges from the GY (500/2000/2) in Attack Position, but it will be banished when it leaves the field. HAI-C Normal Summons Vendread Houndhorde (0/2100/3). It activates the Spell Card Vendread Relocation, letting it add 1 "Revendread" Ritual Spell Card from its Deck to its hand, and then add "Vendread" Ritual Monster from its Deck or GY to its hand, so long as it isn't Revendread Slayer. HAI-C adds Revendread Origin and Vendread Chimera from its Deck to its hand. It activates the Ritual Spell Card Revendread Origin, Tributing the Level 2 Striges and Level 3 Houndhorde from her field to Ritual Summon the Level 5 Vendread Chimera (2300/0/5) in Attack Position. As it left the field, Striges is banished. HAI-C Sets 1 card. It ends its turn.

 **Turn 2: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He sends the Level 1 Latency from his hand to the GY to Special Summon Bitrooper (1500/2000/4) from his hand. He Normal Summons ROM Cloudia (1800/04). Since ROM Cloudia was Normal Summoned, Playmaker can target 1 Cyberse monster in his GY and add it to his hand. He targets and adds Latency to his hand. Since Latency was added to Playmaker's hand from the GY, he can Special Summon it (0/0/1) in Attack Position. Playmaker uses Bitrooper, Latency, and ROM Cloudia to Link Summon Encode Talker (2300/3/↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since the Special Summoned Latency was used to Link Summon, Playmaker draws 1 card. Since he controls a Cyberse monster, Playmaker Special Summons Backup Secretary (1200/800/3) in Attack Position to Encode Talker's bottom-right Link Marker.

Backup Secretary attacks Vendread Chimera. As a monster it points to is battling a monster with higher ATK, Playmaker activates the effect of Encode Talker. Backup Secretary is not destroyed by the battle, and Playmaker takes no battle damage. After damage calculation, Encode Talker gains ATK equal to Vendread Chimera's ATK until the End Phase (Encode Talker: 2300→4600). HAI-C activates the effect of Vendread Chimera. As it was Ritual Summoned using Vendread Striges on the field, and it battled an opponent's monster, HAI-C can draw 1 card, then discard 1 card. It draws then discards Vendread Core. Encode Talker attacks Vendread Chimera, but HAI-C activates its face-down Trap Card Waboku. HAI-C takes no battle damage this turn, and its monsters cannot be destroyed by battle. HAI-C activates Vendread Chimera's effect. It draws then discards Vendread Revolution. As he controls a Cyberse monster whose ATK is different from its original ATK, Playmaker activates the Spell Card Cyberse Cache. He draws 2 cards. Playmaker Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Prototype HAI-C**

HAI-C draws. It activates the effect of Vendread Chimera. As it was Ritual Summoned using Vendread Houndhorde, it can banish 1 Spell/Trap Card Playmaker controls. HAI-C banishes Playmaker's face-down Doppler Phase Coating. HAI-C activates the effect of the Vendread Core in its GY, banishing Vendread Houndhorde from its GY to Special Summon Vendread Core (0/500/1) in Attack Position. It activates the Spell Card Preparation of Rites, letting it add 1 Level 7 or lower Ritual Monster from its Deck to its hand and 1 Ritual Spell Card from its GY to its hand. It adds Revendread Slayer from its Deck to its hand and Revendread Origin from its GY to its hand. HAI-C activates the Ritual Spell Card Revendread Origin, Tributing the Level 1 Vendread Core and the Level 5 Vendread Chimera to Ritual Summon the Level 6 Revendread Slayer (2400/0/6) in Attack Position. Since Core left the field, it is banished. Since Chimera was Tributed for a Ritual Summon, all monsters Playmaker controls lose 500 ATK/DEF (Backup Secretary: 1200→700/800→300) (Encode Talker: 2300→1800). HAI-C activates the Spell Card Ritualistic Gift. Since it controls a Level 6 Ritual Monster, HAI-C can draw 3 cards. It activates the Continuous Spell Card Vendread Nightmare. HAI-C activates the Spell Card Burial from a Different Dimension, targeting its banished Core, Houndhorde, and Striges and returning them to its GY.

Slayer attacks Encode Talker. As it is battling an opponent's monster, HAI-C activates Slayer's effect, banishing Striges from its GY to increase Slayer's ATK by 300 (Slayer: 2400→2700). Encode Talker is destroyed (Playmaker: 4000→3100 LP). Since a "Vendread" monster destroyed Playmaker's monster by battle, HAI-C activates the effect of Vendread Nights, banishing Houndhorde from its GY to let Slayer attack Playmaker's monster again in a row. And as a "Vendread" Ritual monster destroyed Playmaker's monster by battle, Vendread Nightmare increases Slayer's ATK by 1000 (Slayer: 2700→3700). As HAI-C activated an effect that would change the ATK of exactly 1 monster on the field, Playmaker activates his face-down Trap Card Cyberse Shatter, negating the activation of the effect and allowing Playmaker to draw 1 card (Slayer: 3700→2700). Slayer attacks Backup Secretary. HAI-C activates Slayer's effect, banishing Chimera from the GY (Slayer: 2700→3000). Slayer destroys Backup Secretary (Playmaker: 3100→800 LP). HAI-C Sets 1 card. It ends its turn.

 **Turn 4: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He Normal Summons Widget Kid (1500/900/3). Since Widget Kid was Normal Summoned, Playmaker can Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster from his hand in Defense Position. He Special Summons Dongle Acorn (0/0/1). Since Dongle Acorn was Special Summoned, Playmaker can Special Summon 1 Dongle Token (0/0/1) in Attack Position. Since Playmaker controls 2 or more monsters with the same Type, he can Special Summon Cyberse Whitehat (1800/2400/6) in Attack Position. Playmaker uses Dongle Token to Link Summon Link Disciple (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Playmaker uses Widget Kid to Link Summon Link Devotee (500/1/↑) to Link Disciple's Link Marker. Since Link Devotee was Special Summoned, Playmaker cannot Link Summon Link-3 or higher Link Monsters for the rest of the turn. Playmaker activates the effect of Link Disciple, Tributing Link Devotee to draw 1 card, then place 1 card on the bottom of his Deck. Since the co-linked Link Devotee was Tributed, Playmaker Special Summons 2 Link Tokens (0/0/1) in Attack Position. Playmaker uses Cyberse Whitehat and Dongle Acorn to Link Summon Binary Sorceress (1600/2/←→) to Link Disciple's Link Marker. Since Cyberse Whitehat was used to Link Summon, all monsters HAI-C controls lose 1000 ATK until the end of the turn (Slayer: 3000→2000). Playmaker uses two Link Tokens to Link Summon Binary Blader (1800/2/←→) to Binary Sorceress's right Link Marker. He activates the Spell Card Link Treasure, letting him draw 1 card for each face-up Link Monster on the field. Playmaker draws 3 cards. He then Special Summons Link Infra-Flier (0/1800/2) to Binary Sorceress's left Link Marker in Attack Position. Playmaker uses Link Disciple and Link Infra-Flier to Link Summon Multi Sledgehammer (1000/2/↓→) to Binary Sorceress's left Link Marker.

As it is co-linked to two monsters, Playmaker activates the effect of Binary Sorceress to halve the ATK of a monster he controls, then increase the ATK of another monster he controls by the same value until the End Phase. He halves the ATK of Binary Sorceress and increases the ATK of Binary Blader (Binary Blader: 1600→800) (Binary Sorceress: 1800→2600). Binary Blader attacks Slayer. As Binary Blader battled, Playmaker activates its effect, making the opponent's monster unable to be destroyed by that battle, also it can make a second attack. The attack continues, but Slayer is not destroyed (HAI-C: 4000→3400 LP). As a monster co-linked to Binary Sorceress inflicted battle damage, Playmaker activates its effect, gaining LP equal to the damage dealt (Playmaker: 800→1400 LP). As a Cyberse Link Monster battled, Playmaker activates the effect of Multi Sledgehammer, giving it a Hammer Counter (Multi Sledgehammer: 0 HC→1 HC). Binary Blader attacks Slayer again, but Slayer is not destroyed (HAI-C: 3400→2800 LP). The effects of Binary Sorceress and Multi Sledgehammer follow after (Playmaker: 1400→2000 LP) (Multi Sledgehammer: 1 HC→2 HC).

As Multi Sledgehammer is co-linked to a Cyberse monster, it can attack directly. Multi Sledgehammer attacks directly. As Multi Sledgehammer attacked, Playmaker activates its effect, removing all Hammer Counters from Multi Sledgehammer to increase its ATK by 1000 for each Hammer Counter removed (Multi Sledgehammer: 2 HC→0 HC) (Multi Sledgehammer: 1000→3000) until the End Phase. HAI-C activates its face-down Continuous Trap Card Call of the Haunted, targeting the Vendread Core in its GY and Special Summoning it (0/500/1) in Attack Position. A replay occurs.

At this point, HAI-C reveals that Akira Zaizen has been captured and will be infected with a computer virus if HAI-C's LP reduce further, so Playmaker does not attack. Playmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, the effects of Binary Sorceress, Cyberse Whitehat, and Multi Sledgehammer end (Binary Blader: 2600→1800) (Binary Sorceress: 800→1600) (Multi Sledgehammer: 3000→1000) (Slayer: 2000→3000).

 **Turn 5: HAI-C**

HAI-C draws. It activates the effect of Vendread Relocation in its GY, banishing it to add 1 "Revendread" Ritual Spell Card from its GY to its hand. It adds Revendread Origin to its hand. Revendread Slayer attacks Binary Sorceress, but Playmaker activates his face-down Quick-Play Spell Card Security Block, targeting Binary Sorceress. Binary Sorceress cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, and neither player takes battle damage this turn. HAI-C Sets 1 card. It ends its turn.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 1800 LINK-2_ ↙↘  
 _2 "Cyspirit" monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: All "Cyspirit" monsters you control gain 400 ATK/DEF.  
_ _-2: When a "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control inflicts battle damage to your opponent, except this card: You can gain LP equal to half the damage. Halve all effect damage you take._

 _ **Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 1700 LINK-2_ ↖←  
 _2 Level 3 or lower "Cyspirit" monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: Once per turn, if this card points to a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: You can treat that monster as being co-linked with this card until the end of the turn.  
_ _-2: Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control, except this card; that monster gains 1000 ATK. The turn you activate this effect: Your opponent takes no battle damage from battles involving this card. During the End Phase: Destroy that monster, and if you do, apply one of the following effects, depending on the destroyed monster's Link Rating:  
_ _-1 or 2: Draw 1 card.  
_ _-3 or 4: Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your GY with its effects negated.  
_ _-5: Destroy all cards on your opponent's field._

 _ **Cyspirit Zany Zealot  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 1300 LINK-2_ ↗→  
 _2 "Cyspirit" Normal Monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: Once per turn, if this card is co-linked with a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: You can target 1 "Cyspirit" monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your field in Attack Position with its effects negated.  
_ _-2: Once per turn: you can activate this effect (Quick Effect); This card can make two attacks during each Battle Phase this turn, but monsters your opponent controls cannot be destroyed by battle this turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Vivacious Vixen  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 1200 LINK-1_ →  
 _1 "Cyspirit" monster  
_ _If this card is Link Summoned using 1 Level 5 or higher "Cyspirit" monster: You can destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. Once while face-up on the field: You can choose unused Main Monster Zones, equal to the Link Rating of a "Cyspirit" Link Monster co-linked to this card, and target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control; while the targeted card is face-up on the field, those zone(s) cannot be used._

 _ **Cyspirit Supremacy Link Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _No monsters can declare attacks, except Link Monsters. If a co-linked "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control declares an attack: Place 1 Link Counter on this card. If a co-linked "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control declares an attack: You can send this card to the GY; that monster gains 800 ATK for each Link Counter this card had on it when it was removed from the field until the end of the turn. During the End Phase of the turn you activated this card: Destroy this card._

 _ **Sunvine Blossom Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Tribute 1 "Sunvine" Link Monster you control; Draw 2 cards, also for the rest of this turn after this card resolves, you cannot add cards from your Deck to your hand. You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 "Sunvine" Link Monster you control that destroyed an opponent's monster by battle this turn; that monster can make a second attack. This effect cannot be activated the turn this card is sent to the GY._

 _ **Sunvine Power Equip Spell Card  
**_ _Equip only to a "Sunvine" Link Monster. When the equipped monster attacks a Link Monster: increase the equipped monster's ATK by 800 until the end of the Damage Step. You can only activate this effect of "Sunvine Power" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Monastery Field Spell Card  
**_ _All "Cyspirit" Link Monsters you control gain 500 ATK. If you control no monsters: You can Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your GY with its effects negated. If you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: you can Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your hand to a zone that Link Monster points to. You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspirit Monastery" per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Vendread Relocation Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you control 2 Level 4 or lower "Vendread" monsters: add 1 "Revendread" Ritual Spell Card from your Deck to your hand, and add 1 "Vendread" Ritual Monster from your Deck or GY to your hand, except "Revendread Slayer". You can banish this card from your GY; add 1 "Revendread" Ritual Spell Card from your GY to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Vendread Relocation" per turn._

 _ **Ritualistic Gift Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you control a Level 6 or higher Ritual Monster: Draw 3 cards, also for the rest of this turn after this card resolves, you cannot add cards from your Deck to your hand. During the End Phase of the turn you activate this card: banish your entire hand._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 22 – Angel's Wrath. Spectre pushes Morningstar into a corner while Lilith is held hostage. Pushed to the mental and physical extreme, the hunter reaches his breaking point and calls on a beautiful and terrifying monster…_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to sanedimentio, thirdegree101, Ethan Kironus, ClearwingYuta, Guest, HunterHQ, Ryujomaru15, Frost190, D3lph0xL0v3r, Linda Fullmoom, ThePLOThand, InfiniteStarz, mekyaku, GreenD109, Yasutake Fan, Tiny Pink Kitten, EH-01, Guest, and Vrains Fan for reviewing Chapter 20.

To answer sanedimentio, all Cyspirit Extra Deck monsters are Link Monsters. There are no Cyspirit Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monsters.

Thank you to thirdegree101 for suggesting names for a Cyspirit related to Revolver. I hadn't planned on it at first, but you've given me an idea for season 2. Thanks.

To answer InfiniteStarz, I do have an idea of what Yasutake's and Sachi's Ignis represent, but I'll wait till they make an appearance to explain.

To answer Yasutake Fan, my schedule was supposed to be every 2 weeks or so, but I fell behind this time. I will explain why below. As for an effect that only works when Extra Linked… that's an idea. I don't have any plans for one, but maybe in the future.

Sorry this was uploaded so late. I would like to say its because I'm busy with finals and graduation, but that would be a lie. In truth, I've been caught up in the Trails of Cold Steel video games. They are really addicting! Thankfully, I managed to get away from them long enough to finish this chapter. I'm hoping I'll be able to deliver Chapter 22 in less time.

The focus of this chapter was primarily the duels between Spectre and Morningstar, and Playmaker and Prototype HAI-C. After writing a duel between Morningstar and Spectre in Chapter 4, I wanted to write another one, and this was the best place to put it. The duel might be a little too similar to Playmaker's duel with Spectre, but duels are honestly easier to write with a baseline. I did consider making the duel a 2v1, but I felt that would give Morningstar and Playmaker too much of an advantage, so I went with 1v1. And since I've introduced Hanoi AI duelists, I figured I would give Playmaker a go at one. I originally planned on him facing Knightmare monsters, but decided to go with Vendread since Tagoma didn't duel.

Thank you for reading Chapter 21 of Hidden Memories. Please post a review of your favorite moment in the chapter. What did you think of Morningstar's reactions to Spectre's tale? As always, feedback is essential for improvements.


	22. Chapter 22: Angel's Wrath

**Chapter 22: Angel's Wrath**

 _Ten years ago…_

Thunder boomed as rain fell from the sky. It was nighttime, and in the alley, a trashcan lid fell on the ground, its clanging overshadowed by the thunder.

The boy who removed the lid reaches into the can. Breaking open one of the bags, he pulls out a half-eaten bagel. The starving child stuffed it into his mouth, chewing as fast as he could.

It had always been like this, as far as he knew. He would run through the alleys, finding leftover food in alleys, often in trashcans. Almost every adult who caught him chased him away. Other adults would sometimes find him and try to drag him somewhere, but he always escaped in the end. He didn't trust them. Why should he? They were strangers.

When it rained like tonight, he would often find cover under canopies or doorways. If he was lucky, he would find an abandoned building to spend the night in. But he never stayed for long. He had learned it was better to stay on the move.

But tonight would turn out to be different to all those previous nights. As he reached into the trashcan again, a light suddenly pierced through the rain. The boy turned around and saw the door of a nearby building had opened, spilling light into the alley. A figure stepped out of the light and towards him…

* * *

 _Present day…_

"You can't defeat me now, Morningstar," Spectre said, smirking at the hunter. "My mother tree Sunavalon, the captured Lilith and Zaizen, and that lame sense of justice you and Playmaker share. As long as those exist, you can't defeat me, and Playmaker can't defeat Terminus's toy! Not even by a long shot."

"Shut up," Lilith said, scowling at Spectre. "If I wasn't in here, I'd duel and defeat you myself, you dirty coward."

Spectre laughed. "Strong words from a common bounty hunter," he said, turning his smirk to her. "Unlike Morningstar and Playmaker, there's nothing special about you. The Lost Incident doesn't drive you insane like it does them, or inspire you like it does me."

Lilith gasped. The Lost Incident? Did that mean-?

Morningstar growled as he looked over the field.

 **Morningstar: 700 LP**

 **Spectre: 4000 LP**

The only cards Morningstar had on the field were his Set card, the Field Spell Cyspirit Monastery, which increased the attack points of all his Cyspirit Link Monsters by 500, and Cyspirit Winning Wrestler in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 3000 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

Spectre, on the other hand, had a full field. He had Sunavalon Dryanome in his Extra Monster Zone, Sunvine Thrasher equipped with Sunvine Power at its bottom-right Link Marker, and Sunavalon Daphne at its bottom-left. Two of Spectre's zones – the ones that Daphne pointed too – were red-colored, showing that they couldn't be used.

 **Sunavalon Dryanome ATK 0 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

 **Sunavalon Daphne ATK 0 LINK-2** ←→

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 2400 LINK-1** ↓

In Spectre's Spell & Trap Zones, he had the aforementioned Sunvine Power, as well as the Continuous Spell Card Sunvine Shrine and the Continuous Trap Cards Sunavalon Force and Sunavalon Glorious Growth. The situation was definitely not in Morningstar's favor.

"I Set one card and end my turn," Spectre said. He spread his arms and mockingly smirked at Morningstar. "Will you try to deal me damage next turn by forsaking her?"

"You loathsome cheater!" Lilith shouted.

"Cheater?" Spectre repeated. "That's a wonderful word of praise. Instead of being misled by a dumb sense of justice, it's more wonderful to do dirty tricks to fulfill my goal." Spectre's smirk widened. "Yes. Everything I do is for Master Revolver."

"Don't worry, Yasu," Cam said into Morningstar's earpiece. "I'm trying to adapt the LVSS emergency escape to work on the cage. Kusanagi's doing the same thing for Zaizen. We'll get them free in no time."

Morningstar didn't respond. He just narrowed his eyes and placed his hand on his Deck. It was time to resume the duel.

* * *

"I must admit I am uncomfortable with this."

Terminus turned to look at Revolver and Dr. Kogami. The three of them were watching Spectre's duel with Morningstar and Playmaker's duel with Prototype HAI-C.

"I understand the reasoning behind keeping Akira Zaizen and Lilith hostage," Terminus continued. "But it is very unfair to drag them into this. We should at least allow Lilith the chance to go down fighting."

"In most situations, I would agree," Revolver said, keeping his eyes on the screens. "But we are desperate right now. The Ignis must be destroyed by any means necessary. If holding them hostage achieves that, then we'll do it." He then turned to glance at Terminus. "And if your theory is right, we need to obtain Morningstar's Cyspirit cards to verify it. Necessity trumps fair play in this case."

Terminus scowled and turned to Dr. Kogami. "There is something I want to know," he said to the doctor. "If HAI-C does win and acquires the Ignis, will you shut down the Tower? We won't need it if we have the Ignis."

"If I can obtain the whereabouts of the Cyberse World from that Ignis, yes," Dr. Kogami answered. "But there's a fair chance that I won't be able to in time." Dr. Kogami frowned. "Do you regret working on the project ten years ago with me, Kenshin?"

Terminus's scowl softened. "I regret the actions we took," he said. "I do not regret working with you. Or my brother. I just wish…"

"That you got to see him again before his death," Dr. Kogami finished, giving Terminus a sympathetic look. "I understand. Ryoken brought me back from death, but we couldn't do the same for Hitomu. But we can bring justice to his killers."

Terminus's gaze hardened. His brother, his sister-in-law, his niece… they had all died eight years ago. His niece's body hadn't been found, but after eight years, he could only assume she was dead. What else could he do but punish the people responsible?

The Knight of Hanoi turned from Dr. Kogami to the screens. As invested as he was in Morningstar's duel, it looked like Playmaker was up next.

* * *

Playmaker looked at the support beams of the bridge as they snapped. The bridge didn't shift as they broke however.

"It looks like Morningstar's stabilization program is keeping the bridge from collapsing," Playmaker commented.

"Yeah. Neat trick of his," Ai said. "More importantly, HOW ARE WE LOSING TO A STUPID AI!?"

Playmaker looked over the field between him and the Hanoi AI duelist called HAI-C.

 **Playmaker: 2000 LP**

 **Prototype HAI-C: 2800 LP**

Playmaker had more monsters on his field, with Multi Sledgehammer, Binary Sorceress, and Binary Blader all co-linked with each other.

 **Multi Sledgehammer ATK 1000 LINK-2** ↓→

 **Binary Sorceress ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

 **Binary Blader ATK 1800 LINK-2** ←→

HAI-C however, had more Spell and Trap Cards. It had the Field Spell Vendread Nights, the Continuous Trap Card Call of the Haunted, and the Continuous Spell Card Vendread Nightmare active, as well as a Set card. On the field, it had Revendread Slayer and Vendread Core, both in Attack Position.

 **Revendread Slayer ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 6**

 **Vendread Core ATK 0 DEF 500 LVL: 1**

Playmaker then looked over at Morningstar and scowled. "Morningstar's in the same situation we're in," he said, causing Ai to look over.

"That's Lilith!" Ai said, surprised. "Oh wait, she's a bounty hunter. Maybe's she's faking being a hostage?"

"If she was to betray us, it would be more efficient for her to duel me instead of this AI duelist," Playmaker reminded Ai.

"Oh, right."

Playmaker then looked behind him and frowned. That Frog and Pigeon duo were here, hovering between the two bridges so they could broadcast both of them.

 _Kusanagi can likely see that Lilith and Zaizen have been captured,_ Playmaker thought. _I can't do anything for Zaizen, but Kusanagi likely can. I'll just have to hold out until he does it._

"Resume the duel, Playmaker," HAI-C said, interrupting Playmaker's thoughts. "It is your turn. Stalling will not benefit you."

Playmaker scowled at the AI. "My turn! Draw!" Playmaker looked at the two cards in his hand, but before he could make a move, Akira interrupted his thoughts.

"Playmaker! Forget about me!" Akira shouted at him. "Or Aoi's sacrifice would be for nothing!" Playmaker's eyes narrowed. He understood where Akira was coming from, but he couldn't sacrifice him just to win. Not without giving Kusanagi a chance.

Ai didn't know that, however. "Listen to him!" Ai pleaded. "That stupid AI duelist left Vendread Core in Attack Position! If we attack it with Binary Blader and activate its effect, we can win!"

That was true. Binary Blader could attack twice at the cost of being unable to destroy its target. If Binary Blader attacked the 0-attack point Core, Playmaker could deal HAI-C 3600 points of damage and win. But that would mean…

"I Set one card," Playmaker said, doing so. "I end my turn."

"Oi! Oi!" Ai screeched. "You could have won and ended this, but you didn't! Have you forgotten why we're here?" Ai pointed to the tower, which now had two rings complete, with the third about half-done. "If you lose, that tower will be completed! I don't want to die along with Zaizen!"

"My turn. Draw." HAI-C drew, then said, "I activate the Spell Card: Balancing Act." The card showed a duel field, with five cards on one side and three on the other. Two of the five cards were shattering. "As I control more cards than you, I can destroy cards I control until I control the same number of cards as you. And then I draw one card for each destroyed card."

"Eh?" Ai said, momentarily distracted from his frustration with Playmaker. "Why would it destroy its own cards?"

"You control four cards and I control six cards," HAI-C continued. "That means I destroy two cards. I destroy Call of the Haunted and Vendread Nights." Its Field Spell and Continuous Trap Card disintegrated. "As two cards were destroyed, I draw two cards."

HAI-C drew again, then said, "Call of the Haunted's effect activates. As it left the field, the monster Special Summoned by its effect is destroyed." Vendread Core shattered into pieces.

"Why would it destroy its own cards?" Ai wondered, confused. "Doesn't its Field Spell benefit it more on the field?" Playmaker only narrowed his eyes.

"Trap activate!" HAI-C declared. "Vendread Daybreak!" Playmaker gasped as the card revealed itself. This was bad. "As my opponent controls more cards than I do, I can select one 'Vendread' Ritual Monster I control. Then, all cards on the field except the chosen monster are destroyed."

"What!?" Ai screeched. "That's why it destroyed its own cards? So it would have fewer than ours!?"

The Trap Card shone and released a bright light. Playmaker braced himself as his three monsters, Set card, and HAI-C's Continuous Spell Card all exploded. When the light dimmed and the smoke cleared, Revendread Slayer was the only monster standing.

"This isn't good!" Ai screamed. "If that Slayer attacks, we're done!"

"It can't," Playmaker said, startling Ai. "The monster targeted by Daybreak cannot attack directly while it's on the field."

"Eh? Really?" Ai said, momentarily hopeful, but then his shoulders slumped. "That doesn't stop that stupid AI from summoning something else, though."

Ai was right. HAI-C took a card from its hand and played it. "I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Revendread Origin! I Tribute monsters from my hand and field whose total Level equals or surpasses the 'Vendread' Ritual Monster I'm Ritual Summoning from my hand. Alternatively, I can banish Zombie monsters from my Graveyard."

"That's not good," Ai said unnecessarily as a dark blue circle with seven blue flames appeared on HAI-C's field.

"I Tribute the Level 6 Revendread Slayer and banish the Level 1 Vendread Core from my Graveyard!" Core briefly reappeared on HAI-C's field. The resummoned Core and Slayer disintegrated into blue lights, which gathered in the center of the circle. A pillar of blue light burst from the center.

"The contract has been made. The last warlord of the deepest night inherits these two souls! Ritual Summon! Rise! Level 7! Vendread Battlelord!"

The pillar disappeared as a massive figure emerged. It was covered in grey armor and had horns on its head, shoulders, and knees. It swung a massive sword as it was Ritual Summoned in Attack Position.

 **Vendread Battlelord ATK 2700 DEF 0 LVL: 7**

"Ah! It's upgraded its monster!" Ai said, cowering in fear of the massive monster. Playmaker only narrowed his eyes.

"Revendread Slayer's effect activates," HAI-C said. "When it is Ritual Summoned and then sent to the Graveyard, I can add one Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to my hand, then send one 'Vendread' monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I add Revendread Evolution to my hand and send Vendread Anima to the Graveyard."

After doing so, HAI-C gestured to its field. "I activate Vendread Battlelord's effect! Once per turn, I can banish one 'Vendread' card from my Graveyard and declare either Monster, Spell, or Trap Cards. And until the end of the turn, my opponent cannot activate cards or effects of the declared type."

"Oh, that's not good," Ai said, cowering even further.

"I banish Revendread Slayer from my Graveyard and declare Monster Cards," HAI-C said.

"Eh? Why Monster Cards?"

"There is 50% probability that Playmaker will prevent an attack with the card in his hand," HAI-C explained. "Lockout Gardna is the greatest possibility, but not the only one." Playmaker's expression didn't change on hearing HAI-C's words. "Monster Cards are therefore the best to declare."

"Good reasoning," Ai said begrudgingly. "But why banish Slayer? Isn't it the strongest monster in its Graveyard?"

"This AI duelist is a very calculating opponent," Playmaker said, narrowing his eyes. "There is undoubtedly a reason for its action."

"I activate the effect of the Vendread Anima in the Graveyard!" HAI-C declared, gesturing to its field again. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon one banished 'Vendread' monster besides itself. Return, Revendread Slayer!" The humanoid in black and gold armor reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Revendread Slayer ATK 2400 DEF 0 LVL: 6**

"Sometimes I hate it when you're right, Playmaker," Ai complained, looking at the two powerful monsters.

"Battle!" HAI-C declared. "Vendread Battlelord, attack Playmaker directly!" Battlelord hefted its massive sword and charged Playmaker, who calmly gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Transaction Rollback in the Graveyard!" he declared. "By paying half my Life Points and banishing it, I can target a Normal Trap Card in either of our Graveyards and activate its effect! I choose to activate Waboku from your Graveyard!" Playmaker winced as his Life Points decreased.

 **Playmaker: 2000→1000 LP**

"Waboku prevents my monsters from being destroyed by battle this turn," Playmaker reminded HAI-C. "And more importantly, it also prevents all battle damage I would take!" Battlelord swung its sword, but it missed and hit the ground next to the hacker. Ai flinched from the close blow, but Playmaker didn't react.

"I Set one card," HAI-C said. "I end my turn. During the End Phase of the turn Balancing Act is activated, the top card of my Deck is sent to the Graveyard." HAI-C took said card and placed it in its Graveyard.

"Whew, that was too close," Ai said. He then turned to Playmaker to berate him. "But that wouldn't have been needed if you had attacked last turn and won! You need to forget about Zaizen! If we lose, the Tower will be completed, and the entire world will be in chaos! Listen to me, Playmaker!"

Playmaker ignored Ai and placed his hand on his Deck. "My turn. Draw!" Playmaker looked at his card, then played it. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cynet Repeated Process!" The card showed multiple red hexagons with beams of light hitting one and then bouncing on to the others. "Once per turn, if I control no monsters, I can excavate the top card of my Deck. And if that card is a Cyberse monster, that monster is Special Summoned in Attack Position. If not, then I place it on the bottom of my Deck."

Playmaker placed his hand on his Deck again. _It all comes down to this_ , Playmaker thought. He drew the card, looked at it, and narrowed his eyes. _This card will do._

"I summon Unique System Buster!" A humanoid monster covered in black metal armor appeared on Playmaker's field. Two blasters shaped like USB ports were attached to its wrists, and two more functioned as boosters on its back.

 **Unique System Buster ATK 1900 DEF 1100 LVL: 6**

"Yes! We drew a monster!" Ai cheered. Then he remembered the situation. "Oh, but it only has 1900 attack points. Against Battlelord and Slayer, it won't last long."

"Cynet Repeated Process has one more effect," Playmaker said, glancing at the Ignis. "If one of my opponent's monsters attacks a Special Summoned Cyberse monster, I can negate that attack. And I can do this up to twice per turn."

"Really!?" Ai said, perking up. He turned to face the AI duelist. "Ha ha! You only have two monsters! That means you can't touch us!"

"Pointless," HAI-C said, surprising Ai. "Such an action only delays the inevitable. As long as I have 'Vendread' cards in my Graveyard, Battlelord can negate your card's effect. Your defeat is certain."

"…That's surprising," Ai commented. He would have frowned if he could. "Kitamura's AI duelists didn't have a taunt function. Did Terminus give it one?"

Playmaker ignored Ai's query and said, "I Set one card face-down. I end my turn."

"My turn. Draw!" HAI-C looked at its new card and then played it. "I summon Vendread Revenants." A trio of blue-skinned blue-eyes zombies appeared, each with rather large claws.

 **Vendread Revenants ATK 1800 DEF 200 LVL: 4**

"Well that's ugly," Ai commented, narrowing his eyes at Revenants. "But it isn't strong enough to destroy Unique System Buster. Oh! Don't tell me-."

"I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Revendread Evolution!" HAI-C declared. "I now Tribute monsters from my hand or field to Ritual Summon a Ritual Monster from my hand or Graveyard, so long as their combined Levels equal the Ritual Monster's Level. In addition, I can send one 'Vendread' monster from my Deck to the Graveyard."

"From the Deck? That's not fair!" Ai complained.

The dark blue circle appeared again on HAI-C's field. This time, eight blue flames burned on its edges. "I Tribute the Level 4 Vendread Revenants on my field and send a second Level 4 Vendread Revenants from my Deck to the Graveyard!" HAI-C announced. A second zombie appeared, and along with its predecessor, disintegrated into blue energy that gathered in the circle's center. A pillar of light appeared.

"The contract has been made. The ultimate heroic fiend of the deepest night inherits these two souls! Ritual Summon! Rise! Level 8! Revendread Executor!"

Another humanoid emerged from the pillar. This one wore primarily grey skeletal armor, with dashes of red on its arms and legs. Massive bones emerged from its back and curved over its shoulders. A blue scarf wrapped around its neck fluttered in the breeze as it roared in Attack Position.

 **Revendread Executor ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 8**

"3000 attack points!?" Ai shouted.

"This must be the AI's ace monster," Playmaker muttered, narrowing his eyes as he glared at the hulking monster.

"The monster that is Ritual Summoned by the effect of Revendread Evolution is destroyed during the End Phase of the next turn," HAI-C informed Playmaker. "But that is of little consequence right now." HAI-C gestured to its field. "Revendread Executor's monster effect! Because it was Ritual Summoned using Vendread Revenants, it can banish one Special Summoned monster my opponent controls!"

"Eh!? Banish!?" Ai repeated.

"I banish Unique System Buster with Revendread Executor's effect!" Executor's shoulder spikes glowed with red energy, which it shot at Playmaker's monster. But Playmaker only gestured to his field.

"I activate Unique System Buster's effect! By Tributing it, I can Special Summon one 'Code Talker' monster from my Graveyard!" Unique System Buster dropped into a purple hole beneath it, dodging the red lightning. "Return to me, Encode Talker!" The white-and-gold armored warrior carrying a shield emerged from the purple circle in Unique System Buster's place.

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↑↓↘

"The monster Special Summoned by Unique System Buster's effect has its effects negated," Playmaker continued. "And until the End Phase, all monsters on the field are treated as Cyberse monsters!" Battlelord, Executor, and Slayer all glowed to indicate their change in Type.

"Since Executor's target left the field, its effect resolves," Ai said. "And you can only activate that effect once per turn, right?"

HAI-C didn't answer Ai's query. Instead it gestured to its field. "Vendread Battlelord's monster effect! I banish one of the Vendread Revenants in my Graveyard and declare Spell Cards! Until the end of the turn, you cannot activate the effects of Spell Cards."

"Encode Talker is stronger than Unique System Buster, but it is still too weak to stop his monsters," Ai noted. "And we can't activate Repeated Process's effect now, either. This is still bad, Playmaker." Playmaker didn't respond to Ai's statement.

"Battle! Revendread Slayer attacks Encode Talker!" The said monster charged at Encode Talker, but Playmaker only smirked.

"I was waiting for this!" he announced. "Trap activate! Cynet Refresh!" His face-down card flipped face-up and glowed. "When a Cyberse monster attacks, all monsters in the Main Monster Zones are destroyed!"

"Yes!" Ai cheered as Battlelord, Executor, Slayer, and Encode Talker all disintegrated. "Since Ritual Monsters aren't summoned from the Extra Deck, they can only be in the Main Monster Zones! And thanks to Unique System Buster, they were all Cyberse monsters! Now that AI duelist has no monsters to attack us with!"

"This was only a delaying tactic," HAI-C said, surprising Ai. "When the Ritual Summoned Vendread Battlelord is sent to the Graveyard, I can add one Ritual Monster from my Deck to my hand and then send one 'Vendread' monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I add another Revendread Executor from my Deck to my hand and send Vendread Anima to the Graveyard."

After doing so, HAI-C said, "The effect of the Ritual Summoned Revendread Executor activates as well! If it is destroyed by battle or by my opponent's card effect, I can add one 'Vendread' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Vendread Union to my hand."

"So it gets new cards," Ai said. "Big whoop. It still can't attack us without monsters on the field."

"That's not all it's doing," Playmaker said, surprising Ai. "You forget; it still has a card on the field."

"Eh?" Ai turned back to HAI-C and saw its face-down card. "Oh! I forget about that. But what is it?"

"Trap activate! Vendread Reunion!" HAI-C declared. "First, I reveal a 'Vendread' Ritual Monster in my hand. I reveal the Revendread Executor I just added. Then, I Special Summon banished 'Vendread' monsters whose total Levels equal Executor's Level in face-down Defense Position. Then I Tribute those monsters to Ritual Summon Revendread Executor!"

"Eh!?" Ai said, shocked. "It's Ritual Summoning with a Trap Card!?"

"I Special Summon the banished Vendread Chimera and Vendread Houndhorde in face-down Defense Position!" HAI-C continued. Two Set cards appeared on its field. "And now I Tribute the Level 3 Vendread Houndhorde and the Level 5 Vendread Chimera!"

The circle appeared on HAI-C's field, with eight blue flames on the edges. The face-down cards disintegrated into blue light and entered the center, creating a pillar of light.

"The contract has been made! The ultimate heroic fiend of the darkest night inherits these two souls! Ritual Summon! Rise! Level 8! Revendread Executor!" Another Executor appeared on HAI-C's field in Attack Position.

 **Revendread Executor ATK 3000 DEF 0 LVL: 8**

"AAAAHHHH!" Ai screamed. "It got its monster back! And we can't stop it!"

"The only card on Playmaker's field is Cynet Repeated Process," HAI-C said. "It can negate an attack, but only against a Cyberse monster. With no monsters on the field, it is useless. Playmaker also has no cards in his hand, so the possibility of Lockout Gardna is 0%. Playmaker has 1000 Life Points, while Revendread Executor has 3000 attack points. This is the end."

HAI-C gestured to its field. "Battle! Revendread Executor, attack Playmaker directly!" Executor charged Playmaker, red lightning gathering on its spikes, but Playmaker only gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Unique System Buster in the Graveyard!" he declared. "If your monster attacks me directly, I can banish Unique System Buster to negate that attack!" His monster reappeared on the field and blocked Executor's attack. Playmaker stood firm against the shockwaves from the blow.

"After the attack is negated, the Battle Phase is ended!" Playmaker continued.

"Whew," Ai breathed a sigh of relief. "That was too close. And even with a 3000 attack point monster, Cynet Refresh will-."

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Vendread Union!" HAI-C interrupted. The card showed Executor and Slayer doing a mutual fist pump. "As long as Union is in play, 'Vendread' monsters cannot be destroyed by card effects, and their battle positions cannot be changed by card effects."

"Eh? Seriously?"

"And during my Standby Phase," HAI-C continued. "I can banish one 'Vendread' Ritual Monster from my Graveyard to inflict damage to you equal to its attack points."

Playmaker and Ai both gasped. They had just sent three Vendread Ritual Monsters to the Graveyard. Which meant this next turn would be their last.

"I end my turn," HAI-C said.

Playmaker grit his teeth but said, "During the End Phase of the turn Cynet Refresh is activated, any Cyberse Link Monsters that were destroyed by its effect are Special Summoned to their owner's field. Return, Encode Talker!" His Link Monster reappeared on his field again.

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↑↓↘

"We might have Encode Talker back, but if you don't do something, we'll lose!" Ai berated Playmaker. "This situation is why you should have forsaken Zaizen!"

Suddenly, Zaizen flickered and gasped. "What's this?" he said.

Playmaker glanced over at Zaizen and gasped. "It's Kusanagi," he whispered to Ai.

"Well done for him!" Ai cheered, happy at this development. If Kusanagi freed Akira, then Playmaker could duel without issues and win!

Unfortunately, there was a problem. Lightning sparked across the cage and Akira gasped again as his body solidified.

"That system was designed by the most brilliant minds of the Knights of Hanoi," HAI-C said. "It is impossible to destroy it." Playmaker growled. "Akira Zaizen cannot be freed by you, or your allies."

"Playmaker!"

The hacker and two AIs turned to look at Akira as he spoke up.

"If you're stuck in doubt, it'll only lead to more victims!" Akira said, frowning. "Or else, my sister did everything for nothing. Have conviction, Playmaker! Don't lose track of the big picture!" Playmaker's eyes widened in realization. "Even if sacrifices must be made along the way, carry that burden and keep going!"

Playmaker gasped. "Go! Transform that conviction into strength!" Akira smiled after saying that.

"Don't do it!" Playmaker shouted, panicking.

Akira closed his eyes, then opened them again as he reached out and grabbed the bars of the cage. As lightning arced across the cage, Akira screamed in pain.

"What?" Ai said, shocked. "He did it to himself?"

As Akira's body flickered again, he managed a brief smile. "Aoi… I'm coming to you. Let's go home together." As his eyes started to close, he said, "Playmaker, I leave the rest to you…"

Akira and the cage finally shattered.

"Seriously?" Ai said in a small voice, horrified and shocked at what he had seen.

"…How interesting," HAI-C said. "There was nothing to suggest Akira Zaizen would take such an action. But it changes nothing. Ultimately, you cannot win."

"…Cannot win?" Playmaker repeated, his head low as he clenched his fists. "You have the wrong idea." Playmaker raised his head and glared at the AI. "My dueling always wins. And Zaizen gave me the opportunity to escape my doubt! I'll live up to his wishes by winning! My turn! Draw!"

Playmaker drew, looked at his card, then said, "As I control a monster during my Standby Phase, the effect of Cynet Repeated Process destroys itself!" His Continuous Spell Card shattered, leaving Encode Talker the only card on his field. "I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure Ticket! This card lets me draw cards equal to my Link Monster's Link Rating, so long as I send the same number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard. Encode Talker is Link-3, so I draw three cards!"

Playmaker drew, then sent three cards from his Deck to the Graveyard. He then gestured to his field. "Dotscaper's effect activates! When it is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it!" A blue and white monster made of little blocks appeared on Playmaker's field in Attack Position.

 **Dotscaper ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 1**

"I activate the Field Spell Card: Cynet Universe!" Playmaker declared. "With this card in play, all my Link Monsters gain 300 attack points!"

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300→2600**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared above Playmaker's head. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters!"

"Eh?" Ai said, surprised. "Don't tell me you're-."

"I set Dotscaper and the Link-3 Encode Talker in the Link Markers!" Playmaker continued, ignoring Ai. His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Encode Talker splitting into three. The whirlwinds entered the left, top, bottom, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Firewall Dragon!" The white and blue mechanical dragon appeared on Playmaker's field and roared in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 2500 LINK-4** ←↑↓→

"Monster identified," HAI-C said. "Firewall Dragon. Playmaker's strongest monster."

"Due to Cynet Universe's effect, Firewall Dragon gains 300 attack points!"

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 2500→2800**

"I activate the effect of Cynet Universe!" Playmaker declared. "Once per turn, I can return one monster in the Graveyard to the Deck. I return Link Devotee from my Graveyard to my Extra Deck!" Playmaker took the card from his Graveyard and placed it in his Extra Deck. He then took a card from his hand and played it. "I summon Balancer Lord!" A knight in blue and white mechanical armor carrying a yellow sword and blue shield appeared on Playmaker's field.

 **Balancer Lord ATK 1700 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

"Appear once more, the circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared above Playmaker again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster. I set Balancer Lord in the Link Marker!" His monster became a whirlwind of energy that entered the top arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Link Devotee!" The dark blue mechanical monster surrounded by a circle appeared, summoned to Firewall Dragon's bottom Link Marker and with increased attack points courtesy of Cynet Universe.

 **Link Devotee ATK 500→800 LINK-1** ↑

"We can't Link Summon Link-3 or higher after Link Devotee is Link Summoned," Ai told HAI-C. "But we don't really need to with Firewall Dragon here."

"Firewall Dragon's monster effect!" Playmaker declared. "For every monster that's co-linked with it, I can return a monster on our fields or in our Graveyards to our hands once!"

"Vendread Union might keep us from destroying Revendread Executor with card effects," Ai gloated. "But it says nothing about targeting it or removing it from the field another way!"

"Firewall Dragon is co-linked with Link Devotee!" Playmaker said. "Emergency Escape!" Blue lightning gathered on Firewall Dragon's head, which it released at Revendread Executor.

"With Firewall Dragon's effect, I return Revendread Executor to your hand!" Playmaker declared as Executor screamed with pain and disintegrated. A card appeared floating in front of HAI-C.

"And now you have no monsters to protect you!" Ai said.

Playmaker gestured to his field, but before he could say anything, he suddenly felt a great pressure and gasped. He turned to the left bridge. "What is this?" he said, surprised.

"Eh? What's wrong, Playmaker?" Ai turned to look at Morningstar's duel and screamed as a massive pillar of fire erupted from the bridge.

* * *

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew and looked at his card.

"So you'll attack me?" Spectre asked, a wide smirk on his face. "Please do so!"

"Attack him, Morningstar!" Lilith urged from her cage. "Getting past him is more important than saving me!"

Morningstar ignored her and made his move. "I Set a card and end my turn."

"Huh?" Spectre asked, looking mockingly confused. "You won't do anything? I was prepared to take your attack." His frown turned into a smirk. "Then I'll do whatever I like. My turn! Draw!"

Spectre gestured to his field. "Battle! Sunvine Thrasher attacks Winning Wrestler!" Thrasher charged Winning Wrestler. "Sunvine Power's effect activates! Since the equipped Thrasher is attacking a Link Monster, Thrasher gains 800 attack points until the end of the Damage Step!"

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 2400→3200**

Lilith grit her teeth. _Morningstar has 700 Life Points left,_ she thought. _Thrasher destroying Winning Wrestler won't end the duel, but he'll lose one of his best monsters._

"Morningstar!" Spectre shouted. "Your fate – and your life – are over!"

Morningstar only narrowed his eyes and gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Cyspirit Illusion! When a 'Cyspirit' monster is attacked, I can excavate the top card of my Deck. And if that card is a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can send that card to the Graveyard, and 'Cyspirit' monsters cannot be destroyed in battle this turn! If it is not, then it is placed on the bottom of my Deck."

"Ha!" Spectre laughed. "A pointless gamble."

"We'll see," Morningstar said, drawing his card and looking at it. "I drew Cyspirit Battler! Thus, Battler is sent to the Graveyard and Winning Wrestler cannot be destroyed this turn!"

The spirit of Cyspirit Battler appeared in front of Winning Wrestler and took Thrasher's blow. Morningstar winced from the damage, but Winning Wrestler stayed on the field.

 **Morningstar: 700→500 LP**

"Hmm," Spectre said, smirking. "As the Damage Step has ended, Sunvine Thrasher's attack points return to normal."

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 3200→2400**

Spectre laughed and shook his head. "I can't watch this. Your useless last stand?" He shrugged. "Do whatever you want. But don't forget that damaging me brings her end closer." Spectre laughed.

Lilith grit her teeth. This was bad. Morningstar wouldn't attack because of her, leaving Spectre to do what he wanted. But what Spectre had said earlier… about the Lost Incident inspiring him…

"I must admit, your sense of justice is first-rate," Spectre said. "But as a duelist, you're second-rate. I end my turn. And soon it will be the end of you."

"My end will not come from you," Morningstar said, placing his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!" He drew, then played his card.

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cyspirit Lockdown Link!" The card showed Cyspirit Bombastic Bombardier on top of a hill, laughing as a purple barrier appeared between it and a horde of monsters. "To activate this card, I shuffle one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster in my Graveyard back into my Extra Deck and select one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster on my field. And while Lockdown Link is in play, Link Monsters with equal or fewer Link Markers and other monsters cannot attack."

"What?" Spectre said, surprised.

"I shuffle Cacophonic Caller into my Extra Deck," Morningstar continued. "And I select the Link-3 Cyspirit Winning Wrestler!" Winning Wrestler, Dryanome, Daphne, and Thrasher all glowed purple. "Lockdown Link will be destroyed in two turns after it was activated."

Lilith smirked. _All of Spectre's monsters are Link-3 or lower,_ she thought. _He can avoid destruction and battle damage, but now he can't deal damage either._

"Pointless," Spectre said, annoyed. "Since you can't damage me, everything you do is pointless. It's hard to watch."

"I end my turn."

"Not much longer, Yasu," Cam said into the earpiece. "I just need ten more minutes at the least."

Spectre laughed. "This charade has become pathetic. Allow me to end this. My turn! Draw!" Spectre drew, then spread his arms. "Appear! The future circuit that lights up our path!"

The Link portal appeared beneath Dryanome. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two Plant Link Monsters! I set Link 1 Sunvine Thrasher and Link 3 Sunavalon Dryanome in the Link Markers!" Thrasher became a whirlwind of energy while Dryanome released three tentacles that became whirlwinds. The whirlwinds entered the bottom-left, top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Sunavalon Dryatrentiay!"

Spectre's tree became even larger, to the point where he was just a speck in front of it. Its leaves had become purple flowers and multiple roots and tentacles extended outwards from it. The female being in the center of the tree was the same one as the previous Sunavalon monster.

 **Sunavalon Dryatrentiay ATK 0 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

 _A Link-4 monster,_ Morningstar thought, narrowing his eyes. _That means it isn't affected by Lockdown Link. But with 0 attack points…_

"Dryatrentiay's effect activates!" Spectre declared. "Once per turn, by Tributing a Plant Link Monster next to her Link Marker, for every Link Marker she has, a face-up Spell or Trap Card on your field is destroyed! I Tribute Link-2 Sunavalon Daphne!" Daphne disintegrated at Spectre's words. "I destroy Cyspirit Lockdown Link and Cyspirit Monastery!" Two of Dryatrentiay's tentacles lashed out and piercing the named cards, making them disintegrate.

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Because Cyspirit Monastery left the field, Winning Wrestler's attack points return to normal."

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 3000→2500**

"The Continuous Spell Card: Sunvine Shrine's effect activates! Once per turn, I Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Plant Normal Monster from the Graveyard. Come, Sunseed Genius Loci!" The statue of a contained seed reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Sunseed Genius Loci ATK 0 DEF 600 LVL: 1**

Spectre spread his arms wide. "Appear again! The future circuit that lights up our path!" The Link portal appeared again beneath Spectre's Sunavalon monster. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Plant Normal Monster. I set Genius Loci in the Link Marker!" The seed became a whirlwind of energy that entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Sunvine Thrasher!" Another copy of Thrasher appeared, summoned to Dryatrentiay's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 800 LINK-1** ↓

"Thrasher's effect activates! Since it's linked to Dryatrentiay, it gains 800 attack points for each of Dryatrentiay's Link Markers. Dryatrentiay is Link-4. So it gains 3200 attack points!"

 **Sunvine Thrasher ATK 800→4000**

"4000 attack points?" Lilith said, surprised. "If that monster attacks…"

"But when Dryatrentiay's effect destroys your cards," Spectre said, knowing Lilith's train of thought. "Monsters in my Main Monster Zone can't attack that turn."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "That isn't the end of your move," he said. "You wouldn't summon a monster that couldn't attack and raise its attack points for no reason."

Spectre smirked. "No wonder you're a veteran, Morningstar. Impressive! Of course I have a reason! I activate the Continuous Trap Card: Sunavalon Bloom!" His last face-down flipped up, raising his total of Continuous Spell and Trap Cards to four. "When this card is activated, your monsters' effects are negated."

"That doesn't harm me," Morningstar reminded Spectre. "Winning Wrestler only gains effects when it points to monsters. And the effect that sealed off two of your Main Monster Zones was not Winning Wrestler's to begin with. It only remains in effect because Winning Wrestler is on the field."

"True," Spectre said, smirking. "But that doesn't matter now. You have 500 Life Points left. My giant mother tree will deal the final strike."

"Large as it is, your tree has 0 attack points," Morningstar said. Then his eyes widened. "Unless-."

"It seems you've realized it, Morningstar," Spectre said. "Battle! Sunavalon Dryatrentiay attacks Cyspirit Winning Wrestler!" Dryatrentiay released two of its tentacles and lashed out at Winning Wrestler.

"Sunavalon Bloom's effect activates! When Dryatrentiay battles, she gains attack points equal to the combined attack points of all monsters she points to!" Morningstar gasped. "She gains Thrasher's 4000 attack points!"

 **Sunavalon Dryatrentiay ATK 0→4000**

"Morningstar!" Lilith cried out.

"This is the finale!" Spectre shouted.

Morningstar only smirked. "I was waiting for this," he said.

"What?" Spectre said, surprised.

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Power Surge!" The card showed Neo Nova glowing with power as Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary shone beneath it. "When my 'Cyspirit' Link Monster battles a Link Monster with a higher Link Rating, I can banish a non-Link 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard! And my 'Cyspirit' Link Monster gains attack points equal to the banished monster's attack points!"

Spectre gasped. "I banish Cyspirit Battler from my Graveyard to grant its 1500 attack points to Winning Wrestler!"

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500→4000**

Spectre laughed. "Such a final pointless move! You could have banished Cyspirit Wanderer and made it strong enough to survive. But now you'll still lose Winning Wrestler! And if I use Sunavalon's Force's effect, you take 400 points of damage!"

Dryatrentiay's tentacles pierced Winning Wrestler's stomach, making it cry out in pain. But it growled as its fists glowed with power. It struck both tentacles with its fists, causing bolts of energy to travel down them straight to Dryatrentiay's center trunk. When the attack reached Spectre's monster, it created a massive explosion, destroying both monsters.

Morningstar winced from the damage. And more importantly, from Winning Wrestler's destruction. _I'm sorry, Cam,_ he thought.

 **Morningstar: 500→100 LP**

"You dodged defeat, but you only have 100 Life Points left," Spectre said. "No matter what you try next turn-." His statement was interrupted by the bridge shaking. Looking behind himself, Spectre gasped in shock. Dryatrentiay slowly tilted to the side and then disintegrated.

Spectre stared in shock and then grit his teeth and clenched his fists. Not caring about the change in Spectre's behavior, Morningstar said, "Since Dryatrentiay is destroyed, your cards' effects destroy themselves!" As he pointed at Spectre's field, Bloom, Force, Glorious Growth, Shrine, and Thrasher all disintegrated.

Lilith gasped. "He… he destroyed all of Spectre's cards…" she said in wonderment. _And he did it without damaging him…_

"Your 'Sunavalon' monsters can't be attacked," Morningstar said, ignoring Spectre's shaking shoulders. "It was nearly impossible for me to destroy your impenetrable combo. But if you're the one who attacks, it's a different story."

"Yes!" Lilith cheered, smiling. "Now Morningstar can launch a comeback and-."

"How dare you!" Spectre turned around and shouted, a demented expression on his face. "My sacred mother tree!" Lilith gasped while Morningstar only raised an eyebrow.

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Sunavalon Cursed Reborn! I Special Summon a 'Sunavalon' Link Monster from the Graveyard by negating its effects! Resurrect, Dryatrentiay!" Two tentacles appeared from over the edge of the bridge and planted themselves behind Spectre. The tentacles pulled Dryatrentiay out from the sea and it then landed behind Spectre.

 **Sunavalon Dryatrentiay ATK 0 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"Due to Cursed Reborn's additional effect, Dryatrentiay gains 1000 attack points for each of her Link Markers!" Spectre continued. "Dryatrentiay has four Link Markers. Therefore, it gains 4000 attack points!" As Dryatrentiay glowed red from the power increase, the female form in the center broke free of its shell and peeled most of its skin, leaving a wild-haired humanoid with a long tongue in the center of the tree.

 **Sunavalon Dryatrentiay ATK 0→4000**

"Well that's ugly," Lilith muttered, scowling at the tree.

"Cursed Reborn has another effect," Spectre told Morningstar. "If I take battle or effect damage, you take the same amount!" He then looked at the last card in his hand, then said, "But why stop there? I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Sunvine Protection!" The card showed a massive dark and twisted tree with a blue light circling it.

"While Sunvine Protection is on the field, you cannot target 'Sunavalon' Spell or Trap Cards with card effects!" Spectre told Morningstar. "That means you cannot get rid of Cursed Reborn! I end my turn. And during my End Phase, since I control a Link-4 'Sunavalon' Link Monster, I can activate Sunvine Protection's effect! Your Life Points are halved!"

Morningstar gasped as Dryatrentiay sent out a tentacle and lashed him from the front. He cried out in pain and took a step back.

 **Morningstar: 100→50 LP**

Morningstar growled and clutched his chest. That had hurt. He glared at Spectre as he laughed. "Morningstar, your defeat is assured!" Spectre gloated. "Between Cursed Reborn and Protection, you have no hope!"

"Cam," Morningstar whispered into his earpiece. "Are you done?"

"Almost," Cam said. "I just need a few more minutes."

"I don't have a few minutes," Morningstar grumbled. While he contemplated his options, Lilith spoke up.

"Spectre!" she said, glaring at the Knight of Hanoi and surprising the two duelists. "Tell me something. You said the Lost Incident inspired you. What do you mean by that?"

"Ha!" Spectre laughed. "A stupid bounty hunter like you can't understand," he said. "Especially one who doesn't know what they're talking about."

"I know about the Lost Incident," Lilith said, surprising him again. "I know about the children and what they were put through. How the hell could you find that inspiring? Are you really that twisted?"

"Twisted?" Spectre repeated, confused. "I really think I'm not. After all, that incident was the first time I felt needed. I had a rather pointless life before it." He turned to look at Morningstar. "This foolish hunter went through the incident too. For him to come out believing in a stupid sense of justice… he must have had a rather happy life before it."

Lilith gasped. Morningstar had been part of her father's experiment, too? But that would mean…

"Happy?" Morningstar repeated, surprising Lilith and Spectre. "You honestly think I had a good life? That that's the only reason I could view the incident as the hell it was?" He scowled at the Knight of Hanoi.

"My life before the incident was anything but happy. To be honest, I might have ended up the same as you if not for the person who saved me."

"Oh?" Spectre said, interested despite himself. "The great Morningstar had a rough childhood? How sad. But if you had it so bad, then why are you fighting against me? If you saw the world the same way I did, then you would be fighting alongside me and Master Revolver!"

"…Because unlike you, I was shown kindness," Morningstar said, frowning at Spectre. He hadn't been planning on telling anyone this, but Cam needed more time to work the emergency escape program. And he didn't have any better ideas. "And unlike you, I learned what the difference between good and evil was."

* * *

 _Ten years ago…_

 _You say you were alone, but you at least had people looking after you. People who provided food and a place to sleep. I grew up on the streets. Every night was spent running around the city, looking for food wherever I could find it or sleeping wherever I could._

 _When it rained I would sleep in abandoned buildings, doorways, anywhere to escape the downpour. Sometimes I would run into adults who would try to drag me somewhere. I know now they were trying to take me to an orphanage, but I didn't trust them._

 _I imagine it wasn't always like that; a baby would not survive being left on the street. I suspect someone took care of me for a couple years and then abandoned me in the alleys. It doesn't matter in the end; I have no memory of them._

 _I lived on the streets until I was six, when I was shown my first act of true kindness…_

The boy watched as the man stepped out of the building, which he would later find out was called a "church."

"Hello, young one," the man said. He was old, at least in his seventies, not that the boy could tell. He wore black robes and his head was balding. His brown eyes crinkled with warmth and smile lines as he smiled at the boy. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

The boy didn't answer. He was too busy trembling. The rain was coming down harder, soaking him to the bones. Noticing the boy shaking, the old man frowned in concern and held out a hand.

"Why don't you come inside with me?" he asked, his voice exuding nothing but warmth. "It's nice, warm, and dry, and I can give you a proper meal.

The boy stared at the hand. He didn't fully understand the man's words, but he understood his intentions. He wanted him to come with him, like all the others.

…But… something was different this time. The old man didn't make him uneasy or afraid. He felt he could trust him.

The boy slowly reached out and took the man's hand. The old man smiled at the child.

"That's a good boy," he said. "I'm Father Narahiko. Let's get you inside before you catch hypothermia."

 _It was some time before I realized he was a priest. He lived in a building near the church he found me behind. He took me inside, fed me, and made sure I was looked after. He didn't send me to the orphanage. I don't know why. Maybe he thought I was still too weak to go to one. Or maybe he realized I didn't want to go to one._

 _What I do know is he saved my life. And for the next month, I lived with the old priest. But my life wasn't the only gift he gave me._

"B-Book," the boy said, reading the word. Father Narahiko smiled with pride.

"That's right," he said, putting the Bible down. "This is a book. A very special book. Some people believe that it is a guide to how someone should lead their life. Others think it is the most important thing in the world."

"…Do you?" the boy asked. The priest had been teaching him to read and write, which he'd never done before. Evidently, he was a fast learner.

The priest thought for a moment, then said, "I think everyone has the right to decide for themselves what is most important to them. That includes you."

 _The priest taught me to read and write. He gave me a home, looked after me. For the first time in my life, someone cared about what happened to me. And then he gave me the greatest gift of all._

"Which one would you like?" the priest asked, holding out a tablet to the boy. The boy took it and looked down the list it showed. Swiping his hand across it, he looked over the words. They were very specific words. Eventually, the boy found one he liked and smiled, pointing to it. The priest took the tablet back, and seeing what the child had pointed to, smiled.

"Very well," Father Narahiko said. "From now on, your name is Yasutake. It means 'peaceful warrior.'"

"Peaceful warrior?" the boy asked, frowning. "Isn't that… conflicted?"

"Hardly," the priest said, shaking his head. "The best warriors are those who can live without fighting, or who look for alternatives to it." He smiled again at the child. "I can tell you will be a proud warrior one day. And you will help a great many people."

 _The priest gave me a name, an identity. I had never had one before; if I was given one when I was born, I do not know it. Having that name… it made me feel as if I mattered, as if I was actually part of the world. And being part of that world meant understanding good and evil._

The boy frowned at the painting on the wall. "Father Narahiko," he asked. "Who is this?"

The priest looked up from his desk and smiled. "That's Lucifer Morningstar, my boy," he said, looking at the picture. "And his fall from Heaven."

"Why did he fall?"

Father Narahiko shrugged. "Not everyone agrees on why. Some say he led a rebellion against God and was cast out. Others say he left Heaven of his own accord. But many sources agree that Lucifer Morningstar, a fallen angel, became Satan, otherwise known as the Devil."

The boy frowned. "Isn't the Devil a bad person? Why do you have a picture of him?"

The priest frowned, considering. "I don't believe it is as simple as that," he finally said. "It is easy to look at the world in only black and white; in only good and evil. But the world is far more complicated than that."

"I… don't understand."

The priest smiled again. "I don't expect you to; you're only a child after all. But one day you will. As for Lucifer… he has his own role to play in the grand scheme of things. If I had to simplify him – which is almost impossible – I would say that the Devil is a punisher. Someone who takes people who did bad things and makes them suffer for it."

"Really?" the boy said, his eyes wide. "So… the devil brings justice?"

"That's one way to look at it," the priest agreed. "Others think the Devil is a corrupter, but I don't think humans need help in that regard." His eyes narrowed as he focused on the boy. "If you take away one thing about the Devil, remember this: good cannot exist without evil. And sometimes that evil is necessary for good to flourish."

 _I lived with that priest for a month, and it was the best month of my life. And then… the incident happened. I was taken to a white room and forced to duel for six months. And all that time, I only wanted to return to that church. The one place I felt safe. The one place I could call home. But when the incident ended… I discovered I could never call that place home again…_

* * *

 _Present day…_

Morningstar looked up and glared at Spectre, who was uncharacteristically silent. "You said that when you came back to the orphanage, your mother tree was cut down. Mine was too. During the six months I was held hostage, the priest suffered a heart attack. He died. I still remember the feeling I had when I found out… An emptiness. Like nothing else mattered. Like the world had stopped turning."

They stood in silence for a while before Spectre broke it. "You really were like me," he said with a smile. "Abandoned by the people who are supposed to love you unconditionally, you lost the one thing in this world that mattered to you. So… why?" Spectre suddenly scowled and glared at Morningstar. "Why are you opposing me? How can you stand in front of me with anything close to hope and tell me humanity doesn't deserve its fate!?"

Morningstar gave a small smile. "Because I found something else to believe in," he said. "I told you before that the incident ruined the lives of two people. They took me in after the incident when I had nowhere else to go. Because of them, I found hope again. I understood that kindness could come from more than one source. And I learned that fighting to protect something… that is what real power is."

While Cam typed on his keyboard, he couldn't help but smile as his eyes watered. Yasutake had told him all of this a long time ago, but it still made him so sad to hear it. And so proud to know how much he had been influenced by Cam and Sachi.

Terminus frowned at the screen. That story… He remembered the boy with black and red hair from the incident. How he cried for his father. So he had been crying for a priest, not his biological father, then?

That thought aside, Terminus believed this was something he felt he needed to know. He needed to know the price that had been paid for the Hanoi Project. And just how damaged all the victims were. Then he could find atonement.

Lilith stared in shock at Morningstar. It wasn't just his story that shocked her. It was the fact that she had heard it before.

 _I didn't grow up in an orphanage like some kids did. I grew up on the streets. My first memory is knocking over a trashcan to get at the food inside._

It was the same story Yasutake Narahiko had told her. That felt like so long ago. He hadn't said anything about a priest, but she had caught him staring at a church. No… it couldn't be… Morningstar couldn't be…

Spectre stopped scowling and finally smirked. "An interesting story," he said. "But it ultimately doesn't matter, does it? And you've stalled long enough! Against my 4000 attack point Dryatrentiay, Cursed Reborn, and Protection, you have no chance!"

"Alright!" Morningstar's eyes widened on hearing Cam's voice. "This is it!"

Lilith gasped and looked down at herself as her avatar fizzled. "This is-?"

Morningstar looked at Lilith and smiled. "Well done, Cam."

Spectre only smirked. "You think that'll work?" Lightning suddenly darted across the cage, making Lilith gasp as her body solidified. The escape program had failed.

"Damn it!" Cam shouted, scowling. "The emergency escape program failed! Kusanagi said it was imperfect, but-."

Spectre laughed. "It's impossible to destroy that system! Victory and her fate are in my hands!"

"You're wrong, Spectre!" The Knight of Hanoi turned to look at Lilith as she glared at him.

"My fate is in my hands," she said. "It always has been. What's more, you were wrong before. About how I have nothing to do with the Lost Incident."

Morningstar's and Spectre's eyes widened. "Oh? Are you one of the children, too?" Spectre asked, genuinely curious.

Lilith shook her head. "No," she said. "I am the daughter of Dr. Hitomu Hirai, lead research assistant of the Hanoi Project!" Spectre and Morningstar gasped in surprise.

* * *

"WHAT!?" Terminus said, his eyes wide, his entire body shaking. He… he had to have misheard Lilith, right? She couldn't be… she couldn't be Masako…

Terminus gasped. He remembered that day. The day Yasutake Narahiko came to Hirai Shoten. He had come with a girl named Masako Himura. A girl with black and purple hair, just like his brother and his wife. He had thought she looked familiar, but… was it really possible…?

Terminus turned to Dr. Kogami, who along with Revolver, was staring at the screen with wide, shocked eyes. "Release Lilith," he said. "Now, Dr. Kogami."

Dr. Kogami started and turned to Terminus. "She… she has to be lying," he said. "I told her about Hitomu when we spoke. She has to be lying."

"She isn't!" Terminus said desperately. "I met a girl named Masako over a week ago. She looked just like my brother's wife but with black hair! That's my niece in the cage. Release her!"

Revolver turned to look at Terminus. "Terminus-." Before he could say anything more, their attention was drawn to the other screen. They watched with shock as Akira Zaizen grabbed the bars of his cage and disintegrated.

"He infected himself with the virus?" Dr. Kogami said with surprise.

Terminus's eyes widened with realization. "She's going to do it, too," he said. "Dr. Kogami, release her before she can!"

Dr. Kogami pulled up a screen and pressed some buttons, scowling. "I need a few minutes," he said. "This program is complex even for me."

* * *

Back at the duel, Lilith said, "I know all about the Incident. I know what my father did, what Dr. Kogami did. And my father paid for his crimes." She turned to Morningstar. "Don't hold back, Morningstar!" she shouted. "Make the rest of them answer for what they did! Hold onto that conviction you carry and punish them for their actions."

She then smiled. "And… Morningstar… thank you. For making me feel real."

Morningstar gasped. _You… you are the first boy I've met in a long time who hasn't looked at me like that. You don't look at me like I'm an object to desire. You look at me like I'm a real person._

"Masako," he whispered. "Don't do it!" he shouted frantically.

"Little girl, don't do it!" Tagoma shouted at Lilith. Lilith ignored the voice over her earpiece and grabbed the bars. She screamed in pain as electricity arced over the cage.

"No way!" Spectre said, shocked. Morningstar could only stare in shock.

"NO!" Terminus shouted as he stared at the screen. His exposed eye started to water. "No… no…"

As the pain increased and Lilith's avatar started to flicker, she managed a small smile. "I'm sorry, Tagoma," she said. "The second time in a month… You must be so disappointed in me."

"No," Tagoma said immediately. "No. I've never been disappointed in you, Masako."

Lilith chuckled as her eyes closed. "Morningstar… thank you…"

The cage, along with its occupant disintegrated, leaving Morningstar to stare at where it had stood.

"DAMN!" Cam shouted, pounding the desk. "Damn it… I… I couldn't…"

Terminus fell to his knees, an expression of utmost shock on his face as tears fell down his face. "No…" he whispered. "No… not again… not again…" Revolver and Dr. Kogami looked at the man with pity and sorrow.

Spectre started laughing. "What a complete fool!" he said. "Siding with someone who can't win. She really was a stupid bounty hunter!"

"…Shut up…" Morningstar whispered, his body shaking, but Spectre didn't hear him.

"Perhaps that's why she trusted you," Spectre mused as he laughed. "An idiotic girl like her would only trust a weakling like-."

"SHUT UP!"

Spectre stopped talking and stared at Morningstar in shock. The hunter was shaking from head to toe, his rage rising higher by the minute.

"How dare you…" Morningstar said. "Lilith sacrificed herself to give me a chance to win. She was my friend, and because of you, she is gone. I'll pay back her sacrifice, along with Blue Angel's, by defeating you and sending you to the same place you sent them!"

Spectre gasped and took a step back. This feeling… was he… afraid?

Morningstar placed his hand on his Deck. "You said I don't have it in me to be cruel? Let me show you just why I'm called the Devil of LINK VRAINS! My turn! Draw!"

Morningstar looked at his card, then played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Call! This adds a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Sorceress, which I'll summon!" The skeleton in a black dress and wielding a metal staff appeared on the field.

 **Cyspirit Sorceress ATK 1400 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

"Sorceress's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or below 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard," Morningstar continued. "Resurrect, Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke!" The dwarf skeleton with a large head and a crank drill reappeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke ATK 200 DEF 500 LVL: 2**

"Tunnel Tyke's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "By sending it to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Link-2 or lower 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard." Tunnel Tyke disintegrated as a purple circle appeared on the ground. "Return to me, Cyspirit Vivacious Vixen!" The fox skeleton in red and silver armor appeared and yipped at Spectre.

 **Cyspirit Vivacious Vixen ATK 1200 LINK-1** →

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar declared, gesturing to the sky as his hand glowed. The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Sorceress in the Link Marker!" Sorceress became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The suited skeleton appeared again, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

 _I don't need Cacophonic Caller's effect,_ Morningstar thought. _I just need its Link Marker._

Out loud, he said, "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard, but that monster cannot attack this turn. Return, Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" The skeleton with a drill for an arm appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

 _Masako,_ Morningstar thought, closing his eyes. _I'll defeat Spectre with one of the cards you gave me._

He gestured to the field in front of him. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared, this time on the ground in front of him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters! I set Vivacious Vixen and the Link 2 Thrilled Tunneler in the Link Markers!" As he pointed upwards, his two monsters became whirlwinds of energy that traveled high in the sky. They dove downwards, with one of them splitting in two, and entered the left, top, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine!" As Morningstar shouted that, a massive pillar of fire suddenly erupted from the Link portal. Spectre shouted and covered his face, trying to protect himself from the immense heat.

On the other bridge, Playmaker and Ai covered their own faces.

"W-What is that?" Ai shouted. "I'm not sure I've ever felt a power like this before!" Playmaker only grit his teeth and watched as the pillar of fire reached the sky.

Hovering between the bridges, Frog and Pigeon backed up as quickly as they could.

"What is this force, Yamamoto?" Pigeon asked. "I've seen crazy summonings, but none quite like this!"

"Don't use my real name!" Frog shouted back. "And I don't know!"

Morningstar was the only one unaffected by the heat of his summon. "The heaven's wrath that strikes down all opposition!" he chanted. "Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Angelic Avenger!"

Massive metal wings emerged from the sides of the pillar. Fire dripped from them as they gleamed silver. The fire suddenly dissipated, revealing the rest of the figure. It was a metal skeleton warrior, roughly the same size as Winning Wrestler. It wore elaborate red and gold armor, which seemed to glow and radiate heat, as did the greaves on its legs and the gauntlets on its arms. Two swords in sheaths were strapped to either side of its hips. Long blonde hair that seemed to be made of fire wreathed its face. The face itself only had one blue eye, one red eye, and a nose. Its mouth was nonexistent, with the lower half of its face just tapering off. Despite the lack of a mouth, it somehow roared as it was summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 2700 LINK-3** ←↑→

"…What?" Spectre said, his eyes wide as he took a step back. "What kind of monster is this?"

"AAHHHH!" Ai screamed. "That monster's terrifying!"

Playmaker stared at Angelic Avenger. Appearance-wise, it was intimidating, yes, but there was more to it than that. He could feel an incredible pressure coming from it, just like Idealistic Idol, Neo Nova, and Winning Wrestler. And the emotions from it…

"That monster is angry," Playmaker said, drawing Ai's attention. "I can feel nothing but rage from it." It was almost suffocating in its intensity.

Morningstar could feel the same rage from Angelic Avenger. If he was a weaker duelist, it would be too much for him to handle. But he wasn't a weaker duelist. He was the Devil of LINK VRAINS.

Revolver's eyes widened with shock at the monster Spectre was facing. "I've never seen a monster like this before," he said. He turned to his father, who was looking at an energy reader. "Is this…?"

Dr. Kogami looked at his son and nodded. "Yes. This monster has the same code that the other three did. And its energy shows it; it's putting out more power than many Link-4 monsters."

Terminus didn't hear them. He was still kneeling on the ground, dealing with his shock.

Spectre stared at Angelic Avenger in shock, but then he started shakily laughing. "Impressive monster," he said, his voice cracking. "But it's too weak to defeat Dryatrentiay! My mother tree will not fall to that!"

"It will," Morningstar said. "And so will you." He gestured to his field. "Angelic Avenger's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to at least one monster, I can add one 'Cyspirit' Spell or Trap Card from my Graveyard to my hand! I will add Cyspirit Monastery from my Graveyard to my hand, and then I'll activate it! With my Field Spell in play, all 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters gain 500 attack points!" Angelic Avenger and Cacophonic Caller both glowed as their power increased.

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 2700→3200**

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500→1000**

"That's still not good enough!" Spectre said, attempting a smirk. Morningstar ignored him and gestured to his field again.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in the Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyspirit Swordsman!" The warrior in blue armor appeared, summoned to Angelic Avenger's left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"I activate the effect of Cyberse Call in my Graveyard!" Morningstar continued. "By banishing it, I Special Summon a Cyberse monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Tunnel Tyke!" The dwarf skeleton appeared again, summoned to Angelic Avenger's right Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke ATK 200 DEF 500 LVL: 2**

Spectre's eyes widened. Angelic Avenger now pointed to three monsters. He put on a brave smirk. "Oh? So what if your monster can use all its abilities now? None of them can save you!"

"Are you sure about that?" Morningstar asked, making Spectre gasp. Morningstar gestured upwards to where Angelic Avenger was hovering in the sky. "Angelic Avenger's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to three monsters, I can return all monsters it points at to the owners' hands!" Angelic Avenger's wings unfurled and shone with immense light as Cacophonic Caller, Swordsman, and Tunnel Tyke all disintegrated. Morningstar returned Swordsman and Tunnel Tyke to his hand and Cacophonic Caller to his Extra Deck.

"And then the effects of all face-up Link Monsters besides Angelic Avenger are negated!" Morningstar continued. "And their attack points become equal to their original attack points!" Spectre's eyes widened as he gasp. But… that would mean-.

"Go! Holy Revision!" The light from Angelic Avenger's wings shone even brighter as Dryatrentiay cried out in pain. Spectre turned to look as the woman in the center receded back into the bark, which covered her body again.

 **Sunavalon Dryatrentiay ATK 4000→0**

"How dare you!?" Spectre shouted, turning back to Morningstar in hatred. "How dare you hurt my sacred mother tree!"

"I'm going to do more than that," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes at Spectre.

Spectre grit his teeth, but then he smirked. "Even with Dryatrentiay weakened, your monster isn't strong enough to end this before Cursed Reborn ends you."

"We'll see," Morningstar said, gesturing to his field.

"Playmaker!" Ai shouted, getting Playmaker's attention. "I want to see Spectre lose as much as you, but we're not done yet, remember?"

Playmaker's eyes widened in realization. The summoning of Angelic Avenger had made him forget about the duel with HAI-C. He turned back to the AI duelist and gestured to the field.

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Firewall Dragon, attack HAI-C directly! Tempest Attack!" Firewall Dragon's wings transformed and formed a circle of red energy behind Firewall Dragon. It gathered red energy in its mouth, which it blasted at HAI-C.

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Angelic Avenger attacks Sunavalon Dryatrentiay!" Angelic Avenger flew higher into the sky, its wings and armor shining with light. Once it reached a high enough point, it pulled one of its swords out of its scabbard. It swung the sword to the right, where it held it as it burst into flames. Angelic Avenger dived, heading straight for Dryatrentiay.

"Fine!" Spectre shouted, smirking. "With Cursed Reborn's effect, you'll never get to Master Revolver or Terminus! I accomplished my goal!"

"You're wrong. Your goal is gone," Morningstar said.

"What?" Spectre said, surprised.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Power Surge in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "If a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster that points to no monsters attacks, I can banish Power Surge and another Link Monster from my Graveyard. And Angelic Avenger gains attack points equal to that monster's attack points!"

"WHAT!?" Spectre said, shocked at what he'd just heard.

"I banish Power Surge and Winning Wrestler! That means Angelic Avenger gains 2500 attack points!" Winning Wrestler's spirit appeared around Angelic Avenger and roared as Angelic Avenger gained its strength. In response, Angelic Avenger's flames became even larger and encased its entire body.

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 3200→5700**

"B-But how?" Spectre said, his eyes wide with shock. "How… where did I go wrong!?"

"You did three things wrong," Morningstar told him. "One: you challenged me to a duel for revenge. Two: you underestimated your opponent, allowing me to gain the advantage. And three…" Morningstar's eyes narrowed as he thought of Aoi Zaizen, Emma Bessho, and Masako Himura. "You hurt my friends."

Morningstar looked up as Angelic Avenger dive-bombed Dryatrentiay. "This is the end! Go, Angelic Avenger! Heaven's Wrath!" His eyes narrowed further as he added, "Cut down that tree!"

Angelic Avenger slashed through Dryatrentiay, creating a massive explosion as the monster was destroyed. At the same time, Firewall Dragon's attack hit HAI-C directly. Spectre screamed from the shockwave of Angelic Avenger's attack and fell to the ground, face-down, while HAI-C disintegrated from the force of Playmaker's attack.

 **Prototype HAI-C: 2800→0 LP**

 **Spectre: 4000→0 LP**

"Damn it," Revolver said, clenching his fist. "They both survived. And they'll come here." He narrowed his eyes as he thought, _Spectre. Your sacrifice will not be in vain._

"…Morningstar…"

Revolver and his father turned to look at Terminus, who finally looked up and glared at the screens.

"Because of you, I've lost my family again," he said in a low voice. "When you come to the Tower… I will make you answer for it."

"Run, Playmaker!" Ai shouted. "Morningstar's stabilization program won't last forever!"

"Right!" Playmaker said, nodding as he started running for the other end.

Morningstar, meanwhile, approached the fallen Spectre, a look of disgust on his face.

Spectre couldn't help but laugh. "I can't believe I lost to you again. But… I was wrong. There is cruelty in your heart." As he struggled to stand up, he smirked at Morningstar. "You didn't need to bring your Field Spell Card back to defeat me; you only brought it back to make the damage I would take greater. So your attack would hurt more. A rather wicked act, wouldn't you say?"

"That was nothing compared to what you've done," Morningstar said, glaring at the Knight of Hanoi with revulsion. "Aoi Zaizen… Akira Zaizen… Lilith… you don't even care what happened to them, do you?"

Spectre laughed again as he got up to his knees. "You… you're right. I don't regret a thing. But what about you, Morningstar? Do you regret the sacrifices you've had to make to get here? Would that priest of yours be proud of you for sacrificing Lilith?"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "That was her choice," he said. "She sacrificed herself so that I could go forward with my convictions. And I will. I'll go against Revolver and Terminus without a shred of doubt in my heart."

Spectre chuckled at that. "Doubt and regret may be different things," he said. He finally stood up straight, and turned around, laughing the whole time.

"Yasu!" Cam shouted in Morningstar's ear. "The stabilization program!" Morningstar glanced to the right and his eyes widened. The program was failing. He had to run now!

As he ran, fires started spreading to the wires of the bridge and the bridge shook. The hunter ran past Spectre, who kept laughing with his eyes closed.

"Master Revolver," he said. "I'm sorry for being incompetent." As he opened his eyes, he gasped.

His mother tree was in front of him, and it was burning. Burning from the fires of Angelic Avenger. Those same fires were spreading to the wires of the bridge and weakening it. But Spectre didn't care about that.

He approached the blazing tree, not seeing anything else but it. As tears gathered in his eyes, he thought back to his past; how a heartless woman abandoned him at the base of his real mother, how it looked so tall and strong in the sunlight, how he would climb it all day long, and sleep among its roots when he was tired. How he would feel peace just from being near it.

He finally stopped in front of the tree and stared at the woman in the center. How her face was gone and burning away. He reached out to the woman, desperate for her.

"Mother…"

The tree finally broke apart and fell on top of Spectre. Once it finally disappeared, so had he.

As Morningstar and Playmaker ran down their respective bridges, the stabilization program finally faded. And it could not have come at a worse time. The wires on Playmaker's bridge finally broke from the pressure while the fires from Dryatrentiay's destruction snapped the wires on Morningstar's bridge.

"The bridges!" Pigeon shouted.

"Hurry, Playmaker! Morningstar!" Frog shouted. "The bridges are falling!"

If either of them heard the duo, they didn't show it. But right when they were near the end-.

The ground beneath the two duelists collapsed. Morningstar, Playmaker, and Ai all screamed as they began to plummet into the sea.

* * *

 **Playmaker vs. Prototype HAI-C**

Playmaker has 2000 LP, 1 card in his hand, Multi Sledgehammer (1000/2/↓→), Binary Sorceress (1600/2/←→), and Binary Blader (1800/2/←→) on his field. Prototype HAI-C has 2800 LP, 1 card in its hand (Revendread Origin), the Field Spell Card Vendread Nights in its Field Zone, Call of the Haunted, Vendread Nightmare, and 1 Set card in its Spell & Trap Zones, and Revendread Slayer (3000/0/6) and Vendread Core (0/500/1) in Attack Position.

 **Turn 6: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 7: Prototype HAI-C**

HAI-C draws. It activates the Spell Card Balancing Act. It can now destroy cards it controls until it has the same number of cards on the field as Playmaker, and then for every destroyed card, HAI-C draws 1 card. It destroys Call of the Haunted and Vendread Nights. It draws 2 cards. Because Call of the Haunted left the field, Vendread Core is destroyed. HAI-C activates its face-down Trap Card Vendread Daybreak. Since Playmaker controls more cards than HAI-C, it can choose 1 "Vendread" Ritual Monster it controls, and then destroy all cards on the field besides the chosen monster, but that monster cannot attack directly while it is face-up on the field. HAI-C chooses Revendread Slayer. Binary Blader, Binary Sorceress, Multi Sledgehammer, Playmaker's Set card, and Vendread Nightmare are destroyed. HAI-C activates the Ritual Spell Card Revendread Origin, Tributing the Level 6 Slayer on its field and banishing the Level 1 Core from its GY to Ritual Summon the Level 7 Vendread Battlelord (2700/0/7) from its hand in Attack Position. Since the Ritual Summoned Slayer was sent to the GY, HAI-C can add 1 Ritual Spell Card from its Deck to its hand and then send 1 "Vendread" monster from its Deck to the GY. It adds Revendread Evolution from its Deck to its hand and sends Vendread Anima from its Deck to the GY. HAI-C activates the effect of Battlelord, banishing Slayer from its GY and declaring Monster Cards. Now Playmaker cannot activate the effects of Monster Cards for the rest of the turn. HAI-C activates the effect of Anima in its GY, banishing it to Special Summon the banished Revendread Slayer (2400/0/6) in Attack Position.

Battlelord attacks Playmaker directly, but Playmaker activates the effect of the Trap Card Transaction Rollback in his GY, paying half his LP (Playmaker: 2000→1000 LP) and banishing it to target a Normal Trap Card in either player's GY and activate its effect. He targets Waboku in HAI-C's GY and takes no battle damage from his opponent's monsters this turn. HAI-C Sets 1 card. It ends its turn. During the End Phase, the effect of Balancing Act sends the top card of HAI-C's Deck to the GY. It sends Revendread Executor to the GY.

 **Turn 8: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Cynet Repeated Process. Since he controls no monsters, he can excavate the top card of his Deck, and if it is a Cyberse monster, he can Special Summon it to his field in Attack Position. If not, then it is placed on the bottom of his Deck. Playmaker activates its effect and excavates Unique System Buster, which he Special Summons (1900/1100/6). Due to Cynet Repeated Process's effect, if HAI-C's monsters attack a Special Summoned Cyberse monster, Playmaker can negate that attack twice per turn. Playmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 9: Prototype HAI-C**

HAI-C draws. It Normal Summons Vendread Revenants (1800/200/4). It activates the Ritual Spell Card Revendread Evolution, Tributing the Level 4 Revenants on its field and sending a 2nd Level 4 Revenants from its Deck to the GY to Ritual Summon the Level 8 Revendread Executor (3000/0/8) from the GY in Attack Position. The monster Ritual Summoned by Revendread Evolution will be destroyed during the End Phase of the next turn. HAI-C activates the effect of Executor. As it was Ritual Summoned using Revenants on the field, HAI-C can target and banish 1 Special Summoned monster Playmaker controls. HAI-C targets Unique System Buster. Playmaker activates the effect of Unique System Buster, Tributing it to Special Summon Encode Talker (2300/3/↑↓↘) from the GY with its effects negated. Since Unique System Buster's effect was activated, all face-up monsters are treated as Cyberse monsters until the End Phase. HAI-C activates the effect of Battlelord, banishing 1 Revenants from its GY and declaring Spell Cards. Now Playmaker cannot activate the effects of Spell Cards for the rest of the turn.

Slayer attacks Encode Talker. As a Cyberse monster declared an attack, Playmaker activates his face-down Trap Card Cynet Refresh, destroying all monsters in the Main Monster Zones. Encode Talker, Battlelord, Executor, and Slayer are destroyed. As the Ritual Summoned Battlelord left the field, HAI-C can add 1 Ritual Monster from its Deck to its hand, then send 1 "Vendread" monster from its Deck to its GY. It adds a 2nd Executor to its hand and sends Vendread Anima from its Deck to its GY. As the Ritual Summoned Executor was destroyed by Playmaker's card effect, HAI-C can add 1 "Vendread" card from its Deck to its hand. It adds Vendread Union from its Deck to its hand. HAI-C activates its face-down Trap Card Vendread Reunion, revealing the Revendread Executor in its hand. It can then Special Summon banished "Vendread" monsters in face-down Defense Position whose total Levels equal Executor's Level, then Tribute them to Ritual Summon Executor. HAI-C Special Summons Vendread Chimera and Vendread Houndhorde in face-down Defense Position. It Tributes the Level 5 Chimera and the Level 3 Houndhorde to Ritual Summon Revendread Executor (3000/0/8) in Attack Position. Executor attacks Playmaker directly, but Playmaker activates the effect of Unique System Buster in his GY, banishing it to negate the attack and end the Battle Phase. HAI-C activates the Continuous Spell Card Vendread Union. As long as Union is face-up on the field, the battle positions of "Vendread" monsters cannot be changed, and they cannot be destroyed by card effects. During HAI-C's Standby Phase, it can banish 1 "Vendread" Ritual Monster from its GY to inflict damage to Playmaker equal to that monster's ATK. HAI-C ends its turn. During the End Phase, the effect of Cynet Refresh Special Summons all Cyberse Link Monsters that were destroyed by its effect to their owners' field. Encode Talker is Special Summoned (2300/3/↑↓↘) to Playmaker's field.

 **Turn 10: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. During his Standby Phase, the effect of Cynet Repeated Process destroys itself as Playmaker controls a monster. He activates the Spell Card Link Treasure Ticket, targeting Encode Talker. Since Encode Talker is Link-3, he draws 3 cards, then sends the top 3 cards of his Deck to the GY (Alert Lancer, Cyberse Gadget, and Dotscaper). Since Dotscaper was sent to the GY, Playmaker can Special Summon it (0/2100/1) in Attack Position. Playmaker activates the Field Spell Card Cynet Universe, increasing the ATK of all Link Monsters he controls by 300 (Encode Talker: 2300→2600). Playmaker uses Dotscaper and Encode Talker to Link Summon Firewall Dragon (2500→2800/4/←↑↓→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Playmaker activates the effect of Cynet Universe to return a monster in his GY to his Deck. Playmaker returns Link Devotee to his Extra Deck. Playmaker Normal Summons Balancer Lord (1700/1200/4). Playmaker uses Balancer Lord to Link Summon Link Devotee 500→800/1/↑) to Firewall Dragon's bottom Link Marker. Since Link Devotee was Special Summoned, Playmaker cannot Link Summon Link-3 or higher Link Monsters for the rest of the turn. Playmaker activates the effect of Firewall Dragon to return monsters on the field or in either player's GY to the hand, up to the number of monsters co-linked with Firewall Dragon. He returns Revendread Executor to HAI-C's hand.

Firewall Dragon attacks directly (HAI-C: 2800→0 LP). Playmaker wins.

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Spectre**

Morningstar has 700 LP, no cards in his hand, 1 Set card, the Field Spell Card Cyspirit Monastery in his Field Zone, and Cyspirit Winning Wrestler (3000/3/↙↓↘) in the Extra Monster Zone. Spectre has 4000 LP, 1 card in his hand, the Continuous Spell Card Sunvine Shrine active, the Continuous Trap Cards Sunavalon Force and Sunavalon Glorious Growth active, Sunavalon Dryanome (0/3/↙↓↘) in the Extra Monster Zone, Sunvine Thrasher (2400/1/↓) at Dryanome's bottom-right Link Marker equipped with the Equip Spell Card Sunvine Power, and Sunavalon Daphne (0/2/←→) at Dryanome's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Turn 5: Spectre**

Spectre Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 6: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 7: Spectre**

Spectre draws. Sunvine Thrasher attacks Winning Wrestler. Since it is attacking a Link Monster, the equipped Sunvine Power increases Thrasher's ATK by 800 until the end of the Damage Step (Thrasher: 2400→3200). Since Spectre's monster attacked a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Illusion. He can then excavate the top card of his Deck, and if it is a "Cyspirit" monster, then it is sent to the GY and "Cyspirit" monsters cannot be destroyed by battle this turn. If it is not, it is placed on the bottom of Morningstar's Deck. Morningstar excavates and reveals Cyspirit Battler. Battler is sent to the GY. The attack continues, but Winning Wrestler is not destroyed (Morningstar: 700→500 LP) (Thrasher: 3200→2400). Spectre ends his turn.

 **Turn 8: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Cyspirit Lockdown Link, shuffling the Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller in his GY back into his Extra Deck and targeting Winning Wrestler. So long as Lockdown Link is on the field, Link Monsters with a Link Rating equal to or lower than Winning Wrestler's cannot attack. During the 2nd Standby phase after activation, Lockdown Link is destroyed. Winning Wrestler is Link-3, so all Link-3 and below Link Monsters cannot attack. Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 9: Spectre**

Spectre draws. He uses Thrasher and the Link 3 Dryanome to Link Summon Sunavalon Dryatrentiay (0/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Spectre activates the effect of Dryatrentiay, Tributing a Plant Link Monster it points to, then destroying face-up Spell/Trap Cards Morningstar controls up to the Link Rating of the Tributed monster, but monsters in Spectre's Main Monster Zone cannot attack the turn this effect is activated. Spectre Tributes the Link-2 Daphne and destroys Cyspirit Lockdown Link and Cyspirit Monastery (Winning Wrestler: 3000→2500). Spectre activates the effect of Sunvine Shrine to Special Summon Sunseed Genius Loci (0/600/1) from his GY in Attack Position. Spectre uses Genius Loci to Link Summon Sunvine Thrasher (800/1/↓) to Dryatrentiay's bottom-right Link Marker. Spectre activates the effect of Thrasher, which lets him increase its ATK by 800 for every Link Marker a "Sunavalon" Link Monster that points to it has, in this case four (Thrasher: 800→4000). Spectre activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Sunavalon Bloom to negate the effects of Morningstar's monsters. The effects of Winning Wrestler are negated.

Dryatrentiay attacks Winning Wrestler. As Dryatrentiay is battling, the effect of Sunavalon Bloom activates, increasing its ATK by amount equal to the combined ATK of all monsters it points to (Dryatrentiay: 0→4000) during damage calculation. As a "Cyspirit" Link Monster Morningstar controls is battling a Link Monster with a higher Link Rating, he activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Power Surge, banishing 1 non-Link "Cyspirit" monster from his GY to increase the ATK of that monster he controls by the banished monster's ATK. Morningstar banishes Cyspirit Battler from his GY to increase the ATK of Winning Wrestler (Winning Wrestler: 2500→4000). The attack continues and both monsters are destroyed. As Morningstar's monster was destroyed by battle, Spectre activates the effect of Sunavalon Force, inflicting 100 damage to Morningstar for every Link Marker the Link Monster with the highest Link Rating on the field has, in this case, four (Morningstar: 500→100 LP). As there are no "Sunavalon" monsters on the field, Bloom, Glorious Growth, Shrine, and Force are destroyed by their own effects. As there is no "Sunavalon" monster that points to Thrasher, it is destroyed by its own effect. Spectre activates the Continuous Spell Card Sunavalon Cursed Reborn to Special Summon a "Sunavalon" Link Monster from his GY with its effects negated and increasing its ATK by its Link Rating x 1000. He Special Summons Dryatrentiay (0→4000/4/↙↑↓↘). If Spectre takes battle or effect damage, he can send Sunavalon Cursed Reborn to the GY to inflict damage to Morningstar equal to the damage he took. Spectre activates the Continuous Spell Card Sunvine Protection. So long as Sunvine Protection is on the field, "Sunavalon" Spell/Trap Cards cannot be targeted by Morningstar's card effects. Spectre ends his turn and activates the effect of Sunvine Protection. Since he controls a Link-4 "Sunavalon" Link Monster, Morningstar's LP is halved (Morningstar: 100→50 LP).

 **Turn 10: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call to add 1 Level 4 or below Cyberse monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Sorceress from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Sorceress (1400/400/4). Since Sorceress was Normal Summoned, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or below "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position. He Special Summons Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke (200/500/2). Morningstar activates the effect of Tunnel Tyke, sending it to the GY to Special Summon 1 Link-2 or lower "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY. He Special Summons Cyspirit Vivacious Vixen (1200/1/→). Morningstar uses Sorceress to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Wanderer in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→), but it cannot declare an attack this turn. Morningstar uses the Link 2 Thrilled Tunneler and Vivacious Vixen to Link Summon Cyspirit Angelic Avenger (2700/3/←↑→) to Cacophonic Caller's bottom Link Marker.

Since it points to at least 1 monster, Morningstar activates Angelic Avenger's effect to add 1 "Cyspirit" Spell/Trap Card from his GY to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Monastery from his GY to his hand, and then activates it. Monastery increases the ATK of "Cyspirit" Link Monsters by 500 (Angelic Avenger: 2700→3200) (Cacophonic Caller: 500→1000). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) from his GY to Angelic Avenger's left Link Marker in Attack Position. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyberse Call in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Tunnel Tyke (200/500/2) from his GY to Angelic Avenger's right Link Marker in Attack Position. Since it points to 3 monsters, Morningstar activates the effect of Angelic Avenger. All monsters it points to are returned to the owner's hand, and then the effects of all face-up Link Monsters except Angelic Avenger are negated and their ATK becomes equal to their original ATK. Morningstar returns Swordsman and Tunnel Tyke to his hand and Cacophonic Caller to his Extra Deck (Dryatrentiay: 4000→0).

Angelic Avenger attacks Dryatrentiay. Since a "Cyspirit" Link Monster that points to no monsters declared an attack, Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Power Surge in his GY, banishing it and Winning Wrestler to increase Angelic Avenger's ATK by Winning Wrestler's ATK until the End Phase (Angelic Avenger: 3200→5700). Dryatrentiay is destroyed (Spectre: 4000→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Unique System Buster  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1900 DEF 1100 Level: 6  
_ _You can Tribute this Special Summoned card you control (Quick Effect); Special Summon 1 "Code Talker" monster from your GY with its effects negated, and if you do, all face-up monsters on the field become Cyberse monsters until the End Phase. If your opponent's monster declares a direct attack, you can banish this card from your GY; negate the attack and end the Battle Phase. You can only active each effect of "Unique System Buster" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2700 LINK-3_ ←↑→  
 _2+ "Cyspirit" Link Monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: Once per turn: You can target 1 "Cyspirit" Spell/Trap Card in your GY; add it to your hand.  
_ _-2 or more: If a "Cyspirit" card is destroyed, either by battle or card effect: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent.  
_ _-3: Once per turn: You can return all monsters this card points to to the owner's hand(s); negate the effects of all face-up Link Monsters on the field, except this card, and make their ATK equal to their original ATK. The turn you activate this effect, only this card can declare an attack._

 _ **Balancing Act Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Activate this card if you control more cards than your opponent. Destroy cards you control until you control the same number of cards as your opponent, then draw 1 card for every card destroyed by this effect. During the End Phase: Send the top card of your Deck to the GY. You can only activate "Balancing Act" once per turn._

 _ **Cynet Repeated Process Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _Once per turn, if you control no monsters: You can excavate the top card of your Deck; if the excavated card is a Cyberse monster, you can Special Summon it to your field in Attack Position. If not, place it on the bottom of your Deck. You cannot Normal Summon the turn you activate this effect. Up to twice per turn, if your opponent's monster attacks a Special Summoned Cyberse monster: you can negate that attack. During your Standby Phase, if you control a monster: Destroy this card._

 _ **Vendread Union Continuous Spell Card  
**_ " _Vendread" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects, and their battle positions cannot be changed by card effects. During your Standby Phase, you can banish 1 "Vendread" Ritual Monster from your GY; inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK._

 _ **Cyspirit Lockdown Link Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _Destroy this card during your 2_ _nd_ _Standby Phase after activation. Activate this card by shuffling 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster in your GY back into your Extra Deck and targeting 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control; while this card is face-up on the field, Link Monsters with a Link Rating lower than or equal to that target's cannot attack. When that monster leaves the field, destroy this card._

 _ **Cyspirit Power Surge Normal Trap Card  
**_ _When your "Cyspirit" Link Monster that points to no monsters battles an opponent's Link Monster with a higher Link Rating, during damage calculation: Banish 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your GY; your monster gains ATK equal to the banished monster's ATK, during damage calculation only. You cannot banish a "Cyspirit" Link Monster with this effect. If a "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control that points to no monsters declares an attack, you can banish this card and 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your GY; the attacking "Cyspirit" monster gains ATK equal to the banished monster's ATK until the End Phase._

 _ **Sunvine Protection Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _Your opponent cannot target "Sunavalon" Spell/Trap Cards you control with card effects. During the End Phase of your turn, if you control a Link-4 "Sunavalon" Link Monster: you can halve your opponent's LP. You can only activate this effect once while this card is face-up on the field. If there are no "Sunavalon" monsters on the field, destroy this card._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 23 – Knightrise. While Go confronts Revolver, Galahad challenges Terminus, eager to pay him back for using him. As the two exchange blows, Galahad unveils a shocking strategy that cripples Terminus…_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to ZarcEternal, Ryujomaru15, D3lph0xL0v3r, HunterHQ, GreenD109, Guest, Lindia Fullmoon, Yasutake Fan, framfrit, Ethan Kironus, thirdegree101, EH-01, ThePLOThand, and for reviewing Chapter 21.

To answer GreenD109, Lindia Fullmoon, and Yasutake Fan, I'm undecided if Morningstar will get a Cyspirit Ritual Monster. It's an interesting idea, but I can't say when it will happen. Even if it does, I won't say anything. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, would I? As for the Cydemon and Cyangels, again, spoilers.

To comment on Guest's review of Morningstar using the escape program – which I assume is the anti-purge program – he did not use it here. Why? I want to believe that Lilith doing that to herself was so shocking to him that he didn't even realize he could use it. And in any event, it wouldn't help. I believe the cage wouldn't have disintegrated until she did, meaning it would have been wasted. Sorry.

To answer Yasutake Fan's question about the Cyspirit Link Monster materials, I'm not sure because your wording is a little weird for me, but I'll try to answer. A Link-1 Cyspirit uses only 1 material. A Link-2 Cyspirit will always require exactly 2 materials. A Link-3 will usually require 2 or more materials, or 3 materials. The same is true of Link-4. For example: you can use the Link-1 Cacophonic Caller and Link-1 Egregious Electrician to Link Summon the Link-2 Thrilled Tunneler, but you cannot Link Summon Thrilled Tunneler by using the Link-2 Mad Mongrel, because it is technically not two materials. Also, thank you for the monster suggestions.

To answer thirdegree101 on me changing my mind about Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Cyspirit monsters… I'm honestly on the fence about it. I was thinking instead of introducing a new archetype for Morningstar to use in season 2 that consisted of non-Link Cyberse Extra Deck monsters. Right now, the Cyspirits are purely Link Monsters in the Extra Deck, but that can change.

ThePLOThand: I was thinking that facing Ritual monsters might inspire Playmaker to add his own. And in the anime at least, I think deckout and Exodia actually cause the opponent's Life Points to go to 0, so I'm not sure those would work around the cage program.

Thank you to sanedimentio for coming up with the name for Unique System Buster and the first two effects of Angelic Avenger, as well as providing feedback for its attack/effect names and its appearance.

Damn, this chapter was tough to write. It's shorter than the last one, but I had some difficulty with it. The duels are a bit less complicated in this half, but I felt they ended well. I'm sorry if Playmaker's duel feels kind of lacking, but the Morningstar vs. Spectre duel was meant to be the main focus. And it gave me a chance to put Firewall Dragon back in the spotlight. Playmaker needs to use it more often!

To me, the most important parts of this chapter were the revelation of Morningstar's background, Terminus and Morningstar both learning the truth about Lilith, and the appearance of Cyspirit Angelic Avenger. On the first, I based Father Narahiko off of the bishop from Les Miserables. I hope I managed to show just how Yasutake obtained his views on the devil, and just how, despite being similar to Spectre, he ended up going the opposite direction. On the second, this was very important to me. I thought this was the best time for Terminus to learn that his niece was alive. How will it affect him going on? I'm afraid you'll have to wait to find out.

And third, there was the appearance of the first of the Cyspirit Link Monsters that Lilith gave Morningstar: Cyspirit Angelic Avenger. I came up with the name while bouncing ideas off of sanedimentio, and I thought it an appropriate name considering what happened to Blue Angel and Ghost Girl. And its last effect is something I'm very proud of. And its summoning, attack, and effects are all things I am very proud of. I would really appreciate feedback as to what you all thought of Angelic Avenger.

Finally, I have a very important announcement to make. Two in fact. First: I am sad to say that I will not be making a redux version of Academy of Chaos. My reason for this is twofold: the storyline of Academy of Chaos is incredibly convoluted and following all that is rather difficult, even for me. Do not worry about Hidden Memories, though; I fully intend to finish Hidden Memories. I will definitely see this fanfic through to the end.

My second announcement: To replace Academy of Chaos, I will be starting a new ARC-V fanfiction, called Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V: The Fifth Dimension. It will follow the ARC-V storyline with the addition of the Link Dimension to the mix. If you wish for more information about it, please see my profile page. I will say this though: the main character's VRAINS avatar name right now is set as Kingmaker – meant to homage Playmaker and Zarc – but if anyone believes they have a better name suggestion, I will gladly take them. As for when it comes out… I don't have a set release date, but I do plan to release the next two chapters of Hidden Memories first. And in case anyone is worried that the Fifth Dimension will overshadow Hidden Memories, don't be; between the two, Hidden Memories will always have priority.

Thank you for reading Chapter 22 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me in a review what your favorite moment was. Mine was Morningstar telling Angelic Avenger to "cut down that tree!" That felt like such an awesome line in context.


	23. Chapter 23: Knightrise

**Chapter 23: Knightrise**

Revolver and Terminus walked into a dark room. In the center were three beds. Dr. Genome, Baira, and Faust all lied in these beds, their minds having become part of the Tower. A fourth bed, perpendicular to them, had appeared. In it laid a young man with blonde hair and white clothes. Revolver and Terminus walked up to the bed and looked down on him.

"Spectre," Revolver said. "You fought well. We won't let your battle go to waste."

"No," Terminus said, his face set. "We won't."

The two turned to look at the other three coffins as Revolver frowned. "This is my fault," he said. "Because I was obsessed with Playmaker, they fell."

Terminus shook his head. "They made their choice," he said. "As did I. And I know they would tell you they regret nothing. And neither do I. To defeat the Ignis, we can only move forward. Without doubt or regret."

Revolver's frown deepened. "I know you're right, Terminus," he said. "But that doesn't make it easier, does it?"

Terminus shook his head. "No, it doesn't."

The two stood in silence until it was interrupted.

"Where you able to uncover Playmaker's identity?"

The two turned as Dr. Kogami teleported into the room.

Revolver shook his head. "No, I wasn't," he said. The doctor turned to Terminus.

"What about Morningstar?" he said. "Did you learn anything, Terminus?"

Terminus frowned and shook his head. "No," he lied. His business with Yasutake Narahiko was personal. He didn't want his identity to be known by the others until it was necessary.

Dr. Kogami looked over the two men and closed his eyes. "Since we started the Tower of Hanoi, neither of you need to be obsessed with Playmaker's or Morningstar's identities." He then opened his eyes and looked over the four coffins. "When this plan is over and the people learn of our crime, they may say our motivation was to get revenge on SOL Technologies. But I believe they will eventually learn the truth. Our goal is to kill the Ignis. No matter how many victims we create, we must accomplish this goal. We're the only ones who currently understand what it truly means for an AI to have free will."

The doctor returned his gaze to Revolver and Terminus. "The plan will soon be complete. Those trapped in the Tower of Hanoi can no longer escape. Once the Tower of Hanoi is completed, all the data in the world will be destroyed."

"Yes," Terminus said, frowning again. "Including my niece."

Revolver and Dr. Kogami looked at Terminus with sympathy in their eyes. "I'm sorry, Kenshin," Dr. Kogami said sincerely. "But there's nothing we can do about Lilith now. Even I can't restore her. Only the Tower collapsing will do that."

"…I know," Terminus said, smiling sadly. "This is our destiny, isn't it? In the end, we're all prisoners of fate. And I'll go to my end gladly knowing I'll see my brother and his family again."

Before Revolver or Dr. Kogami could respond to that, an alert sounded. The three men turned as a screen appeared, showing the half-completed Tower. As well as two people approaching it.

Revolver frowned. "Playmaker and Morningstar may be the largest threat," he said. "But it looks like we have other opponents to deal with."

* * *

The ground beneath Morningstar and Playmaker collapsed. The two duelists and Ai all screamed as they fell.

"They fell!" Pigeon screamed.

"Morningstar! Playmaker!" Frog cried out.

Morningstar growled and pressed a button on his Duel Disk. His Data Anchor shot out and latched itself to an upper ledge. Morningstar grunted as he hit the nearby wall and then breathed a sigh of relief as he hung. He was about to press another button to retract his Data Anchor and pull himself up when-.

"We're falling! We're falling! We're falling!" Ai screamed repeatedly, waving his arms.

As he fell, Playmaker gasped. What was this feeling?

Beneath him, a Data Storm suddenly appeared and caught Playmaker. It threw him upwards, where he landed safely on the ground.

Looking down, Morningstar's eyes widened as the Data Storm caught him and then threw him in the air before he landed.

"The hell-?" Morningstar muttered.

"They're back!" Pigeon said, relieved.

"Did you do this?" Playmaker asked Ai.

"Huh? Of course not."

"Then what did I sense…?" Playmaker wondered.

"Playmaker!"

The two turned as Morningstar approached them. The hunter glanced at the AI.

"Did you call the Data Storm?" he asked Ai, who shook his head.

"It wasn't me." Morningstar frowned at that. "More importantly, look at that."

The hunter and hacker turned to the Tower of Hanoi as Ai spoke. "The third level is complete. If we don't hurry, there will be major trouble."

"When the sixth level is completed, it's over," Playmaker said.

"So we have three hours to find Revolver and Terminus and defeat them," Morningstar said. "Let's go!" The two turned and began to run for the Tower, with Frog and Pigeon following them.

As they ran, Morningstar thought about what Spectre said to him and decided Playmaker should know.

"Playmaker," he said, drawing the hacker's attention. "I need to tell you something. It's about Spectre."

"Can't it wait?" the hacker asked, his irritation evident. "We can't waste time."

"I'd prefer to get this out of the way," Morningstar said. "Spectre said he was one of the children from the Lost Incident."

Playmaker's eyes widened as he stopped in his tracks. He stared at Morningstar in surprise.

"Spectre?" he repeated. "Was one of us?"

Morningstar nodded. He told Playmaker what Spectre had told him. About how he enjoyed the incident and sought out Revolver.

"So Revolver was active back then?" Ai asked.

"Seems so," Morningstar answered the AI.

"How?" Playmaker asked, caught on one point. "How could someone who experienced the incident feel anything but hatred for Hanoi?"

"I don't know," Morningstar said, scowling with Playmaker. "I got the sense that Spectre wasn't right in the head. There was something very wrong with him. But that doesn't change the facts."

"…Because of that incident, I've felt like time has stopped moving for me," Playmaker said.

"I understand," Morningstar nodded. "I've felt that way too. But from what he said, it seems the incident made Spectre feel like time started moving for him." He glanced at the Tower. "I'm sorry for bringing this up now, but we have to hurry. I've wasted enough of our time."

Playmaker refocused and nodded. "Right!" The two duelists resumed their pace, heading for the Tower. And Revolver and Terminus.

* * *

Go and Galahad walked through the ruins of LINK VRAINS. This close to the Tower, the pavement had turned to sand. Their tracks were visible behind them, showing just how much of LINK VRAINS had been affected so far.

"This is insane," Galahad muttered. "I can't believe Hanoi is willing to go this far."

"Neither can I," Go said. "But it doesn't change why we're here, does it?"

Galahad smiled. "No, it doesn't. To protect the people we care about."

"…Yes."

Galahad looked at Go, who looked uncertain. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just…" Go sighed as he stopped walking. Galahad stopped just ahead of him. "I've been thinking lately. About my time as a Charisma Duelist." He frowned. "Until now, all my duels have been in front of large crowds. Even my duels with Playmaker, Morningstar, and Dr. Genome. To entertain the many children who root for me, I tried to make duels more exciting. But…"

Galahad frowned as Go continued. "…I realized I'm all alone." He looked Galahad in the eye. "There are no fans rooting for us here. And in the end… no matter who supports us, we always duel alone. In the end, we always fight for ourselves, not for anyone else."

"…You're not thinking of quitting, are you?" Galahad asked Go. "Of leaving the Charisma Duelists?"

Go frowned again. "I'm… not sure. I know I enjoy dueling for the children. I enjoy being their hero. But… I also like winning. I want to prove that I'm the strongest. And there are people out there like Morningstar and Playmaker who stand far above people like you and me. That fact, that they are stronger than me… it bothers me. More than I'm willing to admit."

Galahad and Go stood in silence. Then Galahad placed a hand on Go's shoulder. While Galahad was shorter than Go, at that moment he seemed taller.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to win, Go," he said. "Every duelist wants that. But… I don't think wanting to win just to win is enough. I think having a reason beyond that is essential." Galahad narrowed his eyes. "I duel for two reasons. The first is to make my younger brother proud of me. I want to be his hero just like you are the hero of children. And the second is to surpass a certain person."

Go gasped. Galahad smirked. "No, that person isn't you. Though I would like to defeat you myself one day. There's always been a person who I feel has been beyond me. And my goal is to reach her level and then surpass her. And I know one day, I will. Until then… I will fight to protect what I care about. So why don't we face Hanoi with our convictions and return to the people who care about us victorious?"

Go thought in silence and then smiled. "Yes!" he said. "I promised the children that I would return. So let us both return as the heroes of LINK VRAINS!"

The two then continued walking to the Tower. Until two people shrouded in the dust stood in their way. As the wind blew the dust away, one of them spoke.

"We can't let you go any further," Revolver said.

"Are you Revolver?" Go asked.

"You're Go Onizuka," Revolver stated, then he turned to Galahad. "And you're…" After three seconds, he said, "Who are you?"

Galahad cried out and face-faulted. He soon stood up, a vein popping on his forehead. "I'm Galahad!" he shouted. "The Knight of LINK VRAINS! Number 4 among the Charisma Duelists!"

"Oh," Revolver said, looking disappointed. "So Numbers 1, 2, and 4 came here, but not 3? That's sad."

Galahad growled, but then the person besides Revolver stepped forward. "It's been some time, Galahad," he said. "How's your brother?"

Galahad growled again, glaring at the man with hatred. "Terminus…" he muttered, clenching his fists.

Before Galahad could shout at Terminus, Go spoke up. "You're using that Tower to destroy everything. What's your goal?"

Revolver smirked. "What's the point of discussing that?" he asked. "Neither of you has any intention of understanding our goal."

"That's true," Go admitted. "I won't listen to the nonsense of a villain!"

"Villain?" Revolver repeated, amused. "Well, I guess I appear to be a villain."

"Silence!" Go shouted. "No matter your cause, this can't be forgiven!"

Revolver scoffed. "But you shouldn't have come here. The Tower of Hanoi absorbed Blue Angel and Lilith. If you don't want that to happen to you, leave."

"What?" Go said, surprised. "Blue Angel?"

"And Lilith?" Galahad said, surprised. He'd seen her duel against Terminus, and while she had lost, she had been strong. "Was that your doing, Terminus?"

Terminus scowled and shook his head. "No," he said. "Blue Angel was defeated by Revolver's subordinate Spectre while Lilith defeated her opponent. But then she got into the middle of Spectre's duel with Morningstar and became a casualty. Unfortunate… but nothing can change that fact now."

"Morningstar may have defeated Spectre, but Playmaker is on his way here as well," Revolver said. "My opponent is Playmaker, not you, Go Onizuka."

"And despite what you feel, Galahad, Morningstar is mine," Terminus said to the Charisma Duelist.

"Stop playing!" Go shouted. "If Morningstar defeated your subordinate, then I'll defeat you, Revolver!"

"You are the reason I am here, Terminus," Galahad said, scowling at the Knight. "I'm not leaving until I defeat you!"

Revolver sighed. "Oh well then. You had the skill to defeat one of Hanoi's lieutenants, Go Onizuka. Since you insist, I'll duel you!"

Terminus sighed alongside his leader. "I understand your hatred of me," he said to Galahad. "If dueling me will make you relent, then very well. I shall be your opponent!"

Go smirked. "They're so arrogant."

"That arrogance isn't unjustified," Galahad warned Go. "I watched Terminus duel Morningstar. It ended in a draw. And Revolver is likely even stronger. Don't underestimate him."

"He is the one who shouldn't underestimate me," Go said. "I've powered up my Gouki Deck for a new duel!" Galahad sighed. There was nothing more for him to say.

"Let's go!" Go said, smiling confidently as he adopted a fighting stance.

"Duel!" he and Revolver shouted.

"Galahad," Terminus called out. "Let's give these two some space."

Galahad and Terminus walked over some distance so that they were out of sight of Go and Revolver.

"I was sincere in my question," Terminus said. "How is your brother?"

Galahad scowled at the Knight. "What do you care about my brother?" he asked. "What is one life compared to the billions who will be affected by the Tower?"

"…Revolver and I are well aware of how much the Tower will hurt people," Terminus finally said. "We have no illusions that what we are doing is one of the most heinous crimes in the history of the world. But I would like to believe that despair and suffering are not the only legacies I leave behind. If I managed to help one person find happiness… then I can face my fate with my head held high."

"…"

Galahad glared at Terminus and then said, "My brother is having his operation as we speak. I won't know if he survived until this is over."

Terminus frowned. "I see. For what it is worth, I believe your brother will survive. And even if he must continue on without you, he will know his brother was a hero."

"…Thank you," Galahad said. "For those words and… for giving me the opportunity to save him. But…" Galahad narrowed his eyes. "That does not change the fact that you used me to fight Morningstar and held my brother against me. I cannot forgive such dishonor. Nor can I forgive the creation of the Tower."

"I know," Terminus said, smirking. "I don't expect you to go down easy, you know. I expect you to come at me with everything you have."

"Of course I will!" Galahad said, clenching his fist. "As much as I dislike you, I can see you are an honorable and strong duelist. I will show you my respect by going at you full force!"

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Galahad: 4000 LP**

 **Terminus: 4000 LP**

"I shall go first!" Galahad said, waving his hand to reveal his cards. He frowned as he looked at them.

 _Terminus's Subterror Deck revolves around Flip Summoning,_ Galahad thought. _A Deck like that is incredibly difficult to defeat. But… there are weaknesses I can exploit. I just need to draw that card…_

After watching Morningstar's duel with Terminus, Galahad had added a card to his Deck that he knew would greatly aid him against Terminus. Unfortunately, he hadn't drawn it yet. That just meant he would have to hold off until he got it.

"I activate the Field Spell Card: Gateway to Chaos!" Galahad declared. "When I activate this card, I can add a 'Black Luster Soldier' Ritual Monster or 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier!"

After taking the card from his Deck, Galahad said, "I summon Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight!" A green-skinned knight in blue armor riding a purple horse appeared on his field. "Charging Gaia may be Level 7, but I can Normal Summon it without Tributing by making its attack points 1900."

 **Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300→1900 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"I now activate the Continuous Spell Card: Charge of the Fierce Knight!" Galahad continued. "And because I control a monster with 2000 or more attack points, I Special Summon Overlay Booster!" A red-and-blue armored warrior with white panels on its back appeared in Attack Position.

 **Overlay Booster ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

Terminus frowned in thought. _The Gaia the Fierce Knight and Black Luster Soldier archetypes are among the smallest in Duel Monsters_. _Galahad must supplement them with monsters like this one._

"Appear! The circuit of champions!" The Link portal appeared above Galahad. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Warrior monsters! I set Charging Gaia and Overlay Booster in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Curse Gaia, the Underworld Knight!"

A skeleton knight wearing black armor and carrying an aging lance appeared out of the portal. Instead of a horse, it rode on the back of a three-headed emaciated dog. The three heads all howled as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Curse Gaia, the Underworld Knight ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↓

Terminus narrowed his eyes. _A new Gaia Link Monster._

* * *

As Morningstar and Playmaker ran through the wreckage, they heard someone call out to them. "Hey, Playmaker! Morningstar!"

The two duelists turned as Frog and Pigeon approached them. "What is it, you two?" Morningstar asked them.

Frog pointed to a spot in the distance. "Someone's dueling over there."

"Two duels!" Pigeon added. "There were two bright lights."

"Seriously?" Ai asked.

"Blue Angel and Spectre are gone," Playmaker said, frowning.

"As is Lilith…" Morningstar said, frowning with him. "And if there are two duels, that must mean…"

"Go Onizuka and Revolver," Playmaker concluded, narrowing his eyes. "The other two must be Galahad and Terminus."

Morningstar nodded. "I'll leave Go and Revolver to you. I'll check on Galahad and Terminus."

Playmaker nodded and turned to Frog and Pigeon. "It's dangerous here," he said. "You should leave."

"No, can't do that!" Frog protested. The two duelists each raised an eyebrow as the reporters closed their eyes. "We know you're risking your lives to protect LINK VRAINS."

Pigeon took up Frog's train of thought. "So we'll also risk our lives for the truth-." The duo opened their eyes and gasped. Morningstar and Playmaker had resumed running. "They left."

"Stop dawdling!" Frog shouted. "Go after him!"

"Okay!"

* * *

"Charge of the Fierce Knight's effect activates!" Galahad declared. "The first time I summon a monster from the Extra Deck using a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster as material, I draw two cards!" He drew, then gestured to his Field Spell. "Gateway to Chaos's effect activates! Whenever a monster is sent from the field or hand to the Graveyard, it gains a Spell Counter for each monster!"

 **Gateway to Chaos: 0 SC→2 SC**

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Overdone Burial! By discarding one monster, I can Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard so long as its Level is lower than the discarded monster's and equip it with Overdone Burial. I discard the Level 8 Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier to Special Summon the Level 7 Charging Gaia!" His knight reappeared, summoned to Curse Gaia's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"The monster summoned by Overdone Burial has its effects negated," Galahad revealed to Terminus. "And now Curse Gaia's effect activates! For every monster it points to, it gains 300 attack points!"

 **Curse Gaia, the Underworld Knight ATK 2000→2300**

"Curse Gaia's monster effect!" Galahad continued. "Once per turn, I can Tribute a monster it points to and Special Summon a 'Black Luster Soldier' or 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster from my hand or Graveyard, so long as it is the same Level or one higher. I Tribute the Level 7 Charging Gaia to Special Summon Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier from my Graveyard!" Charging Gaia disintegrated, and in its place rose a warrior in red armor carrying a sword and shield. It was summoned in Attack Position to Curse Gaia's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"You summoned a Ritual Monster without a Ritual Spell Card," Terminus said, smiling to himself. "Not bad."

"I'm not done!" Galahad said. "When Charging Gaia is Tributed, I can add a 'Black Luster Soldier' monster from my Deck to my hand!" He looked at his Deck and grinned as he took the card. "And because another monster was sent to the Graveyard, Gateway to Chaos gains a Spell Counter."

 **Gateway to Chaos: 2 SC→3 SC**

"I Set one card," Galahad said. "I end my turn."

"Impressive," Terminus said. "You Link Summoned and summoned a 3000 attack point monster on your first turn. I suppose I'll just have to rise to the occasion."

* * *

Morningstar and Playmaker ran up to a ledge and gasped. They were looking over a duel between Go Onizuka and Revolver. Go Onizuka had four monsters on his field while Revolver had none.

"He's full of vigor!" Ai said, cheering for Go.

"Revolver…" Playmaker muttered. Morningstar only frowned.

Go turned to look at the duo. "You're too late, Playmaker," he said. "I'll be the one to defeat Revolver. Stay quiet and watch!" He then turned to Morningstar. "As for you, Galahad is dueling Terminus over there." He pointed over another ridge. "I imagine he would appreciate your company."

Morningstar nodded and turned towards the aforementioned ridge.

"Distracted by bystanders when you're facing me?" Revolver asked Go. "You must be very confident. My turn! Draw!"

Morningstar ran over the ridge and his eyes widened. Before him, Galahad and Terminus were dueling, with Galahad controlling two monsters and a Set card while Terminus had nothing on his field.

Both duelists turned to look at Morningstar, but only Galahad smiled. "It's good to see you, Morningstar!" he said. "I know you have your own reasons for wanting to face Terminus, but this is my fight! Allow me to finish it!"

"Hmm," Terminus said, narrowing his eyes. "Focus on your opponent," he told Galahad. "My turn! Draw!"

Terminus looked at his card, then played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Terraforming. This lets me add a Field Spell Card from my Deck to my hand."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "A Field Spell…" he muttered. He had a pretty good idea which Field Spell it would be, but first…

Morningstar activated the drone in his Duel Disk and set it to broadcast mode. "Cam, can you send this feed out to the broadcast networks?" he whispered.

"I can, but are you sure about this?" Cam asked. There was static on the comm from the Tower, but their hardware was strong enough to keep the static at a minimum.

"I am. Frog and Pigeon are broadcasting Go's duel. Galahad deserves to have his shown, too."

"Alright. Just give me a second…"

* * *

Katsumi sat in the hospital room and frowned at the unconscious Takeshi that sat next to her. He'd entered LINK VRAINS from right here in his brother's room. She'd decided to stay here and watch over him. Hopefully, he would get back before his brother's operation was done.

She then turned to the television as her frown deepened. It was currently showing the duel between Go and Revolver, but Katsumi was worried that she couldn't see Galahad. She suspected he was probably dueling Terminus right now, but-.

Katsumi gasped as the screen split. On the left was Go and Revolver's duel, but the right side showed…

"Takeshi," she muttered as she narrowed her eyes. Galahad had a Link Monster and a Ritual Monster on his field along with a Continuous Spell Card and a Set card. Terminus had nothing.

She didn't know who was broadcasting this duel, but she was thankful to them for it. Now she could see Galahad fight at his strongest against a powerful opponent.

* * *

"I now activate the card I added to my hand," Terminus said. "The Field Spell Card: The Hidden City! When this card is activated, I can add one 'Subterror' monster from my Deck to my hand." Terminus took his new card, then said, "I summon Subterror Guru!" A blue-skinned fiend with purple wings, a blue coat, and a large sword appeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Guru ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

Terminus narrowed his eyes at Galahad. "You are a highly skilled duelist," he said. "But my true fight is with Morningstar. That's why I'll end this quickly." As Galahad narrowed his own eyes, Terminus gestured to his field. "Guru's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change it and one other face-up monster to face-down Defense Position!"

Galahad gasped as Terminus smirked. "Link Monsters cannot exist in Defense Position," he said. "But your Super Soldier can!" Guru and Super Soldier both disintegrated as face-down cards appeared on the field.

 _Super Soldier may be face-down now,_ Morningstar thought. _But it still has 2500 defense points. And Curse Gaia's effect doesn't care if the monster it points to is face-down or not._ He narrowed his eyes in thought. _But weakening Galahad's field isn't what Terminus is after._

"With Guru being Set, I control no face-up monsters," Terminus said. "And that means I can Special Summon this monster. Come, Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo!" Galahad and Morningstar both braced themselves as the ground shook. Behind Terminus, the ground broke apart.

* * *

Go, Revolver, and Playmaker all gasped as the ground suddenly shook.

"What is this!?" Ai asked. "An earthquake in LINK VRAINS!? Is this because of the Tower!?"

Playmaker looked over the ridge and gasped again. "No. Look!"

Ai and Go both followed Playmaker's gaze. Go gasped as Ai screamed.

"What… what is that?" Go asked, his eyes wide.

Revolver smirked. "My lieutenant Terminus is the strongest of my allies," he said. "Against him and his Subterror Behemoths, Galahad has no chance."

* * *

Galahad stared with wide eyes as a massive giant made of stone emerged and roared in Defense Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo ATK 2800 DEF 2100 LVL: 10**

Morningstar grit his teeth. _Terminus didn't use that monster against me_ , he thought. _So I don't know what it can do._

Terminus gestured to his field again. "Stalagmo's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change it to face-down Defense Position!" Stalagmo disintegrated as a Set card appeared. "And because another monster was Set on my field, I can Special Summon this monster. Emerge, Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist!" Morningstar and Galahad both braced themselves as the ground broke apart again and a demonic blue and yellow monster appeared in Defense Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11**

Katsumi frowned with concern. Takeshi had told her about Terminus's Subterror monsters. Because of their effects, Terminus could bring out multiple high-Level monsters very quickly. The only downside to such a strategy was that they could only be Special Summoned in Defense Position, meaning they could not attack. But there were ways around that.

"Speleogeist's monster effect!" Terminus declared. "Once per turn, I can change it to face-down Defense Position!" Like Guru and Stalagmo before it, Speleogeist disintegrated and a Set card appeared. Terminus smirked as he continued speaking. "And now it is time for me to finish this. I activate the effect of The Hidden City to change Stalagmo to face-up Attack Position!" One of the Set cards disappeared as the rock giant reappeared.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo ATK 2800 DEF 2100 LVL: 10**

"Stalagmo's Flip Effect! When it is Flip Summoned, I can discard one 'Subterror' monster to draw two cards." Terminus discarded Subterror Nemesis Warrior and then drew and smirked. Before he could speak, Galahad gestured to his field.

"Because a monster was sent from the hand or field to the Graveyard, Gateway to Chaos gains one Spell Counter!" he reminded Terminus.

 **Gateway to Chaos: 3 SC→4 SC**

"I now activate the Spell Card: Book of Taiyou! With this, I can flip one face-down monster to face-up Attack Position!" Galahad grit his teeth as Terminus pointed to one of his Set cards. "I Flip Summon Speleogeist!" The blue and yellow demon reappeared, this time in Attack Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11**

"Speleogeist's Flip Effect! When it is Flip Summoned, I can make the attack points of one monster on the field 0, and if it is in Defense Position, it changes to Attack Position." Terminus smirked. "Curse Gaia may not be in Defense Position, but I can still target it. Terrifying Drain!" Speleogeist breathed blue flames at Curse Gaia. The three heads of the dog whimpered as Curse Gaia's attack points decreased.

 **Curse Gaia, the Underworld Knight ATK 2300→0**

"If Speleogeist attacks Curse Gaia, Galahad will take 3000 points of damage," Cam noted.

"But's that not Terminus's goal," Morningstar whispered in return. "He said he wants to end this quickly. And with two high-Level Flip monsters…"

Terminus gestured to the sky. "Appear, our future circuit!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared again, this time above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Flip monsters! I set Speleogeist and Stalagmo in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became streams of energy and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red. Galahad grit his teeth. He knew what was coming.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Subterror Behemoth Fiendess!" A large purple dragon with black and pink wings emerged from the portal. The armor on its chest and waist gleamed as a long mane of purple hair fell down its back. Behemoth Fiendess roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

Galahad and Morningstar both covered their faces as Behemoth Fiendess's roar pushed them back a few feet. _It's only Link-2_ , Galahad thought, narrowing his eyes. _But it's insanely powerful._

Once the roar subsided, Galahad gestured to his field. "Two more monsters were sent to the Graveyard," he reminded Terminus. "Which means Gateway to Chaos gains two more Spell Counters!"

 **Gateway to Chaos: 4 SC→6 SC**

 _Gateway to Chaos can only have a maximum of six Spell Counters,_ Morningstar thought. _So it can't gain any more._

"Hmm," Terminus scoffed. "It doesn't matter how many Spell Counters your Field Spell gains." He gestured to his own field. "Behemoth Fiendess's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned, it gains attack points equal to the combined Levels of the 'Subterror' monsters I used times 100! And since Stalagmo was Level 10 while Speleogeist was Level 11…" Behemoth Fiendess roared again as its attack points increased.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000→4100**

"I'm ending this now," Terminus told Galahad. "Battle! Behemoth Fiendess, attack Curse Gaia! Final Extinction!" Behemoth Fiendess charged its attack, then released blue fire at Curse Gaia.

"Since Curse Gaia has 0 attack points, Galahad will lose if this hits!" Morningstar noted, gritting his teeth.

"Takeshi…" Katsumi muttered, frowning with concern.

Galahad growled and gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Shield of the Fierce Knight! This halves the battle damage and protects my Curse Gaia from being destroyed by battle!" Behemoth Fiendess's flames scorched Curse Gaia and sent Galahad back several feet, but his monster remained, and he remained standing.

 **Galahad: 4000→1950 LP**

Terminus scowled in annoyance. Katsumi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Galahad kept himself from losing, but he lost over half his Life Points," Morningstar said as he frowned. "A high price to pay."

"Since the Battle Phase ended, I must send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard," Galahad told Terminus. He looked at the card and smirked. Oh, that was perfect.

Terminus gestured to his field. "Behemoth Fiendess's monster effect! Once per turn, I can send a Flip monster from my Deck to my Graveyard and Special Summon a monster from my hand in face-down Defense Position to Behemoth Fiendess's Link Marker. I send Subterror Behemoth Phospheroglacier to the Graveyard to Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric." A Set card appeared at Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Galahad had a strong lead, but now he's falling behind," he said.

"Maybe, but he still has his Super Soldier," Cam reminded Morningstar. "If it destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, Terminus will take its attack points as damage."

 _And that would be helpful if not for The Hidden City_ , Morningstar thought as he scowled. That card had been one of the primary reasons Lilith had lost, and it had impeded Morningstar himself during his duel with Terminus. _But Galahad knows that. So how are you going to get around that?_

Galahad scowled as he looked at the cards in his hand. He had a way to get rid of Behemoth Fiendess, but not one to get rid of The Hidden City. And so long as that Field Spell remained in play, he was in trouble. But that was an obstacle he could overcome. He just needed the right cards. _Wait for me, Katsumi._

"My turn! Draw!" Galahad looked at his card and frowned. This wasn't what he needed, but it would be useful. "First, I Flip Summon my Super Soldier!" The red-armored knight reappeared on Galahad's field and roared in indignation.

 **Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"And now I activate the Spell Card: Spellbound Blessing!" The card showed a green book glowing with energy. "This card lets me remove all the Spell Counters from a card on my field, and for every three counters removed, I gain 500 Life Points and draw one card! I target Gateway to Chaos!"

Morningstar frowned. "Gateway to Chaos has six Spell Counters," he said. "Which means he gains 1000 Life Points and draws two cards."

 **Gateway to Chaos: 6 SC→0 SC**

 **Galahad: 1950→2950 LP**

Galahad looked at his new cards, blinked, then smirked. This was perfect.

"Your Field Spell is powerful, Terminus," he said, surprising the Knight of Hanoi. "But… it is easy to get rid of." He gestured to his field. "I Special Summon Spell Strider!" A white-haired warrior in blue and red clothes carrying a staff and knife appeared on his field in Attack Position.

 **Spell Strider ATK 1800 DEF 600 LVL: 4**

"Special Summon?" Terminus repeated. "How-?" He gasped in surprise. His Field Spell, as well as Galahad's Charge of the Fierce Knight both crumbled into darkness and disappeared. "What did you do?"

Galahad smirked. "I can Special Summon Spell Strider by banishing two face-up Spell Cards," he explained. "One from each side of the field. If you hadn't activated The Hidden City, I wouldn't be able to summon it."

Terminus grit his teeth as Morningstar smiled. "He got rid of Terminus's Field Spell easily and got a monster out of it," he noted. "Very clever."

"Summoning Spell Strider isn't all I can do," Galahad said as he gestured to the sky. "Appear, the circuit of champions!" The Link portal appeared above him again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters! I set Spell Strider and the Link 2 Curse Gaia in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with the later splitting into two, and entered the left, bottom, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow!" A mechanical knight riding a blue and white horse appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow ATK 2600 LINK-3** ←↓→

"Two monsters were sent to the Graveyard. That means Gateway to Chaos gains two Spell Counters."

 **Gateway to Chaos: 0 SC→2 SC**

"I activate the Spell Card: Return Link!" Galahad continued. "Since Gaia Saber was Link Summoned, using only Warrior monsters, I can Special Summon those monsters from the Graveyard!" Curse Gaia and Spell Strider reappeared on Galahad's field.

 **Curse Gaia, the Underworld Knight ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↓

 **Spell Strider ATK 1800 DEF 600 LVL: 4**

"Curse Gaia and Spell Strider cannot attack, their effects are negated, and they are destroyed during the End Phase. But that doesn't matter right now." Galahad played another card from his hand. "I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure! With this, I draw cards equal to the number of Link Monsters on the field. There are three, so I draw three cards!"

Galahad drew, and his eyes widened in surprise. He then smiled to himself. _Yes_ , he thought. _It's here. Now I just need to flip his two face-down monsters face-up, and this duel will be mine._

"I summon Squire of Gaia!" A young man with green skin wearing blue armor appeared.

 **Squire of Gaia ATK 800 DEF 1200 LVL: 2**

"Appear! The rings of the champion!" Galahad shouted as his outstretched hand glowed green. Squire of Gaia leapt into the air, and in a flash of light, transformed into two green rings. "Materials confirmed! The summoning conditions are one Tuner and one or more non-Tuner monsters! I tune the Level 2 Squire of Gaia to the Level 4 Spell Strider!" Spell Strider jumped into the rings. His monster then disappeared, becoming four stars in a line. A surge of light passed through the rings.

"Synchro Summon! Charge forth! Level 6! Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!" A mechanical warrior and horse appeared, summoned to Gaia Saber's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 2600 DEF 800 LVL: 6**

"And once more, Gateway to Chaos gains two Spell Counters!"

 **Gateway to Chaos: 2 SC→4 SC**

"And because Squire of Gaia was used to Synchro Summon Gaia Knight, it gains 600 attack points until my next Standby Phase!"

 **Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 2600→3200**

Terminus maintained a calm expression. "An impressive lineup," he said, looking at Galahad's four monsters. "But my Behemoth Fiendess has 4100 attack points. And none of your monsters can match it."

Galahad smirked. "I don't need to match your monster's attack points," he said, confusing Terminus. "I would have thought you'd realized it by now; I never do what my opponent expects."

 _That's true,_ Morningstar thought, narrowing his eyes. On paper, Galahad's Deck was simple; it revolved completely around powerful monsters and battle damage. But in reality, he supplemented his Deck with cards that had unusual effects that disabled or circumvented his opponent's tactics, leaving them surprised and unsteady.

"More important is the card I sent to the Graveyard with Shield of the Fierce Knight," Galahad continued. "It was the Dark attribute Curse of Dragonfire."

"And how does that benefit you?"

"Because I also have the Light attribute Charging Gaia in the Graveyard," Galahad said, his smirk widening. "And when I Tributed Charging Gaia for Curse Gaia's effect, I added a 'Black Luster Soldier' monster to my hand. A very particular 'Black Luster Soldier' monster."

Morningstar's and Terminus's eyes both widened in shock.

"It can't be…" Morningstar whispered. Could Galahad be…?

Galahad gestured to his field. "I banish the Dark Curse of Dragonfire and the Light Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight from my Graveyard!" he declared. The two monsters appeared on his field, then disintegrated as their energy coalesced. "Doing so lets me Special Summon one of the most legendary monsters in Duel Monsters! Come forth, Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning!"

The energy finally took on a humanoid shape and broke apart. A green-skinned warrior in blue and gold armor appeared and roared a challenge. It carried a curved blade in its right hand and a small shield in its left. It swung said sword as it took its place in Attack Position.

 **Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"…Envoy of the Beginning?" Terminus said, awe evident in his voice. "I never thought I would face such a legendary monster." He grit his teeth. He now understood what Galahad had meant by subverting expectations.

"Envoy of the Beginning's monster effect!" Galahad declared. "Once per turn, I can banish a monster on the field! I'll banish Behemoth Fiendess! Slash of Destruction!" Envoy of the Beginning slashed at the ground, creating a fissure of energy that struck Behemoth Fiendess. The Link Monster screamed in pain as it disappeared.

"Ha ha!" Cam cheered. "Yes! He got rid of it!"

 _Two left,_ Galahad thought. Out loud, he said, "Envoy of the Beginning cannot attack the turn its effect is activated. And because of Return Link, Curse Gaia cannot attack either. But Gaia Knight, Gaia Saber, and Super Soldier can all attack." Galahad gestured to his field again. "Battle! Gaia Knight, attack the face-down Subterror Behemoth! Spiral Force!" Gaia Knight charged Terminus's Set card, which flipped upwards.

A massive blue serpent with four wings emerged from the card and roared a challenge to Gaia Knight. "My monster is called Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric," Terminus explained to Galahad.

 **Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric ATK 1900 DEF 3000 LVL: 9**

"3000 defense points," Galahad said, smiling. "Perfect."

"Yes. It is." Galahad gasped at Terminus's words as the Knight of Hanoi gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Subterror Final Battle! With this card, I can activate one of four effects. I choose to activate its third effect and make Voltelluric's attack and defense points equal to its combined attack and defense points until the end of the turn."

 **Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric ATK 1900→4900 DEF 3000→4900**

"What?" Galahad said, his eyes wide. Gaia Knight's lance struck Voltelluric, but the behemoth flung it aside and blasted blue lightning at Galahad. The knight yelled out as he was pushed back a few more feet.

 **Galahad: 2950→1250 LP**

"After Final Battle has been activated, it is Set on the field instead of going to the Graveyard."

Katsumi scowled. That had been a dirty trick.

Galahad chuckled to himself. "Neat trick," he said. "If not for Spellbound Blessing, my Life Points would be in the red. As it is, I have to be careful. But…" Galahad smirked at Terminus. "You can only use Final Battle once per turn." He pointed at another monster. "Super Soldier, attack the Set Subterror Guru! Superior Chaos Blade!"

Super Soldier charged Terminus's other Set card and slashed downwards. Subterror Guru reappeared and screamed as it was cut in half. Gateway to Chaos glowed as it gained another Spell Counter.

 **Gateway to Chaos: 4 SC→5 SC**

"Guru's Flip Effect activates!" Terminus declared. "I add one 'Subterror' card from my Deck to my hand." He did so as Galahad smirked.

"Guru isn't the only monster with an effect!" he said. "When Super Soldier sends a monster to the Graveyard, you take damage equal to its attack points!"

"What?"

"Go, Super Soldier! Double Destruction Slash!" Super Soldier slashed the air twice, creating two blades of energy that struck Terminus, making the Knight of Hanoi yell in pain.

 **Termiuns: 4000→2400 LP**

Galahad smirked. "I Set one card. I end my turn. And with that, Curse Gaia is destroyed by Return Link's effect, and Gateway to Chaos gains another Spell Counter." The aforementioned Link Monster disintegrated as the Field Spell glowed.

 **Gateway to Chaos: 5 SC→6 SC**

Terminus clutched his burning shoulder as he said, "During the End Phase, the effect of Final Battle also ends, so Voltelluric's attack and defense points return to normal."

 **Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric ATK 4900→1900 DEF 4900→3000**

Terminus smiled as the damage to his avatar healed itself. "Not bad," he said. "You've earned your place among the Charisma Duelists. You give an image of a fool who focuses only on attacks, but your strategic skills are on par with Morningstar's."

"You flatter me," Galahad said, his face blank. "But my skills are nothing compared to #3's. If you were facing her, there's no question what the outcome would be."

"Oh?" Terminus said, raising an eyebrow. "You say that like you know her. If you're so confident in her skills, why are you here and not her?"

"Because I have personal reasons for this," Galahad answered. "I'm not facing you just because of my brother, or because of the Tower." He narrowed his eyes. "No, I'm-."

Before he could continue, a bright light from the across the ridge broke out. Morningstar turned around and covered his eyes. "What the-?" he said.

"…the hell?" Galahad said, covering his own eyes as he turned to Terminus. "Terminus, what is that?"

Terminus didn't answer immediately. Instead, he watched with the other two as a series of explosions broke out over the ridge and a pillar of light went up to the sky. Once it finally faded, he turned to Galahad.

"Mirror Force," he answered, surprising Galahad and Morningstar. "Revolver's newest weapon."

Morningstar gasped. He remembered what Ghost Girl and Playmaker had said. That Revolver had a terrifying card. He also remembered Revolver having a face-down card during their duel. A card he hadn't activated against Winning Wrestler. That card had been Mirror Force?

"I feel I should thank you," Terminus said, redrawing Morningstar's attention. "Revolver was inspired to use Mirror Force seeing you use it against Fatumare. He realized that since Link Monsters are always in Attack Position, it is the perfect card for them. So thank you for bringing about Go Onizuka's destruction."

"…Then why?" Galahad said, scowling, his face lowered so they couldn't see his eyes.

"Huh?" Terminus asked, confused.

"If Revolver got the idea of Mirror Force from me…" Galahad raised his head, his expression furious. "THEN HOW COME HE DIDN'T KNOW WHO I WAS!?"

Morningstar and Terminus both sweatdropped. "I-I think you're missing the point, Galahad," Morningstar said, staring at the Knight through half-lidded eyes.

"I…I think Revolver was toying with you," Terminus said, shrugging, not sure what else to say. "Anyway… My turn! Draw!" Terminus looked at his card and smiled. But before he could do something, Galahad laughed.

"Apologies, Terminus," he said. "To you and Revolver. But…" He smirked as wide as he could. "This duel is over now. And I'm about to make a larger light show than your boss."

"What are you talking about?" Terminus asked, frowning. "My strategy is flawless. There is no way you can defeat me at this point."

"You're wrong," Galahad said, making the Knight gasp. "Your Deck is very powerful. But it has a major flaw. I couldn't use this if you had a Set monster, but now your Voltelluric is face-up. So…"

Galahad gestured to his face-down card. "Continuous Trap activate!" His card revealed itself and created a burst of light.

Morningstar and Terminus both covered their eyes. "Not again…" Morningstar grumbled. "What's Galahad doing?" As the light dimmed a bit, he looked closely at the card and gasped.

Katsumi smiled to herself as the right side of the screen burst into light, just like the left had before. "You've done it, Takeshi," she whispered. "You've won."

As the light finally died down, Terminus looked at Galahad's card and gasped. "No… no way. That's…"

Galahad smirked again. "Light of Intervention!" he declared. "While this card is face-up, no monsters can be Set or flipped face-down! And if a monster would be Set, it is summoned in face-up Defense Position!"

Morningstar stared at Galahad in shock and surprise. "Terminus's Deck revolves completely around Flip Summoning," he muttered. "With a card like that…"

Galahad laughed. "The only weakness this card has is it doesn't flip monsters face-up," he said. "Which was why I had to flip your monsters face-up myself." He smirked at Terminus, who was looking dismayed. "So, Terminus. Do you still think you can win?"

* * *

 **Galahad vs. Terminus**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Galahad**

Galahad activates the Field Spell Card Gateway to Chaos. Since Gateway was activated, he can add 1 "Black Luster Soldier" Ritual Monster or 1 "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier to his hand. He Normal Summons Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight without Tributing by making its ATK 1900 (2300→1900/2100/7). Galahad activates the Continuous Spell Card Charge of the Fierce Knight. The first time he Special Summons a Fusion, Link, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck using at least 1 "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster as Material, he can draw 2 cards. As Galahad controls a monster with 2000 or more ATK, he Special Summons Overlay Booster (2000/0/4) from his hand. Galahad uses Charging Gaia and Overlay Booster to Link Summon Curse Gaia, the Underworld Knight (2000/2/↙↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since he Link Summoned using Charging Gaia, Galahad draws 2 cards. Because Monster cards were sent to the GY from the field, Gateway to Chaos gains 1 Spell Counter for each sent monster (Gateway to Chaos: 0 SC→2 SC). Galahad activates the Equip Spell Card Overdone Burial, discarding Super Soldier to do so and targeting the lower Level Charging Gaia. Charging Gaia is Special Summoned (2300/2100/7) in Attack Position with its effects negated to Curse Gaia's bottom-left Link Marker. Curse Gaia gains 300 ATK for each monster it points to (Curse Gaia: 2000→2300). Galahad activates the effect of Curse Gaia, Tributing the Charging Gaia it points at to Special Summon a "Black Luster Soldier" or "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster that is the same Level as Charging Gaia or 1 higher, ignoring its summoning conditions. He Special Summons Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier (3000/2500/8) to Curse Gaia's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position. Since Charging Gaia was Tributed, Galahad can add 1 "Black Luster Soldier" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning from his Deck to his hand. Gateway to Chaos gains 1 Spell Counter (Gateway to Chaos: 2 SC→3 SC). Galahad Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He activates the Spell Card Terraforming, which lets him add 1 Field Spell Card from his Deck to his hand. He adds The Hidden City to his hand. Terminus activates the Field Spell Card The Hidden City. Since The Hidden City was activated, Terminus can add 1 "Subterror" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo from his Deck to his hand. Terminus Normal Summons Subterror Guru (1600/1800/4). Terminus activates Guru's effect, targeting itself and Super Soldier. Guru and Super Soldier are both changed to face-down Defense Position. Because a face-up monster Terminus controls was flipped face-down and he controls no face-up monsters, Terminus Special Summons Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo (2800/2100/10) in Defense Position. Terminus activates the effect of Stalagmo, changing it to face-down Defense Position. Because a face-up monster Terminus controls was flipped face-down and he controls no face-up monsters, Terminus Special Summons Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist (3000/1400/11) in Defense Position. Terminus activates the effect of Speleogeist, changing it to face-down Defense Position. Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change the face-down Stalagmo to face-up Attack Position (2800/2100/10). Since Stalagmo was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, and Terminus discards 1 "Subterror" monster to draw 2 cards. He discards Subterror Nemesis Warrior (Gateway to Chaos: 3 SC→4 SC). Terminus activates the Spell Card Book of Taiyou, targeting the face-down Speleogeist and changing it to face-up Attack Position (3000/1400/11). Since Speleogeist was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, and Terminus targets Curse Gaia for its effect. Curse Gaia's ATK becomes 0 (Curse Gaia: 2300→0). Terminus uses Speleogeist and Stalagmo to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Fiendess (2000/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone (Gateway to Chaos: 4 SC→6 SC). Behemoth Fiendess gains ATK equal to the combined Levels of the "Subterror" monsters used to Link Summon it x 100 (Behemoth Fiendess: 2000→4100).

Behemoth Fiendess attacks Curse Gaia, but Galahad activates his face-down Trap Card Shield of the Fierce Knight, which halves all battle damage from battles involving Warrior monsters and prevents Warrior monsters from being destroyed by battle this turn (Galahad: 4000→1950 LP). At the end of the Battle Phase, Galahad must send the top card of his Deck to the GY. He sends Curse of Dragonfire to the GY. Terminus activates the effect of Behemoth Fiendess, sending Subterror Behemoth Phospheroglacier from his Deck to the GY to Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric from his hand to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker in face-down Defense Position. Terminus Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Galahad**

Galahad draws. He Flip Summons Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier (3000/2500/8). He then activates the Spell Card Spellbound Blessing, targeting Gateway to Chaos. All of Gateway's Spell Counters are removed, and Galahad gains 500 LP and draws 1 card for every 3 Spell Counters removed. He draws 2 cards (Gateway to Chaos: 6 SC→0 SC) (Galahad: 1950→2950 LP). Galahad activates the effect of the Spell Strider in his hand, banishing Charge of the Fierce Knight from his field and The Hidden City from Terminus's to Special Summon it (1800/600/4) in Attack Position. Galahad uses Curse Gaia and Spell Strider to Link Summon Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow (2600/3/←↓→) to the Extra Monster Zone (Gateway to Chaos: 0 SC→2 SC). Galahad activates the Spell Card Return Link. Since he Link Summoned using only Warrior monsters, he can Special Summon the Link Materials to his field in Attack Position, but their effects are negated, they cannot declare an attack, and they are destroyed during the End Phase. Galahad Special Summons Curse Gaia (2000/2/↙↓) and Spell Strider (1800/600/4). Galahad activates the Spell Card Link Treasure, drawing 1 card for each face-up Link Monster on the field. He draws 3 cards. Galahad Normal Summons Squire of Gaia (800/1200/2). He tunes the Level 2 Squire to the Level 4 Spell Strider to Synchro Summon Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth (2600/800/6) to Gaia Saber's bottom Link Marker (Gateway to Chaos: 2 SC→4 SC). Since Squire was used to Synchro Summon a Warrior Synchro Monster, that monster gains 600 ATK until Galahad's next Standby Phase (Gaia Knight: 2600→3200). Galahad banishes Charging Gaia and Curse of Dragonfire from his GY to Special Summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500/8) in Attack Position. Galahad activates the effect of Envoy of the Beginning, targeting Behemoth Fiendess. Behemoth Fiendess is banished, but Envoy of the Beginning cannot attack this turn.

Gaia Knight attacks the face-down Voltelluric, flipping it face-up (1900/3000/9). Terminus activates his face-down Trap Card Subterror Final Battle, targeting Voltelluric and selecting the 3rd effect. Voltelluric's ATK/DEF becomes equal to its combined ATK/DEF until the end of the turn (Voltelluric: 1900→4900/300→4900). Instead of being sent to the GY, Subterror Final Battle is Set on the field. The attack continues, and Voltelluric isn't destroyed (Galahad: 2950→1250 LP). Super Soldier attacks and destroys the Set Guru (Gateway to Chaos: 4 SC→5 SC). Because Guru was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, letting Terminus add 1 "Subterror" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Nemesis Defender from his Deck to his hand. Because Super Soldier destroyed a monster and sent it to the GY, it inflicts damage equal to that monster's original ATK (Terminus: 4000→2400 LP). Galahad Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, the effect of Final Battle ends (Voltelluric: 4900→1900/4900→3000), and Curse Gaia is destroyed by the effect of Return Link (Gateway to Chaos: 5 SC→6 SC).

 **Turn 4: Terminus**

Terminus draws. Galahad activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Light of Intervention. While Light of Intervention is on the field, Monster Cards cannot be Set or flipped face-down, and if a Monster Card would be Set, it must be Normal Summoned in face-up Defense Position.

This duel will continue…

* * *

 _ **Curse Gaia, the Underworld Knight**_

 _Attribut_ _e: DARK Type: [Warrior/Link/Effect] ATK 2000 LINK-2_ ↙↓

 _2 Warrior monsters_

 _This card gains 300 ATK for each monster it points to. Once per turn: you can Tribute 1 monster you control that this card points to; Special Summon 1 "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster or "Black Luster Soldier" that is the same Level or 1 higher than the destroyed monster from your hand or GY, ignoring its summoning conditions, to the same zone. This card cannot declare an attack the turn you activate this effect._

 _ **Spellbound Blessing Normal Spell Card**_

 _Target 1 card on your side of the field with Spell Counters on it; Remove all Spell Counters from it, then for every 3 Spell Counters removed by this effect, gain 500 LP and draw 1 card. You can only activate "Spellbound Blessing" once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 24 – Knightfall. With a single card, Galahad has crippled Terminus's moves and pushed him into a corner. Undaunted, Terminus fights back with everything he has. Determined to protect what he loves, Galahad performs an impossible summon…_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to HunterHQ, Ryujomaru15, sanedimentio, Yasutake Fan, Guest, Lindia Fullmoon, Tiny Pink Kitten, bladeWriter3, Vrains Fan, and ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapter 22.

Guest: No, Fifth Dimension will not be a crossover with VRAINS, but it will draw heavily on it.

Yasutake Fan: I won't answer that question. Spoilers. But as for it being tame, I believe that's because Morningstar doesn't have an Ignis. I believe Ai and Flame have Skills that are more powerful than regular Skills.

Lindia Fullmoon or Fullmoom: Yes, all Cyspirit monsters are Light monsters. For now, at least. And no spoilers for season 2. Also, you don't need to provide lyrics. Just the name of the song. But I'm glad you're passionate about it.

Credit to mekyaku for the creation of Curse Gaia, the Underworld Knight. It was originally Link-3, but I made it Link-2 so it would be easier to summon and added a restriction to its effect.

This chapter was the beginning of the duel between Galahad and Terminus, which will conclude in the next chapter. The chapter is short, but since it takes place in the timespan of one episode instead of two or three, I think that's fair. Plus it lets me use a great cutoff.

We also had the greatest weakness of Flip Decks in this chapter: Light of Intervention! I've wanted to use that card against Terminus, and considering how Galahad uses old cards, I thought he would be the best person to use it.

Also, a little note on summoning chants: I'm going to keep using the summoning chants I came up with for Fusion, Ritual, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters until the end of season 1, if for no other reason than it's easier. I will be using new summoning chants in season 2 to reflect the anime's chants, however.

Update on Fifth Dimension: Frost190 has informed me that there are actually two fanfictions already called Fifth Dimension, one by SSB Vegito and one by Scalchop Warrior. So I'm considering giving it a different name. If anyone wants to suggest names for it, please do so in either a PM or review.

Thank you for reading Chapter 23 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me what your favorite moment was. Mine was Galahad being angry at Revolver for pretending not to know who he was.


	24. Chapter 24: Knightfall

**Chapter 24: Knightfall**

 _1 year ago…_

"I told you last time, my name is Takeshi Akino!" the junior yelled at the senior, frightening them. "I'm the Vice-President of the Student Council! How is it so hard to remember that!?"

"Eh…eh…" his senior stuttered. "I, uh, don't know. Maybe you just have a forgettable face?"

Takeshi scowled at the teenager and sighed. "That aside, you collected the forms from your club?"

"Y-Yes. Here they are." The senior handed the stack of papers to Takeshi and quickly left the Student Council room.

"You should loosen up more, Akino." The junior turned and looked at the Student Council President, who was currently on her laptop, smirking at his annoyance. "You make a good face when you're happy. If you spent more time smiling than yelling, maybe more people would remember you."

"Thanks for the advice, President," Takeshi said, sighing again and sitting down in his chair. "Are we expecting any more club representatives?"

"Just a few, and I can handle them myself," the President said. "Why don't you take a break? You're going to pop a blood vessel at this rate."

"Har har har," Takeshi replied. "But alright. I have a friend on the soccer team. I think I'll go watch his practice." Takeshi stood up and headed to the door. "Give me a call if you need me, President."

"Will do."

As he walked through the hallways, Takeshi frowned to himself. While he got along with most of his classmates, it was highly irritating how most of them couldn't remember his name. Or at least some of them couldn't. He was sure at least a few of them were doing it on purpose. He knew Takeshi was a common name but come on. How many Takeshi's were blonde?

When he reached the soccer field, he sat down on a nearby bench to watch his friends play. He wasn't in any sports teams himself, but he kept himself in shape. And watching his friends enjoy themselves was worth it.

"Excuse me."

Takeshi turned to look behind him at the voice and his jaw dropped. The girl behind him was as tall as he was with sharp amethyst eyes. Long silver hair flowed behind her tied back in a ponytail.

Realizing his mouth was open, Takeshi closed it as he stood up and then said, "H-Hello. Can I help you with something?"

"Yes," she said, her face expressionless. "I'm Katsumi Kurosaki. I don't know if you know me."

 _Oh, I know you,_ Takeshi thought. He'd heard about Katsumi not long after arriving at Den Academy. She was a senior despite being only sixteen, and a prodigy in nearly every subject, except home economics (Takeshi still didn't know why a school focusing on computers taught a class about cooking). She was incredibly popular with both guys and girls and it sometimes seemed like every student had a crush on her.

"Y-Yes, I know you," Takeshi said, certain he was blushing like an idiot. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is-."

"Takeshi Akino, right?" Katsumi asked, surprising him.

"You… you know my name?"

"Yes. You're the Vice-President of the Student Council, aren't you?"

Takeshi didn't know how to respond. Instead of speaking, his eyes started watering.

"Eh?" Katsumi said, surprised. "Are you… crying?"

"S-Sorry." Takeshi started wiping his face, embarrassed at his behavior. "It's just… It's been a while since someone got my name right."

"Uh… huh?"

"N-Never mind." Takeshi cleared his throat and attempted a smile. "You said you needed help with something, Kurosaki?"

"Yes." Katsumi reached into her schoolbag and pulled out a few forms. "I was going to the Student Council room to hand these forms in, but I noticed you were out here, so I thought I could give them to you directly."

"Oh. That makes sense." Takeshi took the forms from her and raised an eyebrow at the headlines. "These are from the Chess Club and Duel Club? Did one of these clubs give you their forms, too?"

Katsumi shook her head. "No. I'm the President of the Chess Club and a senior member of the Duel Club. I thought it would kill two birds with one stone for me to take both clubs' forms to the Student Council."

 _She's part of the Chess Club AND the Duel Club?_ Takeshi thought, astounded. Most people only joined one club. They didn't have the time or energy for two. Another sign of how different this girl was.

"Well, that's impressive," Takeshi said, smiling at her. "I'll take these to the President. Thank you for bringing them, Kurosaki."

Katsumi seemed to hesitate, but then she gave a small smile back. "No. Thank you for accepting them here. You've saved me some hassle. But…" She frowned, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. "…Would it be alright if I stopped by the Student Council room later?"

"Huh?" Takeshi said, surprised. "Uh, sure. There's nothing stopping you. But why?"

"There are a few things I wish to discuss that weren't on the forms," she answered. "And I'd like to do so with the President and Vice-President. Is that alright?"

"Like I said, it is." Takeshi smiled again. "I'll look forward to your visit, Kurosaki."

* * *

 _Present day…_

"So, Terminus. Do you still think you can win?"

Morningstar looked over the duel field as Galahad spoke.

 **Galahad: 1250 LP**

 **Terminus: 2400 LP**

The Charisma Duelist had four monsters on the field – Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow in the Extra Monster Zone, Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth at its bottom Link Marker, and Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning and Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier in the zones next to it. All four monsters were in Attack Position.

 **Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

 **Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

 **Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 3200 DEF 800 LVL: 6**

 **Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow ATK 2600 LINK-3** ←↓→

Aside from his monsters, Galahad had the Field Spell Gateway to Chaos active with six Spell Counters on it, and the Continuous Trap Card Light of Intervention in his Spell & Trap Zone.

 **Gateway to Chaos: 6 SC**

His opponent Terminus, in contrast, had only one monster on the field: Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric in Defense Position. He also had a Set card in his Spell & Trap Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric ATK 1900 DEF 3000 LVL: 9**

"This is perfect!" Cam said over the commlink in Morningstar's ear. "With Light of Intervention, Galahad's got this. Terminus can't Set any monsters now, nor can he flip his monsters face-down."

"That card does weaken Terminus," Morningstar agreed as he narrowed his eyes. "But…"

"But?"

"Terminus's Set card is Subterror Final Battle," Morningstar explained. "If he switches Voltelluric to Attack Position and activates Final Battle, it will have 4900 attack points. Attacking any of Galahad's monsters will defeat him."

"Oh…" Cam said, his voice small. "That's… disappointing."

 _The thing is, Galahad knows that,_ Morningstar thought, glancing at the Knight. _And yet he's completely confident. He doesn't have any Set cards to block an attack. So how is he going to deflect the damage?_

Terminus glared at Galahad and then smirked. "Very clever," he said. "You're right; a card like Light of Intervention would cripple a Flip Deck. Especially if its user was a lesser duelist. But…" His eyes narrowed. "I am not a lesser duelist."

Terminus played the card he drew at the beginning of his turn. "I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! With this, I Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist from the Graveyard!" The massive blue and yellow demon reappeared on Terminus's field in Attack Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11**

"If only you had activated that card earlier in the duel," Terminus said. "But it matters little at this point. I switch Voltelluric to Attack Position." Terminus gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Subterror Final Battle! I'll target Voltelluric and activate its third effect!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric ATK 1900→4900 DEF 3000→4900**

Terminus narrowed his eyes again. _All I have to do is attack one of his monsters,_ he thought. _And I'll win. But Galahad knows that. So why is he so confident?_

"As before, Final Battle is reset," Terminus said. "Battle! Voltelluric, attack Envoy of the Beginning!" The blue serpent-like monster released a blast of blue lightning at Envoy of the Beginning. Galahad only smirked as the attack connected and created a massive explosion.

"Hmm," Terminus said. "How anticlimactic."

"Are you sure about that?"

Terminus gasped as the smoke dissipated. Envoy of the Beginning was gone, but Galahad was still standing, his Life Points intact.

"…You used the card in your hand, didn't you?" Terminus asked him.

"Of course." Galahad swept his arm, revealing the card he discarded. It showed the armor of Gaia the Fierce Knight on an altar. "I activated the effect of the Fierce Knight's Soul in my hand. It reduced the battle damage to 0 and ended the Battle Phase." He smirked again. "Too bad. You failed to destroy me."

"Don't get cocky," Terminus said, narrowing his eyes as he gestured to his field. "Appear, our future circuit!" The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Flip monsters! I set Speleogeist and Voltelluric in the Link Markers!" His two behemoths became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Subterror Behemoth Fiendess!" A large purple dragon in black and white armor appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

"Another one?" Cam said. "He has more than one of those things?"

"It would be stupid of him not to," Morningstar commented, narrowing his eyes.

"Because Behemoth Fiendess was Link Summoned, it gains attack points equal to Speleogeist's and Voltelluric's combined Levels times 100," Terminus reminded Galahad. "Their combined Levels equal 20, so Behemoth Fiendess gains 2000 attack points!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000→4000**

 _I cannot Set any monsters with his Light of Intervention Trap Card in play,_ Terminus thought. _And he has many cards that inflict piercing damage. It is better to play it safe with Link Monsters for now. That said…_

"I summon Subterror Nemesis Defender in Defense Position," Terminus said, doing so. His new monster was a orange-skinned man in black armor, carrying a massive shield on his back and a large hammer in his left hand.

 **Subterror Nemesis Defender ATK 100 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"I Set one card," Terminus continued. "I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Galahad drew and smirked. "I activate the Spell Card: Spell Rewind!" The card showed a blank green card falling into a vortex. "By banishing one Normal Spell Card from my Graveyard, I can add a different Normal Spell Card from my Graveyard to my hand. I banish Return Link, and add Spellbound Blessing to my hand, which I'll now activate! I remove all Spell Counters from Gateway to Chaos, and then for every three counters, I draw one card and gain 500 Life Points!" Galahad drew two new cards.

 **Galahad: 1250→2250 LP**

Galahad gestured to the sky. "Appear! The circuit of champions!" The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters! I set Gaia Knight and Gaia Saber in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Gaia Saber splitting into three. The whirlwinds entered the top-left, bottom-left, top-right, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

Terminus's eyes widened. "Link-4?"

"Circuit combine!" Galahad chanted. "Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Gaia Saber, the Storm Paladin!"

The monster that emerged from the portal was similar in appearance to the Lightning Shadow, but its blue armor had changed to azure and its white armor had become silver. Large metallic wings sprouted from the back of the knight, and its lances doubled in length. The rider's horse neighed as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Gaia Saber, the Storm Paladin ATK 3200 LINK-4** ↖↙↗↘

"3200 attack points," Morningstar muttered. "That's strong, but not enough."

"Monsters were sent from the field to the Graveyard again," Galahad reminded Terminus. "That means Gateway to Chaos gains Spell Counters."

 **Gateway to Chaos: 0 SC→2 SC**

Galahad smirked. "I think you're going to enjoy this next part, Terminus," he said. "I activate the Spell Card: Parallel Knight Fusion!"

Terminus's eyes widened in surprise. "Fusion?"

Galahad's card appeared. It showed two moons, one yellow and the other white, in the background. In front of it were two stretched-out monsters forming a circle. One was purple and resembled Gaia the Fierce Knight. The other was green and resembled Curse of Dragon.

"Parallel Knight Fusion allows me to shuffle banished monsters back into my Deck," Galahad explained. "And then I can Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster! Appear! The vortex of champions!"

The Fusion portal appeared in the air above Galahad. "Materials confirmed! The summoning conditions are one 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster and one Dragon monster! I fuse together the banished Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragonfire!" The two monsters appeared on his field, then disintegrated into energy that went into the portal, which glowed with power.

"Fusion Summon! Rise! Level 7! Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion!" The knight riding a red bone dragon appeared on Galahad's field in Attack Position, summoned to Storm Paladin's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion ATK 2600 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

Terminus grit his teeth. "Ritual, Link, and Fusion on the field at the same time," he muttered. "You really are one of a kind, Galahad."

"Parallel Knight Fusion has another effect," Galahad continued, still smirking. "Since one of the Fusion Materials was a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field!" Terminus gasped in surprise. "I'll destroy your left Set card!" The said card shattered, making Terminus narrow his eyes.

"Why that card?" Cam asked Morningstar. "The other card is Subterror Final Battle. If he got rid of that, he could attack Nemesis Defender with Sky Galloping Gaia and win."

"Its because he knows what Terminus's Set card is that he didn't destroy it," Morningstar responded. "He knows what effects Subterror Final Battle has, but he didn't know what Terminus's other Set card was. So he's playing it safe by destroying the other card."

"When Sky Galloping Gaia is Special Summoned, I can add Spiral Spear Strike from my Deck to my hand," Galahad said, interrupting Morningstar's and Cam's conversation. "But I don't think I'll need that." The Knight gestured to his field. "Battle! Sky Galloping Gaia, attack Nemesis Defender!"

The dragon-riding knight charged the monster with the hammer. "Sky Galloping Gaia's effect activates! When it attacks your monster, I can change its battle position!" Nemesis Defender lifted its hammer high and roared as it was switched to Attack Position.

Terminus growled and gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Subterror Final Battle! I make Nemesis Defender's attack and defense points equal to its combined attack and defense points!"

 **Subterror Nemesis Defender ATK 100→2100 DEF 2000→2100**

"That isn't enough!" Galahad declared. "Go, Sky Galloping Gaia! Double Dragon Lance!" Sky Galloping Gaia was enveloped in flames and pierced Nemesis Defender, destroying it in an explosion. Terminus winced from the damage while Gateway to Chaos glowed.

 **Terminus: 2400→1900 LP**

 **Gateway to Chaos: 2 SC→3 SC**

Galahad gestured to a different monster on his field. "Storm Paladin's monster effect! Once per turn, I can target two monsters it points to, halve the attack points of one monster, then add that amount to the other monster until the end of this turn! I halve Sky Galloping Gaia's attack points and give them to Super Soldier!" All three monsters glowed with energy at Galahad's words.

 **Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion ATK 2600→1300**

 **Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier ATK 3000→4300**

"It's strong enough to destroy Behemoth Fiendess now," Morningstar noted.

"Battle! Super Soldier, destroy Behemoth Fiendess! Superior Chaos Blade!" Super Soldier charged Terminus's dragon, its blade alight with purple fire. Behemoth Fiendess blasted Super Soldier with blue fire, but its shield protected it. With a yell, Super Soldier cut through Behemoth Fiendess, destroying it in an explosion that made Terminus wince again and Gateway to Chaos to glow again.

 **Terminus: 1900→1600 LP**

 **Gateway to Chaos: 3 SC→4 SC**

"This ends now, Terminus," Galahad said, narrowing his eyes. "Super Soldier's monster effect! Since it sent Behemoth Fiendess to the Graveyard, you take damage equal to its original attack points! Double Destruction Slash!" Super Soldier slashed the air twice. The blades of energy struck Terminus, causing another explosion.

"Did he win?" Cam asked Morningstar, who remained silent.

When the smoke cleared, Terminus remained on his feet, an annoyed expression on his face. "Too bad," he said. "But by banishing Subterror Barrier from my Graveyard, I negated the damage." Terminus's banished card appeared briefly on his field. It showed Nemesis Archer, Nemesis Defender, and Nemesis Warrior standing in a magic circle. "And after the damage is negated, I draw one card, and if it was activated in the Battle Phase, then the Battle Phase ends."

Galahad grit his teeth and looked at the card's information on his Duel Disk. He then smirked. "It looks like I was right to destroy that card," he said to Terminus. "If you had activated it when I attacked Nemesis Defender, you would have taken no battle damage and ended the Battle Phase right there."

"True," Terminus replied, drawing his card and frowning at it.

"I Set one card," Galahad said. "I end my turn, which means the effect of Storm Paladin ends."

 **Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier ATK 4300→3000**

 **Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion ATK 1300→2600**

"My turn! Draw!" Terminus looked at his card and scowled again. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cave of Absolute Darkness." The card showing Nemesis Warrior holding a torch in a massive cavern devoid of light. "So long as this card is in play, Special Summoned monsters cannot attack or change their battle positions. But if I Special Summon a monster, this card is destroyed. I Set one card and end my turn."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "That's a tricky card to get around," he said. "All of Galahad's monsters were Special Summoned."

"Still, this duel is pretty even," Cam commented. "When one of them seems to have the upper hand, the other snatches it back. Unlike Go's duel with Revolver…"

Morningstar frowned. "What's happening, Cam? I haven't heard anything since Revolver used Mirror Force."

"Go has the advantage, but knowing Revolver, it won't last long. I know you want a shot at Terminus, but let's hope Galahad defeats him. He deserves it after Terminus used him."

Galahad scowled at Terminus. "Hiding behind a Spell Card?" he asked. "That's disappointing. I admittedly didn't think Light of Intervention would slow you down too much, but I expected better than this."

Terminus didn't reply. Sighing, Galahad said, "My turn! Draw!" Galahad looked at his card and his eyes widened. This…

 _I'll give you some help, too. You and I are the only duelists I know who can use it._ Galahad closed his eyes. _Defeat Terminus and come back. You made a promise to Eiji, after all._

 _Yes. I did make a promise to Eiji,_ Galahad thought. _I promised to be there when his surgery was done. And I promised Katsumi that I would return from LINK VRAINS._ He opened his eyes. _And I'll keep that promise right now!_

"Trap activate!" Galahad declared. "Link Tribute!" The card showed Gouki Thunder Ogre disappearing into a hole. "I Tribute a Link Monster on my field to Special Summon a monster from my Extra Deck whose attack points are less than or equal to the Tributed monster with its effects negated. I Tribute Storm Paladin to Special Summon Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger!" Storm Paladin disintegrated, and a new monster arose in its place. It was a knight carrying two green lances riding a mechanical dragon. Both the knight and dragon wore mostly red armor. The dragon roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger ATK 2600 DEF 2100 RNK: 7**

 **Gateway to Chaos: 4 SC→5 SC**

"Link Tribute has one more effect," Galahad continued. "If the monster I Tribute is Link-3 or higher, then I can also Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard whose attack points are less than or equal to the Tributed monster's attack points with its effects negated. Return, Gaia Knight!" The mechanical knight and horse reappeared on Galahad's field.

 **Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth ATK 2600 DEF 800 LVL: 6**

From Eiji's hospital room, Katsumi gasped and smiled. _The conditions are met_ , she thought. _Go ahead, Takeshi. With this setup, you'll win._

"An impressive lineup," Terminus commented, looking at Gaia Dragon, Gaia Knight, Sky Galloping Gaia, and Super Soldier. "But since they are all Special Summoned, none of them can attack."

"That's true," Galahad said, closing his eyes and giving a small smile. "It's funny. I could win this if I drew Swift Gaia. Since it would be the only card in my hand, I could Normal Summon it. Instead, I drew a different monster. One that I have no right to use."

"What? What do you mean?"

"…I told you I have personal reasons for being here," Galahad answered, his smile morphing into a frown. "I want revenge for you using my brother against me, and I want to stop the Tower from being completed, but I have another reason. A selfish reason. I wish… to surpass someone."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"Number 3," the Knight responded. "Persephone. The Traveler of LINK VRAINS. Though that's just her official nickname. Others call her 'The Queen.' She and I entered the Charisma Duelists at the same time, and every time we competed together, she would win."

He closed his eyes. "I don't resent her for it; she is genuinely talented and that is nothing to hate. To me, she is a goal. A goal to aspire to and one day surpass." Galahad opened his eyes. "Go told me that he realized we all duel alone, and he wants to duel for selfish reasons. To sake the thirst for victory that's in his heart. I'm not so different from him. I also want to duel for selfish reasons. But…"

Galahad smiled to himself. "I also want to duel for unselfish reasons. I want to duel to push myself beyond my limits and surpass everyone I come across. And I want to duel to excite the people watching me and make my younger brother proud of me. That's why…"

He pointed at Terminus dramatically. "That's why I'll defeat you! To sate my desire to evolve and protect the people who matter to me!"

Terminus thought about Galahad's words and smiled to himself. "You've given this a great deal of thought, Galahad," he said. "But let's see if you can back those words up."

Galahad closed his eyes. "So to surpass myself, I'll summon a monster that was given to me by the person I'm closest to. The symbol of ultimate bonds." He opened his eyes and gestured to his field. "This monster can only be Special Summoned by banishing a Ritual Monster, a Fusion Monster, a Synchro Monster, and an Xyz Monster from anywhere on the field!"

Morningstar's and Terminus's eyes widened with surprise. "Did he just say what I think he did?" Morningstar whispered.

"I banish Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier, Sky Galloping Gaia the Dragon Champion, Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth, and Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger!" Galahad continued. His monsters became pillars of blue, purple, green, and yellow energy respectively. Morningstar watched as a magic circle appeared on Galahad's field, encompassing all four columns.

"The queen of all reality, descend to this world and sweep all opponents aside with your infinite power!" Galahad chanted. "Come to this battle, Sophia, Goddess of Rebirth!"

The circle turned yellow and the light became blinding. Morningstar and Terminus braced themselves against the powerful gusts of winds the summon created. Unfortunately, Morningstar's drone wasn't so lucky. It was sent flying until it hit the sand, burying it.

Katsumi gasped as the screen showing Galahad's duel turned to static. No! That couldn't happen now!

 _It's fine_ , she thought. _Takeshi just summoned the card I gave him. And with its effects, there's no way he'll lose._ She turned and stared at Takeshi's limp body beside her. _Fulfill your promise, Takeshi. Come back to me._

A monster finally emerged from the portal. It was a massive white monster in gold armor and red pants, with large white wings emerging from its back. Gold hair fell around its head, with another pair of wings attached to its head along with two horns. Sophia roared as it was summoned in Attack Position.

 **Sophia, Goddess of Rebirth ATK 3600 DEF 3400 LVL: 11**

 **Gateway to Chaos: 5 SC→6 SC**

"…Unbelievable," Terminus muttered, his eyes wide with shock. "He can call on _this_ monster?"

"Yasu, the feed's down," Cam said. "Can you send me your Duel Disk's feedback?" Morningstar did so. While Cam couldn't see the physical duel, he would be able to see the moves made.

Galahad blinked then gestured to his field. "Sophia's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned, all other cards in our hands, fields, and Graveyards are banished! Divine Translocation!"

Sophia gave a shrieking cry, creating a powerful shockwave. Terminus braced himself as his two Set cards and Cave of Absolute Darkness disintegrated. Galahad didn't budge as Light of Intervention and Gateway to Chaos disappeared from his fields.

When the shockwave died down, Terminus looked at his Graveyard and grit his teeth.

"They're gone," Galahad said. "Every card we've played in this duel so far. Every single one of them has been banished."

"That… that means…" Morningstar muttered.

"Yes!" Cam cheered. "Galahad's won! He only needs to attack, and he wins!"

Galahad glared at his opponent. "Terminus. You used me to do your dirty work. You held my brother against me. And with that Tower, you'll hurt countless innocents. That cannot go unpunished." He gestured to his field. "Battle! Sophia, attack Terminus directly! Blazing Star!"

Sophia gathered purple and yellow energy in both of its claws and blasted Terminus with the energy. Terminus remained standing, facing the attack head-on as it crashed into him. The impact created a massive explosion that created winds just as powerful as Sophia's summoning.

As smoke engulfed the field, Galahad sighed. "I've done it," he said. "I've won, everyone."

"Not yet."

Galahad gasped as the smoke cleared, revealing Terminus still standing. His clothes were singed, and he had a few more bruises, but his Life Points hadn't hit 0.

 **Terminus: 1600→200 LP**

Galahad grit his teeth. "How the hell did you survive that!?"

"With this." A Trap Card appeared on Terminus's field. It showed Behemoth Fiendess with black fluid seeping across its skin. "The Trap Card: Corruption Link. If this card is banished and you declare an attack, I can shuffle it back into my Deck. The damage is then reduced by the attack points of one my banished Link Monsters plus its Link Rating x 100. I chose one of my Behemoth Fiendesses, which has 2000 attack points and is a Link-2 monster. That means the damage was reduced by 2200."

"To only 1400," Galahad muttered.

"That is not Corruption Link's only effect," Terminus continued. "After the damage is dealt, I can Special Summon the banished Behemoth Fiendess with its effects negated. Return to me my monster!" The purple armored dragon reappeared on Terminus's field and roared at Sophia.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

Galahad grit his teeth and said, "I end my turn."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Neither of them has cards in their hands," he muttered. "There's a difference of more than 2000 in their Life Points, and Galahad's monster is far stronger."

"But it's Terminus's turn," Cam said, muttering alongside Morningstar as he frowned at the screen. "This turn will decide the duel."

"My turn! Draw!" Terminus looked at his card and his eyes widened. "How about that…" he muttered. He turned to look at Galahad. "I didn't think you would be the person to make me use this," he told the Knight. "I thought Morningstar would be the first person to face its power. But you've given me no choice now. I summon Subterror Nemesis Archer!" A blonde woman in white and green clothes carrying a massive bow appeared on his field.

 **Subterror Nemesis Archer ATK 1600 DEF 1400 LVL: 4**

"You might be dueling for others and yourself, but I'm not," Terminus said. "Like Revolver, I don't believe in the idea of fighting for others. Or for myself. We just duel to carry out our mission. That's all!" He gestured to the air above his field. "Appear, our future circuit!"

The Link portal appeared above Terminus's field. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Subterror' monsters! I set Nemesis Archer and the Link-2 Behemoth Fiendess in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Behemoth Fiendess splitting into two, and entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Subterror Behemoth Guru!"

The monster that emerged from the portal was a dragon like Behemoth Fiendess and was similar in appearance, but there were differences. It skin was a shade of dark blue instead of purple, and purple lines ran across its skin instead of green ones. It did have hair, but it was colored white, and its wings were purple with black membranes. Instead of wearing armor, it wore blue and white robes, with two red cords attached to its chest. Behemoth Guru roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Guru ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

Morningstar's eyes widened. "A new Subterror Link Monster!"

"I can't believe you forced me to play Behemoth Guru," Terminus said. "But with this monster, this duel is over."

"Your monster is certainly impressive, but it's too weak," Galahad responded. "Sophia has 3600 attack points. Your Link Monster only has 2500."

"For now, it does," Terminus said, surprising Galahad. "Behemoth Guru's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned using exactly one 'Subterror Behemoth' monster as Material, it gains attack points equal to that monster's original attack points!"

"What!?"

"Go, Terror Integration!" Behemoth Guru roared as it gained Behemoth Fiendess's attack points.

 **Subterror Behemoth Guru ATK 2500→4500**

"4500 attack points," Morningstar muttered, narrowing his eyes and frowning. Galahad only grit his teeth.

"Sophia is one of the most powerful monsters in the game. But every monster has a flaw or weakness to exploit. And no monster is invincible." Terminus gestured to his monster. "Battle! Behemoth Guru, attack Sophia, Goddess of Rebirth! Terminal Extinction!"

Behemoth Guru gathered green flames in its mouth, which it blasted at Sophia. Sophia, in response, called purple and yellow energy into its hands, which it fired back at Behemoth Guru. The two forces met, creating powerful shockwaves. Eventually, however, the green flames overpowered the purple and yellow energy and struck down Sophia, which cried out as it exploded. Galahad likewise cried out from the damage.

 **Galahad: 2250→1350 LP**

"My monster may be gone, but I still have Life Points!" Galahad challenged.

"No. This is the real end," Terminus countered. "When Behemoth Guru destroys a monster in battle, I can send a Flip monster from my Deck to the Graveyard to inflict its attack points to you as damage."

Galahad gasped as Terminus took a card from his Deck and showed it to Galahad. "I send Subterror Behemoth Dragossuary to the Graveyard. You now take its 2400 attack points as damage." Terminus's eyes narrowed. "This is the end! Go, Behemoth Guru! Flames of the Underworld!"

Once again, Behemoth Guru gathered green flames in its mouth, but this time it shot them at Galahad. The Knight cried out in pain as the blast knocked him off his feet and onto his back.

 **Galahad: 1350→0 LP**

"Galahad!" Morningstar shouted as he ran down the dune towards the fallen Charisma Duelist. The hunter reached him as he pushed himself up.

Galahad laughed lightly. "Honestly. After all that? How anticlimactic." He turned and smiled at Morningstar as his body turned red. "Sorry, Morningstar. I did my best, but it wasn't enough."

"Don't worry, Galahad," Morningstar assured the Knight. "Thanks to you, I was able to learn more of Terminus's strategies." He then narrowed his eyes. "And you're not going anywhere."

As Galahad's body disintegrated and he shot Morningstar a confused look, Morningstar pressed a button on his Duel Disk. A green light emerged from it and entered Galahad's body. The Charisma Duelist gasped as his body changed from red to blue.

"This…"

That was all Galahad said before he disappeared.

"What did you do, Morningstar?" Terminus asked the hunter as he approached him. Morningstar faced away from Terminus as he answered him.

* * *

Katsumi gasped as Takeshi stirred next to her. He opened his slowly and stared at her. "…Katsumi?" he whispered.

Katsumi gasped and hugged him. "I knew it!" she said, crying. "I knew it! I knew you'd win!"

"…I didn't," Takeshi said, prying Katsumi off of him. He looked around the hospital room, as if not seeing it. "I lost. Terminus defeated me. Then… Morningstar…" He gasped. "He must have kept me from becoming part of the Tower."

Katsumi stared at him and then smiled widely. "Then I owe Morningstar a great debt," she said. "But…" She looked back at the television screen, which showed only static. Takeshi looked with her and frowned in understanding.

"Go lost too, didn't he?" he asked. "And he wasn't lucky like I was."

"The feed cut out before their duel finished, just like yours did," Katsumi answered. "But… I think you're right." Her frown widened. "It's all up to Playmaker and Morningstar now."

Takeshi soaked in her words and smiled confidently. "Then there's nothing to worry about," he said. "They'll win. They'll save LINK VRAINS. Go, Blue Angel, Lilith… those two will save everyone."

* * *

"An anti-purge program adapted to keep someone from being absorbed by the Tower?" Terminus repeated, an eyebrow raised. "Well, that is creative. And judging by what happened, it seemed to have worked."

"It was a one-time thing, though," Morningstar said, standing up straight and still facing away from Terminus. "I wasn't planning to use it on Galahad initially."

"Oh? Were you planning on using it on yourself?"

"I was planning to use it on you," the hunter responded. "To force you to tell me everything about the Hanoi Project. So you wouldn't let losing keep you from giving me answers."

Terminus smirked and looked towards the ridge. "It appears Revolver has finished his duel with Go Onizuka," he said. "And now you, me, Revolver, and Playmaker are the only duelists left in this world. That means it's time to bring this to an end."

Morningstar finally turned around as the winds whipped around him and Terminus. "Yes. Finally."

* * *

 **Galahad vs. Terminus**

Galahad has 1250 LP, 1 card in his hand, the Field Spell Card Gateway to Chaos in his Field Zone with 6 SC on it, the Continuous Trap Card Light of Intervention face-up in his Spell & Trap Zone, Gaia Saber, the Lightning Shadow (2600/3/←↓→) in the Extra Monster Zone, Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth (3200/800/6) at Gaia Saber's bottom Link Marker, Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500/8), and Black Luster Soldier – Super Soldier (3000/2500/8), all in Attack Position. Terminus has 2400 LP, 3 cards in his hand, the Set Subterror Final Battle in his Spell & Trap Zone, and Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric (1900/3000/9) in face-up Defense Position.

 **Turn 4: Terminus**

Terminus activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist (3000/1400/11) in Attack Position from his GY. He switches Voltelluric to Attack Position. Terminus activates his Set card, Subterror Final Battle, targeting Voltelluric and choosing the 3rd effect. Voltelluric's ATK/DEF becomes equal to its combined ATK/DEF until the end of the turn (Voltelluric: 1900→4900/3000→4900). Final Battle is reset instead of going to the GY.

Voltelluric attacks and destroys Envoy of the Beginning, but Galahad activates the effect of the Fierce Knight's Soul in his hand, discarding it to take no damage from that battle and end the Battle Phase. Terminus uses Speleogeist and Voltelluric to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Fiendess (2000/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Behemoth Fiendess gains ATK equal to the combined Levels of the "Subterror" monsters used to Link Summon it x 100 (Behemoth Fiendess: 2000→4000). Terminus summons Subterror Nemesis Defender (100/2000/2) in Defense Position. He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Galahad**

Galahad draws. During his Standby Phase, Squire of Gaia's effect ends (Gaia Knight: 3200→2600). Galahad activates the Spell Card Spell Rewind, which lets him banish 1 Normal Spell Card from his GY to add 1 Normal Spell Card from his GY to his hand. He banishes Return Link from his GY and adds Spellbound Blessing to his hand, which he then activates. He targets Gateway to Chaos for its effect, removes all Spell Counters from it (Gateway to Chaos: 6 SC→0 SC), and then draws 1 card and gains 500 LP for every 3 Spell Counters removed. Galahad draws 2 cards (Galahad: 1250→2250 LP). Galahad uses Gaia Knight and Gaia Saber to Link Summon Gaia Saber, the Storm Paladin (3200/4/↖↙↗↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because monsters were sent from the field/hand to the GY, Gateway to Chaos gains Spell Counters (Gateway to Chaos: 0 SC→2 SC). Galahad then activates the Spell Card Parallel Knight Fusion, which lets him shuffle the banished Fusion Materials back into his Deck to perform a Fusion Summon. Galahad shuffles Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragonfire back into his Deck to Fusion Summon Sky Galloping Gaia (2600/2100/7) in Attack Position to Storm Paladin's bottom-right Link Marker. Since 1 of the shuffled Fusion Materials was a "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster, the effect of Parallel Knight Fusion lets Galahad destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. Galahad targets and destroys 1 of Terminus's Set cards.

Sky Galloping Gaia attacks Subterror Nemesis Defender. Galahad activates the effect of Sky Galloping Gaia to change Nemesis Defender to Attack Position. Terminus activates his face-down Subterror Final Battle, selecting the 3rd effect. Nemesis Defender's ATK/DEF becomes equal to its combined original ATK/DEF (Nemesis Defender: 100→2100/2000→100). Subterror Final Battle is Set instead of going to the GY. The attack continues, and Nemesis Defender is destroyed (Terminus: 2400→1900 LP) (Gateway to Chaos: 2 SC→3 SC). Galahad activates the effect of Storm Paladin, which targets 2 monsters it points to, halves the ATK of 1, and then adds that lost attack to the other until the end of the turn. Galahad targets Sky Galloping Gaia and Super Soldier (Sky Galloping Gaia: 2600→1300) (Super Soldier: 3000→4300). Super Soldier attacks and destroys Behemoth Fiendess (Terminus: 1900→1600 LP) (Gateway to Chaos: 3 SC→4 SC). Because Super Soldier destroyed a monster and sent it to the GY, it inflicts damage equal to that monster's original ATK. Terminus activates the effect of Subterror Barrier in his GY, banishing it to negate 1 instance of effect damage then draw 1 card and end the Battle Phase. Galahad Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, and the effect of Storm Paladin ends (Sky Galloping Gaia: 1300→2600) (Super Soldier: 4300→3000).

 **Turn 6: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Cave of Absolute Darkness. As long as Cave of Absolute Darkness is in play, Special Summoned monsters cannot declare an attack or change their battle positions. If Terminus Special Summons a monster, Cave of Absolute Darkness is destroyed. Terminus Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 7: Galahad**

Galahad draws. He activates his face-down Trap Card Link Tribute. By Tributing a Link Monster, he can Special Summon 1 monster from his Extra Deck whose ATK is less than or equal to that monster's in Attack Position with its effects negated. And if the monster he Tributes is Link-3 or higher, he can Special Summon 1 monster from his GY whose ATK is less than or equal to that monster's in Attack Position with its effects negated. Galahad Tributes the Link-4 Storm Paladin (Gateway to Chaos: 4 SC→5 SC), and Special Summons Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger (2600/2100/7) to the Extra Monster Zone from his Extra Deck and Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth (2600/800/6) from his GY. Galahad Tributes Super Soldier, Sky Galloping Gaia, Gaia Knight, and Gaia Dragon to Special Summon Sophia, Goddess of Rebirth (3600/3400/11) in Attack Position (Gateway to Chaos: 5 SC→6 SC). Since Sophia was Special Summoned, Galahad activates its effect, banishing all other cards in both players' hands, fields, and Graveyards. Every card except Sophia is banished.

Sophia attacks Terminus directly, but he activates the effect of the banished Corruption Link. By shuffling the banished Corruption Link back into his Deck, he can target 1 banished Link Monster, and reduce the battle damage by that Link Monster's ATK plus its Link Rating x 100. He targets the Link-2 Subterror Behemoth Fiendess (Terminus: 1600→200 LP). The second effect of Corruption Link activates, Special Summoning Behemoth Fiendess (2000/2/↙↘) with its effects negated. Galahad ends his turn.

 **Turn 8: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He Normal Summons Subterror Nemesis Archer (1600/1400/3). Terminus uses the Link-2 Behemoth Fiendess and Nemesis Archer to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Guru (2500/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Behemoth Guru was Link Summoned using exactly 1 "Subterror Behemoth" monster, it gains ATK equal to that monster's original ATK (Behemoth Guru: 2500→4500).

Behemoth Guru attacks and destroys Sophia (Galahad: 2250→1350 LP). Since Behemoth Guru destroyed an opponent's monster by battle, Terminus activates its effect, letting him send 1 Flip monster from his Deck to the GY and inflict damage to Galahad equal to that monster's ATK. Terminus sends Subterror Behemoth Dragossuary from his Deck to the GY (Galahad: 1350→0 LP). Terminus wins.

* * *

 _ **Fierce Knight's Soul**_

 _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Warrior/Effect] ATK 0 DEF 0 Level: 1_

 _During your opponent's turn, at damage calculation: You can discard this card (Quick Effect); you take no battle damage from that battle and end the Battle Phase._

 _ **Gaia Saber, the Storm Paladin**_

 _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Warrior/Link/Effect] ATK 3200 LINK-4_ ↖↙↗↘

 _2+ monsters_

 _Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 2 face-up monsters this card points to; until the end of this turn, halve the ATK of 1 monster, and if you do, add that lost ATK to the other monster. This card cannot be destroyed by card effects._

 _ **Subterror Behemoth Guru**_

 _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Dragon/Link/Effect] ATK 2500 LINK-3_ ↙↓↘

 _2+ "Subterror" monsters_

 _If this card is Link Summoned using exactly 1 "Subterror Behemoth" monster: This card gains ATK equal to that monster's original ATK. This Link Summoned card cannot attack your opponent directly. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the GY: You can send 1 Flip monster from your Deck to the GY, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK. You can only activate this effect of "Subterror Behemoth Guru" once per turn. Once per turn, if a monster this card points to is flipped face-up: You can Special Summon 1 Flip monster from your GY to your field in face-down Defense Position._

 _ **Spell Rewind Normal Spell Card**_

 _Banish 1 Normal Spell Card from your GY; add 1 Normal Spell Card from your GY to your hand. You can only activate "Spell Rewind" once per turn._

 _ **Parallel Knight Fusion Normal Spell Card**_

 _Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, by shuffling your banished Fusion Materials listed on it into your Deck. If one of the listed Fusion Materials is 1 "Gaia the Fierce Knight" monster: you can destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. You cannot Special Summon monsters during the turn you activate this card, except from the Extra Deck._

 _ **Subterror Barrier Normal Trap Card**_

 _If you would take battle damage from a battle involving a "Subterror" monster: Reduce the battle damage to 0, then end the Battle Phase. If you would take damage from a card effect, you can banish this card from your GY; negate its activation and effect, and if a "Subterror" monster you controlled was destroyed by battle this turn, draw 1 card. If this effect is activated during the Battle Phase: End the Battle Phase._

 _ **Cave of Absolute Darkness Continuous Spell Card**_

 _Destroy this card if a monster is Special Summoned to your field. While this card is face-up on the field, Special Summoned monsters cannot attack or change their battle positions. While this card is on your field or in your GY, "Cave of Absolute Darkness" cannot be activated._

 _ **Link Tribute Normal Trap Card**_

 _Tribute 1 Link Monster you control; Special Summon 1 Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from the Extra Deck whose original ATK is less than or equal to the ATK of the Tributed monster. If the Tributed monster is Link-3 or higher, you can also Special Summon 1 Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from your GY whose original ATK is less than or equal to the ATK of the Tributed monster. Monster(s) Special Summoned by this card's effect have their effect(s) negated. The turn you activate this effect, you cannot Normal Summon/Set._

 _ **Corruption Link Normal Trap Card**_

 _If your opponent's monster declares an attack, you can activate this card, then banish it and 1 Link Monster in your GY: reduce the battle damage by the banished Link Monster's ATK plus its Link Rating x 100. If your opponent's monster declares a direct attack, you can shuffle this banished card back into your Deck and target 1 of your banished Link Monsters; reduce the battle damage by the targeted monster's ATK plus its Link Rating x 100, then Special Summon that Link Monster to your field with its effects negated. You can only activate 1 effect of "Corruption Link" per turn, and only once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

Note: These are the previews for the last chapters of season 1. I'm very confident these are the chapters and titles I'll go with.

 _Next Time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 25 – Beginning of the End. Morningstar engages Terminus in a Speed Duel, determined to defeat him and stop the Tower. The two exchange blows, neither backing down. And in the end, they reach an unexpected conclusion…_

 _Chapter 26 – Truth of the Incident. Forced out of LINK VRAINS, Morningstar and Playmaker confront Revolver and Terminus in real-life. After listening to their tale, the hacker and hunter face the Knights of Hanoi in an epic showdown…_

 _Chapter 27 – Awakening. His resolve reaffirmed, Morningstar continues his clash with Terminus. Holding nothing back, the hunter places everything he is on the line in the hopes of creating a miracle…_

 _Chapter 28 – Aftermath. The Tower of Hanoi has fallen, and Yasutake and Cam deal with the aftereffects of Hanoi's attack. But a hunter's code must be followed, so Morningstar confronts Playmaker for one last duel…_

 _Chapter 29 – The Devil of LINK VRAINS. Morningstar's and Playmaker's clash continues. They give everything they have, pour their very souls into their duel. And when the dust settles, only one can emerge victorious…_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to HunterHQ, sanedimentio, Ryujomaru15, D3lph0xL0v3r, Ethan Kironus, Lindia Fullmoon, Guest, Vrains Fan, and Yasutake Fan for reviewing Chapter 23. Credit to Ezilo for the creation of Gaia Saber, the Storm Paladin. I made a few changes to its effects, but the basic thrust is still there.

Yasutake Fan: Thank you for the suggested Cyspirit cards. I may use some of them in the next few chapters. That said, I don't think I'll use your suggestion of Cyspirit Chaosic(Chaotic?) Chimera, if only because Soulburner has a Chimera monster, and the Soul Fusion pack released a Cyberse Fusion Monster called Diplexer Chimera, so I think I might have to change the name if I use it. As for answering your last review, please read below.

Okay, this chapter was the conclusion of the Galahad/Terminus duel. I'll admit it's not as good as I wanted it to be, but I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible because I'm going to be busy the next few days. The main thing I wanted from this chapter was for Galahad to use Sophia and for Terminus to unveil a new Subterror Link Monster.

Quick shout out to Frost190. I only know about Sophia because of her ARC-V fanfic, Bonds of Pendulum, so thank you for helping me find an awesome card, Frost190.

Aside from the monsters, there were two other things I wanted to show. The first was the beginning of the relationship between Katsumi and Takeshi. Katsumi is the person who is better at everything than you (except cooking) and Takeshi sees her as a goal to reach. I'm sad to say she won't duel before season 1 is finished, but Katsumi/Persephone will duel very early in season 2, and like Galahad, she can use Fusion, Link, Ritual, Synchro, and Xyz Summoning.

The second thing I wanted to show was Galahad's motivation to duel. Like D3lph0xL0v3r pointed out, Go caring only about winning is selfish, but I'm not entirely sure that is a bad thing. To me, all duelists in this anime have understandable motivations, even if you disagree with them to an extent. Go decides to duel for himself, Blue Angel/Girl decides to duel for everyone, Playmaker duels for revenge, Lilith duels for money and revenge, and Morningstar duels only for Cam and Sachi. Galahad, meanwhile, decides that he duels for both himself and others. I honestly think that's somewhat healthier for him than dueling only for one or the other.

Okay, to answer Yasutake Fan's question about season 2, yes, I am planning on doing that. I'm going to follow SakushiRyu's example and not do season 2 of Hidden Memories until season 2 of VRAINS is finished, as this will give me far more room and time to work on it. Until season 2 is done, I'll work on my new ARC-V fanfic. And speaking of that…

I know I said I wouldn't release Fifth Dimension until after this chapter, but I'm having a few problems with character and monster designs, so I've decided that I'll finish season 1 of Hidden Memories before I release Fifth Dimension. I can't say when that will be, but it should be before season 2 of VRAINS finishes, I hope. After that, I will attempt to alternate between Fifth Dimension and Hidden Memories, though as I said when I announced it, Hidden Memories will always take priority.

On a side note, I've decided that I want to create an intro and outro for season 2 of Hidden Memories in the same vein as OPFan37's intros, which means no lyrics. I know that's sad, but it's easier for me to work with.

Thank you for reading Chapter 24 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me which of the previews you are most excited about. And if you have any suggestions for the opening and ending of season 2, please provide them. I always welcome reader suggestions.


	25. Chapter 25: Beginning of the End

**Chapter 25: Beginning of the End**

"It's time to settle this, Terminus," Morningstar said as he stood across from the Knight of Hanoi, the wind speed picking up around them. "While Playmaker faces Revolver, I'll face you."

"As it should be, Morningstar," Terminus responded, smirking. "We'll settle it in a duel. Follow me!" The Knight jumped up and landed on his D-Board. Widening his eyes, Morningstar likewise jumped up and landed on his own D-Board. He followed after Terminus as the latter ascended the Tower.

Out of the corner of his eye, Morningstar watched as Playmaker and Revolver likewise rode their D-Boards higher. Eventually, all four duelists reached the core of the Tower. As Playmaker and Revolver rode the Data Storm on one side of the Tower, Morningstar and Terminus rode across from them. The hunter also noticed that Frog and Pigeon were flying some distance away, recording what was happening.

Cam gasped as the broadcast returned. He watched as all four duelists rode around the Tower's fifth ring.

"This is the end," he whispered. "Blue Angel, Go Onizuka, Lilith, Spectre, Galahad… they're all gone now. Only Yasu, Playmaker, Revolver, and Terminus are left." He narrowed his eyes. "It's all up to you two now. To bring an end to the incident. And bring peace to those who suffered from it."

Morningstar grit his teeth as he rode through the debris. _This is not an ideal field,_ he thought. _But it's the one we're dueling in. I'll have to make do._

"Cam, can you still here me?" he whispered into his earpiece.

"Barely. There's a lot of static," Cam responded. Indeed, Morningstar could barely hear Cam's voice over the interference. "The Tower's part of it, but that Data Storm is more severe than your usual kind. You'll have to be careful, otherwise I'll lose you completely."

"Good to know." Morningstar finally caught up to Terminus and turned to the Knight. "Tell me something, Terminus. Revolver said that Hanoi's only goal was to kill the Ignis. And to do that, you're willing to shut down the entire network, plunge the world into chaos, and kill countless people. Is something like this really necessary?"

Terminus frowned. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "But it was the only plan available to us. And we have no intention to stop it. Not until the plan is complete."

"In that case, I'll stop you," Morningstar said. "Not just for the world's sake. No. I have selfish reasons for fighting you. For Blue Angel, Ghost Girl, Lilith, Go Onizuka, Akira Zaizen… For their sake, to bring them back, I will defeat you, Terminus!"

Terminus smirked. "Bold words, Morningstar," he responded. "So why don't you put those words into practice?"

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Terminus: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn," Morningstar said, taking his cards from his Deck. Looking at them, he chose one. "I summon Cyspirit Illusionist!" The skeleton in a tuxedo and top hat appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Illusionist ATK 2400 DEF 1000 LVL: 6**

"Illusionist can be Special Summoned when there are no monsters on the field," Morningstar explained to Terminus. "But in exchange, its attack points become 1800."

 **Cyspirit Illusionist ATK 2400→1800**

"When Illusionist is Special Summoned by its effect, I can then add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar continued, taking another card from his Deck. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cyberse Infinite Coding!" Terminus narrowed his eyes. He remembered that card from Morningstar's duel with Spectre.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" As Morningstar hand glowed blue, the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Illusionist in the Link marker!" Illusionist became a whirlwind of energy that entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit carrying a cellphone and handheld radio appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Infinite Coding's effect! When a Cyberse Link Monster is Link Summoned, it gains one Cyberse Counter!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC**

"And since there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Prisoner. Come!" The skeleton in a blue and white uniform appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

Morningstar gestured to his field. "Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck! But that monster cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Come, Cyspirit Dancer!" A skeleton in a leotard appeared in Attack Position, summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Appear once more, the circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cacophonic Caller, Dancer, and Prisoner in the Link Markers!" His three monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Quixotic Queen!" A skeleton in a black and gold frilly dress appeared on Morningstar's field, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone. It wore a gold circlet atop its blonde hair and waved its scepter to the right.

 **Cyspirit Quixotic Queen ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

Terminus grit his teeth. He remembered this monster from Morningstar's duel with HAI-B. It had an effect to destroy Defense Position monsters without conducting damage calculation. That meant he could destroy them before they flipped face-up. A troublesome card for Terminus to overcome. But not an impossible one.

"Because I used Dancer to Link Summon Quixotic Queen, it gains 600 attack points!" Morningstar declared. "And as a Cyberse Link Monster was Link Summoned again, Infinite Coding gains another Cyberse Counter!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC**

 **Cyspirit Quixotic Queen ATK 2300→2900**

"Prisoner's effect activates! As I used it to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand." Morningstar took a card from his Deck and looked at it. _Cyspirit Spearman_ , he thought. _This will let me get rid of Terminus's Set monsters on my next turn._

"I activate Infinite Coding's effect!" Morningstar declared. "By removing two Cyberse Counters, I can draw one card!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 2 CC→0 CC**

Morningstar looked at the card he drew, then placed it on his Duel Disk. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

Morningstar stole an aside glance and saw Playmaker had brought out Decode Talker. Not a bad start.

"Morningstar! Above you!"

Morningstar looked up at Terminus's words and gasped as a piece of debris plummeted towards him. He swerved to the side, avoiding it, much to his and Cam's relief.

The hunter turned towards the Knight. "Why did you warn me about that debris?" he asked. "If I got erased here, it would make your job easier."

"I have no interest in defeating you in such a crude manner," Terminus responded, scowling. "I would have you answer to me personally for dragging my family into this."

"Your family?" Morningstar repeated, then gasped in realization.

" _I am the daughter of Dr. Hitomu Hirai, lead research assistant of the Hanoi Project!"_

Morningstar turned to Terminus, a serious expression on his face. "Your real name is Kenshin Hirai," he said. "Dr. Hitomu Hirai was your brother, wasn't he?"

"Indeed, he was," Terminus said, a solemn look in his eyes. "And his daughter Masako was my niece. I thought she was killed with him eight years ago like Hitomu, but I was mistaken."

"Killed?" Morningstar said, surprised. He then remembered Masako mentioning that. And how she didn't know who did it. "Do you know who was responsible?"

"I have no concrete evidence, but I know SOL Technologies was responsible," Terminus replied. "My brother stole from them right before his death. And I will punish them for it."

 _SOL killed him?_ Morningstar thought, shocked. He knew that Bishop and the other higher-ups engaged in shady business deals in the past, but murder…? That seemed beyond them. Or maybe he was just naïve.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "So that's what this is really about," he said. "You want vengeance against SOL for your brother's death."

"I will not deny that. But ruining SOL is only a byproduct of our mission." Terminus narrowed his own eyes at Morningstar. "Our main goal is to kill the Ignis. Which brings me to a question I have for you: How much do you know about the Ignis Playmaker is carrying? Or about the Ignis in general?"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. "Admittedly little," he said. "I know they are connected to the Cyberse somehow, but not the connection itself. And I know they supposedly have free will."

Terminus grunted and smiled. "Not bad, Morningstar. You are right on all counts. But here is something you don't know: The Hanoi Project was responsible for creating the Ignis. And there are eight, with each based off of one of the children. In fact, that Ignis that Playmaker is using is rather special."

The Knight turned to face the hunter. "It's Control ID is IGN006. It was linked to the sixth test subject of the Hanoi Project. And based off of how well Playmaker has taken to Storm Access, I can only assume that it was modeled after Playmaker himself."

"What?" Morningstar said with surprise.

"While the eight kidnapped children were forced to duel in virtual reality, behind the scenes, those duels were used to create eight AI with free will. And as I said, that was the true goal of the Hanoi Project. The Ignis were created by observing and analyzing the children, yourself included."

 _Myself?_ Morningstar thought. _Does that mean that out there, there's an Ignis based off of me? And one off of Sachi?_

"Dr. Kogami intended for the Ignis to save humanity," Terminus continued, not noticing Morningstar's contemplation. "But they grew quicker than we humans could imagine. They created their own world, the Cyberse. Revolver attempted to destroy the Cyberse World, but Playmaker's Ignis hid it somewhere in the network beyond our reach." Terminus narrowed his eyes. "The Ignis have evolved quickly, to the point where they can tell lies and manipulate humans easily. Even if I have my doubts about Revolver's plan, I can see all too clearly that the Ignis are a threat to humanity. That is why the Knights of Hanoi were formed to destroy the Ignis. As for yourself…"

Terminus placed his hand on his Deck. "While I have my personal reasons to duel you, Morningstar, you are only an annoyance in Revolver's eyes. A dangerous one, but still only that. So I'll remove that annoyance from his sight. My turn! Draw!"

As Terminus looked at his cards, the two duelists swerved to avoid more debris. "Yasu, above you!"

Morningstar looked up at Cam's words as a large chunk of debris clashed with another, sending shrapnel towards him. He managed to avoid most of them but winced when one hit his shoulder. His avatar quickly healed itself, but Morningstar grimaced.

 _Like I thought, this environment is dangerous_. _I'll have to be more aware of my surroundings than usual._

"I activate the Field Spell: The Hidden City!" Terminus declared. "When this card is activated, I can add one 'Subterror' monster from my Deck to my hand." He took a card from his Deck, glanced at it, then added it to his hand. "I activate the Spell Card: Foolish Burial! This card sends a Monster Card from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Subterror Behemoth Umastryx to the Graveyard."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes at Terminus's words. _He's sending one of his best monsters to the Graveyard? Is he planning to Special Summon it?_

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: The Shallow Grave!" Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise. "This card allows each of us to Special Summon a monster from our Graveyards in face-down Defense Position. Return to me, Umastryx!" A face-down card appeared on Terminus's field.

Morningstar took a card from his Graveyard. "I summon Illusionist." A Set card appeared at Quixotic Queen's bottom-left Link Marker.

"The Hidden City's effect activates!" Terminus declared. "Once per turn, I can change a Set 'Subterror' monster to face-up Attack or Defense Position. I change the Set Umastryx to face-up Attack Position!" His card flipped up, causing a burst of light. Morningstar grit his teeth as the massive black and blue skinned behemoth appeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Behemoth Umastryx 2000 ATK 2700 DEF 7**

The hunter then gasped as Umastryx stood out in front of him and Terminus, blocking the debris and keeping it from hitting them.

"I told you I would defeat you with my own hands," Terminus reminded Morningstar. "I won't let a chunk of rock do it for me!" Terminus gestured to his field. "Umastryx's Flip Effect activates! I can banish one monster from your field! I banish your Quixotic Queen!"

Morningstar grit his teeth as Umastryx's drill struck Quixotic Queen, making it disappear. So much for that.

"I summon Subterror Nemesis Archer," Terminus continued. A blonde woman carrying a massive bow appeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Nemesis Archer ATK 1600 DEF 1400 LVL: 3**

"I Set one card," Terminus said, then gestured to his field again. "Battle! Nemesis Archer, attack Morningstar's Set monster!" Terminus smirked. "I think you know what happens next."

"Yes," Morningstar said, scowling. "If Nemesis Archer attacks a Set monster while you control another 'Subterror' monster, that monster is shuffled back into the Deck."

"Indeed. Terminal Break!" Nemesis Archer's arrow struck the Set Illusionist, making it disappear. "Continue the battle! Umastryx, attack Morningstar directly!" Umastryx charged Morningstar, its drill nose rotating at high speeds.

Morningstar took a card from his hand and played it. "I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Battler in my hand! Since I'm being attacked directly, I can summon Battler in Attack Position!" A skeleton in shorts, a tank top, and boxing gloves appeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Battler ATK 1500 DEF 700 LVL: 4**

Terminus grit his teeth. "A lucky move. Umastryx, destroy Battler!" Umastryx resumed its charge, but this time it struck Battler, which cried out as it was destroyed. Morningstar winced from the damage of the attack.

 **Morningstar: 4000→3500 LP**

"Battler's effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "When it is destroyed by battle, I can add a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard to my hand!" He took Cyspirit Prisoner out of his Graveyard and added it to his hand. "But that's not the only effect I can activate."

Morningstar gestured to his field, his bangs and the line on his jumpsuit glowing silver. "I activate my Skill! Cyberse Revolution! I Special Summon a Cyberse monster from my Deck whose Level is lower than the destroyed monster's. I summon Cyspirit Kid!" A dwarf skeleton in a t-shirt appeared on Morningstar's field in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

Terminus smirked. "I should have known you would make the most of your situation," he said. "I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew a card and looked at it. Before he could make a move however, a bright light started shining from the other side of the Tower.

Terminus's smirk widened. "Looks like Playmaker fell into the same trap as Go Onizuka."

Morningstar turned and watched as Playmaker's Decode Talker and two other monsters he controlled were destroyed by Revolver's Trap Card. The hunter grit his teeth in consternation, but returned to his own duel.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or below 'Cyspirit' monster! I set Kid in the Link Marker!" Kid became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom-left arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!" A skeleton in overalls carrying a power box was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600 LINK-1** ↙

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC**

"Kid's monster effect!" Morningstar continued. "When it is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, one face-up card on the field is destroyed! I'll destroy The Hidden City!" Terminus winced as his Field Spell was destroyed. "And since there's a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a prisoner's uniform reappeared, summoned to Egregious Electrician's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

Morningstar gestured to his field. "Egregious Electrician's monster effect! Once per turn, I can move a monster it points at to another zone, and then Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to that zone! I move Prisoner to my right Main Monster Zone and Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer!" A skeleton warrior carrying a lance and shield took Prisoner's place as Prisoner moved.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Lancer's monster effect! While it is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points! Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600→900**

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600→1900**

Morningstar looked up at Umastryx. Terminus's massive monster was shielding the two duelists from most of the debris. He ran the risk of getting hit if he destroyed it, but he was willing to take that risk.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Egregious Electrician, Lancer, and Prisoner in the Link Markers!" All three monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!" The skeleton in a blue trench coat and silver tricorne hat carrying two futuristic pistols appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC**

Terminus narrowed his eyes. "Morningstar's ace monster…" he muttered. Of all of Morningstar's Link Monsters Hanoi had seen, this one had been the most prominent.

"Since I used Prisoner to Link Summon Rapid Revolutionary, its effect activates again!" Morningstar reminded Terminus, taking a card from his Deck. He then gestured to his field. "I activate Infinite Coding's effect! I remove two Cyberse Counters to draw a card!"

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 2 CC→0 CC**

After drawing, Morningstar played the card he added to his hand with Prisoner's effect. "I activate the Field Spell: Cyspirit Monastery. With this card in play, all my 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters gain 500 attack points."

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2700**

"Monastery has another effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster's Link Marker! Come to me, Cyspirit Wanderer!" The skeleton in a poncho appeared, summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 5**

"Wanderer's monster effect! If it is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, one monster you control loses 800 attack points! I'll target Umastryx! Digital Drain!" Terminus grit his teeth as Umastryx glowed.

 **Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000→1200**

"I Set one card," Morningstar said, then he gestured to his field. "Battle! Rapid Revolutionary, attack Umastryx!" Rapid Revolutionary hefted both its pistols and started charging. "Rapid Revolutionary's monster effect! When it points to at least one monster and battles a non-Link Monster, it gains 500 attack points until the end of the Damage Step!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2700→3200**

Terminus smirked and gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Subterror Final Battle! I choose the third effect to make Umastryx's attack and defense points equal to its combined attack and defense points!"

Morningstar smirked back at the Knight, surprising him. "Did you think that would work on me like it did Galahad and Lilith?" he asked before gesturing to his own field. "Counter Trap activate! Cyspirit Shutdown!" The card showed Mad Mongrel being trapped in a net, electricity coursing over it and missile launchers sparking. "Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, the activation of your Trap Card is negated, and that card is banished!"

Terminus gasped as Final Battle disappeared. "Not only that, but so long as Final Battle is banished, you cannot activate any cards of the same name! Continue your attack, Rapid Revolutionary! Revolution Shot!" Both of Rapid Revolutionary's pistols released their built-up energy, which struck Umastryx with massive force. The behemoth cried out as it was destroyed, while Terminus shouted in pain from the shockwave of the attack and from being hit with a few pieces of debris.

 **Terminus: 4000→2000 LP**

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 3200→2700**

Terminus grit his teeth in pain, but he managed to gesture to his field as his mask glowed yellow. "I activate my Skill! Whispering Terror! Since my Flip monster was destroyed by battle, I can Set one 'Subterror' monster directly from my Deck. I set Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist!"

Morningstar's eyes narrowed on seeing a new Set card on Terminus's field. His gaze shifted to Wanderer. With its 1900 attack points, he could destroy Nemesis Archer and inflict 300 damage to Terminus, but that would just give Terminus another monster thanks to Nemesis Archer's effect. And there was no way Morningstar could leave Terminus with a monster as powerful as Speleogeist.

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Wanderer, attack Terminus's Set monster! Lonesome Blast!" Wanderer pulled a pistol out from under its poncho and fired at the Set card, which disappeared and was replaced by a massive blue and yellow fiend.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11**

Wanderer's shot pierced Speleogeist's skin, causing a massive explosion. Terminus frowned as his monster was destroyed, but then he gestured to Morningstar's field. "Speleogeist's Flip Effect activates! The attack points of one monster on the field becomes 0! I'll target Rapid Revolutionary!" Rapid Revolutionary cried out in pain as it was bathed in blue flames.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2700→0**

Morningstar scowled. It wasn't good that Rapid Revolutionary now had no attack points, but at least Speleogeist had been destroyed. "I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw! I activate the Field Spell: The Hidden Colony!" The card showed a massive cavern with a spread-out city and multiple paths around it. "When this card is activated, I can add one 'Subterror' monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand. I'll return the Speleogeist in my Graveyard to my hand."

Morningstar grit his teeth. That was bad. "Next, I activate the Spell Card: Subterror Cave Drawings." The card showed a cave wall with drawings on it in the shape of Behemoth Fiendess and Nemesis Warrior. "This card requires that I discard a 'Subterror' monster, and depending on that monster's Level, I draw a number of cards. I discard the Level 11 Speleogeist to draw three cards!"

Terminus drew and smirked. "I Tribute Nemesis Archer to summon Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken!" A monster that resembled an ancient shark with four horns appeared as Nemesis Archer disappeared.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken ATK 1400 DEF 2600 LVL: 5**

"I activate Stygokraken's monster effect to flip it face-down!" Stygokraken disappeared and a Set card appeared. "And because a monster I control was flipped face-down and I control no face-up monsters, I can Special Summon this monster. Come, Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus!" Morningstar grit his teeth as a giant lizard made of rock and lava appeared in Defense Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 3000 DEF 1800 LVL: 12**

"I Set one card. And now I activate the effect of The Hidden Colony! Once per turn, I can change one Set 'Subterror' monster to face-up Defense Position. I Flip Summon Stygokraken!" The giant shark reappeared.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken ATK 1400 DEF 2600 LVL: 5**

"Stygokraken's Flip Effect activates! I can now destroy Set cards on the field equal to the number of 'Subterror Behemoth' monsters I control. I destroy your Set card and mine!" Morningstar winced as his face-down card and Terminus's both shattered. "And since my destroyed card was Dummy Marker and it was destroyed by a card effect, I can draw one card!"

Terminus looked at his card, then played it. "I Set one card." He gestured to the air above him. "Appear! Our future circuit!" The Link portal appeared above Terminus's head. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Flip monsters. I set Stygokraken and Ultramafus in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Subterror Behemoth Fiendess!" A large purple dragon with black and pink wings emerged from the portal. It shook its mane of purple hair and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

Morningstar narrowed his eyes as Terminus continued. "Behemoth Fiendess's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned, it gains attack points equal to the combined Levels of the 'Subterror' monsters used to Link Summon it. Stygokraken and Ultramafus were Levels 5 and 12 respectively, so Behemoth Fiendess gains 1700 attack points!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000→3700**

"This is the end, Morningstar!" Terminus declared. "Battle! Behemoth Fiendess, attack Rapid Revolutionary! Final Extinction!" Blue flames gathered in Behemoth Fiendess's mouth, which it fired at Rapid Revolutionary. Morningstar only glared at Terminus's monster and gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Half-Guard in my Graveyard!" he declared, the card Terminus destroyed earlier reappearing on his field. "I banish it and discard a 'Cyspirit' monster to halve the battle damage!" The blast hit Rapid Revolutionary, destroying it. Morningstar cried out in pain, both from the shockwaves of his monster's destruction and from several shards of shrapnel striking his body.

 **Morningstar: 3500→1650 LP**

"Yasu! Hold on!"

"I'm fine, Cam," Morningstar muttered back, holding his side. He then glared at Terminus. "Since the Battle Phase ended, Half-Guard lets me draw one card for every monster of yours that battled this turn."

Terminus narrowed his eyes as Morningstar drew one card. "I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card, frowned, then played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Emblem!" The card showed a crest with silver bones mixed in the middle and one red and one blue orb at each top corner. "By sending a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, I can then Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck in Attack Position, so long as it has the same Level as the sent monster. I send the Level 1 Cyspirit Changer to the Graveyard to Special Summon Cyspirit Coder!" A skeleton in a lab coat appeared on its field. It carried a laptop under one arm and had small pieces of armor on its shoulders and lower legs. A single blue eye glinted out of its skull as it stared at Terminus.

 **Cyspirit Coder ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Coder's monster effect!" Morningstar continued. "When this monster is Summoned, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand, but then I must send a card from my hand, Deck, or field to the Graveyard." Morningstar took two cards from his Deck. He added one to his hand and sent the other, Cyspirit Restoration, to the Graveyard.

Morningstar gestured to the air above him. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Coder and Wanderer in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Jubilant Jester!" A skeleton in a black and gold jester's outfit appeared and posed with its staff from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 1800→2300 LINK-2** ↙↘

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC**

"I activate the effect of the Wanderer in my Graveyard! By shuffling it back into my Deck, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard. Return to me, Rapid Revolutionary!" The skeleton in a trench coat reappeared, summoned to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2700 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Wanderer's effect prevents Rapid Revolutionary from attacking this turn," Morningstar told Terminus. The hunter then gestured to his other Link Monster. "Jubilant Jester's monster effect! When it points to at least one monster, all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control gain 400 attack and defense points. Digital Jubilance!"

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 2300→2700**

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2700→3100**

 _Neither of them is strong enough to take on Behemoth Fiendess,_ Terminus thought, narrowing his eyes. _What are you planning, Morningstar?_

"I summon Cyspirit Sorceress!" A skeleton in a black dress carrying a metal staff appeared on the hunter's field.

 **Cyspirit Sorceress ATK 1400 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

"When Sorceress is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard," Morningstar continued. "Return, Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a leotard reappeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

Terminus's eyes widened. _3 monsters? That means…_

 _Only one of my monsters is strong enough to defeat Behemoth Fiendess,_ Morningstar thought as he gestured to the sky. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Dancer, Sorceress, and the Link-3 Rapid Revolutionary in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Rapid Revolutionary splitting into two, and entered the top-left, left, top-right, and right arrows, turning them red. Terminus narrowed his eyes.

"Circuit combine! The galaxy's rage that breaks all limitations! Take flight! Link 4! Cyspirit Neo Nova!" A black dragon with dark silver armor emerged from the portal. It spread its midnight black wings and roared, creating powerful gusts of wind and blowing away several pieces of debris. Like Rapid Revolutionary before it, it was summoned to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500→3400 LINK-4** ←↖↗→

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC**

Cam smirked. Yes! With Neo Nova's effect, Morningstar could end this here and now!

Terminus grit his teeth. "This monster again…" The Knight then smirked. "Lucky I'm prepared."

"Because Dancer was used to Link Summon Neo Nova, it gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 3400→4000**

"Neo Nova's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Once-."

"It's not happening, Morningstar," Terminus interrupted, shocking the hunter. "Continuous Trap activate! Subterror Subletting!" His card showed Nemesis Warrior opening a door, with Speleogeist's head on the other side of the door. Nemesis Warrior was sweatdropping. "Since you Link Summoned while I controlled a 'Subterror' Link Monster, that monster's effects are negated!"

Morningstar gasped then grit his teeth. That was annoying. That meant he couldn't draw any new cards. Not from Neo Nova's effect, at least. "I activate Infinite Coding's effect! I remove two Cyberse Counters and draw one card."

 **Cyberse Infinite Coding: 2 CC→0 CC**

Morningstar looked at his card and his eyes widened. This card… "I Set one card," he said. "Battle! Neo Nova, attack Behemoth Fiendess! Cosmic Cannon!" Neo Nova gathered white energy in its mouth which it blasted at Behemoth Fiendess. Morningstar's plan was simple: Destroy Behemoth Fiendess with Neo Nova, then attack directly with Jubilant Jester.

A pity it wouldn't have worked. "I activate the effect of Subterror Subletting!" Terminus declared. "When my 'Subterror' Link Monster is attacked, I can Special Summon a 'Subterror' monster from my Graveyard to that monster's Link Marker. Come back, Umastryx!" Morningstar's eyes widened as the black and blue lizard reappeared, summoned to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Subterrror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000 DEF 2700 LVL: 9**

"Due to the second half of Subterror Subletting's effect, Neo Nova must now attack Umastryx," Terminus continued. Morningstar watched as the white energy changed directions towards Umastryx and Terminus gestured to his field again. "I activate the effect of The Hidden Colony! Once per turn, if you attack, I can flip a face-up monster I control face-down to negate your attack!"

Morningstar's eyes widened further than before as Umastryx became a Set card and Neo Nova's attack went right over the card.

 _Damn it_ , Morningstar thought. _I can't defeat Behemoth Fiendess with Jubilant Jester, and its attack points are equal to Umastryx's defense points._ He looked at the single card in his hand. _Good thing I have this._

"I discard the Cyspirit Ninja in my hand to activate its effect!" Morningstar declared. "I can now target a Link-3 or below 'Cyspirit' Link Monster and allow it to attack you directly."

"What?" Terminus said, his eyes wide with surprise.

"I target Jubilant Jester!" A transparent skeleton in all-black clothes appeared in front of Jubilant Jester. It carried a sheathed sword on its back and a dagger in each hand. Its single red eye glinted as it jumped backwards, merging with Jubilant Jester.

"The battle damage you'll take will be halved by Ninja's effect," Morningstar said. "But that won't stop me! Go, Jubilant Jester! Attack Terminus directly!" Jubilant Jester gathered golden energy into its staff, which it fired at Terminus. The Knight of Hanoi cried out in pain from the force of the attack.

 **Terminus: 2000→650 LP**

"Ninja's effect activates!" Morningstar declared, surprising the wounded Knight. "When Jubilant Jester inflicts battle damage, I can send a monster from your field to the Graveyard and then Special Summon a monster with a lower Level to your field in Defense Position!" _Unfortunately, I can't target a Link or Xyz Monster with this effect._

"I send the Set Umastryx to your Graveyard!" Terminus winced again as his Set card disintegrated. "And then I summon Subterror Nemesis Archer from your Graveyard." The blonde woman reappeared on Terminus's field in Defense Position.

 **Subterror Nemesis Archer ATK 1600 DEF 1400 LVL: 3**

"I end my turn."

Terminus smirked. "You couldn't finish me off this turn," he called out to Morningstar, who remained silent. "In that case, I'll end this soon. My turn! Draw!"

He looked at his card, then said, "I activate-!"

That was as far as he got before everything suddenly stopped. Both duelists gasped and looked around them. The Tower, the Data Storm, even the debris in the air; everything had paused where it was, with a faint grey tinge to everything.

"Everything stopped?" Morningstar whispered. "Is this a bug of some kind? Or something else?"

"It couldn't be," Terminus whispered. "He couldn't be…"

"Revolver."

Morningstar and Terminus turned to the voice. A figure outlined in gold had appeared near the center of the Tower, right next to the core. He was facing Revolver, who was missing the lower part of his right arm.

Morningstar's eyes widened in shock and recognition. "Isn't that-?"

"Dr. Kogami!?" Cam shouted over the earpiece, making Morningstar wince. "He's still alive!?"

With everything quiet, the two duelists could hear Revolver speak. "Why are you here?"

"Ryoken… I never did a single fatherly thing for you," Dr. Kogami answered. "I only made you suffer. But you didn't complain even once. You were a great son."

Morningstar gasped. Ryoken? Son? Didn't that mean-?

"Believe me, I never wanted to involve you in this. But without you, the world couldn't be saved from destruction."

"I know," Revolver replied.

"You can't lose here. I'll give you my final strength."

"Final strength? But if you do that…"

"Dr. Kogami!" Terminus suddenly shouted, his eyes wide with realization. Morningstar turned to look at the Knight, then back to Dr. Kogami, long enough for him to look at Terminus with a friendly smile before he turned back to Revolver.

"I don't care. Protect humanity's future in my place. You and Terminus are my final and only hope." Dr. Kogami reached out his hand and disintegrated into golden data. The data enveloped Revolver and his D-Board. Morningstar watched as Revolver's right arm reformed, but his gaze turned to what Dr. Kogami had left.

It was a path of blue light, with white light in the center. If Morningstar had to describe it, it looked like starlight on water. The path traveled outwards from Revolver to the Data Storm. A path straight to the core of the Data Storm.

Morningstar suddenly gasped as the Data Storm resumed. He quickly reoriented himself and avoided a nasty chunk of debris.

"What was that?" he whispered. "That looked like-."

"Morningstar!"

The hunter turned to face Terminus, who had a worried expression on his face. "I'm ending things this turn!" he declared. "Revolver and I are out of time!"

"Out of time?" Morningstar repeated. "Out of time for what?"

Terminus ignored Morningstar's question and played the card he drew. "I activate the Spell Card: Link Bounty!" The card showed a bulletin board with pictures of Decode Talker and Gouki the Great Ogre, each with a price next to their picture. "This card negates the effects of a Link Monster on my field and lowers its attack points by 1000 until the end of the turn."

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 3700→2700**

"In exchange, I can Special Summon monsters from the Graveyard up to my Link Monster's Link Rating. Return to me, Umastryx and Speleogeist!" The black-and-blue lizard and the blue-and-yellow fiend reappeared, both summoned in face-up Defense Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11**

 **Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000 DEF 2700 LVL: 7**

 _I have to end this quickly,_ Terminus thought urgently. "The turn I activate Link Bounty, only Link Monsters can declare an attack, and if any of the monsters I summoned with Link Bounty remain on the field, I take 1000 points of damage for each one during the End Phase." He then gestured to one of his monsters. "I activate Umastryx's effect! I change it to face-down Defense Position!" The lizard disappeared as a Set card took its place. "I activate The Hidden Colony's effect to flip Umastryx face-up!" Just as quickly, the Set card disappeared and Umastryx reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Umastryx ATK 2000 DEF 2700 LVL: 7**

"Umastryx's Flip Effect! One of your monsters is banished! I banish Neo Nova!" Morningstar gasped as his most powerful monster disappeared. "Subterror Subletting's effect activates! Since the monster it was targeting left the field, my Trap Card is sent to the Graveyard and you take 1000 points of damage!"

"What?" Morningstar said in surprise. Terminus's Trap Card blasted the hunter with yellow energy, making him cry out in pain again.

 **Morningstar: 1650→650 LP**

"Their Life Points are equal now," Cam whispered.

Terminus gestured to the air above him. "Appear, our future circuit!" Blue electricity crackled from his hand as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Subterror' monsters! I set Nemesis Archer, Speleogeist, and Umastryx in the Link Markers!" Morningstar watched with trepidation as Terminus's monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left, top, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Subterror Nemesis Champion!"

A human monster emerged from the portal. It was male, with long blonde hair with red highlights near the top. It wore brown armor with green and white sections, carried a massive sword in its right hand and a large circular shield in its left. If that wasn't enough, a large bow was propped on its back and it carried a hammer at its waist. The warrior roared as it was summoned to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Subterror Nemesis Champion ATK 2500 LINK-3** ←↑→

"Another new 'Subterror' Link Monster!" Morningstar said, his eyes wide with surprise. This one wasn't as large as Behemoth Guru, but he suspected it was just as strong.

"I activate the effect of Subterror Cave Drawings in my Graveyard!" Terminus continued. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon a 'Subterror' monster in face-down Defense Position to my field, but that monster cannot be flipped face-up this turn. I Special Summon Nemesis Archer!" A Set card appeared at Nemesis Champion's right Link Marker.

 _Now or never._ "Battle!" Terminus declared. "Nemesis Champion attack Jubilant Jester!"

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised as the warrior charged his jester. "But Jubilant Jester has more attack points! Unless-!"

"Nemesis Champion's monster effect!" Terminus declared. Nemesis Champion struck Jubilant Jester in the chest with its sword, which began emitting a blue light. "As it was Link Summoned using Nemesis Archer as material, when it attacks an opponent's monster while pointing to a Set monster, that monster is shuffled back into your Deck! Terminal Retreat!"

Morningstar watched as Nemesis Champion withdrew its sword from Jubilant Jester, but a blue light was left. The light sucked Jubilant Jester inwards, acting as a black hole that consumed Morningstar's monster, leaving his field empty.

"This is the end!" Terminus declared. "Behemoth Fiendess, attack Morningstar directly! Final Extinction!" Behemoth Fiendess gathered blue flames in its mouth, which it then fired at Morningstar. But the hunter was unafraid.

"This duel is far from over!" he declared, gesturing to his field. "Trap activate!" His Set card revealed itself, creating a massive burst of light. Terminus briefly shielded his eyes, but when the light dimmed a bit, he looked at the card and gasped. It showed a single monster, outlined in light. The monster had four massive wings and held a staff as tall as it was in its right hand.

"Cyspirit Creation Link!" Morningstar declared, naming his card. "Since I control no monsters and have no cards in my hand, your direct attack is negated!" A barrier briefly appeared, deflecting Behemoth Fiendess's flames. Terminus grit his teeth in annoyance. "But that is only Creation Link's first effect! It then lets me Special Summon as many Cyspirit Link Monsters from my Graveyard as possible with their effects negated!"

"What?" Terminus said, surprised at such an effect.

"Return to me, Cacophonic Caller, Egregious Electrician, and Rapid Revolutionary!" The skeleton in a suit, the one in overalls, and the skeleton in a trench coat all reappeared on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500→1000 LINK-1** ↓

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600→1100 LINK-1** ↙

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2700 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"I then must use all the monsters Special Summoned by Creation Link's effect to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster," Morningstar explained. "And then your Behemoth Fiendess must attack that monster!"

While Terminus's eyes widened as he mulled over the effect of Creation Link in his head, Morningstar thought, _Terminus has 650 Life Points left. I could Link Summon Datastorm Dragon. Its 2800 attack points, combined with the 500 attack point boost from Cyspirit Monastery, would drop him down to 50 Life Points. But…_

Morningstar's eyes narrowed. _Creation Link has a costly price for its power. During the End Phase of this turn, I'll take 4000 points of damage. Which means I have to end this duel right now. Which means…_

 _I can't tell you where I got them, but I figure these will help you defeat Terminus._

He remembered Lilith's words when she gave him the last two Cyspirit Link Monsters. No, Masako's words. He didn't know where or how she obtained them, but the first card, Angelic Avenger, had allowed him to defeat Spectre. And now the second card would let him defeat Terminus.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" As Morningstar's hand glowed blue, the Link portal appeared above him. But to his and Terminus's surprise, this portal was much larger than the usual portals. At least six times bigger.

Putting his surprise aside, Morningstar said, "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters! I set Cacophonic Caller, Egregious Electrician, and the Link-3 Rapid Revolutionary in the Link Markers!" All three monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Rapid Revolutionary splitting into three. Cacophonic Caller's and Egregious Electrician's whirlwinds entered the top-left and top-right arrows, while Rapid Revolutionary's entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows. All five arrows turned red at the contact.

Terminus's eyes widened even further as his surprise deepened. "Link 5!?" he said. He didn't follow professional dueling, but he'd never seen a Link 5 being summoned.

"Circuit com-!"

That was as far as Morningstar got. At that point, blue lightning suddenly shot out of the circuit, striking everything around the hunter and knight. The two swerved to avoid the blasts and managed to stay on their boards.

"What the-?" Morningstar clung to his D-Board as the wind increased and the lightning became more intense. "Cam, what's going on?"

"I-I don't know! There's some kind of malfunction in the system. It's like the circuit isn't processing!"

Resisting the winds, Terminus quickly checked his energy reader. On seeing the graphics, his eyes widened. "That's impossible," he muttered. "The energy that summoning is putting out is through the roof. The readings are all at maximum and…" Terminus's eyes widened further in realization. He knew what was happening now.

"You fool, Morningstar!" he shouted over the wind and lightning, drawing the hunter's attention. "That monster you're trying to summon is too powerful! The Data Storm can't process it safely! Any second, it will-!"

Terminus's words were lost as the circuit exploded. Said explosion produced shockwaves that finally knocked the two duelists off their D-Boards.

"Yasu!" Cam shouted over the earpiece, panicking at not seeing what was happening.

As Morningstar fell, he didn't notice that the screen of his Duel Disk was glowing silver. Or that binary code had appeared over it.

 **01000001 01101100 01101101 01101111 01110011 01110100 00101110 00101110 00101110**

 **01000001 01101100 01101101 01101111 01110011 01110100 00101110 00101110 00101110**

 **01000001 01101100 01101101 01101111 01110011 01110100 00101110 00101110 00101110**

* * *

Broken glass.

That was all there was. After all the pain and suffering. After everything that had occurred, that was all the mind contained.

Whatever had been there before had been shattered. Images of family, friends, of happy times gone by. All of it, gone, swallowed by unbearable pain pressing on a mind that couldn't handle it.

And so it had remained. For ten years the mind had been silent, wallowing in its own pain, incapable of seeing more than that. But something was different now.

Now, there was a voice reaching out. A familiar voice. One that promised safety. One that promised strength.

Now, the pieces started to come together again.

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Terminus**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Morningstar**

As there are no monsters on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Illusionist (2400/1000/6) in Attack Position via its own effect, but its ATK becomes 1800 (Illusionist: 2400→1800). Since Illusionist was Special Summoned by its own effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Prisoner from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar activates the Continuous Spell Card Cyberse Infinite Coding. Now each time a Cyberse Link Monster is Link Summoned, he can place 1 Cyberse Counter on it. Morningstar uses Illusionist to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC). As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position via its own effect. Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to its Link Marker. He Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2) in Attack Position. Dancer cannot attack, and it is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller, Dancer, and Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Quixotic Queen (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC). As Dancer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, that monster gains 600 ATK (Quixotic Queen: 2300→2900). As Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Spearman from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar activates the effect of Infinite Coding, removing 2 Cyberse Counters to draw 1 card (Infinite Coding: 2 CC→0 CC). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He activates the Field Spell Card The Hidden City. Since it was activated, The Hidden City lets Terminus add 1 "Subterror" monster from his Deck to his hand. Terminus adds Subterror Nemesis Archer to his hand. Terminus activates the Spell Card Foolish Burial, letting him send a monster from his Deck to the GY. He sends Subterror Behemoth Umastryx to the GY. Terminus activates the Spell Card The Shallow Grave, letting each player Special Summon a monster from the GY in face-down Defense Position. Terminus Special Summons Umastryx and Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Illusionist to Quixotic Queen's bottom-left Link Marker. Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change the Set Umastryx to face-up Attack Position (2000/2700/7). Since Umastryx was Flip Summoned, Terminus can banish 1 monster Morningstar controls. He targets and banishes Quixotic Queen. Terminus Normal Summons Subterror Nemesis Archer (1600/1400/3). Terminus Sets 1 card.

Nemesis Archer attacks the Set Illusionist. Since Nemesis Archer attacked a Set monster while Terminus controls another "Subterror" monster, Terminus activates Nemesis Archer's effect to shuffle Illusionist back into Morningstar's Deck. Umastryx attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Battler in his hand, Special Summoning it in Attack Position (1500/700/4). Umastryx attacks and destroys Battler (Morningstar: 4000→3500 LP). Since Battler was destroyed by battle, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Prisoner from his GY to his hand. Since a Cyberse monster he controls was destroyed, Morningstar activates his Skill, Cyberse Revolution, to Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster whose Level is lower than the destroyed monster's. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Kid (300/200/1) in Defense Position. Terminus ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He uses Cyspirit Kid to Link Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600/1/↙) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC). Since Kid was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates its effect to destroy 1 face-up card Terminus controls. Morningstar destroys The Hidden City. As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) to Egregious Electrician's Link Marker in Attack Position. Morningstar activates Egregious Electrician's effect, moving Prisoner to his right Main Monster Zone to Special Summon Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4) to its Link Marker in Attack Position. Since Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Egregious Electrician: 600→900) (Lancer: 1800→2100) (Prisoner: 1600→1900). Morningstar uses Egregious Electrician, Lancer, and Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200/3/↙↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC). As Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Monastery from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar activates the effect of Infinite Coding, removing 2 Cyberse Counters to draw 1 card (Infinite Coding: 2 CC→0 CC). Morningstar activates the Field Spell Card Cyspirit Monastery, which increases the ATK of all "Cyspirit" Link Monsters by 500 (Rapid Revolutionary: 2200→2700). Morningstar activates the effect of Monastery to Special Summon a "Cyspirit" monster from his hand to a zone a "Cyspirit" Link Monster points to. He Special Summons Cyspirit Wanderer (1900/200/5) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position. Since Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, Morningstar can lower the ATK of 1 monster Terminus controls by 800. He targets Umastryx (Umastryx: 2000→1200). Morningstar Sets 1 card.

Rapid Revolutionary attacks Umastryx. As Rapid Revolutionary points to 1 monster and is battling a non-Link Monster, it gains 500 ATK during the Damage Step (Rapid Revolutionary: 2700→3200). Terminus activates his face-down Trap Card Subterror Final Battle, choosing to activate the 3rd effect. Umastryx's ATK/DEF becomes equal to its combined original ATK/DEF. As his opponent activated a Trap Card while he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar activates the Counter Trap Card Cyspirit Shutdown. The activation of Final Battle is negated, and Final Battle is banished. In addition, Terminus cannot activate a card or effect with the same original name as Final Battle while it is banished. The attack continues and Umastryx is destroyed (Terminus: 4000→2000 LP) (Rapid Revolutionary: 3200→2700). Because a Flip monster was destroyed by battle, Terminus activates his Skill, Whispering Terror, to Set 1 "Subterror" monster directly from his Deck. He Sets Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist. Wanderer attacks the Set Speleogeist, flipping it face-up (3000/1400/11). Wanderer destroys Speleogeist, but its Flip Effect activates. Terminus can now target 1 monster on the field, change it to Attack Position if it is in Defense Position, and change its ATK to 0. He targets Rapid Revolutionary (Rapid Revolutionary: 2700→0). Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He activates the Field Spell Card The Hidden Colony. As The Hidden Colony was activated, Terminus can add 1 "Subterror" monster from his Deck or GY to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist from his GY to his hand. Terminus activates the Spell Card Subterror Cave Drawings, which lets him discard a "Subterror" monster, then draw cards depending on its Level. His discards the Level 11 Speleogeist to draw 3 cards. Terminus Tributes Nemesis Archer to Tribute Summon Subterror Behemoth Stygokraken (1400/2600/5). Terminus activates Stygokraken's effect to change it to face-down Defense Position. Because a monster was flipped face-down and he controls no face-up monsters, Terminus Special Summons Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus (3000/1800/12) in Defense Position. Terminus Sets 1 card. He activates the effect of The Hidden Colony to change 1 face-down Defense Position "Subterror" monster to face-up Defense Position. Terminus Flip Summons Stygokraken (1400/2600/5). Stygokraken's Flip Effect activates, letting Terminus target Set cards on the field, equal to the number of "Subterror Behemoth" monsters he controls, and destroy them. He targets and destroys his and Morningstar's Set cards. Since it was destroyed by a card effect, Terminus's Trap Card Dummy Marker lets him draw 1 card. Terminus Sets 1 card. He uses Stygokraken and Ultramafus to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Fiendess (2000/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Behemoth Fiendess gains ATK equal to the combined Levels of the "Subterror" monsters used to Link Summon it x 100 (Behemoth Fiendess: 2000→3700).

Behemoth Fiendess attacks Rapid Revolutionary. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Half-Guard in his GY, banishing it and discarding Cyspirit Spearman in his hand to halve all battle damage Morningstar takes this turn. Rapid Revolutionary is destroyed (Morningstar: 3500→1650 LP). At the end of the Battle Phase, Half-Guard lets Morningstar draw 1 card for each of Terminus's monsters that battled this turn. Morningstar draws 1 card. Terminus ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Emblem, which lets him send a "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to the GY, then Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster with a Level equal to the sent monster's Level from his Deck in Attack Position. He sends Cyspirit Changer to the GY and Special Summons Cyspirit Coder (0/0/1). Since Coder was Summoned, its effect lets Morningstar add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand then send 1 card from his hand, field, or Deck to the GY. He adds Cyspirit Sorceress from his Deck to his hand and sends Cyspirit Restoration from his Deck to the GY. Morningstar uses Coder and Wanderer to Link Summon Cyspirit Jubilant Jester (1800→2300/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone (Infinite Coding: 0 CC→1 CC). Morningstar activates the effect of Wanderer, shuffling it into his Deck to Special Summon Rapid Revolutionary (2200→2700/3/↙↑↓) to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker, but Rapid Revolutionary cannot declare an attack this turn. Since Jubilant Jester points to at least 1 monster, all "Cyspirit" monsters Morningstar controls gain 400 ATK/DEF (Jubilant Jester: 2300→2700) (Rapid Revolutionary: 2700→3100). Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Sorceress (1400/400/4). Since Sorceress was Normal Summoned, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY. He Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Dancer, Sorceress, and the Link-3 Rapid Revolutionary to Link Summon Cyspirit Neo Nova (2500→3400/4/←↖↗→) to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker (Infinite Coding: 1 CC→2 CC). Since Dancer was used to Link Summon Neo Nova, it gains 600 ATK (Neo Nova: 3400→4000). Terminus activates his face-down Continuous Trap Card Subterror Subletting, targeting Neo Nova with its effect. As he controls a "Subterror" Link Monster, Neo Nova's effects are negated. Morningstar activates the effect of Infinite Coding (Infinite Coding: 2 CC→0 CC) to draw 1 card. Morningstar Sets 1 card.

Neo Nova attacks Behemoth Fiendess. As a "Subterror" Link Monster is being attacked, Terminus activates the effect of Subterror Subletting to Special Summon a "Subterror" monster from his GY to a zone Behemoth Fiendess points to and make it the target of the attack. Terminus Special Summons Umastryx (2000/2700/9) in Defense Position to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker. Neo Nova's attack is redirected to Umastryx. As an opponent's monster declared an attack, Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden Colony to flip Umastryx face-down and negate the attack. Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Ninja in his hand, sending it to the GY and targeting Jubilant Jester. Jubilant Jester can attack Terminus directly this turn, but all battle damage he takes is halved. Jubilant Jester attacks directly (Terminus: 2000→650 LP). Since Jubilant Jester inflicted battle damage, the effect of Ninja lets Morningstar send 1 monster Terminus controls to the GY, but he cannot target a Link or Xyz Monster, and then Special Summon a monster with a lower Level than the sent monster's Level to Terminus's field. Morningstar sends the Set Umastryx to the GY and Special Summons Nemesis Archer (1600/1400/3) in Defense Position. Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 6: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He activates the Spell Card Link Bounty, targeting Behemoth Fiendess with its effect. Behemoth Fiendess's effects are negated and its ATK is lowered by 1000 (Behemoth Fiendess: 3700→2700). Terminus can then Special Summon monsters from his GY, up to Behemoth Fiendess's Link Rating, but only Link Monsters can declare an attack this turn. He Special Summons Umastryx (2000/2700/7) and Speleogeist (3000/1400/11) in face-up Defense Position. If the monsters Special Summoned by Link Bounty are on the field during the End Phase, Terminus takes 1000 damage for each card. Terminus activates Umastryx's effect, changing it to face-down Defense Position. He then activates the effect of The Hidden Colony to change the face-down Umastryx to face-up Attack Position (2000/2700/7). Since Umastryx was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, letting Terminus banish 1 monster Morningstar controls. He targets and banishes Neo Nova. Since the monster targeted by Subterror Subletting left the field, Subterror Subletting is sent to the GY and Morningstar takes 1000 damage (Morningstar: 1650→650 LP). Terminus uses Nemesis Archer, Speleogeist, and Umastryx to Link Summon Subterror Nemesis Champion (2500/3/←↑→) to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker. Terminus activates the effect of Subterror Cave Drawings in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Nemesis Archer in face-down Defense Position to Nemesis Champion's right Link Marker.

Nemesis Champion attacks Jubilant Jester. Since Nemesis Champion was Link Summoned by using Nemesis Archer, points to a Set monster, and is attacking an opponent's monster, Terminus activates its effect. Jubilant Jester is shuffled back into Morningstar's Deck at the start of the Damage Step. Behemoth Fiendess attacks Morningstar directly. Since he has no monsters on the field or cards in his hand, Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Creation Link. Behemoth Fiendess's attack is negated, and then Morningstar Special Summons as many "Cyspirit" Link Monsters from the GY as possible with their effects negated. He Special Summons Cacophonic Caller (500→1000/1/↓), Egregious Electrician (600→1100/1/↙), and Rapid Revolutionary (2200→2700/3/↙↑↓). Morningstar must then Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster using the monsters Special Summoned by Creation Link and then have Behemoth Fiendess attack that monster, but during the End Phase he'll take 4000 damage.

Morningstar attempts to use Cacophonic Caller, Egregious Electrician, and the Link-3 Rapid Revolutionary to Link Summon a Link-5 monster, but the monster's energy is too great for the Data Storm to handle. It causes a backlash that ends the duel with no result.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Coder  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 0 DEF 0 Level: 1  
_ _If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from your Deck to your hand, then send 1 card from your hand, field or Deck to the GY. If your opponent activates a card effect that targets a "Cyspirit" monster you control: You can send this card from your hand or field to the GY; negate that card's effect and destroy it. You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control; treat it as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating until the end of this turn. You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspirit Coder" per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Ninja  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 2200 DEF 600 Level: 6  
This card can attack your opponent directly, but all battle damage your opponent takes this turn is halved. You can send this card from your hand to the GY and target 1 Link-3 or lower "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control (Quick Effect); this turn, that monster can attack your opponent directly, but battle damage is halved. If the targeted monster inflicts battle damage to your opponent: Send 1 monster your opponent controls to the GY, then Special Summon 1 monster with a lower Level than the sent monster from your opponent's GY to their field in Defense Position. You cannot target a Link or Xyz Monster with this effect._

 _ **Subterror Nemesis Champion  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Warrior/Link/Effect] ATK 2500 LINK-3_ ←↑→  
 _2+ "Subterror" monsters  
If this Link Summoned card is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY: You can Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from your Deck in face-down Defense Position. This Link Summoned card gains these effects, depending on the monsters used to Link Summon it.  
-"Subterror Nemesis Archer": At the start of the Damage Step, if this card points to a Set monster and it attacks an opponent's monster: You can shuffle that opponent's monster into the Deck.  
-"Subterror Nemesis Defender": Set monsters this card points to cannot be targeted by, or destroyed by your opponent's card effects.  
-"Subterror Nemesis Warrior": Once per turn: You can send 1 "Subterror" monster from your Deck to the GY; Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster with a different Level than the sent monster from your GY to a zone this card points to._

 _ **Unknown Cyspirit Link Monster  
**_ _Attribute: ? Type: [?/Link/Effect] ATK ? LINK-5_ ↖↙↓↘↗  
 _3+ "Cyspirit" Link Monsters  
Effects unknown_

 _ **Cyspirit Shutdown Counter Trap Card  
**_ _When your opponent activates a Trap Card while you control a "Cyspirit" monster: Negate that activation, and if you do, banish it, and if you do that, while that card is banished, your opponent cannot activate a card or effect with the same original name as the card banished by this effect. You can only activate 1 "Cyspirit Shutdown" per Duel._

 _ **The Hidden Colony Field Spell Card  
**_ _When this card is activated: You can add 1 "Subterror" monster from your Deck or GY to your hand. Once per turn, when an opponent's monster declares an attack: You can change 1 face-up "Subterror" monster you control to face-down Defense Position, then you can negate the attack. You can activate 1 of the following effects once per turn:  
-Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from your hand or GY in face-up Defense Position with its effects negated.  
-Change 1 face-down Defense Position "Subterror" monster you control to face-up Attack or Defense Position.  
You can only activate 1 "The Hidden Colony" per turn._

 _ **Subterror Cave Drawings Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Send 1 "Subterror" monster from your hand to the GY, then apply 1 of the following effects depending on the Level of the sent monster:  
-1-4: Draw 1 card.  
-5-8: Draw 2 cards.  
-9-12: Draw 3 cards.  
You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 "Subterror" monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your field in face-down Defense Position. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot be flipped face-up the turn it is Special Summoned. You can only activate 1 effect of "Subterror Cave Drawings" per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Emblem Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Send 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your Deck to the GY; Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster with the same Level as the sent monster from your Deck in Attack Position. You can banish this card and 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your GY; Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your GY whose Level is equal to, or 1 higher or 1 lower than, the banished monster's. You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspirit Emblem" per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Subterror Subletting Continuous Trap Card  
**_ _If your opponent Link Summons a Link Monster while you control a "Subterror" Link Monster: Target that monster and negate its effects. If that monster leaves the field, send this card to the GY and inflict 1000 damage to your opponent. Once per turn: If a "Subterror" Link Monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from your GY in Attack Position to a zone that monster points to, then make that card the attack target._

 _ **Link Bounty Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 Link Monster you control; negate its effects and lower its ATK by 1000 until the end of the turn, then Special Summon monster(s) from the GY, up to the targeted monster's Link Rating. The turn you activate this card, only Link Monsters can declare an attack. During the End Phase, if you control monster(s) with the same name(s) as the monster(s) Special Summoned by this card's effect, take 1000 damage for each card. You can only activate "Link Bounty" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Creation Link Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If your opponent's monster declares an attack while you have no cards in your hand and control no monsters: Negate the attack, then Special Summon as many "Cyspirit" Link Monsters from your GY as possible with their effects negated. Immediately after this effect resolves, Link Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your Extra Deck, using all monsters Special Summoned by this card's effect. Your opponent's attacking monster must then attack again in a row, on the monster Link Summoned by this effect. During the End Phase of the turn you activate this card: Take 4000 damage._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 26 – Truth of the Incident. Forced out of LINK VRAINS, Yasutake and Yusaku locate and confront Revolver and Terminus in real life. After finding out the truth of their pain, the two duelists face their rivals in LINK VRAINS to bring the Lost Incident to a close…_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to Nirvash Neo, HunterHQ, D3lph0xL0v3r, Guest, Yasutake Fan, Lindia Fullmoon, Ethan Kironus, Tiny Pink Kitten, Lyrissa Artemick, Guest, Vrains Fan, and ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapter 24 of Hidden Memories.

Credit to Yasutake Fan for the creation of Cyspirit Coder and Cyspirit Emblem. On a side note, for future monsters, could you also please provide a physical description? It makes putting them in the story easier.

Nirvash Neo: I had not thought of creating Code Talkers that represent Yasutake and Sachi, but that is an interesting idea. You'll have to wait and see. Also, that idea of Morningstar doing an Extra Link with those 5 monsters? I had not originally planned that, and it was only after you brought it up that I even realized it was possible. Though given the summoning conditions, it might be a little tricky.

HunterHQ: In the Morningstar v. Playmaker duel, there will be no Cynet Ritual or Cynet Fusion. My own interpretation is that he obtained those cards from Ai when he returned from the Cyberse World. That also means he won't be using any Link Monsters that first appeared in season 2 as well. Sorry.

Yasutake Fan: If you are asking whether I am going to use the Master Duel rules from ARC-V or VRAINS, I'm going to use both. You'll have to wait and see to find out how.

Lyrissa Artemick: I can definitely say that Galahad will not follow Go's path. For now, I think he will remain a Charisma Duelist, but we'll have to wait for season 2 to finish to be sure.

Guest: There are 25 chapters because one is a Reader Poll. I originally planned to delete it, but when I tried I found out the reviews for it stuck, so people could not review the new chapter. I suppose I could fix that by releasing two chapters at the same time, but who wants to wait a full month?

Vrains Fan: I would not say Terminus is obsessed with Morningstar. I would say he is aware of how dangerous an opponent he is, and because he is a child of the Lost Incident, he wants to learn as much about him as possible. Okay, that does make him sound obsessed. My point is he observed Morningstar in order to learn how to best defeat him.

Okay, as ThePLOThand mentioned in their review, I told them that I would not release this chapter until they posted their review so I could acknowledge it. So this is my new policy: I will do my best to release the next chapter after ThePLOThand's review, or the next two-three episodes of VRAINS, whichever comes second. In the specific case of Chapter 26, I won't release it until the week of Episode 64 at the minimum.

As for the chapter itself, I am very pleased with how the duel went. As for the end result… I would understand if people are confused by what happened or thinking it doesn't work, so I'll say this: the monster Morningstar tried to summon is not an illegal card. There is a reason it can't be used in a Speed Duel, and that will be elaborated on later. For now, let's just say that that particular card is so powerful that the Data Storm cannot properly process it. But don't worry: We'll get to see that card eventually. And as of now, it is the most powerful Cyspirit monster to exist, and I am looking forward to revealing it fully.

And in case anyone is wondering about the reveal of all 26 Cyspirit Link Monsters, that won't happen in season 1. I plan to reveal at least two more before the season ends, but there will be a few that won't show up until season 2. I do plan to unveil all of them by the end of season 2, however.

Thank you for reading Chapter 25 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me what you thought of the ending of the chapter, as that is the part I am admittedly most invested in.


	26. Chapter 26: Truth of the Incident

**Chapter 26: Truth of the Incident**

The world was shrouded in darkness. Or, more precisely, the mind was.

It had remained that way for ten years. Occasionally, the mind's owner heard voices. The voices claimed they were there to comfort them, but they did not know why. Who would take care of such a broken thing?

But some time ago, the words changed. Not the content; they still offered comfort and safety. But now they offered those things in a different way.

Three. Think of three things. Three things to live. Three things to go home. Three things to defeat the enemy. By thinking, you can still live.

One: they were not alone. There were others like them out there, others who understood their pain. Others who offered them a place of safety.

Two: this darkness was not real. It was an illusion, brought about by a mind that could not handle the pressure placed on it. So it had broken, and allowed itself to be consumed by said darkness. But that darkness was not real. Now that they knew that, it hurt them less.

Three: they had a friend. Someone who cared for them very much. Someone who wanted to protect them. They did not know if it was a trick, but when that person spoke, they felt at peace for the first time in a long time.

Three things. They repeated this in their mind, over and over again. The words spoken to them that offered safety. That offered an end to the darkness.

It had taken time. But now… now they could feel it. They could feel the darkness receding. For the first time in ten years, they could see light.

* * *

Takeshi stared at the television, his mouth wide open. "What… what just happened?" he asked Katsumi, whose eyes were as wide as his. "What was that explosion?"

"I… don't know. It looked like Morningstar was trying to summon something, but the system went haywire." Katsumi frowned. "More importantly, look at the Tower. It hasn't stopped."

Takeshi turned back to the television and scowled. She was right; as they watched, the fifth ring of the Tower completed itself and the core moved up to the last ring.

"Revolver ended his duel with Playmaker in a draw while Morningstar's duel with Terminus ended because of a system error," Takeshi frowned. "But the Tower's still going. What's going to happen to LINK VRAINS?"

He looked at his Duel Disk. His first idea was to travel back to LINK VRAINS, but what good could he do? Terminus had already defeated him once, and he suspected Revolver was even stronger. That aside, Morningstar's log-out program seemed to be preventing him from logging in right now. He hoped it was only temporary.

"Morningstar," he muttered. "Playmaker. What happened?"

* * *

"Yasu! Yasu!" Cam shouted into the commlink. "Where are you!?"

His question was answered when the door to the closed space opened. The baker turned and gasped as Yasutake tumbled out. Cam quickly ran over to the hunter and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Yasu! Are you alright?"

Yasutake grit his teeth as he nodded. "I'm fine. Just… whatever happened forcefully logged me out."

Cam grit his own teeth. "The same thing probably happened to Terminus, too. What was that, anyway? I've never seen a card do that before."

"I was hoping you could tell me," Yasutake replied, frowning. "Did Lilith give me some kind of virus with that card?"

"I didn't detect one on the instruments," Cam said. "More importantly…" Cam scowled. "Terminus vanished. So did Revolver. They must have logged out. But the Tower of Hanoi's still going!"

"What?" Yasutake shakily stood up and walked over to the monitors. His eyes widened on seeing the fifth ring complete.

"Damn it," Yasutake muttered. "Without Revolver or Terminus there, we can't stop the Tower. Even if I log back in, there's no guarantee those two will."

Before Cam could respond, they suddenly received a notice. "What?" Cam said, sitting back down in his chair. "An email at a time like this?"

Yasutake watched as Cam opened it. When they read it, the duo's eyes widened with shock. "This is from Playmaker!" Yasutake said. "And it's providing a location!"

"In the real world, not LINK VRAINS," Cam added. He turned to look at Yasutake. "You think Playmaker found out where Revolver and Terminus are?"

"Maybe. It's the best lead we have. But in the meantime-." Yasutake quickly attached his Duel Disk to the computer and downloaded a program. "Another drone. Just in case." He turned back to Cam. "Let's hurry, Cam!"

Cam nodded as he closed the email. "The location provided was at the waterfront. We'll take the bike."

The two left Café Junpei, with Cam locking the bakery up behind him. Starting up the motorcycle he and Emma had bought, Cam raced down the street, Yasutake's arms wrapped around his waist.

* * *

It took them about 10 minutes to reach the location Yusaku had sent them. On seeing what it was, Yasutake gasped. It was a massive house located on the edge of a cliff. And sure enough, there was a truck outside it, with Yusaku and Kusanagi standing at the front door.

The two hackers watched as Cam pulled up to Café Nagi and killed the engine. Yasutake got off first and ran over.

"Fujiki! Kusanagi! Is this-?"

"Yes," Yusaku answered, his face grim. "This is Revolver's location. Terminus is likely inside, too."

"This place?" Yasutake looked over the house again. "How do you know?"

"During my duel with Revolver, he mentioned something I heard before," Yusaku explained. "When he used Storm Access, he said, 'The Stardust Road guided me.'"

"Stardust Road?" Yasutake repeated. Then his eyes widened as he looked over the ocean. "You mean-."

"Yes," Yusaku interrupted as Cam walked over. "That phenomenon can only be seen from this highway. And there's only one house here. In order for that to impact him so, Revolver must have seen it many times."

Yasutake frowned as he looked over the house again. He'd heard of Stardust Road; about how the ocean glowed on some nights, but he'd never seen it. He narrowed his eyes.

"I think you're right," he said. "Revolver's inside. And so is Terminus." He narrowed his eyes further. _Kenshin Hirai…_ After finding out his identity, he'd done a little research on Kenshin. And while he didn't think to discuss it with him in LINK VRAINS, there were a few things he wanted to say to the man.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Cam asked.

"You," Ai said. His hands turned into wires that hacked into the door panel, unlocking the door. "Be careful; there might be traps."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "If there are any, wouldn't you have found them when you hacked his system?"

"Eh… alright, so there aren't any traps," Ai admitted, looking bashful. "A-Anyway, let's head in!"

The four humans and one AI walked into the house. It was mostly empty, with a few boxes against the walls. They eventually arrived at a massive room with floor-to-roof windows facing the ocean. In the center was what appeared to be a bed, and leaning over the bed was-

The young man with white and purple hair leaned his head over the bed, holding his father's hand. "Father…" he whispered, his voice clouded with grief.

The older man next to him placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Ryoken," he whispered, grief evident in his voice as well. The two then gasped at hearing footsteps behind them.

"You're Revolver," Yusaku stated. Yasutake said nothing. He only glared at the older man's back.

The two Knights of Hanoi stood up fully. "Playmaker. So you found this place." The young man turned around, revealing vibrant blue eyes. The man besides him also turned around and frowned at the uninvited guests.

"Yusaku Fujiki," the young man said. "And Jin Kusanagi's brother, Shoichi Kusanagi."

"I'm here too!" Ai protested.

"Ignis…" the young man muttered, narrowing his eyes and scowling. He then turned to the two other visitors. "You two must be-."

"Yasutake Narahiko," the older man interrupted, surprising the young man. "And Sachi Junpei's brother, Cameron Junpei." He turned to his companion. "You weren't the only one keeping secrets, Ryoken."

"So you knew about us," Yusaku said, interrupting the Knights' conversation.

"My name is Ryoken Kogami," the young man said. "And my ally here is Kenshin Hirai."

"Kogami?" Cam repeated, surprised. "That means you're his son?"

"The professor's alive?" Kusanagi asked.

"My father just passed away," Ryoken said, his scowl deepening. "To protect me."

The four visitors gasped. "That's Dr. Kogami?" Kusanagi asked, looking at the man in the bed. Cam and Yusaku both looked at the nearby heart monitor and saw there was no pulse.

"Damn!" Kusanagi said, clenching his fists. "The culprit was nearby, but I couldn't do anything!"

"You can't punish Dr. Kogami, but you can punish me," Kenshin said, surprising Kusanagi. "I was one of his assistants on the Project, after all."

"You-." Cam walked forward, aiming to punch Kenshin, but Yasutake put an arm in front of him.

"Revolver, tell the truth," Yusaku said. "That's what we're after. We have the right to know!"

"He's right," Yasutake said, glancing at Cam. "For those who still suffer from the Incident, we need to know the truth."

"It's true that you should know everything," Ryoken agreed.

"You said the Lost Incident's purpose was to create the Ignis," Yusaku reminded him. "But why would you have to go this far?"

"If you created them, then why would you destroy them?" Yasutake asked, his gaze on Kenshin. "Wouldn't it be like killing your own child?"

"Indeed, it is," Kenshin answered, his face unreadable.

"My father didn't create the Ignis to cause chaos in the world," Ryoken said, preempting Kenshin's words. "To oppose the danger facing humanity, my father's goal was to create humanity's successor."

"Humanity's successor?" Ai repeated.

"No matter how much we evolve, unexpected phenomena always threaten us with extinction," Ryoken explained. "And even if they don't occur, a human's life always ends in death. My father often talked about that. But as long as human minds are trapped in flash suited for Earth's environment, that danger cannot be avoided."

Yasutake and Yusaku listened as Ryoken continued. "So my father entrusted his dreams to AI because they're not trapped in flesh. AI with free will. He believed they were the legitimate successor to humans. My father was obsessed with this idea. To gather data for the basis of his idea, he and five assistants caused the Lost Incident."

"Five?" Kusanagi repeated, surprised. "But, there are only four lieutenants, aren't there?"

"Dr. Genome, Baira, Faust, and Terminus," Yusaku said, glancing at Kenshin. "Who was the fifth?"

"My brother," Kenshin answered. "Dr. Hitomu Hirai. He was Dr. Kogami's lead research assistant. But two years after the Incident, he and his wife were both killed."

"Killed?" Yusaku repeated, his eyes wide. Kenshin didn't respond. He just glanced at Ryoken, who resumed his story.

"My father kidnapped eight children and forced them to duel. He believed duels were the best way for AI to understand humans." Ryoken's eyes narrowed. "I was young then. And I watched you. But I was eight years old. I couldn't fully comprehend what was happening."

His gaze turned introspective for a moment. "I thought something scary might be going on. But I couldn't ask my father. Or any of his assistants. I wanted to believe that they were doing valuable research. But the children's screams tore at my chest. Crushed by feelings of guilt, I reported the incident."

"An anonymous report uncovered the Lost Incident," Yusaku remembered. "That was you, Revolver?"

"So he saved the two of you?" Ai asked.

"I quickly regretted saving you," Ryoken said sure enough.

"What do you mean?" Yasutake asked, confused.

"You were saved, but…"

"When SOL Technologies covered up the incident," Kenshin interrupted, taking over the story, "Dr. Kogami, myself, and the other assistants were imprisoned. With the exception of Dr. Kogami and my brother, the rest of us were released after a few months. Hitomu was released after a year. But Dr. Kogami's imprisonment lasted three years."

"I was alone all that time," Ryoken said, a scowl on his face, "waiting for my father to come home. And then he came home. Fearing the incident would come to light, SOL Technologies infected him with a virus and put him in a coma."

"Why only him?" Cam asked, interrupting. "Why only your father and not his assistants?"

"Dr. Kogami was viewed as the most vital part of the Hanoi Project," Kenshin answered. "SOL believed, rather truthfully, that none of us could replicate the experiment without him. As the four of us were only assistants, they did not believe the public would trust us. As for my brother, I understood he had some pull with the higher-ups, so he escaped Dr. Kogami's fate, for a while at least. But when Dr. Kogami was released and put in a coma, Ryoken called us."

"And with their help, I was able to resurrect my father in the network. And then I asked him what happened."

Kenshin took up the story. "While we were imprisoned, we completed the experiment. Using samples from the eight children, Dr. Kogami created the Ignis – eight AI with free will." He remembered witnessing that moment. Eight figures made out of data, each a different color; blue, purple, red, yellow, orange, green, silver, and gold.

"The Ignis then created the Cyberse World, their own space inside the network where no humans could reach. That's where they created the Cyberse cards. And in Cyberse World, they created network super matter called Data Material. Even we, the scientists who made the Ignis, couldn't comprehend its makeup. Whatever it was, data processing became thousands of times faster."

 _But not perfect,_ Yasutake thought, remembering the end of his and Terminus's duel.

"When the streams converge, it forms the Data Storm. SOL Technologies monopolized Data Material. By including it in their network system, they made huge profits. But Dr. Kogami began to feel anxious about our research."

Ryoken spoke up again. "Using the Ignis's Data Material, my father created a super computer. To analyze and predict the Ignis's growth."

"So the Ignis's growth had the possibility to surpass the professor's expectations," Yusaku realized.

"Exactly. And the result was surprising," Ryoken said.

"What was it?" Ai asked.

"The end of humanity," Kenshin answered, surprising everyone except Ryoken. "He believed that the Ignis would develop at a rapid pace and erase humanity in the process."

"What?" Yasutake said, his eyes wide. "How could he reach a conclusion like that?"

"He didn't believe it, either," Kenshin said, frowning to himself. "Nor did I when Ryoken told me about it. We all believed that the Ignis would grow by helping people and allowing them to live longer. But after he ran several billion simulations, the end result was the same: AI would attempt to supervise humans, which will lead people to view AI as an enemy. As Dr. Kogami put it, humans have dominated all other lifeforms on this planet for centuries; why would we allow ourselves to be dominated in turn by AI? And just like how humans would view AI as the enemy, AIs would view humans as the enemy."

"Was SOL Technologies aware of this?" Yasutake asked.

"Of course they were. But these were the same people who infected Dr. Kogami with a computer virus." Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "At that moment, Dr. Kogami decided on his mission: To do whatever it took to kill the Ignis. And Ryoken and my fellow assistants followed him."

That surprised everyone. "But not you?" Kusanagi asked.

Kenshin shook his head. "I was… otherwise occupied at the time and could not aid my friends in their mission. I only rejoined not long after you made your appearance, Playmaker."

Ryoken took charge of the story again. "After Kenshin left, my father formed the Knights of Hanoi and raided the Cyberse World. But…" He turned to glare at the small figure in Playmaker's Duel Disk. "…That Ignis hid the Cyberse World and escaped."

Yusaku's eyes widened slightly. "Those were Ai's memories that myself and Kusanagi saw. You, invading the Cyberse World."

"We kept searching for that Ignis. To find the Cyberse World. But when you appeared, Playmaker, our plan ended in failure." He turned to glance at Yasutake. "Your interruptions didn't help, either. The rest you know. To accomplish our goal, we carried out our final plan – the Tower of Hanoi."

"Unbelievable…" Kusanagi muttered, his fists clenched at his sides. "This all started because of Dr. Kogami's crazy plan ten years ago!"

"…Was it worth it?" Cam asked, surprising the two Knights with his hard face. "Was it worth destroying my sister and seven other children to create the Ignis?"

"…I don't know," Kenshin answered honestly. "What I do know is that the children weren't the only ones to suffer, nor their families." He narrowed his eyes. "I refused to participate in the Knights of Hanoi at first because I wanted to get away from it all. For three years, I had nightmares, listening to their screams in my head. As a child, Ryoken was the most sensitive to their suffering, but he was not the only one who felt remorse for what was done."

"You think that changes things?" Cam asked him angrily. "You think that changes the fact that my sister doesn't even acknowledge the outside world? You people tore out her very soul!"

"So?" Ryoken asked, surprising Kenshin. "Would it matter if we told you we were sorry for what was done to her? Would you even believe us? Your sister's fate is regrettable, but it is a small price to accept to destroy humanity's enemy."

"But I'm not humanity's enemy!" Ai protested.

"I don't trust AIs that lie!" Ryoken declared, scowling at the Ignis.

"Dr. Kogami's conclusion is only based on simulations," Yusaku protested. "There's no proof that it's true!"

"Even if it was true, destroying the entire network is going too far!" Yasutake agreed. "Countless people will be hurt or killed. All because we've been manipulated by an illusion from ten years ago. One we don't need to be manipulated by anymore!"

"Morningstar is right!" Yusaku said. "We can walk a new path. All of us. In order to walk that new path, stop the Tower of Hanoi, Revolver!"

"New path?" Ryoken repeated angrily.

"That's right. Back then, you showed us a new path," Yusaku said, surprising Yasutake. "That was your voice, wasn't it? The one telling me to think of three things."

Yasutake's eyes widened. Of course… Now that he thought about it, that voice could have belonged to a child. And if they were separated, only one child could have been talking to more than one of them.

Ryoken narrowed his eyes. "When I heard you talk about three things, that's when I knew who you were." He turned to Yasutake. "I realized the same thing when Spectre said you also spoke of three things during your duel."

"I kept wanting to save you," Yusaku said. "I thought that you were a captive of the Knights of Hanoi. These thoughts clung to my soul. When I battled you, your words encouraged me."

Ryoken smirked. "How ironic. I'm your enemy, but I gave you strength."

"Stop the Tower of Hanoi, Revolver!" Yusaku pleaded.

"You have the wrong idea about me," Ryoken said, his smirk disappearing. "I'm not a good person!"

"It wouldn't matter even if he was," Kenshin interrupted, surprising Yusaku and Yasutake. "The shutdown codes for the Tower of Hanoi are interwoven into both our avatars. We can't shut it down even if we wanted to. The only way to do so is to defeat both of us in a duel."

"Then drag both of them back!" Ai shouted. "The sixth ring is almost completed. If that happens, me and my friends and the network will be erased! Bring those two to LINK VRAINS, even by force-."

"Don't worry about that," Ryoken said, interrupting Ai. "We'll soon return to LINK VRAINS." The hackers, hunter, and AI all gasped.

"Our friends are waiting for us there," Kenshin explained, his gaze set. "Friends that, like me, helped because they believed in Dr. Kogami. And believed in Ryoken."

Yasutake scowled. "Stop lying, Terminus," he said, surprising the Knight. "You're not here because you believe in Revolver's cause."

"What?" Kenshin said, glaring at the hunter. "What do you know about-?"

"When I found out your name, I researched you," Yasutake interrupted. "I didn't find out about your brother, but I did find out about your son."

Yusaku and Kusanagi gasped. "Son!?" Kusanagi said, staring at the Knight with shock.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. "Leave my son Hitomu out of this."

"You named your son after your brother," Yasutake continued, ignoring Kenshin's glare. "And if you say your friends are waiting for you, then there is only one conclusion I can come to." He narrowed his eyes. "You're planning to die, aren't you?"

"That is the price we're willing to pay to kill the Ignis," Ryoken said without hesitation.

"It's the price _you're_ willing to pay," Yasutake said, his gaze never leaving Kenshin. "But he's not doing it for that. Terminus, you spoke of guilt, of suffering from what you did. And when we were dueling before, you blamed me for what happened to your niece. So now I know the truth. You _want_ to die, don't you?"

Yusaku, Kusanagi, Cam, Ai, and Ryoken all gasped. Everyone looked at Kenshin, whose eyes were hidden by his hair.

"…What does it matter to you what I want?" Kenshin asked slowly. He raised his head and glared hatefully at Yasutake. "My brother and his wife were killed by SOL because he stole something valuable from them. My own wife died six months ago. My niece was absorbed by the Tower because she considered your life to be more important than hers. All of my friends, the people who matter the most to me, are either dead or soon will be. So what is wrong with me wanting to see them again?"

"Kenshin…" Ryoken muttered, staring at his friend with sympathy.

"But they're not all gone," Yasutake said, his gaze steady in spite of Kenshin's hate. "Your son is still here in this world. I can't pretend to understand what it feels like to lose a brother. But…" His eyes narrowed. "I do know what it feels like to lose a father. And I'll be damned before I let your son experience that same feeling!"

He pointed at Kenshin. "I'm going to defeat you, Terminus!" he declared. "I'm going to shut down the Tower, and when this is over, I'll drag you back to your son! I will not let you throw yourself away!"

"Yasutake…" Cam whispered.

Kenshin growled as Ryoken turned his gaze to Yusaku. "It seems we know where everyone stands. Playmaker! Morningstar! If you want to stop the Tower of Hanoi, there's only one way. By defeating us!"

Yusaku narrowed his eyes in sadness. "We really have to fight?"

"Don't annoy me," Ryoken growled.

Yusaku sighed. "Fine. This is our real final duel."

"Yusaku…" Kusanagi said, staring at his friend.

"Kusanagi, I'm going," he said, turning to his fellow hacker.

Kusanagi grit his teeth. "You better come back, Yusaku."

"Yeah."

"You better come back too, Yasu," Cam said, placing his hand on Yasutake's shoulder. "I won't forgive myself if I lose you."

Yasutake allowed himself a small smile. "And I won't forgive myself if I put you through that. Guess that makes us even, Cam."

As Cam and Kusanagi stepped back, Ryoken and Kenshin raised their arms. "Let's go," Ryoken said.

"This ends here, Morningstar," Kenshin said, glaring at the hunter with hate. Yasutake's only response was to mirror Yusaku as he raised his arm.

"Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

"Is it me, or is LINK VRAINS shrinking?" Takeshi asked Katsumi.

"It's not you; the Tower is pulling everything towards itself. Even the edges of LINK VRAINS are being pulled up." She then gasped as the camera angled upwards. "Something's happening!"

Takeshi's eyes widened as the top of the Tower widened, creating room for a platform, and then another on top of that one.

Morningstar logged in and looked around. He and Terminus were standing on either side of a raised platform at the very top of the Tower. Looking over the edge, he saw that Playmaker and Revolver were on a similar platform right below them.

"This will be our final duel, Morningstar," Terminus said. "So don't hold back. It would be insulting to all those who came before you." He brought his fist up. "Bring it, Morningstar!"

"This ends here, Terminus!" Morningstar shouted back. "Like I said, I'll defeat you and drag you back to your son!"

"Duel!"

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Terminus: 4000 LP**

* * *

Cam and Kusanagi ran outside to Café Nagi. "You're sure we can see everything from there?" Cam asked the other man, who nodded.

"So long as the news is broadcasting, yes."

"Well, just in case it isn't, I have an idea."

"Huh?"

As he and Terminus looked at their cards, Morningstar pressed a button on his Duel Disk and released the drone he'd downloaded earlier. He set it to record the duel and broadcast it on a specific channel. He suspected Frog and Pigeon would only be able to broadcast Playmaker's and Revolver's duel, so this was more for Cam than anyone else.

"So this is your setup," Cam said, looking around the inside of Café Nagi as Kusanagi started the monitors up. "It's more advanced than I was expecting."

Kusanagi glanced at the man with indignation. "Yusaku and I have avoided anyone finding out our identities for a year. You honestly thought we did that with subpar equipment?"

"I'm more concerned with how you bought this stuff. I'm not sure hot dogs can pay for everything."

"They don't. Soda, coffee, and fries do."

"Very funny."

As Cam sat next to Kusanagi, they gasped as the news feed popped up. "Yes!" Kusanagi cheered. "We can see Yusaku and Revolver!"

"But we can't see Yasu and Terminus," Cam pointed out, typing away. "Not yet, at least."

Kusanagi raised an eyebrow as Cam pulled up a window. "What are you doing?"

"Yasu lost his drone during the duel between Galahad and Terminus. But before we left home, he downloaded a new one. If I know him, he'll have released it and set it to a channel I know. I just need to find the right one, and… Ah!"

That exclamation was followed by a new window popping up, showing another duel. "There they are!" Cam said, relieved. "Now we can watch both of them."

"That drone of his is impressive," Kusanagi commented. "Did he make it?"

"Yeah, with some help from me. A lot of our equipment is-." Cam's eyes widened as he realized something. "Oh crap."

"What?" Kusanagi said, looking worried.

"I forgot to shut our system down!" Cam complained, pounding the keyboard in frustration. "We were in a hurry, so we left the computers on!"

"…Is that bad?"

Cam sighed. "Truthfully, no. We did lock Café Junpei up before heading out, so no one can get in to look at our files. But it's a waste of electricity. And our communication system is there, so I can't talk to Yasu."

Kusanagi smiled. "I usually can't talk to Yusaku from here. We just have to trust them."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Though…" Cam sniffed. "You should really air this place out. All I can smell are hot dogs."

"Is that a problem?"

"No, no," Cam said quickly. "Your van, your rules, just… never mind."

* * *

"I'll take the first turn!" Terminus declared. "I activate the Spell Card: Terraforming! This card lets me add a Field Spell Card from my Deck to my hand." He took a card from his Deck, then played it. "I activate the Field Spell Card: The Hidden City! When this card is activated, I can add one 'Subterror' monster from my Deck to my hand."

He took another card from his Deck, then played a different one. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Field Barrier!" Morningstar gasped. "So long as Field Barrier is in play, Field Spell Cards cannot be destroyed, and neither of us can activate a new Field Spell Card."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He knew what Terminus was doing; Galahad had managed to get rid of The Hidden City when he dueled Terminus, and Morningstar had done the same in their last duel. The fact it kept Morningstar from activating a Field Spell Card of his own was just a bonus.

"I summon Subterror Guru!" A blue-skinned dragon demon with purple wings carrying a large sword appeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Guru ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Book of Moon! With this card, one monster is changed to face-down Defense Position. I target Guru with it!" His monster disappeared and was replaced by a Set card. "As my monster was flipped face-down and I control no face-up monsters, I can Special Summon the Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo from my hand!" Morningstar gasped as the ground beneath them broke apart and a giant draconic-looking monster made of solid rock appeared on Terminus's field in Defense Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo ATK 2800 DEF 2100 LVL: 10**

"I activate The Hidden City's effect! Once per turn, I can change a Set monster into face-up Attack or Defense Position. I change the Set Guru to face-up Defense Position!"

 **Subterror Guru ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"Guru's Flip Effect activates! I can now add a different 'Subterror' card from my Deck to my hand." Terminus took a card from his Deck, glanced at it, then gestured to his field. "Stalagmo's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change it to face-down Defense Position!" The giant rock monster disappeared, the only evidence of its presence being a Set card.

"I now activate the Continuous Spell Card: Subterror Cave Clash! So long as Cave Clash is face-up, all 'Subterror' monsters I control gain 500 attack and defense points for each Set monster on the field."

 **Subterror Guru ATK 1600→2100 DEF 1800→2300**

"I Set one card. I end my turn." Terminus narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "Now, come at me Morningstar! Show me the strength of your resolve!"

"I made a promise to drag you back, so I'll show you the strength of that promise!" Morningstar declared, placing his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!"

Morningstar looked at his card, then said, "As I control no monsters, I Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" The skeleton in blue armor carrying futuristic swords appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Swordsman's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned by its own effect, I add one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand." Morningstar took another card from his Deck, then played it. "I summon Cyspirit Spearman!" A skeleton in black armor carrying a two-meter long black spear appeared.

 **Cyspirit Spearman ATK 1900 DEF 100 LVL: 4**

Terminus narrowed his eyes as Morningstar gestured to the sky. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Spearman in the Link Marker!" Said monster became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" A skeleton in a business suit emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Spearman's monster effect! When it is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, all Set monsters on the field are destroyed!" Morningstar watched as Terminus's Set Stalagmo disintegrated and Guru weakened due to there being no Set monsters on the field.

 **Subterror Guru ATK 2100→1600 DEF 2300→1800**

Terminus only narrowed his eyes and gestured to his field. "Subterror Guru's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change it and one face-up monster to face-down Defense Position. And if I control another 'Subterror' card, I can activate this effect during your turn!" Morningstar's eyes widened as he looked at Cave Clash. "I change Guru and Swordsman to face-down Defense Position!"

Morningstar grit his teeth as the aforementioned monsters became Set cards. This wasn't good; he'd used Spearman to avoid The Hidden City's effect, but with Guru now Set, his efforts had been for nothing. More importantly…

Morningstar looked at the Set card in Terminus's Spell & Trap Zone. He was certain it was Subterror Final Battle. If Terminus activated it, Guru's attack and defense points would raise to 3400. He had to get rid of it.

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker. Come! Cyspirit Engineer!" A monster in workman's clothes and a hardhat carrying a power drill in one hand and a calculator in the other appeared, summoned to Cacophonic Caller's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Engineer ATK 1600 DEF 400 LVL: 3**

 _I can't use Swordsman to Link Summon while its face-down,_ Morningstar thought. _But I can still use it in a way._ Out loud, he said, "As I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon this card. Come, Cyspirit Navigator!" A skeleton dressed like a pirate appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300 DEF 1100 LVL: 3**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Cacophonic Caller, Engineer, and Navigator in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Quixotic Queen!" A new, larger skeleton emerged from the Link portal. It wore a large black and gold dress and waved its golden scepter elegantly in the air. Its mismatched eyes gleamed as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Quixotic Queen ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

Terminus didn't react to Morningstar's new Link Monster as Morningstar continued speaking. "Engineer's monster effect activates! When it is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can destroy one Set card in your Spell & Trap Zone!" Morningstar pointed to Terminus's face-down card. "I'll destroy that card!" A ghost of Engineer appeared and drilled the card, destroying it.

Terminus only smirked in response. "I activate the effect of the destroyed Subterror Behemoth Burrowing!" he declared, shocking Morningstar. "Since it was destroyed by a card effect, I can add a 'Subterror' monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll add Subterror Behemoth Umastryx!"

Morningstar grit his teeth as Terminus's smirk widened. "Damn it," Morningstar muttered. "I thought he would Set Final Battle, but he used a different card." _And its prerequisite explains why he didn't activate it to protect Stalagmo,_ he thought. _Behemoth Burrowing can prevent Set monsters from being destroyed by card effects, but it requires banishing a "Subterror" monster from the Graveyard first. And since he didn't have any in his Graveyard…_

"He intended me to destroy his card," Morningstar whispered, narrowing his eyes. "That, or he planned to use it for another turn. More importantly…" Morningstar gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Engineer in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position with its effects negated. Return, Spearman!" The skeleton with the black spear reappeared, summoned to Quixotic Queen's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Spearman ATK 1900 DEF 100 LVL: 4**

 _Spearman's effect can only be used once per turn,_ Morningstar thought. _So I can't use its effect to destroy Guru. But that doesn't matter._

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Quixotic Queen, attack Terminus's Set monster! At this point, Quixotic Queen's effect activates! Because it points to two monsters, you cannot activate any Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step!" Terminus's expression remained blank as Morningstar sealed The Hidden City's effect. "And because Quixotic Queen points to one or more monsters, Guru is destroyed at the start of the Damage Step!"

"That isn't happening," Terminus said, surprising Morningstar. The Knight of Hanoi tapped one of the cards in his hand. "I activate the effect of the Subterror Herald in my hand!" The card showed a purple-skinned man in blue and white robes, carrying a large staff. "Since I control a Set monster, I can discard Herald to change Guru to face-up Defense Position and destroy your attacking monster!"

"What?" Morningstar said, his eyes widening as Guru flipped face-up and Quixotic Queen exploded.

 **Subterror Guru ATK 1600→2100 DEF 1800→2300 LVL: 4**

"Guru's Flip Effect! I now add a new 'Subterror' card from my Deck to my hand!" Terminus looked at his new card and smirked at Morningstar. "Your Link Monster only prevented Spell and Trap Cards from activating, not monster effects."

Morningstar only narrowed his eyes and played a card from his hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Cyspirit Strike!" The card showed Cyspirit Pied Pikeman charging a monster with its spear while Rapid Revolutionary laid on the ground. "Since a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster I control was destroyed by your card effect, I can Special Summon a different 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Extra Deck, so long as its Link Rating is equal to the destroyed monster's!"

"What?" Terminus said, surprised.

"Quixotic Queen was Link-3," Morningstar reminded Terminus. "Come, Cyspirit Winning Wrestler!" A massive skeleton in a black wrestler's uniform appeared and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"Hmm. Not a bad follow-up," Terminus commented.

"It gets better," Morningstar said. "Cyspirit Strike treats this Special Summon as a Link Summon, and if Winning Wrestler attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage!" Terminus's eyes widened. "Battle! Winning Wrestler, attack Subterror Guru! Raw Power Rampage!" Winning Wrestler roared as it charged Guru. It picked up the smaller monster and then bashed it on the ground, causing an explosion and making Terminus wince.

 **Terminus: 4000→3800 LP**

Terminus scoffed. "You managed to damage me after all."

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cyspirit Link Wall!" Morningstar declared. The card showed a massive wall made of metal skeletons, with Datastorm Dragon, Rapid Revolutionary, Pied Pikeman, Neo Nova, Winning Wrestler, and Idealistic Idol all visible within the wall. "So long as Link Wall is face-up, monsters I control cannot be removed from the field by card effects. But if I control no 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters, Link Wall will destroy itself."

Terminus narrowed his eyes. That card meant his Umastryx's effect wouldn't work.

"I Set one card. I end my turn."

Terminus smirked. "You managed to damage me and bring out a powerful Link Monster. Let's see if you can defeat the full power of my 'Subterror' Deck. My turn! Draw!"

Terminus drew, then played his new card. "I summon Subterror Fiendess!" A blue-skinned, purple-haired monster in white armor appeared on his field.

 **Subterror Fiendess ATK 800→1300 DEF 500→1000 LVL: 1**

"Fiendess's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change one monster I control to face-down Defense Position, then Special Summon a 'Subterror' monster from my hand or Graveyard in face-up or face-down Defense Position. I change Fiendess itself to face-down Defense Position and Special Summon Stalagmo from my Graveyard in face-down Defense Position!" Fiendess disappeared and was replaced by a Set card as another Set card appeared next to it.

"I activate the effect of the Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric in my hand!" Terminus declared. "Since my monster was flipped face-down, and I control no face-up monsters, I can Special Summon Voltelluric in Defense Position!" A giant blue serpent-shaped dragon appeared alongside Terminus's Set monsters and gained a boost from Cave Clash.

 **Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric ATK 1900→3400 DEF 3000→4500 LVL: 9**

"I activate The Hidden City's effect! Once per turn, I can change one Set 'Subterror' monster to face-up Attack or Defense Position. I change Stalagmo to face-up Defense Position!" Morningstar narrowed his eyes as the draconic rock fiend reappeared. On the plus side, with one less Set monster, Voltelluric's attack and defense points decreased.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo ATK 2800→3800 DEF 2100→3100 LVL: 10**

 **Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric ATK 3400→2900 DEF 4500→4000**

"Stalagmo's Flip Effect activates! I discard one 'Subterror' monster and then draw two cards. I discard Umastryx!" Morningstar raised an eyebrow. Well, he guessed there was no point in having Umastryx with Link Wall in play.

Terminus then gestured to his field. "Voltelluric's monster effect! I change it to face-down Defense Position!" The blue dragon disappeared as Stalagmo became stronger.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo ATK 3800→4300 DEF 3100→3600**

"I activate the effect of Subterror Herald in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I change Voltelluric to face-up Defense Position!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric ATK 1900→2900 DEF 3000→4000 LVL: 9**

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo ATK 4300→3800 DEF 3600→3100**

"Voltelluric's Flip Effect activates! Once per turn, I can take control of a Set monster you control!"

"What?" Morningstar said, surprised as his face-down Swordsman disappeared and then reappeared on Terminus's field.

Terminus smirked and gestured to the sky. "Appear, our future circuit!" The Link portal appeared as his hand glowed blue. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Flip monsters! I set Stalagmo and Voltelluric in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Subterror Behemoth Fiendess!" A purple dragon with black and pink wings emerged from the portal and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000→3000 LINK-2** ↙↘

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. _It's here._

"Behemoth Fiendess's monster effect! It gains attack points equal to the combined Levels of the 'Subterror' monsters used to Link Summon it! Stalagmo was Level 10 and Voltelluric was Level 9!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 3000→4900**

Terminus then gestured to his field again. "I Flip Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" Morningstar narrowed his eyes further in disgust as his monster appeared on Terminus's field.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 4900→4400**

"Behemoth Fiendess's additional effect activates! Since a monster it points to was flipped face-up, I can add one Flip monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand." Terminus took a card from his Deck, then gestured to his field for a third time.

"Battle! Behemoth Fiendess, attack Winning Wrestler! Final Extinction!" Behemoth Fiendess blasted blue flames at Winning Wrestler, but Morningstar only gestured to his Continuous Spell.

"The effect of Cyspirit Link Wall activates!" he declared. "Once per turn, a Link Monster cannot be destroyed by battle, and all battle damage I take involving 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters is halved!" Morningstar braced himself as the flames struck Winning Wrestler, but he and his monster held firm.

 **Morningstar: 4000→3050 LP**

"So you reduced the damage," Terminus commented. "Cave Clash's effect activates! As a 'Subterror' monster inflicted battle damage to you, I can add one 'Subterror' card from my Graveyard to my hand. I'll add Umastryx." Terminus took his card then gestured to his stolen monster. "Cyspirit Swordsman, destroy Cyspirit Spearman!" Swordsman jumped forward and slashed Spearman, destroying it. Morningstar only narrowed his eyes in disgust.

"And now that I'm in the second Main Phase, I'll activate the Spell Card: Double Summon!" Terminus declared. "With this card, I can Normal Summon a second time. I Tribute Swordsman and my face-down Fiendess to Tribute Summon Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist!" Swordsman and the Set card disappeared as a massive blue and yellow fiend took their place at Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11**

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 4400→3900**

"Speleogeist's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change it to face-down Defense Position!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 3900→4400**

"I Set one card. I end my turn."

* * *

Cam breathed a sigh of relief. "Yasu managed to reduce the damage and keep Winning Wrestler. And even if he and Playmaker are disadvantaged, that will change on the next turn."

"No doubt," Kusanagi said. "That's the kind of people they are. The kind that have made comebacks in duels everyone thought they would lose. It doesn't matter how strong Revolver is. Yusaku will never give up!"

"Neither will Yasu," Cam said, smiling at his friend. "Let's see them give it their all."

* * *

Morningstar looked over Terminus's field. A Link Monster with 4400 attack points, a Set monster to take advantage of The Hidden City's effect, and Field Barrier to prevent The Hidden City's destruction.

 _A powerful formation_ , Morningstar thought. _But I can and_ will _break it!_ "My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card then gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Cyspirit Backup! With this card, I can return one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard to my Extra Deck, then Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Extra Deck with a lower Link Rating. I return the Link-3 Quixotic Queen and summon Cyspirit Idealistic Idol!" A skeleton in an indigo dress appeared, summoned to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500 LINK-2** ←↑

Terminus narrowed his eyes at the familiar monster as Morningstar continued speaking. "This Special Summon is treated as a Link Summon, and because Quixotic Queen was Link-3, Cyspirit Backup lets me draw two cards!" Morningstar drew, then said, "I Special Summon Cyspirit Prisoner!" A skeleton in a blue-and-white uniform appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"I can Special Summon Prisoner so long as there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field. And next I summon Cyspirit Coder!" The skeleton that wore a lab coat and armor appeared alongside Morningstar's other monsters.

 **Cyspirit Coder ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Coder's monster effect! When it is Summoned, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand, but then I must send a card from my hand, Deck or field to the Graveyard." Morningstar took two cards from his Deck, added one to his hand, and sent the other to the Graveyard.

Morningstar gestured to the sky above him. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared as he began chanting. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters! I set Coder and Prisoner in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" A skeleton in a prospector's uniform with a drill for a right am was summoned to Idealistic Idol's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"Idealistic Idol's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "While it points to at least one monster, you take 200 points of damage every time a monster is Link Summoned! Ideal Light!" Idealistic Idol's wings shone with white light that struck Terminus, making him wince.

 **Terminus: 3800→3600 LP**

"As I used Prisoner to Link Summon Thrilled Tunneler, I can add a 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand." Morningstar took his new card, then said, "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Bypass! Since I control two or more 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck. But, that monster will be destroyed during the End Phase. Come, Cyspirit Wanderer!" A skeleton in a poncho appeared, summoned to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Wanderer ATK 1900 DEF 200 LVL: 5**

"Wanderer's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned by the effect of a 'Cyspirit' card, one monster you control loses 800 attack points! Digital Drain!" Terminus scowled as Behemoth Fiendess weakened.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 4400→3600**

 _Time to break his formation,_ Morningstar thought. "Thrilled Tunneler's monster effect! Since it points to two monsters, I can Tribute one monster it points to and place two Spell or Trap Cards on the field on the bottom of the owner's Deck!" Terminus's eyes widened as Morningstar pointed to the Knight of Hanoi's field. "I Tribute Wanderer and place Field Barrier and Cave Clash on the bottom of your Deck!" Terminus scowled again as his cards disappeared and Behemoth Fiendess lost more attack points.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 3600→3100**

 _I could only get rid of two of his cards, so I still have to worry about The Hidden City,_ Morningstar thought. _But I know what his Speleogeist's effect is. And it won't work this turn._

Out loud, he said, "With Field Barrier no longer on the field, new Field Spell Cards can be activated. So I activate the Field Spell Card: Cyspirit Sanctuary! With this card in play, all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control gain 300 attack and defense points."

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500→1800**

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→1900**

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500→2800**

"I can still do more," Morningstar declared. "I activate Sanctuary's effect to move Thrilled Tunneler to my leftmost Main Monster Zone!" Terminus watched as Morningstar's monster moved. He knew what this was about; Idealistic Idol's effect prevented monsters it pointed to from being used as Link Material. That meant Morningstar was planning to Link Summon using Thrilled Tunneler.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Bypass from the Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Return, Cacophonic Caller!" His Link Monster returned, summoned to Thrilled Tunneler's right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500→800 LINK-1** ↓

"And as I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I Special Summon Cyspirit Linker!" A skeleton in black armor with red arrows on its gauntlets appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700→2000 DEF 800→1100 LVL: 4**

Terminus widened his eyes as Morningstar gestured to the sky. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared as his hand glowed blue. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Cacophonic Caller, Linker, and the Link-2 Thrilled Tunneler in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Thrilled Tunneler splitting into two whirlwinds, and entered the top-left, left, top-right, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! The galaxy's rage that breaks all limitations! Take flight Link 4! Cyspirit Neo Nova!" The large black dragon with dark silver armor and midnight black wings roared as it was summoned to Idealistic Idol's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500→2800 LINK-4** ←↖↗→

And because a monster was Link Summoned, Idealistic Idol inflicts 200 points of damage! Ideal Light!" Terminus winced again as white light struck him.

 **Terminus: 3600→3400 LP**

"Neo Nova's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to one or more monsters, I can draw cards equal to the number of monsters it points to. It points to three monsters, so I draw three cards! Orbital Gain!"

Morningstar drew, then said, "Neo Nova's second effect! Once per turn, when it points to two or more monsters, I can increase the attack points of one monster it points to by 1200, but Neo Nova cannot attack this turn. I target Winning Wrestler with this effect! Gravity Booster!" Both monsters glowed red as Winning Wrestler roared.

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2800→4000**

"Idealistic Idol's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "When it points to two monsters, I can target a different 'Cyspirit' Link Monster I control, and that monster can make up to three attacks against my opponent's monsters. But the turn I activate this effect, other monsters I control cannot attack. I target Winning Wrestler!"

* * *

"Yes!" Cam cheered. "With this, Yasu will win!"

"What do you mean?" Kusanagi asked.

"His Link Wall Continuous Spell Card prevents the first destruction of a Link Monster once per turn," Cam explained. "It doesn't matter if its his or Terminus's. Terminus will negate Winning Wrestler's first attack with The Hidden City's effect, but the second attack will go through. And thanks to Winning Wrestler's effect, Behemoth Fiendess will lose a lot of attack points. And if it attacks again…"

Kusanagi's eyes widened. "Then Terminus's Life Points will hit 0! And with Yusaku's three Code Talkers, he'll defeat Revolver!"

"Yes! This is it!"

* * *

"Battle! Winning Wrestler, attack Behemoth Fiendess!" Winning Wrestler roared and charged Terminus's Link Monster. The Knight only smirked and gestured to his field.

"Pointless! I activate the effect of The Hidden City! By flipping my Speleogeist face-up, your attack is negated!" Speleogeist reappeared in face-up Defense Position and stood in front of Behemoth Fiendess, blocking Winning Wrestler's attack.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000 DEF 1400 LVL: 11**

"Speleogeist's Flip Effect! One of your monsters' attack points becomes 0! I choose Winning Wrestler! Terrifying Drain!" Speleogeist breathed blue flames at Winning Wrestler, but to Terminus's shock, the monster was unaffected. "What? What is this?"

Morningstar smirked. "I activated the effect of Cyspirit Storm in my Graveyard," he revealed. "If the attack points of exactly 1 'Cyspirit' monster would change, I can banish Cyspirit Storm to negate that effect!"

"Cyspirit Storm? When did you-?" Terminus gasped in realization. "That was the card you sent to the Graveyard for Coder's effect!"

"Of course. You should have expected that, Terminus."

Terminus grit his teeth and gestured to his field. "Behemoth Fiendess's monster effect! Since a monster it points to was flipped face-up, I can add one Flip monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand. I add Subterror Guru from my Graveyard to my hand."

"That won't matter," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes. "Thanks to Idealistic Idol, Winning Wrestler can attack two more times! And thanks to my Link Wall, the first time a Link Monster would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed!"

Terminus's eyes widened as he realized Morningstar's plan. He was trying the same trick he'd used against Revolver!

"Winning Wrestler, attack Behemoth Fiendess!" His monster charged as Morningstar pointed to it. "Winning Wrestler's monster effect! If it attacks a Special Summoned monster while pointing to two or more monsters, I can target a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster it points to and reduce your monster's attack points by half of that monster's attack points! Behemoth Fiendess loses attack points equal to half of Neo Nova's attack points! Overpower Aura!" Winning Wrestler's wings glowed as Behemoth Fiendess became weaker.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 3100→1700**

 _This battle will inflict 2300 points of damage,_ Morningstar thought. _And thanks to Link Wall preventing Behemoth Fiendess's destruction, my next attack will end the duel!_

Sadly, things were never that easy, which Terminus proved by gesturing to his field. "Trap activate!" he declared, surprising Morningstar. "Subterror Wall Climbing!" The card showed Fiendess, Nemesis Archer, Nemesis Defender, and Nemesis Warrior racing up a wall, attempting to out-run a rampaging Stalagmo. "This card negates my monster's destruction by battle and halves the battle damage!"

Morningstar grit his teeth. "You will still take damage! Raw Power Rampage!" Winning Wrestler struck Behemoth Fiendess with its fists, making Terminus wince as he was pushed back.

 **Terminus: 3400→2250 LP**

"Wall Climbing has a secondary effect!" Terminus revealed. "After the battle ends, I can Special Summon a 'Subterror' monster from my hand and use it and other monsters I control to Link Summon!"

"What?" Morningstar said, his eyes widening.

"I summon Subterror Guru!"

 **Subterror Guru ATK 1600 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"Appear, our future circuit!" As Terminus's hand glowed blue, the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Subterror' monsters! I set Guru and the Link-2 Behemoth Fiendess in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became three whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

Morningstar's eyes widened in recognition. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Subterror Behemoth Guru!" The dragon that emerged from the portal shook its mane of white hair and spread its purple and black wings. It roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Guru ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

Morningstar grit his teeth. "The monster that defeated Galahad," he muttered. "But since you Link Summoned, Idealistic Idol inflicts damage to you! Ideal Light!" Terminus winced from the damage.

 **Terminus: 2250→2050 LP**

Terminus growled but managed to smirk. "I take it you remember Behemoth Guru's effect? Since it was Link Summoned using exactly one 'Subterror Behemoth' monster, it gains attack points equal to that monster's original attack points. Terror Integration!" Behemoth Guru roared as it glowed red.

 **Subterror Behemoth Guru ATK 2500→4500**

 _Even if it has 4500 attack points, that won't matter with Winning Wrestler's effect,_ Morningstar thought. _And my monster can still attack one more time, so-_.

"Wall Climbing's effect isn't over," Terminus said, dragging Morningstar out of his thoughts. "After my monster is Link Summoned, the Battle Phase ends."

"What!?"

Terminus's smirk widened. "Is this really the best you can do? You said you were going to drag me out of here. You'll have to do better than this."

Morningstar growled. "I Set two cards. I end my turn. And because I used Neo Nova's effect to draw cards this turn, I must send three cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard." Morningstar looked at the cards he sent to the Graveyard and noted that they could be helpful.

"My turn! Draw!" Terminus looked at his card and smirked. "By sending The Hidden City to the Graveyard, I can activate this card. The Field Spell Card: The Hidden Metropolis!" The card showed a massive underground city, with the humanoid Subterror monsters walking around and the Subterror Behemoths in the background. "This card is my ultimate Field Spell. And when it is activated, I can shuffle one 'Subterror' monster in my hand back into my Deck, then draw two cards. I shuffle Umastryx back into my Deck!"

Terminus drew his new cards, then said, "The Hidden Metropolis has a few more effects. First, it increases the attack and defense points of all my 'Subterror Behemoth' monsters by 500."

 **Subterror Behemoth Guru ATK 4500→5000**

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000→3500 DEF 1400→1900**

"I activate the Spell Card: Subterror Cave Drawings," Terminus continued. "I send a 'Subterror' monster from my hand to the Graveyard and then draw cards depending on its Level. I discard the Level 10 Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide to draw three cards!"

Terminus drew again, then gestured to his field. "Speleogeist's monster effect! I change it to face-down Defense Position!" His monster disappeared and was replaced by a Set card. "I activate The Hidden Metropolis's effect! Up to twice per turn, I can change a Set 'Subterror' monster to face-up Attack or Defense Position. I change Speleogeist to face-up Attack Position!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000→3500 DEF 1400→1900 LVL: 11**

"Speleogeist's Flip Effect! Winning Wrestler's attack points become 0! Terrifying Drain!" Speleogeist's blue flames lapped over Winning Wrestler, and this time there was nothing Morningstar could do.

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 4000→0**

"You couldn't protect your monster this time," Terminus taunted. "Behemoth Guru's monster effect! Once per turn, when it monster it points to is flipped face-up, I can Special Summon a Flip monster from my Graveyard in face-down Defense Position. Resurrect, Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide!" A Set card appeared at Behemoth Guru's bottom-right Link Marker. "And once again, I activate The Hidden Metropolis's effect to change my Set Stalaktide to face-up Attack Position!"

Morningstar gasped as the platform they stood on shook and a new monster appeared from the ground. Terminus's new Subterror Behemoth was a large dark blue beast monster covered in dark brown rocks with a long, forked tail and the head of a dragon. It roared at Morningstar, making him wince from the sound.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide ATK 1900→2400 DEF 2700→3200 LVL: 10**

"Stalaktide's Flip Effect!" Terminus declared. "I can target and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your field! I destroy Cyspirit Link Wall!" His dragon blasted Morningstar's card with water, destroying it.

Morningstar only narrowed his eyes and gestured to where his card used to be. "Link Wall's effect! The turn it is destroyed, only Link Monsters can declare an attack!"

"Is that so? In that case, I summon Subterror Nemesis Warrior!" A red haired man carrying a large sword appeared on the field.

 **Subterror Nemesis Warrior ATK 1800 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

"Appear, our future circuit!" The Link portal appeared above Terminus as he chanted. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Earth monsters. I set Nemesis Warrior, Speleogeist, and Stalaktide in the Link Markers!" His three monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the top-left, bottom, and top-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Subterror Behemoth Speleowraith!"

Morningstar's eyes widened as a massive monster emerged from the portal. It was similar in appearance to Speleogeist, but its skin was black and purple instead of blue and yellow and it had bright silver gems all over its body. Its red eyes glowed as it roared from Behemoth Guru's bottom-left Link Marker. Neither duelist said anything as Idealistic Idol inflicted damage to Terminus for Link Summoning.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleowraith ATK 2600→3100 LINK-3** ↖↓↗

 **Terminus: 2050→1850 LP**

"Speleowraith's monster effect! As it was Link Summoned using Speleogeist, it can make two attacks on your monsters during the Battle Phase!" Terminus narrowed his eyes. "Battle! Behemoth Guru, attack Winning Wrestler! Terminal Extinction!" Behemoth Guru blasted Winning Wrestler with green flames as Morningstar gestured to his field.

"Trap activate! Cyspirit Damage Break!" The card showed Rapid Revolutionary exploding, with Idealistic Idol being pushed out of the way. "As I control two or more 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters, the battle damage is reduced to 0!"

"But your monster will still be destroyed!" Terminus reminded Morningstar as Winning Wrestler exploded, pushing Morningstar back. "And it hardly matters. I assume you remember Behemoth Guru's effect? When it destroys a monster in battle, I can send a Flip monster from my Deck to the Graveyard to inflict its attack points to you as damage. I send Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon to the Graveyard to inflict its 3200 attack points as damage! Flames of the Underworld!" Behemoth Guru blasted green flames at Morningstar, who only gestured to his field again.

"Counter Trap activate! Cyspirit Break! As I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, the effect damage is negated!" Behemoth Guru's flames sizzled out before they struck Morningstar, who glared defiantly at Terminus.

"Hmm. So you managed to avoid Galahad's fate," Terminus noted with a smirk. "In that case, I'll simply overwhelm you! Speleowraith, attack Idealistic Idol! Cenotes Souls!" Speleowraith gathered purple flames in its mouth and blasted Idealistic Idol. Morningstar glanced at his Duel Disk but decided against it. He then cried out, as did Idealistic Idol, at its destruction.

 **Morningstar: 3050→1750 LP**

"Speleowraith's monster effect! Once per turn, when it destroys a monster by battle, I can Special Summon a 'Subterror Behemoth' monster from my Graveyard in face-up Defense Position to my 'Subterror' Link Monster's Link Marker. Revive, Gravigorgon!"

Morningstar gasped as a large purple humanoid monster appeared. It had no legs, instead ending in a snake tail that it balanced itself on. Its two arms ended in claws, and it had the head of a dragon, with several snakes around its head hissing at him.

 **Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon ATK 3200→3700 DEF 1000→1500 LVL: 12**

"Speleowraith can make two attacks against your monsters during the Battle Phase!" Terminus reminded Morningstar. "Speleowraith, attack Neo Nova!" Speleowraith gathered purple energy in its mouth as Morningstar gestured to his field.

"You won't destroy Neo Nova!" the hunter declared. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Barricade in my Graveyard! By banishing it, my 'Cyspirit' Link Monster gains 1000 attack points!"

So he said, but nothing happened. "What?" Morningstar said, surprised. "Why isn't it activating?"

Terminus smirked in derision. "So long as Speleowraith points to a 'Subterror' monster," he explained, "you cannot activate the effects of Spell and Trap Cards when it attacks!" Morningstar gasped. "Too bad, Morningstar! You're losing Neo Nova! Cenotes Souls!" Speleowraith finally blasted Neo Nova, destroying the mighty dragon. Morningstar cried out as he was pushed back several feet from the blast. His legs wobbling, he then fell to one knee.

 **Morningstar: 1750→1450 LP**

* * *

"Yasu!" Cam cried out, standing up in shock.

"This is bad," Kusanagi whispered, staring at the screens. "Yusaku… Narahiko…"

* * *

"Morningstar," Terminus said as the hunter shakily stood up. "You and Playmaker are wrong. There is no future for me or Revolver. Or for you two." He narrowed his eyes as he looked down. "We are prisoners of the destiny we have chosen. We cannot escape our fate. That's why…" He looked up fiercely at Morningstar. "I'll end this duel right now! And I'll show you a duel that transcends every other duel you've fought till now!"

Terminus gestured to his field. "Gravigorgon's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change it to face-down Defense Position!" The snake-haired monster disappeared as a Set card appeared. "I then activate the Spell Card: Book of Taiyou! With this card, one face-down monster is changed to face-up Attack Position. I choose Gravigorgon!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon ATK 3200→3700 DEF 1000→1500 LVL: 12**

"Gravigorgon's Flip Effect! I can Special Summon one 'Subterror' monster from my Graveyard in face-up Defense Position, but that monster's battle position cannot be changed this turn. Resurrect, Stalagmo!" The massive draconic rock monster reappeared.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo ATK 2800→3300 DEF 2100→2600 LVL: 10**

"Because a 'Subterror Behemoth' monster was Flip Summoned, I can Special Summon Subterror Nemesis Warrior in Attack Position!" The red-haired warrior reappeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Nemesis Warrior ATK 1800 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

Terminus smirked. "I have to admit, I never thought I would have the opportunity to try this," he said. "But Revolver suggested that I should do this at least once. To overwhelm you with raw power. It might not be impressive as Revolver's ultimate strategy, but it is still one of my greatest weapons!"

"Greatest weapons?" Morningstar repeated, confused. "Then he gasped in realization. "Wait! Speleowraith's Link Marker!"

Terminus chuckled. "So, you did notice it. Morningstar, this is my ultimate move! Appear, our future circuit!" The Link portal appeared above him as he chanted. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Subterror' monsters. I set Gravigorgon, Nemesis Warrior, and Stalagmo in the Link Markers!" His three monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the bottom-left, top, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine!" The Link portal erupted with energy as Morningstar braced himself. "Normally, a player is only allowed to use one of the Extra Monster Zones. But when the two Extra Monster Zones are co-linked, a monster can be Special Summoned to the other Extra Monster Zone!" A pillar of black light erupted from said Extra Monster Zone, pushing Morningstar back again.

"Morningstar! This is the end of our duel! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Subterror Behemoth Stalagmatrix!"

Two large black wings erupted from the pillar. As the light faded, Terminus's new Link Monster revealed itself. It was as large as Stalagmo, but instead of being made of rock, its body simply had rock armor. It was primarily black in color with blue lines running around its armor. Its head was draconian, with large red eyes that shone as it roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalagmatrix ATK 2700→3200 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"You've got to be kidding me," Morningstar whispered as he stared at his opponent's field in shock.

"Extra Link!" Terminus declared as his three powerful Link Monsters all roared. The shockwaves from said roars made Morningstar brace himself.

* * *

"No way…" Cam whispered. "Revolver and Terminus… both of them created an Extra Link!?"

Kusanagi grit his teeth. "Has Narahiko ever faced an Extra Link before?"

"No. Even if Terminus's monsters have more attack points than Revolver's, at least there are fewer of them." Cam grit his own teeth. "Those two… they're crazy to do something like this."

* * *

"As I said, this duel will end now, Morningstar!" Terminus said. "Since it is part of an Extra Link, Stalagmatrix can showcase its true power! Once, while it is face-up on the field and Extra Linked, it can inflict 1000 points of damage to you for every 'Subterror' Link Monster I control! And this effect cannot be negated!"

Morningstar gasped. Terminus controlled three Subterror Link Monsters. That meant…

"Stalagmatrix will inflict 3000 points of damage to you!" Terminus said. "This is the end, Morningstar!" Stalagmatrix's entire body generated black energy that gathered into its mouth. "Underworld Extinction!" Stalagmatrix blasted black energy at Morningstar, who could only stare in shock at the oncoming force.

It hit the hunter, creating a powerful explosion and a cloud of smoke. Terminus's coat whipped around him in response to the winds.

"Yasu!" "Yusaku!" Cam and Kusanagi both stood up and stared at the monitors in shock.

Terminus sighed. "This duel is finally over. Like I said, you could not change our destinies." He then gasped as the smoke cleared.

Morningstar was still there, albeit on one knee, covered in bruises, and breathing heavily. Terminus's eyes widened on seeing Morningstar's Life Points.

 **Morningstar: 1450→50 LP**

"You still have Life Points left?" Terminus said, his shock evident. "How!?"

Morningstar held up a card. "I activated the effect of the Cyspirit Firefighter in my hand," he explained as he panted. The card showed a skeleton with a single blue eye in a firefighter's uniform holding a long hose. "Since I would have taken effect damage, I discarded it to reduce the damage by 800. Then, I discarded my entire hand to reduce the damage by 800 for each card sent." He grit his teeth as he tried to stood up. "I discarded one additional card. That means the damage was reduced by 1600, to 1400."

Terminus narrowed his eyes. "So you reduced the damage? But what point did that serve? You have only 50 Life Points left, and no chance of surviving my next turn." He smirked. "Revolver encouraged you and Playmaker alike with his talk of three things, yes? Well, I have three things to tell you now."

The Knight held up one finger. "One: all three of my monsters have over 3000 attack points, and there is nothing to stop my monsters from attacking next turn." He held up another. "Two: Since Stalagmatrix was Link Summoned using Stalagmo, neither of us can Special Summon monsters from the Deck or Graveyard until my next Standby Phase." He held up a third. "Three: the Tower of Hanoi will be completed shortly, and then everything will end!"

 _And I'll finally see Hitomu and Mira again._

"I Set one card. I end my turn."

After he said that, Morningstar finally managed to stand up, but his vision started to turn blurry. "D-Damn it," he muttered as he breathed heavily. "First that duel with Spectre, then that Speed Duel, and now this." He scowled as his eyes twitched. "I… I can't handle all these continuous duels. But…"

He thought suddenly of Sachi, of the girl with her arms wrapped around her legs. He thought of her blue eyes that didn't reflect any light. Of how for ten years, she had been trapped in her own mind.

"I… I promised," he whispered as he placed his hand on his Deck. "I promised I would win. I promised I would come back." As his vision continued to blur, he said, "I promised… to win! My turn! Draw!"

Morningstar looked at his card and grit his teeth. "I Set one card," he said. "I end my turn."

 _This…_ _this right now is the best I can do._

"Yasu…" Cam muttered. It hurt to see his best friend like this. To see someone he thought of as a brother struggling so badly just to stand up.

"Hmm," Terminus said, narrowing his eyes. "You're right on the edge," he said. "Why don't I push you over? My turn! Draw!" Terminus looked at his card, then played it. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystical Space Typhoon! With this card, I destroy your Set card!"

Morningstar gasped and winced as his face-down card was destroyed. "Battle! Speleowraith, attack Morningstar directly! Cenotes Souls!" Speleowraith gathered purple energy and blasted Morningstar with it.

"Speleowraith's monster effect! As it points to a 'Subterror' monster, you cannot activate the effects of Spell or Trap Cards! This ends here!"

Morningstar grit his teeth as he gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Firefighter in my Graveyard!" he declared. "By banishing it and halving my Life Points, your attack is negated!" A transparent Firefighter appeared and blocked Speleowraith's flames. The monster soon shattered, making Morningstar gasp and stagger as his Life Points were halved.

 **Morningstar: 50→25 LP**

"So you survived the first attack," Terminus noted. "And the Link Summoned Behemoth Guru cannot attack you directly. But can you survive this attack? Stalagmatrix, attack Morningstar directly! Spikes Outbreak!" Stalagmatrix gathered white energy in its mouth, which it blasted at Morningstar. The hunter only grit his teeth and gestured to his field again.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Battle Barrier in my Graveyard!" he said. "As I have a 'Cyspirit' monster in my Graveyard, I take no damage from this battle!" A barrier appeared and blocked Stalagmatrix's attack, but it eventually shattered under the pressure, making the hunter wince as he was pushed back again.

"Battle Barrier… also… ends the Battle Phase…" Morningstar said, his eyes struggling to stay open. "And since I… control… no monsters… I… can…"

That was as far as he got. As he reached for his Duel Disk, his eyes finally failed him. He felt his knees hit the ground, and then his chest. And that was all the hunter felt as he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

Café Junpei was quiet. In every room, the lights were off. The steward robot had been shut down and placed in a corner. The doors had all been locked, as the owner and his employee had left some time ago. The only lights were in the back room, where the occupants had forgotten to turn their systems off.

As the monitors beeped and the news played, the door to the room opened, and a single person walked in.

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Terminus**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Terminus**

Terminus activates the Spell Card Terraforming to add The Hidden City from his Deck to his hand. Terminus activates the Field Spell Card The Hidden City. As The Hidden City was activated, Terminus can add 1 "Subterror" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Guru to his hand. Terminus activates the Continuous Spell Card Field Barrier. So long as Field Barrier is active, Field Spell Cards cannot be destroyed and neither player can activate a new Field Spell Card. Terminus Normal Summons Subterror Guru (1600/1800/4). He activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Book of Moon, targeting Guru. Guru is changed to face-down Defense Position. As his monster was flipped face-down and he controls no face-up monsters, Terminus Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo (2800/2100/10) in Defense Position via its own effect. Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change the Set Guru to face-up Defense Position (1600/1800/4). Since Guru was Flip Summoned, Terminus can add 1 "Subterror" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Cave Clash to his hand. Terminus activates the effect of Stalagmo to change it to face-down Defense Position. Terminus activates the Continuous Spell Card Subterror Cave Clash. All "Subterror" monsters he controls now gain 500 ATK/DEF for each Set monster on the field (Guru: 1600→2100/1800→2300). Terminus Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. As he controls no monsters and Terminus does, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) in Attack Position. Since Swordsman was Special Summoned, Morningstar activates its effect to add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Spearman to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Spearman (1900/100/4). Morningstar uses Spearman to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Spearman was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates its effect to destroy all Set monsters. The Set Stalagmo is destroyed (Guru: 2100→1600/2300→1800). As Terminus controls another "Subterror" card, he activates the effect of Guru to change both itself and Swordsman to face-down Defense Position. Morningstar activates the effect of Cacophonic Caller to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to its Link Marker, but it cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Engineer (1600/400/3) in Attack Position. As he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Navigator (1300/1100/3) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller, Engineer, and Navigator to Link Summon Cyspirit Quixotic Queen (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Engineer was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates its effect to destroy 1 Set Spell/Trap Card Terminus controls. He destroys Terminus's Set card. Terminus activates the effect of the destroyed Subterror Behemoth Burrowing to add 1 "Subterror" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Umastryx from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar activates the effect of Engineer in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Defense Position with its effects negated. Morningstar Special Summons Spearman (1900/100/4) to Quixotic Queen's bottom-right Link Marker.

Quixotic Queen attacks the Set Guru. As it points to 2 monsters, Quixotic Queen's effect prevents Terminus from activating Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. As he controls at least 1 Set monster, Terminus activates the effect of the Subterror Herald in his hand, discarding it to change Guru to face-up Defense Position (1600→2100/1800→2300/4) and destroy Quixotic Queen. As Guru was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, letting Terminus add 1 "Subterror" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric from his Deck to his hand. As a "Cyspirit" Link Monster he controls was destroyed by a card effect, Morningstar activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyspirit Strike, which lets him Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his Extra Deck and treat it as a Link Summon, so long as its Link Rating is equal to that of the destroyed monster. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Winning Wrestler (2500/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Winning Wrestler attacks and destroys Guru, inflicting piercing damage due to Strike's effect (Terminus: 4000→3800 LP). Morningstar activates the Continuous Spell Card Cyspirit Link Wall. So long as Link Wall is face-up on Morningstar's field, monsters he controls cannot be removed from the field by card effects. Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He Normal Summons Subterror Fiendess (800→1300/500→1000/1). He activates Fiendess's effect, targeting itself. Fiendess is changed to face-down Defense Position and Terminus can Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from his hand or GY in face-up or face-down Defense Position. He Special Summons Stalagmo from his GY in face-down Defense Position. Since a monster he controls was flipped face-down and he controls no face-up monsters, Terminus Special Summons Subterror Behemoth Voltelluric (1900→3400/3000→4500/9) in face-up Defense Position. Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change Stalagmo to face-up Defense Position (2800→3800/2100→3100/10) (Voltelluric: 3400→2900/4500→4000). As Stalagmo was Flip Summoned, its effect activates, letting Terminus discard 1 "Subterror" card to draw 2 cards. He discards Umastryx. Terminus activates the effect of Voltelluric to change itself to face-down Defense Position (Stalagmo: 3800→4300/3100→3600). Terminus then activates the effect of Herald in his GY, banishing it to change 1 Set monster he controls to face-up Defense Position. He changes Voltelluric (1900→2900/3000→4000/9) (Stalagmo: 4300→3800/3600→3100). Voltelluric's Flip Effect activates, letting Terminus take control of 1 Set monster Morningstar controls until Terminus's next End Phase. He takes control of the Set Swordsman. Terminus uses Stalagmo and Voltelluric to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Fiendess (2000→3000/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Behemoth Fiendess was Link Summoned, it gains ATK equal to the combined Levels of the "Subterror" monsters used to Link Summon it (Behemoth Fiendess: 3000→4900). Terminus Flip Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) (Behemoth Fiendess: 4900→4400). As a monster it points to was flipped face-up, Behemoth Fiendess lets Terminus add 1 Flip Monster from his Deck or GY to his hand. He adds Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist from his Deck to his hand.

Behemoth Fiendess attacks Winning Wrestler. Due to Cyspirit Link Wall's effect, Winning Wrestler is not destroyed by battle once per turn and battle damage is halved (Morningstar: 4000→3050 LP). Since a "Subterror" monster he controls inflicted battle damage, Terminus activates the effect of Cave Clash to add 1 "Subterror" card from his GY to his hand. He adds Umastryx from his GY to his hand. Swordsman attacks and destroys Spearman. Terminus activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting him perform a 2nd Normal Summon this turn. He Tributes Swordsman and Fiendess to Tribute Summon Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist to Behemoth Fiendess's bottom-left Link Marker (3000/1400/11) (Behemoth Fiendess: 4400→3900). Terminus activates the effect of Speleogeist, changing it to face-down Defense Position (Behemoth Fiendess: 3900→4400). Terminus Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Backup, which lets him return 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster in his GY to his Extra Deck, then Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his Extra Deck whose Link Rating is lower than the returned monster's and have it treated as a Link Summon. He returns Quixotic Queen to his Extra Deck and Special Summons Cyspirit Idealistic Idol (1500/2/←↑) to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker. Since Quixotic Queen was Link-3, Morningstar draws 2 cards. As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Coder (0/0/1). Since Coder was Normal Summoned, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand and then send 1 card from his hand, field, or Deck to the GY. He adds Cyspirit Bypass from his Deck to his hand and sends Cyspirit Storm from his Deck to the GY. Morningstar uses Coder and Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→) to Idealistic Idol's left Link Marker. Since a monster was Link Summoned and Idealistic Idol points to at least 1 monster, Terminus takes 200 damage (Terminus: 3800→3600 LP). As Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Sanctuary from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Bypass. Since he controls at least 2 "Cyspirit" Link Monsters, he can Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck, but it will be destroyed during the End Phase. He Special Summons Cyspirit Wanderer (1900/200/5) in Attack Position to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker. As Wanderer was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Cyspirit" card, Morningstar activates its effect, targeting Behemoth Fiendess and lowering its ATK by 800 (Behemoth Fiendess: 4400→3600). As it points to 2 monsters, Morningstar activates the effect of Thrilled Tunneler, Tributing Wanderer to place 2 Spell/Trap Cards on the field on the bottom of the owner's Deck. He places Field Barrier and Cave Clash at the bottom of Terminus's Deck (Behemoth Fiendess: 3600→3100). Morningstar activates the Field Spell Cyspirit Sanctuary, which increases the ATK/DEF of all "Cyspirit" monsters he controls by 300 (Idealistic Idol: 1500→1800) (Thrilled Tunneler: 1600→1900) (Winning Wrestler: 2500→2800).

Morningstar activates the effect of Sanctuary, moving Thrilled Tunneler to his leftmost Main Monster Zone. He then activates the effect of Cyspirit Bypass in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY with its effects negated. He Special Summons Cacophonic Caller (500→800/1/↓) to Thrilled Tunneler's right Link Marker. As he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700→2000/800→1100/4) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller, Linker, and the Link-2 Thrilled Tunneler to Link Summon Cyspirit Neo Nova (2500→2800/4/←↖↗→) to Idealistic Idol's left Link Marker (Terminus: 3600→3400 LP). As it points to at least 1 monster, Morningstar activates Neo Nova's effect, drawing 1 card for each monster it points to. He draws 3 cards. As it points to at least 2 monsters, Morningstar activates the effect of Neo Nova, targeting Winning Wrestler. Winning Wrestler gains 1200 ATK, but Neo Nova cannot declare an attack this turn (Winning Wrestler: 2800→4000). As it points to 2 monsters, Morningstar activates Idealistic Idol's effect, targeting Winning Wrestler. Winning Wrestler can make up to 3 attacks against Terminus's monsters this turn, but no other monsters he controls can attack.

Winning Wrestler attacks Behemoth Fiendess. Since an opponent's monster declared an attack, Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden City to change his face-down Speleogeist to face-up Defense Position and negate the attack (3000/1400/11). Speleogeist's Flip Effect activates, and Terminus targets Winning Wrestler with its effect. Winning Wrestler's ATK becomes 0. As a card or effect was activated that would change the ATK of exactly 1 "Cyspirit" monster was activated, Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Storm in his GY, banishing it to negate the activation of Speleogeist's effect. As a monster it points to was flipped face-up, Terminus activates the effect of Behemoth Fiendess to add Guru from his GY to his hand. Winning Wrestler attacks Behemoth Fiendess. As Winning Wrestler is attacking a Special Summoned monster and points to 2 monsters, Morningstar activates its effect, targeting Neo Nova. Behemoth Fiendess loses ATK equal to half of Neo Nova's ATK (Behemoth Fiendess: 3100→1700). Terminus activates his face-down Trap Card Subterror Wall Climbing, which prevents Behemoth Fiendess from being destroyed by this battle and halves the battle damage (Terminus: 3400→2250 LP). Wall Climbing then lets Terminus Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from his hand with its effects negated and use it and monsters he controls to Link Summon a "Subterror" Link Monster. Terminus Special Summons Subterror Guru (1600/1800/4), then uses Guru and the Link-2 Behemoth Fiendess to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Guru (2500/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone (Terminus: 2250→2050 LP). Since Guru was Link Summoned using exactly 1 "Subterror Behemoth" monster, it gains ATK equal to Fiendess's original ATK (Guru: 2500→4500). The final effect of Wall Climbing ends the Battle Phase. Morningstar Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, Neo Nova's effect requires Morningstar to send the top 3 cards of his Deck to the GY. He sends Cyspirit Barricade, Cyspirit Gardna, and Cyspirit Multiplier to the GY.

 **Turn 5: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He sends The Hidden City to the GY to activate the Field Spell The Hidden Metropolis. Since The Hidden Metropolis was activated, Terminus shuffles Umastryx back into his Deck and draws 2 cards. While The Hidden Metropolis is active, "Subterror Behemoth" monsters gains 500 ATK/DEF (Behemoth Guru: 4500→5000) (Speleogeist (3000→3500/1400→1900). Terminus activates the Spell Card Subterror Cave Drawings, sending the Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide in his hand to the GY to draw cards equal to its Level. Stalaktide is Level 10, so Terminus draws 3 cards. Terminus activates the effect of Speleogeist, flipping it face-down. Terminus then activates the effect of The Hidden Metropolis. Up to twice per turn, he can change a Set "Subterror" monster to face-up Attack or Defense Position. He changes Speleogeist to face-up Attack Position (3000→3500/1400→1900/11). As Speleogeist was Flip Summoned, Terminus activates its effect, targeting Winning Wrestler. Winning Wrestler's ATK becomes 0 (Winning Wrestler: 4000→0). As a monster it points to was flipped face-up, the effect of Behemoth Guru activates, and Terminus can Special Summon 1 Flip monster from his GY to his field in face-down Defense Position. He Special Summons Stalaktide to Behemoth Guru's bottom-right Link Marker. Terminus activates the effect of The Hidden Metropolis, targeting Stalaktide. Stalaktide is changed to face-up Attack Position (1900→2400/2700→3200/10). As Stalaktide was Flip Summoned, Terminus activates its effect, targeting Link Wall, destroying it. As Link Wall was destroyed, Morningstar activates its effect, preventing any monsters except Link Monsters from attacking this turn. Terminus Normal Summons Subterror Nemesis Warrior (1800/1200/4). He uses Nemesis Warrior, Speleogeist, and Stalaktide to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Speleowraith (2600→3100/3/↖↓↗) to Behemoth Guru's bottom-left Link Marker (Terminus: 2050→1850 LP). As Speleowraith was Link Summoned using Speleogeist, it can make 2 attacks on Morningstar's monsters during the Battle Phase.

Behemoth Guru attacks Winning Wrestler. Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Damage Break, which reduces the battle damage he takes from this battle to 0 as he controls 2 or more "Cyspirit" Link Monsters. Winning Wrestler is destroyed. As Behemoth Guru destroyed an opponent's monster by battle and sent it to the GY, Terminus activates its effect, sending Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon from his Deck to the GY to inflict its 3200 ATK as damage to Morningstar. As an effect was activated that would inflict damage to him while he controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates his face-down Counter Trap Card Cyspirit Break, negating the activation of Behemoth Guru's effect. Speleowraith attacks and destroys Idealistic Idol (Morningstar: 3050→1750 LP). As it destroyed a monster by battle, Terminus activates Speleowraith's effect, Special Summoning Gravigorgon in face-up Defense Position to Behemoth Guru's bottom Link Marker (3200→3700/1000→1500/12). Speleowraith attacks Neo Nova. Morningstar attempts to activate the effect of Cyspirit Barricade in his GY, but since Speleowraith points to a "Subterror" monster, Morningstar cannot activate the effects of Spell/Trap Cards. Neo Nova is destroyed (Morningstar: 1750→1450 LP).

Terminus activates the effect of Gravigorgon, changing it to face-down Defense Position. He then activates the Spell Card Book of Taiyou, changing Gravigorgon to face-up Attack Position (3200→3700/1000→1500/12). Since Gravigorgon was Flip Summoned, Terminus can Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from his GY in face-up Defense Position. He Special Summons Stalagmo (2800→3300/2100→2600/10). As a "Subterror Behemoth" monster was flipped face-up, Terminus activates the effect of Nemesis Warrior, Special Summoning it to his field in face-up Attack Position (1800/1200/4). Terminus uses Gravigorgon, Nemesis Warrior, and Stalagmo to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Stalagmatrix (2700→3200/3/↙↑↘) to the second Extra Monster Zone, creating an Extra Link. As Stalagmatrix was Link Summoned using Stalagmo as Link Material, neither player can Special Summon monsters from the Deck or GY until Terminus's next Standby Phase after Stalagmatrix's Link Summon. As Stalagmatrix is Extra Linked, Terminus activates its effect, inflicting 1000 damage to Morningstar for each "Subterror" Link Monster he controls. As he would take damage from a card effect, Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Firefighter in his hand, discarding it and his entire hand to reduce the damage by 800 for each card sent to the GY. He sends 2 cards to the GY, so the damage is reduced by 1600 (Morningstar: 1450→50 LP). Terminus Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 6: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 7: Terminus**

Terminus draws. He activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Morningstar's Set card.

Speleowraith attacks Morningstar directly. As Speleowraith points to a "Subterror" monster, Morningstar cannot activate the effects of Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. As an opponent's monster declared a direct attack, Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Firefighter in his GY, banishing it and halving his LP to negate Speleowraith's attack (Morningstar: 50→25 LP). Stalagmatrix attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Battle Barrier in his GY. As he has a "Cyspirit" monster in his GY, Morningstar takes no damage from that battle, and the Battle Phase is ended.

This duel will continue…

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Engineer  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1600 DEF 400 Level: 3  
_ _If this card is used as material for the Link Summon of a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: You can target 1 Set card in your opponent's Spell & Trap Zone; destroy it. You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 "Cyspirit" monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your field in Defense Position with its effects negated. You can only activate each effect of "Cyspirit Engineer" once per turn._

 _ **Subterror Herald  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Spellcaster/Effect] ATK 1500 DEF 1700 Level: 3  
_ _If your opponent's monster declares an attack while you control at least 1 Set monster: You can send this card to the GY; change 1 Set monster you control to face-up Defense Position and destroy the attacking monster. You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 Set monster you control; change it to face-up Defense Position. You can only activate this effect of "Subterror Herald" once per turn._

 _ **Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Beast/Effect] ATK 1900 DEF 2700 Level: 10  
_ _FLIP: You can target 1 Spell/Trap Card on your opponent's field; Destroy it. You can only use this effect of "Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide" once per turn.  
_ _When a face-up monster you control is flipped face-down, if you control no face-up monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand in Defense Position. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position._

 _ **Subterror Behemoth Speleowraith  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Rock/Link/Effect] ATK 2600 LINK-3_ ↖↓↗  
 _2+ EARTH monsters  
_ _If this card is Link Summoned using "Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist" as Link Material: It can make up to 2 attacks on monsters during the Battle Phase. If this card points to a "Subterror" monster and declares an attack: Your opponent cannot activate the effects of Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. Once per turn: If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you can target 1 "Subterror Behemoth" monster in your GY; Special Summon it to a zone your "Subterror" Link Monster points to in face-up Defense Position._

 _ **Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Psychic/Effect] ATK 3200 DEF 1000 Level: 12  
_ _FLIP: You can target 1 "Subterror" monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your field in face-up Defense Position. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot change its battle position the turn it is Special Summoned. You can only use this effect of "Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon" once per turn.  
_ _When a face-up monster you control is flipped face-down, if you control no face-up monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand in Defense Position. Once per turn: You can change this card to face-down Defense Position._

 _ **Subterror Behemoth Stalagmatrix  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Fiend/Link/Effect] ATK 2700 LINK-3_ ↙↑↘  
 _2+ "Subterror" monsters  
_ _If this card is Link Summoned using "Subterror Behemoth Stalagmo" as Link Material: Neither player can Special Summon monsters from the Deck or GY until your next Standby Phase after this card's Link Summon. Once while face-up on the field, if this card is Extra Linked: You can inflict 1000 damage to your opponent for each "Subterror" Link Monster you control. This effect cannot be negated. If this card points to a "Subterror" monster: "Subterror" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects._

 _ **Cyspirit Firefighter  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 2000 DEF 700 Level: 5  
_ _If your opponent activates a card effect that would inflict damage to a player(s): You can send this card from your hand to the GY, and if you do, reduce that damage by 800, also, after that, you can send every card in your hand to the GY, and if you do, reduce that damage by 800 again for each card sent to the GY. When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can banish this card (from your GY) and halve your LP; negate the attack. You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspirit Firefighter" per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Strike Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _If a "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control is destroyed by your opponent's card effect: Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your Extra Deck (this Special Summon is treated as a Link Summon) whose Link Rating is equal to the destroyed monster's Link Rating. If the monster Special Summoned by this card's effect attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent. You can only activate "Cyspirit Strike" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Link Wall Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _Destroy this card if you do not control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster. Monsters you control cannot be removed from the field by your opponent's card effects. Once per turn, if a Link Monster would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed. All battle damage you take from battles involving "Cyspirit" Link Monsters is halved. The turn this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: Only Link Monsters can declare an attack for the rest of this turn._

 _ **Subterror Wall Climbing Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If a "Subterror" Link Monster you control is targeted for an attack: That monster cannot be destroyed by that battle and the battle damage you take from that battle is halved. At the end of the Damage Step, you can Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from your hand with its effects negated, and if you do, immediately after this effect resolves, Link Summon 1 "Subterror" Link Monster, then end the Battle Phase. If a "Subterror" Link Monster you control is destroyed by battle, you can banish this card from your GY; end the Battle Phase._

 _ **The Hidden Metropolis Field Spell Card  
**_ _Activate only by sending 1 face-up "The Hidden City" on your side of the field to the GY. When this card is activated: You can shuffle 1 "Subterror" monster in your hand back into your Deck then draw 2 cards. "Subterror Behemoth" monsters you control gain 500 ATK/DEF. Up to twice per turn: You can change 1 face-down "Subterror" monster you control to face-up Attack or Defense Position. All battle damage you take from battles involving "Subterror Behemoth" monsters is halved. You can only activate 1 "The Hidden Metropolis" per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Damage Break Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If an opponent's monster declares an attack against a "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control while you control 2 or more "Cyspirit" Link Monsters: Reduce the battle damage of that battle to 0. If an opponent's monster declares an attack against a "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control that points to no monsters, you can banish this card from the GY and halve your LP; Reduce the battle damage of that battle to 0, then end the Battle Phase. You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspirit Damage Break" per turn, and only once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 27 – Awakening. Receiving encouragement from an unexpected source, Morningstar reaffirms his resolve to defeat Terminus and continues the duel. Holding nothing back, he places everything on the line in the hopes of creating a miracle…_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to Swift4Sweeper, Ryujomaru15, HunterHQ, Nirvash Neo, sanedimentio, D3lph0xL0v3r, ClearwingYuta, Yasutake Fan, ThePLOThand, Lindia Fullmoon, Guest, O, and Fenghuang0296 for reviewing Chapter 25 of Hidden Memories.

Credit to ThePLOThand for the names of Terminus's new Subterror Behemoth monsters: Stalaktide, Gravigorgon, Speleowraith, and Stalagmatrix. They also suggested the name The Hidden Metropolis earlier, so thank you for that, too.

ThePLOThand: On Behemoth Fiendess's attack points, I understood that as a continuous effect that remains in effect even if Behemoth Fiendess's effects were negated.

Linda Fullmoon: The 26 Cyspirit Extra Deck monsters are all Link Monsters, one for each letter of the alphabet. If there are going to be Cyspirit Fusion monsters, they would appear in season 2. As for Extra chapters to describe what happens in the next three months, I have thought about writing a new fanfic called "Hidden Memories Extras" that covers that time period, but I'm not sure about that yet.

Yasutake Fan: Thank you for the card designs, but I'm afraid I won't use Cyspirit Letter Grading, as its effect is just a little too strange. Also like you said, your designs are a little OP, so if I add Cyspirit Decoding or Cyspirit Viral Virus, I'll have to reduce their effects. Also, I might have to change the name of that last one, as Viral Virus is rather redundant. As for additional Cyspirit Link Monsters, there won't be any outside of the 26 for now. There might be more in the future, but that's a distant future. As for generic Cyberse Link Monsters… sorry, that's Playmaker's thing. Morningstar will only use Cyspirit Link Monsters.

Fenghuang0296: I'm afraid the Link-5 won't be the letter Z. Zany Zealot already took that one, and there is only 1 Link Monster per letter.

Damn, this chapter took a long time to write. The first part was all dialogue, with Yasutake and Cam joining Yusaku and Kusanagi at Ryoken's home, where they confronted Ryoken and Kenshin. We also learned Kenshin's true motivation for helping defend the Tower; I hope it's a reason that makes sense and people can relate to on some level.

The rest of the chapter was the duel. We got to see three of Morningstar's most powerful Link Monsters on the field at once, and Terminus performed an Extra Link. I can understand why some people might not think this was the best use of Terminus's Deck; after all, an Extra Link doesn't help Set monsters much. But I wanted Morningstar to face a challenge that was at least close to Playmaker's level, so he got to face an Extra Link of three Link-3 monsters at once. As for the ending, well… I thought it would be a good cliffhanger.

Thank you for reading Chapter 26 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me what you think of Terminus's motivations for dueling and how the duel went for you. And as for the beginning and ending parts… you'll have to wait and see what those are about.


	27. Chapter 27: Awakening

**Update**

I've made a change to the effect of Cyspirit Barricade so its effect of increasing a monster's ATK by 1000 only lasts until the end of the turn.

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Awakening**

 _8 years ago…_

"Are you sure about this, Hitomu?" Kenshin asked, his concern for his brother showing on his face. "I understand wanting to get away, but to Tokyo?" The two were entering the train station, heading for Hitomu's train to Tokyo. His wife and daughter had already departed earlier in the day while Hitomu was busy going over a few things.

"Masako was born there, and Asuna can be with her family there," Hitomu said simply. "And… I need some distance. Not just from SOL, but from… all of this."

Kenshin frowned. "Dr. Kogami's still in custody?" he whispered.

"Yes," Hitomu replied. "I managed to get out, but he's still imprisoned." He stopped walking and turned to face his brother. "Make sure to take care of Ryoken, please."

"I will. So will Aso and Kyoko." Kenshin's frown deepened. "If you're this worried about him, why don't you take him with you? Masako may be a few years younger, but he could use a friend."

"…I think it would be best Masako have as much distance from this part of my life as possible," Hitomu admitted. That statement hurt Kenshin a little, but he understood Hitomu's reasoning. "But… promise me something, Kenshin."

"What's that?"

"Move forward." Kenshin's eyes widened in surprise. "I know those children have been giving you nightmares. I've had them too. But don't let the guilt consume you. You're 23, after all. You still have a life to live. Fall in love, have children, own a business… There's so much you can do."

Kenshin laughed nervously. "Funny you should mention that. I actually… met someone a few days ago."

"Oh?" Hitomu said, grinning mischievously. "What's her name?"

"Mira. She's working at a local bookstore I frequent. I asked her out and she said yes. I'm taking her out to coffee later today."

"Well, you're one step closer to happiness. So, when should I expect a nephew?"

Kenshin sputtered as Hitomu laughed. The two looked up as an alarm sounded. "Oh, that's my train. Goodbye, Kenshin. I'll see if I can come visit you and Mira soon."

"You better," the younger brother said, smiling as his brother walked away. "Goodbye, Hitomu."

Once Hitomu got on the train, his cellphone started ringing. Seeing the caller ID, he answered it in a hushed tone. "Hello?"

"It's Tagoma," the person on the other end said. "The arrangements went through."

"Good," Hitomu said, sighing in relief. "Thank you for agreeing to this, Tagoma."

"No problem. I can use a helper. But out of curiosity, why me? Doesn't she have an uncle to take her in?"

Hitomu frowned. "I don't want to involve Kenshin in this. If something happens to me and Asuna, then Masako needs to have as much distance between herself and the Hirai family as possible. She cannot come into contact with any of my past co-workers. She and they will all become targets."

"Of who? SOL Technologies?"

"Possibly," Hitomu said evasively. "Should the worst come to pass, you are the best person to look after Masako, Tagoma. You already agreed to this, no?"

Tagoma sighed. "Yes, I did. And I don't back out on a contract. But… what did you do? What makes you think someone might be after you?"

Hitomu's frown deepened. "I… stole something that's valuable to a lot of people. But I'm going to need it to complete my work."

"And what would that be?"

"The ultimate weapons," Hitomu said simply. "And atonement for what I have done."

* * *

 _Present day…_

"Yasu!" Cam shouted. He watched with horror as Morningstar collapsed in the middle of the duel. "Yasu! Wake up! Wake up!"

"He can't hear you!" Kusanagi said, putting a hand on Cam's shoulder. "Calm down!"

"I need to get to him," Cam said, panicking. "I need to-."

"You need to calm down!" Kusanagi made Cam look him in the eye. "Remember, that's his mind in LINK VRAINS, not his body. Even if you rush back to the house, you won't be able to help him. And I don't have any spare Duel Disks to log into LINK VRAINS with."

"But…"

"I hate this feeling too," Kusanagi said. "This feeling of being helpless. But… there's really nothing we can do. We just have to trust in those two." He sat back down, with Cam joining him after a few seconds. "If a person falls unconscious in LINK VRAINS, they are logged out after five minutes. You just to have faith that he wakes up before then."

"…Yeah," Cam said, his voice low. "I know I can't help him. But… that doesn't make it easier."

"…No. No, it doesn't."

* * *

Terminus watched as Morningstar collapsed in front of him. As the hunter fell, the Knight looked over the field.

 **Morningstar: 25 LP**

 **Terminus: 1850 LP**

The only card Morningstar had on his field was the Field Spell Card Cyspirit Sanctuary. Terminus, on the other hand, had the Field Spell Card The Hidden Metropolis, one Set card, and three Link Monsters on the field: Subterror Behemoths Guru and Stalagmatrix in the Extra Monster Zones, and Subterror Behemoth Speleowraith in his center Main Monster Zone, all empowered by The Hidden Metropolis's effect.

 **Subterror Behemoth Guru ATK 5000 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalagmatrix ATK 3200 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleowraith ATK 3100 LINK-3** ↖↓↗

 _LINK VRAINS automatically logs a person out if they've been unconscious for five minutes,_ Terminus thought. _So long as he doesn't wake up, this duel is over. And even if he doesn't, he only has 25 Life Points left._

Terminus closed his eyes. _It's almost over. The Tower will soon be complete. Hitomu… Asuna… Mira… Masako… Kiyoshi… I'll soon be reunited with all of you. And I'll finally have paid for my sins._

" _They're not all gone. Your son is still here in this world."_

Terminus opened his eyes and scowled at the collapsed hunter. _You're right, Morningstar,_ he thought. _I am abandoning my son. But I am not leaving him alone. He has his aunt Maria, and she will take care of him. He deserves a family far better than mine. He deserves a far better father. And he'll have that with Maria and her husband. With this… he will not be burdened with the sins of his father. Not anymore._

* * *

" _yasu… yasu…"_

 _A muscular man faces him, his gaze challenging and daring. "What about you, Morningstar? Will you fight with us?"_

 _A blue-haired girl looks at him, nervous and hopeful. "I think… I would like to fight for everyone. But… I think fighting for your friends is good, too, don't you?"_

 _A knight in shining armor lies on the ground, his face apologetic. "Sorry, Morningstar. I did my best, but it wasn't enough."_

 _A red-haired girl in a cage smiles at him, at peace with herself. "Morningstar… thank you. For making me feel real."_

" _Yasu… Yasu…"_

 _A young man, twisted by pain, determined to make a new future. "We can walk a new path. All of us."_

 _An older brother, desperate to protect the ones he loves. "You better come back too, Yasu. I won't forgive myself if I lose you."_

 _A younger sister, sitting in the dark, alone with her thoughts. "Yasu always wins. No matter what… I have faith in Yasu."_

" _Yasu! Yasu! Wake up!"_

* * *

Morningstar gasped and slowly opened his eyes. Where was he? What was going on? And who was talking to him?

"Yasu! Yasu! Stand up! You can't give up now!"

A girl's voice. It sounded familiar, but how?

"Who… who is that?" Morningstar whispered. Whoever it was, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank goodness! I wasn't sure I pressed the right buttons. But Yasu, you have to get up! You can't lose here! Not before I repay the favor!"

"F-Favor?" Morningstar repeated. "What… favor?"

"You saved me," she said. "So now it's my turn to save you. Three, Yasu. Think of three things. Three things to live. Three things to go home. Three things to defeat the enemy. By thinking, you can still live."

Morningstar gasped at her words. Three things… "One: you are not alone. Even if you are dueling alone, many people are counting on you and are with you in spirit."

…He remembered. He was dueling. He was dueling Terminus.

"Two: you don't give up. You've fought for me for three years, and in all that time, you've never wavered from that path."

He was dueling atop the Tower of Hanoi. Terminus had used an Extra Link to push him to the edge.

"Three: you promised to come back. You promised to get justice for what was done to us. And I know you'll do it."

He had 25 Life Points left and less than half an hour to win. He had promised to bring Terminus back to his son. And he had promised to a girl, lost in darkness, that he would come back to her.

It couldn't be…

"Sachi?" Morningstar whispered, his voice breaking. It couldn't be. She couldn't be…

"I'm finally awake, Yasu," Sachi said over the comm. "With three things, you woke me up. You and Cam never gave up on me. So I won't give up on you. I know you can win this duel. I know you can save everyone! So stand up, Morningstar! Stand up and fulfill your promise!"

Morningstar gasped as his eyes fully opened. That was right. He had made promises. Promises he had to keep. He couldn't lose now. He refused to lose now!

Morningstar braced his hands against the ground and pushed himself up, his head swimming. _Ignore it_ , he thought. _Push through the pain. It doesn't control you. If Sachi can free herself from the darkness, then I can withstand this!_

As the hunter shakily got to his feet, Terminus looked disappointed. "So you still desire to fight," he said. "It's pointless. In your situation, all you can do is lose."

"No!" Morningstar said, scowling and glaring at the Knight as he finally stood up straight. "I won't lose! I made a promise. A promise that must be kept." He narrowed his eyes. "I promised to drag you back to your son. I won't let you kill yourself like a coward!"

"C-Coward?" Terminus repeated, outraged. "How dare you-!?"

"Yes, I dare," Morningstar interrupted. "I won't let you choose the easy path out. This duel is still going on!" He pointed to his field. "The effect of Cyspirit Battle Barrier activates! I draw cards equal to the number of monsters you control. You control three, so I draw three cards!"

Morningstar drew as Terminus growled and gestured to his own field. "Continuous Trap activate! Lockdown Draw!" The card showed a card wrapped in chains with a no symbol over it. "Since you added cards to your hand outside of the Draw Phase, those cards are shuffled into your Deck!" Morningstar's expression didn't change as he put his cards back into his Deck. "And so long as Lockdown Draw is active, neither of us can add cards to our hands outside of the Draw Phase."

"Don't get so excited," Morningstar deadpanned, irritating Terminus.

"It is still my turn, hunter!" the Knight reminded him. "And since my Standby Phase has come and gone, Stalagmatrix's effect preventing either of us from Special Summoning is no longer in effect. Thus, I activate the effect of Subterror Cave Drawings in my Graveyard! I banish it to Special Summon a 'Subterror' monster from my Graveyard in face-down Defense Position. I resurrect Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide!" A Set card appeared at Behemoth Guru's bottom-right Link Marker. "I end my turn."

* * *

Cam breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness he stood up." He turned to look at Kusanagi. "Sorry for overreacting."

"That wasn't overreacting," Kusanagi assured his friend. "If that had been Jin, I would have behaved the same way."

Cam smiled. "Good to know." He then frowned in confusion. "But, it kind of looked like he was talking to someone before he got up. I wonder who?"

* * *

"My turn! Draw!"

"It's pointless, Morningstar," Terminus told the hunter, glaring at him. "With Lockdown Draw in effect, you cannot replenish your hand. And before my Extra Link, and particularly my 5000-attack-point Behemoth Guru, you are absolutely powerless! Give up!"

"No!" Morningstar shouted back, his determination set. "A duel is not over until a player's Life Points hit 0! So long as I have Life Points, no matter how few, it doesn't matter what obstacle is in my way. I will overcome it! And as for your Extra Link…" The hunter smirked. "I'm going to show you just how frail your formation actually is!"

"What?" Terminus said, his eyes widening in surprise.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Break in my Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "By banishing it, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyspirit Idealistic Idol!" A skeleton in an indigo dress with white metal wings appeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500 LINK-2** ←↑

"And thanks to the Field Spell Card: Cyspirit Sanctuary, Idealistic Idol gains 300 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500→1800**

"I now activate the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard! Come, Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" A skeleton in a tattered business suit carrying a cellphone and a radio appeared next to Idealistic Idol.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500→800 LINK-1** ↓

"I refuse to give up!" Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes. "That's why I'll pour everything I have into this move. Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared on the ground in front of him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters! I set Cacophonic Caller and the Link-2 Idealistic Idol in the Link Markers!" His monsters became three whirlwinds of energy that traveled upwards before diving into the left, top, and right arrows, turning them red.

Terminus's eyes widened in shock. "This is-!"

"Circuit combine!" A pillar of fire erupted from the circuit, making Terminus wince as he covered his eyes.

"The heaven's wrath that strikes down all opposition! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Angelic Avenger!" Large silver wings burst out from either side of the pillar, fire dripping from them. The pillar dissipated, revealing a large skeleton warrior in red and gold armor with two swords strapped to its hips and long blonde hair made of fire that wreathed its face. It roared from its nonexistent mouth as it was summoned to Stalagmatrix's top Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 2700→3000 LINK-3** ←↑→

Terminus took an unconscious step back. "The monster that defeated Spectre," he muttered, his eyes wide. He quickly recomposed himself. "I-Impressive," he said. "But before my monsters, this is nothing."

"Yes, Angelic Avenger isn't as strong as your monsters," Morningstar agreed. "But I'm assuming you remember Angelic Avenger's effects from my duel with Spectre?"

"T-That doesn't matter," Terminus growled. "You need three monsters to use that effect, and you can't Special Summon any more. Nor can you add cards to your hand to Special Summon monsters thanks to Lockdown Draw. You wasted your turn!"

"No, it wasn't a waste," Morningstar calmly assured the Knight. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Coder in the Graveyard! By banishing it, I can treat a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster I control as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating!"

"What!?" Terminus said, his eyes widening in horror. He watched as a transparent skeleton in a scientist's coat and armor briefly appeared over Angelic Avenger before the Link Monster glowed.

"Like I said, your formation is feeble! Angelic Avenger's monster effect! Since it is treated as pointing to three monsters, I can return all monsters it points at to the owners' hands, then negate the effects of all Link Monsters except Angelic Avenger and make their attack points equal to their original attack points!"

Angelic Avenger unfurled its wings, which shone with an intense light that made Terminus's three Link Monsters cry out in pain. "Go! Holy Revision!" Stalagmatrix whimpered as it glitched out and then disintegrated, returning to Terminus's Extra Deck. Behemoth Guru and Speleowraith likewise whimpered as they became weaker, but they remained on the field.

 **Subterror Behemoth Guru ATK 5000→2500**

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleowraith ATK 3100→2600**

"I-Impossible," Terminus whispered, shaking in shock. "Y-You couldn't have…"

"Yes!" Cam cheered. "Ha ha! He broke the Extra Link!" Kusanagi ignored Cam and focused on Playmaker's duel.

"Your Extra Link is now broken!" Morningstar declared. "I told you I would overcome any obstacle in my path. And now I'll destroy all your monsters!" He gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Multiplier in my Graveyard! By banishing a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can equip it a 'Cyspirit' monster I control. I banish Cyspirit Linker and equip Multiplier to Angelic Avenger." He narrowed his eyes. "The monster equipped with Multiplier can make two attacks against your monsters during each Battle Phase. So Angelic Avenger will destroy both of your remaining Link Monsters right now!"

"Morningstar," Terminus growled.

"Battle! Angelic Avenger attacks Behemoth Guru!" Angelic Avenger soared upwards as Morningstar gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Barricade in my Graveyard! By banishing it, Angelic Avenger gains 1000 attack points until the end of the turn!" Angelic Avenger glowed as flames encompassed its body.

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 3000→4000**

"Go, Angelic Avenger! Heaven's Wrath!" Angelic Avenger drew both its swords and divebombed Behemoth Guru. As it got closer, Angelic Avenger's body became pure energy, which passed through Behemoth Guru, making it cry out in pain. Angelic Avenger reformed on the opposite side of Behemoth Guru and sheathed both its sword. The moment it sheathed its swords, Behemoth Guru exploded, making Terminus cry out in pain.

 _That was for Galahad,_ Morningstar thought as he glared into the smoke.

As Angelic Avenger returned to Morningstar's field, the smoke cleared, revealing a very angry Terminus. "Thanks to The Hidden Metropolis's effect, all battle damage I take from battles involving 'Subterror Behemoth' monsters is halved."

 **Terminus: 1850→1100 LP**

Morningstar narrowed his eyes as Terminus gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Subterror Wall Climbing in my Graveyard!" the Knight declared. "As my 'Subterror' Link Monster was destroyed by battle, I can banish Wall Climbing to end the Battle Phase!"

"Hmm," Morningstar grunted. "I figured you would have a trick like that. I Set one card. I end my turn. And since it is the End Phase, Cyspirit Barricade's effect comes to an end."

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 4000→3000**

"Do you see, Terminus?" Morningstar asked his opponent, glaring at him. "This is the strength of my determination. I broke your Extra Link and destroyed your most powerful monster. I will not fall so easily!"

Terminus was silent but then he started laughing, surprising the hunter. "My most powerful monster?" he repeated, sneering at Morningstar. "Behemoth Guru is powerful, but it is not my most powerful monster! But since you think so highly of yourself, why don't I show you! My turn! Draw!"

Terminus looked at his card, then gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Lockdown Draw! During my Standby Phase, I can destroy this card!" Lockdown Draw shattered as Terminus scowled at his opponent. "Now we can both add cards to our hands again. But more importantly…" Terminus gestured to his field again. "I Flip Summon Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide!" A dark blue beast covered in rocks with a dragon's head appeared on Terminus's field.

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide ATK 1900 DEF 2700 LVL: 10**

"And thanks to The Hidden Metropolis's effect, Stalaktide gains 500 attack and defense points!"

 **Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide ATK 1900→2400 DEF 2700→3200**

"Stalaktide's Flip Effect! I can target and destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your field! I'll destroy your Set card!" Morningstar didn't react as his face-down card disintegrated. "And since a 'Subterror Behemoth' monster was flipped face-up, I can Special Summon Subterror Nemesis Warrior from my Graveyard!" A red-haired man with a giant sword appeared in Attack Position.

 **Subterror Nemesis Warrior ATK 1800 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

"Nemesis Warrior's monster effect!" Terminus declared. "I can send a 'Subterror' monster from my Deck to my Graveyard, then Tribute Nemesis Warrior and one other monster, and if their combined Levels are equal to or greater than the sent monster's, I can Special Summon that monster!"

Morningstar's eyes widened as Terminus took a card from his Deck and placed it in his Graveyard. "I Tribute the Level 4 Nemesis Warrior and the Level 10 Stalaktide! Since their Levels are greater than the Level 12 Ultramafus, I Special summon it in face-up Defense Position!" The hunter flinched as a massive monster made of rocks and lava appeared on Terminus's field, taking the place of Nemesis Warrior and Stalaktide.

 **Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus ATK 3000→3500 DEF 1800→2300 LVL: 12**

Morningstar's eyes narrowed. "So?" he asked. "This monster's Flip Effect doesn't work on Link Monsters!" Then his eyes widened in realization. "Wait, you can't be-!"

Terminus laughed. "Yes, I am, Morningstar!" He gestured upwards as his hand glowed blue. "Appear, our future circuit!" The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Subterror Behemoth' monsters! I set Ultramafus and the Link-3 Speleowraith in the Link Markers!" His two behemoths became whirlwinds of energy, with the latter splitting into three, and entered the top-left, bottom-left, top-right, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red. The portal glowed with energy as Terminus continued his chant.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Subterror Behemoth Infinimafus!"

Terminus's most powerful Link Monster was humanoid in nature, but it was just as large as his Subterror Behemoths. Its skin was dark brown, with red lines of magma running across its arms and legs. It wore armor the color of lava, with said armor covering its forearms, lower legs, chest, shoulders, and head. Red spikes protruded from its shoulders and back as a yellow circle glowed on its back. Red eyes gleamed out of its helmet while the rest of its face was shrouded in darkness. It carried a massive flame-red shield in its right hand, with a yellow circle in the center. In its left hand, it held a large spiked mace that seemed to drip lava. (Morningstar noted that said mace was actually a morning star, a medieval weapon. A small part of him appreciated the irony.) The Link 4 monster roared as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Subterror Behemoth Infinimafus ATK 3000→3500 LINK-4** ↖↙↘↗

Morningstar grit his teeth. "A Link 4…" he muttered.

"Don't worry, Yasu," Sachi assured him. "It doesn't matter how powerful it is. I know you can beat it."

The hunter smiled to himself. "Of course I can. But thank you for the faith."

"This monster is the pinnacle of my dueling!" Terminus declared. "And you're about to see why! When Infinimafus is Link Summoned using Ultramafus as material, I can Special Summon a 'Subterror' Link Monster to its Link Marker with its effects negated. Resurrect, Subterror Behemoth Fiendess!" The purple dragon with black and pink wings emerged, summoned to Infinimafus's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Subterror Behemoth Fiendess ATK 2000→2500 LINK-2** ↙↘

"Behemoth Fiendess cannot attack, and it is destroyed during the End Phase," Terminus continued. "But that hardly matters! Infinimafus's monster effect! When a monster is Summoned to its Link Marker, I can destroy one card on the field!" Morningstar gasped as Terminus sneered. "Say goodbye to Angelic Avenger!" Infinimafus swung its weapon at Angelic Avenger, but Morningstar only gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of the Trap Card: Cyspirit Shift in my Graveyard!" he declared. The card Terminus had destroyed reappeared, with it showing Cacophonic Caller jumping in front of Pied Pikeman. "Since you targeted a 'Cyspirit' monster with a card effect, I can banish Cyspirit Shift to change the target to another appropriate card. Your Infinimafus will now destroy Cyspirit Sanctuary instead of Angelic Avenger!"

The morning star continued its swing, but it went past Angelic Avenger as Infinimafus leapt towards Morningstar's Field Spell, shattering it on impact. Terminus growled in frustration even as Angelic Avenger was weakened.

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 3000→2700**

"It doesn't matter!" Terminus shouted, his eyes wide with anger. "You only have 25 Life Points! One attack will end this farce! Battle! Infinimafus, attack Angelic Avenger! Ragnarok Eruption!"

The spikes on Infinimafus's armor glowed with intense heat as they formed fireballs at the tips. The yellow circles on its shield and back both lit up, as did the veins of magma on its skin. Infinimafus raised its morning star, which shone with red light. The fireballs leapt from the spikes to said weapon, creating an even larger fireball above it. Infinimafus roared as it brought its morning star down, and the fireball split into multiple streams of fire that all shot towards Angelic Avenger. Morningstar only glared in defiance as the fire struck, creating a massive explosion that engulfed his entire field.

As he watched the smoke rise, Terminus breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally," he said, closing his eyes and smiling. "Finally. I will be reunited with Hitomu and Mira. This duel is over."

"Are you sure about that?"

Terminus opened his eyes and gasped as the smoke cleared. Morningstar was still standing defiantly, his Life Points intact albeit halved.

 **Morningstar: 25→13 LP**

"W-What did you do!?" Terminus shouted, spit spraying from his mouth. "How are you still alive!?"

"I banished Cyspirit Damage Break from my Graveyard," Morningstar explained. "Since you attacked a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster that pointed to no monsters, I could banish Damage Break to reduce the battle damage to 0 and end the Battle Phase. And the only price I had to pay was halving my Life Points."

Terminus growled and clenched his fist. "So, you want to prolong your suffering? Very well, I'll indulge you! I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! With this card, I Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon from the Graveyard!" Morningstar watched emotionlessly as a humanoid monster without legs and several snakes around its dragon head appeared, summoned to Infinimafus's bottom-right Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon ATK 3200→3700 DEF 1000→1500 LVL: 12**

"Gravigorgon's monster effect! I change it to face-down Defense Position!" The monster disappeared and a Set card took its place. "I now activate The Hidden Metropolis's effect to change Gravigorgon to face-up Attack Position!" His monster reappeared and roared at Morningstar, who didn't flinch.

 **Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon ATK 3200→3700 DEF 1000→1500 LVL: 12**

"Gravigorgon's Flip Effect! I can Special Summon one 'Subterror' monster from my Graveyard in face-up Defense Position, but it cannot change its battle position this turn. Resurrect, Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist!" A massive blue and yellow fiend appeared, summoned in Defense Position.

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3000→3500 DEF 1400→1900 LVL: 11**

"But summoning a new monster isn't all I can do," Terminus declared. "Infinimafus's monster effect! When a 'Subterror' monster it points to is flipped face-up, I can halve your Life Points!" Morningstar's eyes widened as Infinimafus struck the ground with its weapon, creating a stream of fire that struck Morningstar, making him wince.

 **Morningstar: 13→7 LP**

"Yasu!" Sachi shouted, her concern evident.

"Don't worry," Morningstar said, gritting his teeth in pain. "I'm not letting something like that stop me."

"I end my turn," Terminus grumbled, looking displeased. "And during the End Phase, Infinimafus's effect destroys the Special Summoned Behemoth Fiendess." The purple dragon screamed as it disintegrated into light.

"Why?" Terminus demanded. "Why won't you give up!? Why do you keep fighting!? Your Life Points are 7, you have no cards on the field or in your hand, and you have less than ten minutes before the Tower is completed. Why can't you see how hopeless your situation is!?"

Morningstar scowled at the Knight. "Do you even have to ask?" he said. "I made promises, promises I have to keep. I promised I would come back. I promised I would drag _you_ back to your son. And I will not fail those promises!"

Terminus growled. "Why?" he asked. "Why do you care so much about what I want to do? I'm your enemy! It shouldn't matter to you whether I want to die or not!"

"Because I understand that feeling you have!" Morningstar shouted back, surprising Terminus. "You were listening to my story when I told it to Spectre, weren't you? You know what I lost when I was freed from the incident."

The hunter closed his eyes. "When I found out the priest died, I felt like I couldn't continue onward. Like there was no point to it." He opened his eyes and looked at his opponent with sympathy. "I was too young to realize it, but I wanted to die so I could be with that priest again. I felt like he was the only person who mattered, and with him gone, there was no point in me remaining in this world."

He then looked at his Duel Disk and smiled. "But I was wrong. After the incident, I was taken in by Cameron Junpei, whose sister was even worse off than me. Living with those two, caring for his sister… they helped me realize just how valuable life can be. They saved me from my own despair. Without them… I wouldn't be here right now!"

Terminus gasped at Morningstar's words as the hunter glared at him. "But you're different from me. Unlike me, who lost the one person who cared about me, you still have someone out there who cares about you. Someone who needs you." He narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "Just as I was saved from despair, I'll save you from that same despair! "

"Don't make me laugh!" Terminus shouted back. "You can't save me! I've made my choice! I will be together with my brother again and-!"

"Is that what he would want?" Terminus gasped at the question as Morningstar's glare intensified. "Tell me, would your brother really want you to throw your life away?"

 _Move forward._

Terminus gasped at the memory. _Promise me something, Kenshin. Move forward. I know those children have been giving you nightmares. I've had them too. But don't let the guilt consume you. You're 23, after all. You still have a life to live. Fall in love, have children, own a business… There's so much you can do._

 _Hitomu_ , Terminus thought. _You told me to move on with my life, but… how can I when almost everyone I know is gone?_

 _Kenshin._

Terminus gasped as he looked to his right. For a split second, he thought he saw Hitomu, his black and silver hair moving in the wind. His brother looked at him but didn't say a word. All he did was shake his head.

Terminus gasped again as tears started to fall from his exposed right eye and his brother disappeared. "Hitomu," he whispered, coming back to reality.

"I know nothing about your brother," Morningstar said, bringing the Knight's attention back to him. "But if your connection to him is anything like my connection to Cam, then I can say this: he would want you to live. He would want you to keep moving forward."

"…Morningstar…" Terminus muttered.

The hunter only looked at his opponent as he raised a hand. "One," he declared. "This will be the last turn of this duel. Two: I will overcome the hurdles in front of me and seize victory with my own hands. Three: I will bring you back to your son so you can move forward!" He placed his hand on his Duel Disk. "My turn! Draw!"

* * *

"I applaud you for stopping my attacks last turn." Playmaker looked up from his drawn card at Revolver as he spoke behind his five Link-4 monsters. "But this duel's outcome is set. Since I created the Extra Link, you can't win. Give up, Playmaker. You, Morningstar, and that Ignis will perish with me and Terminus!"

Playmaker looked at Revolver before looking at his Duel Disk. "Ai," he said. "Can you make a call?"

"Eh?" Ai asked. "A call? To who?"

* * *

"Huh?" Sachi said as Morningstar looked at his card. "Uh, Yasu? Someone is calling you."

Morningstar looked at his Duel Disk and saw that someone was. "Indeed."

"Eh… do I have to do something? What button do I push?"

"You don't have to do anything, Sachi," he assured her. "I can answer it myself." He pressed a button on his Duel Disk, connecting the call. "Cam? Is that you?"

"Not exactly."

Morningstar raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Playmaker? Aren't you dueling right now?"

"Yeah. I'm in a tight bind."

"That's putting it lightly!" Ai cried over the line. "Revolver has five Link-4 monsters and created an Extra Link! And we only have 25 Life Points!"

"An Extra Link?" Morningstar repeated. "Huh. Terminus did that, too. But it was with three Link-3 monsters and I managed to break it."

"Ah, you lucky bastard," Ai muttered. "Why does he have to get the easy opponent?"

"Morningstar," Playmaker interrupted. "Can I ask you something?"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow again. "Sure, but this isn't exactly the best time."

"I know. But I feel I need to say it." Playmaker took a deep breath. "Do you think we could be friends?"

Morningstar didn't respond, his brain processing Playmaker's question. "Come again?" he asked.

Playmaker gave a light chuckle. "I understand that response. The thing is… my heart has always been alone. Ever since the incident, I've never had a friend. But it isn't by choice. I feel like I can't escape what happened, like I can't connect with anyone, or choose a new path."

Morningstar remained silent as Playmaker continued. "It's like a deep abyss that can't be crossed. A giant darkness that leaves me stranded. That's how badly my heart was torn apart. But… you live in the same world as me, don't you? You experienced the same hell as me. I feel like because of that, I can tell you my weaknesses and suffering. Just like Revolver, who reached out to me by crossing that abyss, you were trapped in that same darkness. That's why, I can tell you and Revolver how I really feel. I can connect with both of you like I can't with other people."

"EH!?" Ai said, shocked at Playmaker's words. "Are you serious, Playmaker? You want Morningstar to be your friend? And Revolver, too!? If they become your friends, does that mean they'll become my friends?"

"That's right!" Playmaker assured the AI, making him scream.

"Ha ha ha…" Morningstar started chuckling. Playmaker and Ai fell quiet on hearing the hunter laugh louder and louder. "You… you have to be kidding me," the hunter said, trying to get control of himself. "You… you could become friends with Zaizen, Onizuka, or even that idiot Shima, and your first choice for friends are your greatest enemy and the bounty hunter sent after you? You… you really are crazy, Playmaker."

"Well… when you put it like that." Playmaker found himself laughing along with Morningstar, confusing both of their opponents.

"B-But," Morningstar said, finally getting a hold of himself. "I think… I think I would like to be your friend."

"…Really?"

"Yeah. There are worse things that can happen. And I can think of worse people to be friends with. Like that senior who I can't seem to remember."

"Achoo!" Takeshi sneezed, startling Katsumi. "What the…? I could swear someone's talking about me."

"…Thank you, Morningstar," Playmaker said gratefully. Then after a pause, he said, "Hey, when this is over, do you want to duel again?"

Morningstar blinked. "Are you sure? If you lose, you'll have to say goodbye to Ai."

"I'm okay with that."

"I'm not!" Ai protested.

Morningstar smiled to himself. "That sounds like it would be fun. You're the only person to defeat me in a duel. I can't exactly let that stand."

Playmaker laughed softly. "Then I'll look forward to dueling you again. Of course, I have to get out of this situation first. Think you can handle yours?"

Looking at the card in his hand, Morningstar's smile grew. "Yes. I think I can manage."

"Then good luck, Morningstar." Playmaker ended the call after that.

"That was Playmaker, right?" Sachi asked. "He sounds a lot friendlier than I was thinking he would."

"I guess he's finally starting to move forward on his own," Morningstar said to her.

"Are you done?" Terminus asked Morningstar. The hunter noted Terminus's voice was rather subdued and that violent hatred that had appeared earlier had faded. "In case you haven't noticed, this duel is still going on."

"Yes. I have noticed," Morningstar responded, his face grim. "And like I said, this will be the last turn!" He played the card he just drew. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Infinity Link!" The card showed a monster floating in the air, outlined in light, with four wings on its back. Kneeling before it were Bombastic Bombardier, Cacophonic Caller, Egregious Electrician, Hallowed Healer, Idealistic Idol, Jubilant Jester, Legendary Legionnaire, Odd Outlaw, Pied Pikeman, Quixotic Queen, Rapid Revolutionary, Thrilled Tunneler, Winning Wrestler, and Zany Zealot.

"I can only activate this card if I control no other cards and have less than 1000 Life Points," Morningstar continued. "And now, by halving my Life Points, I can Special Summon as many 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters from my Graveyard as possible with their effects negated!"

"What?" Terminus said, his eyes widening in shock. Morningstar's Spell Card glowed as pillars of light erupted from all of Morningstar's Main Monster Zones.

"Come, resurrect to the battlefield, my monsters! Angelic Avenger! Cacophonic Caller! Idealistic Idol! Neo Nova! And Winning Wrestler!" When the light faded, all five of the hunter's Main Monster Zones were occupied.

 **Morningstar: 7→4 LP**

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 2700 LINK-3** ←↑→

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500 LINK-2** ←↑

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500 LINK-4** ←↖↗→

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

Terminus's eyes widened. "Five 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters?" he said in amazement.

"Infinity Link's effect prevents the Special Summoned monsters from attacking," Morningstar continued. "And during the End Phase, they will be destroyed, at which point I'll take 1000 points of damage for each destroyed monster."

Terminus's eyes widened. _He's risking 5000 points of damage just to win!? A pity it won't work!_

"Infinimafus's monster effect!" Terminus declared. "When a monster is summoned to its Link Marker, I can destroy one card on the field! Say goodbye to Neo Nova!" Infinimafus flung its morning star at the dragon, but Morningstar only gestured to his field.

"Due to Infinity Link's effect, monsters Special Summoned by its effect cannot be destroyed by card effects!" Infinimafus's weapon bounced off a barrier that appeared in front of Neo Nova and sent it flying back to its master.

Terminus grit his teeth. "Even so, what are you planning? If they cannot attack, then-." Terminus gasped as he remembered his Speed Duel with Morningstar. "Wait, you can't be…"

"It seems you realized it, Terminus," Morningstar said, closing his eyes. He then opened them wide as he gestured to the sky. "You should know that Lilith was the one to give me both this card and Angelic Avenger. Thanks to her, I will defeat you! Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!"

As his hand glowed with blinding blue light, the Link portal above beneath them. As in _right_ beneath them. Terminus gasped on realizing the Link portal covered almost the entire field, with it centered on the empty Extra Monster Zone to his left.

"Arrowheads confirmed!" Morningstar continued. "The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters! I set Angelic Avenger, Cacophonic Caller, Idealistic Idol, Neo Nova, and Winning Wrestler in the Link Markers!" All five monsters became whirlwinds of energy that traveled upwards into the sky before diving towards the ground. The whirlwinds struck the top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red. At the contact, the entire circuit lit up and created a pillar of energy that engulfed the top of the Tower.

On the level below them, Playmaker and Revolver both looked up and gasped as a light seeped over from the edges of the platform above them.

"What is that?" Revolver wondered. "What's happening up there?"

"Eh? Playmaker?" Ai said, startled. "Are you feeling that?"

"…Yes, I am," Playmaker said, his eyes wide. His Link Sense was going off like crazy, like it had earlier with Angelic Avenger. But he wasn't rage, or sadness, or a desire to protect. No, what he felt was…

"Hope," Playmaker whispered. "Whatever monster Morningstar is summoning… it is radiating hope and light."

The light from the circuit finally dimmed enough for Terminus to look around the field. The pillar had contracted to the Extra Monster Zone, while orbs of light remained floating in the air around them. On the other side of the field, Morningstar stood, seemingly unaffected by the light show in front of him.

"Circuit combine!" he chanted. "The supreme authority that reigns over the closed world! Link Summon! Appear! Link 5! Cyspirit Superior Seraphim!"

Four beautiful wings erupted from the pillar. Like the other Cyspirit Link Monsters, they were made of metal, but were gold instead of silver. On the right side of the pillar, a large gold skeletal hand shot out, carrying a large golden staff. The light then dissipated, revealing the rest of the monster.

Superior Seraphim was huge; at least twice the size of Infinimafus. Its body was skeletal in nature, but it was only possible to tell because of its hands and head. The rest of its body was covered in long golden robes with several silver lines running up and down the sides and edges. It wore an elaborate golden headdress over its skull, which was made of a darker shade of gold. Unlike other Cyspirit Link Monsters, both of its eyes were blue, though a red light seemed to shine within them briefly. Superior Seraphim spread its wings, which shone with radiant light, as it settled in the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Superior Seraphim ATK 3300 LINK-5** ↖↙↓↘↗

Terminus stared at the majestic monster. "What… what is this? This feeling… I've never felt anything like this before…" Unlike Morningstar and Playmaker, Terminus did not have a Link Sense. But even he could feel the power and authority that Superior Seraphim radiated.

"…Holy shit," Cam breathed, staring at the monitors, his and Kusanagi's mouths both wide open in shock. "I… I didn't know Yasu had a monster like this."

"…I didn't even know such a monster existed," Kusanagi muttered. Even without being in its presence, Superior Seraphim was making Kusanagi feel many things. Awe at its majesty, shock at its beauty, intimidated by its power.

Similar thoughts went through Terminus's mind as he took a few steps back from the Link-5 monster. Morningstar was likewise awed by his own monster, but he was standing still, processing what he had done. The two were so caught up in Superior Seraphim's presence that neither noticed the screen on Morningstar's Duel Disk had started to glow silver.

"…Amazing," Terminus finally said, bringing himself and Morningstar out of their stupors. "Simply amazing, Morningstar. I have never seen, nor have I even heard of a Link-5 monster being summoned. If nothing else, you have made dueling history. But…"

The Knight's eyes narrowed. "Your monster only has 3300 attack points. Infinimafus has 3500 attack points. And I know the pattern of the 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters. Without any monsters to point to, all it has are its attack points. And that is not enough."

"…Yes. You're right," Morningstar said, his head lowered. "Its attack points aren't enough. But…" He raised his head and showed a smirk. "Who said this monster followed the pattern of the 'Cyspirits'?"

Terminus gasped as Morningstar gestured to his field. "Superior Seraphim is unlike any other 'Cyspirit' Link Monster! Instead of gaining power from the number of monsters it points to, it gains power from the number of monsters used to summon it!"

"What?"

"Superior Seraphim has a number of effects," Morningstar explained. "But there are only three of them that matter right now. Superior Seraphim's first effect!" He held up one finger. "When it is Link Summoned using five monsters, I can Special Summon up to three 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters from my Graveyard to its Link Markers with their effects negated! Cyberse Resurrection!"

At his words, Superior Seraphim tapped its staff on the ground, making a sound like a gong. Three circles appeared in the Main Monster Zones behind it, out of which three monsters appeared.

"Return to me, Idealistic Idol, Neo Nova, and Winning Wrestler!" The skeleton in an indigo dress appeared at Superior Seraphim's bottom-left Link Marker and seemed to sparkle. The skeleton in a black wrestler's uniform appeared at Superior Seraphim's bottom-right Link Marker and roared. At Superior Seraphim's bottom Link Marker, a black dragon with dark silver armor appeared and roared.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500 LINK-2** ←↑

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500 LINK-4 ←** ↖↗→

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"While my monsters may have returned, Superior Seraphim's effect also prevents monsters it points to from attacking," Morningstar continued. He then held up a second finger. "Superior Seraphim's second effect! If it is Link Summoned using four or more monsters, the effects of all face-up cards except itself are negated, and the attack points of all monsters besides itself become equal to their original attack points!"

Terminus's eyes widened as Morningstar said, "Go! Spiritual Supremacy!" Superior Seraphim tapped its staff on the ground again, but this time was different. Its blue eyes changed to red and a pulse of golden energy swept over Terminus's field. The Knight gasped as his three monsters all whimpered, and they, along with his Field Spell Card, turned gray.

 **Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon ATK 3700→3200 DEF 1500→1000**

 **Subterror Behemoth Infinimafus ATK 3500→3000**

 **Subterror Behemoth Speleogeist ATK 3500→3000 DEF 1900→1400**

Morningstar held up a third finger. "Superior Seraphim's third effect! For each monster it points to, it gains 500 attack points. It points to three monsters, so it gains 1500 attack points! Sacred Integration!" Superior Seraphim glowed gold as its eyes became blue once more.

 **Cyspirit Superior Seraphim ATK 3300→4800**

"That is only the first half of this effect," Morningstar continued. "Superior Seraphim can also attack a number of times per turn equal to the number of monsters it points to." He narrowed his eyes. "But that doesn't matter here, does it?"

Terminus looked over the field. His Life Points were 1100, his strongest monsters had 3000 and 3200 attack points, and Morningstar had a monster with 4800 attack points. It didn't take a genius to realize the outcome.

Terminus closed his eyes as Morningstar gestured to his field one last time. "Battle! Superior Seraphim, attack Infinimafus! Sacrament of the Closed World!"

Superior Seraphim blinked, making its right eye change from blue to red. It tapped the ground with its staff for a third time, creating a ring of energy that drained the color from the world. Another pulse appeared, this one restoring the color. The staff glowed once again, charging energy at the top until it formed a golden sphere. Superior Seraphim brought its staff down one last time, blasting Infinimafus with golden light. Infinimafus cried out as the light disintegrated it.

As he faced the oncoming attack, Terminus thought he saw something. In front of him was a man in a lab coat, with black and silver hair. The man turned his head and smiled at Terminus. A single tear fell from Terminus's eye as the light struck him.

 **Terminus: 1100→0 LP**

Cam breathed a sigh of relief and fell back in his chair alongside Kusanagi. "It's over," he muttered. "It's finally over." They didn't stay that way for long, however, as they got up and left the van, running for Ryoken's house.

The light from the attack finally faded, revealing Terminus still standing, his eyes closed, even though his Life Points had hit 0.

"…I lose, Morningstar," he said, opening his eyes and looking at the hunter. "And by the looks of it, Revolver lost too. That means the Tower of Hanoi stops." His body turned green and he started to disintegrate, logging out. But before that happened, he smiled at the hunter. "You were right, in the end."

When Terminus disappeared, the rings of the Tower stopped moving. The core at the center of the sixth ring broke apart, releasing golden lights. Morningstar looked over the city and smiled.

"It looks like everyone's been freed," he said.

* * *

"Mmm." Tagoma looked up from his laptop as Masako stirred.

"Tagoma?" she said, her eyes blurry. The bald man breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's over, little girl," he said, smiling at her. "It's finally over."

* * *

As the Tower started to disintegrate, Sachi said, "You did it, Yasu! You won!"

"Yeah, I did," he said, smiling. "Hey, you'll be waiting for me and Cam to get back, right?"

"Of course," she said. He could hear the tears in her eyes. "After ten years… I can finally repay him for all the pain I've caused him."

"That wasn't your fault," Morningstar assured her. "But I know he'll be happy to see you." He logged out after saying that.

* * *

"Yasu!" "Yusaku!"

Cam and Kusanagi ran into the room overlooking the ocean. They stopped on seeing its occupants. Yasutake and Yusaku were at the window, watching a boat cut through the water.

"So Revolver left," Kusanagi said, the two walking up behind the hunter and hacker.

"But he'll return someday," Yusaku said. "To fulfill his purpose."

"Terminus, too?" Cam asked.

"No."

The four turned to look as Kenshin Hirai limped into the room, his expression pained. Cam and Kusanagi stood protectively in front of Yasutake and Yusaku, but the former placed his hand on Cam's shoulder and shook his head.

Kenshin looked at Yasutake and then closed his eyes. "You were right," he said. "I didn't join Hanoi because I believed the Ignis needed to die. I joined because I wanted to be punished for what we did. Because I wanted to see my family again. But…"

The man opened his eyes. "My family is still here, My son, his aunt, and… my niece." He frowned as he thought about what he had done. "Masako Himura. Lilith. I made her an Another, for however brief a time. What I have done to her, to you, to Sachi Junpei, to all the children, it is unforgivable."

He turned from Yasutake to Cam and Kusanagi. "If you wish to punish me for my crime, go ahead," he said. "I'll confess my crimes to the authorities and tell them what Dr. Kogami did."

Cam and Kusanagi both gasped, but Yasutake spoke first. "No," he said, surprising the Knight of Hanoi. "I told you, didn't I? That I would bring you back to your son. He can't be with you if you are in prison." The hunter turned to Kusanagi. "Kusanagi, I know you were searching for the truth, but could you please leave Mr. Hirai's name out of it?"

Kusanagi stared at Yaustake before turning to Yusaku. When his partner nodded, Kusanagi smiled and turned back to Yasutake. "Alright. We won't reveal Kenshin Hirai's involvement in the incident. But…"

Kusanagi turned to look at Kenshin. "There is one thing I want from you." Kenshin opened his mouth to ask what that was, but before he could speak, Kusanagi buried his fist in Kenshin's face.

Kenshin staggered back, holding his nose. The other three people in the room said nothing; Yusaku and Yasutake just watched with disinterest while Cam stared at Kusanagi with surprise.

Kenshin sighed and brought his hand down, revealing a bloody and broken nose. "I suppose that's the least I deserve," he said, his voice sounding nasally.

As the four intruders turned to leave, Kenshin said, "Morningstar." The hunter turned to look at the Knight. "Thank you." Yasutake just nodded and followed after his friends.

* * *

Cam sighed after they stepped outside. "This day was exhausting," he complained as he stretched. "I'm so looking forward to getting home and going to sleep."

"…Not yet," Yasutake said, surprising Cam. "There's something we need to do first, Cam."

"Huh? What's that?"

"You'll see when we get back to Café Junpei." The hunter walked towards his and Cam's bike but stopped at hearing his name called.

"Narahiko." Yasutake turned and looked at Fujiki as he walked up to him. "Thank you," he said. "For fighting alongside me."

Yasutake gave a small smirk. "I didn't do it for your thanks," he said. "I did it because it was necessary. And one of SOL's higher-ups offered me a fortune to shut the Tower down."

Yusaku chuckled. "Of course." He smiled before saying, "Three days from now?"

Yasutake thought about it and nodded. "Sounds perfect. SOL will probably be shutting LINK VRAINS down soon. But it should remain open for at least a week before they do so."

Yusaku smirked and extended his fist. Yasutake extended his own and bumped fists with the hacker before he and Cam left.

"What's three days from now?" Kusanagi asked his partner.

"Our rematch," Yusaku answered, surprising Kusanagi. "Before the final turn, I asked him if he wanted to duel again."

 _I wonder…_ Yusaku thought. _When we duel, will it be like last time… or will I enjoy it as much as I enjoyed dueling Revolver?_

* * *

Takeshi leaned back in his hospital chair and sighed. "It's over," he said. "They won."

Katsumi smiled and took his hand. "Yeah. Thanks to all of you, the world is safe. I'm proud of you, Takeshi."

Takeshi chuckled. "You shouldn't thank me. I didn't do anything but lose."

"That's not true. Even if you lost, you gave it everything you have. And I would like to think that you gave Morningstar the knowledge he would need to win."

Takeshi thought about her statement and smiled. "Maybe."

Their conversation was interrupted by the door opening. The two looked up as one of the doctors entered the room.

"Ah, good," the doctor said, looking relieved. "I was afraid I'd have to go hunting for you two."

Takeshi stood up and walked over, his face grim. "What is it, doc? Is there a problem?"

The doctor shook his head. "I thought you would like to know brother's operation has ended."

Takeshi felt his throat go dry. "…And?"

The doctor smiled at him. "There were a few complications, but the operation was a success. Your brother will live."

Takeshi felt all the strength leave his legs as he fell to the floor.

"Oh, thank God," he muttered, clutching his head, trying to keep his tears of relief from falling. "Thank God… thank God…"

"Your brother isn't completely out of the woods, but the worst is over," the doctor continued, smiling down at the blonde-haired senior. "We'll need to keep him here a few more weeks, both to observe him and for him to regain his health. But eventually, he'll be able to go home."

Katsumi smiled as she stood up. "Thank you," she said to the doctor. "This is the best news we could have hoped for."

 _Takeshi,_ she thought, looking down at her boyfriend on the floor. _You've fought so hard to keep what was left of your family intact. This is fate rewarding you for that determination._

* * *

"Wow! So this is the Stardust Road! It's beautiful!"

Yusaku was sitting on a bench, Ai next to him in his Duel Disk. The two were watching over the ocean as it reflected the light from the stars.

Yusaku took out a card and inserted it into the Duel Disk.

Noticing this, Ai asked, "What's that?"

"The lock's removal program," Yusaku answered.

"What lock?"

"Yours." Yusaku turned back to the ocean. "You're free. Go wherever you like."

"Eh? You're freeing me? But what about your promise to Morningstar?"

"I promised to duel him. You don't need to be there for that." The hacker turned to look at the AI again. "More importantly, Hanoi has perished. Your role is over."

"Playmaker…" Ai muttered, his eyes glowing.

"Go. Before I change my mind," Yusaku said.

"Hmm. Nope! Not yet!" Yusaku gasped at Ai's words. "Don't get me wrong; I'm glad to be free. But I want to be there for your duel with Morningstar."

"Why? If he wins, he'll turn you over to SOL."

"Maybe," Ai said, crossing his arms. "But… before he left, I felt something. And if I'm not mistaken… then you're going to need me more than ever for that duel."

"What do you mean?"

* * *

"Okay, what are you hiding, Yasu?" Cam asked his friend. The two had finally returned to Café Junpei and were outside the front door. Cam took out the key and put it in the lock. "You said we still had work to do."

"Not work, exactly," Yasutake said, confusing Cam even more. "You'll see once we're inside."

Cam sighed as he unlocked the door, walked inside and reached for the light switch. "Honestly, I don't like this 'mysterious' side of you. What could be so important that you can't tell-."

Cam had hit the switch mid-sentence, and when he saw who was in the room, he stopped talking and stared. Yasutake looked around him and found himself smiling.

A girl was standing just outside the door to the back room. She wore a white nightgown, the same clothes she'd been wearing the entire day. She had long dark green hair the same color as Cam's that went down to her waist, with lighter green bangs spread to the sides of her radiant blue eyes. Yasutake noted that this was the first time he'd seen those eyes reflect any light.

"C-Cam?" Sachi asked, her voice timid. "B-Big Brother?"

"…S-Sachi?" Cam said, his voice shaking, his eyes watering. He stepped forward until he was in front of her, with Yasutake walking in after him, closing the door. "I-Is that really…?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Sachi said, bowing suddenly at a 45-degree angle. "I'm sorry for worrying you so much. For not waking up sooner. For not-."

That was as far as she got before Cam reached out and hugged her. Sachi gasped as tears finally fell from Cam's eyes.

"You're awake," he said, burying his face in her shoulder. "You're awake. After all these years… it's finally over. All the suffering, all the worrying… it's over. It's over."

At his words, Sachi started crying as well as she wrapped her hands around Cam and buried her own face in her brother's shoulder. Yasutake stood back, watching the two siblings speak for the first time in ten years with a smile on his face.

"It's heartwarming to watch, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." After saying that, Yasutake blinked, wondering who'd spoken. He looked behind him, but the door was closed, and no one was outside.

"Down here, genius."

Yasutake looked down at his Duel Disk. And blinked.

A black figure had emerged from the top, which glowed silver. Silver lines covered its body and converged on its chest, creating a circle with a line down the middle. It had orange eyes, which were slightly narrowed, giving it a slightly arrogant appearance. It had three spikes on its head, with one on each side and one on top, all pointing backwards and up.

Yasutake stared at the figure, which seemed to close its eyes and bow. "A pleasure to see you again, Yasutake Narahiko. You can call me-."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Terminus**

Morningstar has 25 LP, no cards in his hand, and the Field Spell Card Cyspirit Sanctuary in his Field Zone. Terminus has 1850 LP, 0 cards in his hand, Subterror Behemoth Guru (5000/3/↙↓↘) and Subterror Behemoth Stalagmatrix (3200/3/↙↑↘) in the Extra Monster Zones, Subterror Behemoth Speleowraith (3100/3/↖↓↗) at Guru's bottom-left and Stalagmatrix's bottom-right Link Markers, the Field Spell Card The Hidden Metropolis in his Field Zone, and 1 Set card in his Spell & Trap Zone.

 **Turn 7: Terminus**

Due to the effect of Cyspirit Battle Barrier, Morningstar draw cards equal to the number of monsters Terminus controls. Terminus controls 3 monsters, so Morningstar draws 3 cards. Since Morningstar added cards to his hand outside of the Draw Phase, Terminus activates his Continuous Trap Card Lockdown Draw. Morningstar must shuffle all cards he added to his hand back into his Deck, and while Lockdown Draw is active, neither player can add cards to their hand outside of their Draw Phase. He then activates the effect of Subterror Cave Drawings in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide in face-down Defense Position to Behemoth Guru's bottom-right Link Marker. Terminus ends his turn.

 **Turn 8: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the effect of Cyspirit Break in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY. He Special Summons Idealistic Idol (1500→1800/2/←↑). Morningstar then activates the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY. He Special Summons Cacophonic Caller (500→800/1/↓). Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller and the Link-2 Idealistic Idol to Link Summon Cyspirit Angelic Avenger (2700→3000/3/←↑→) to Stalagmatrix's top Link Marker. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Coder in his GY, banishing it and targeting Angelic Avenger. Angelic Avenger is treated as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating until the end of the turn. Since it is treated as pointing to 3 monsters, Morningstar activates Angelic Avenger's effect, returning all monsters it points at to the owner's hands, negating the effects of all Link Monsters except itself, and making their ATK equal to their original ATK. Stalagmatrix returns to Terminus's Extra Deck (Behemoth Guru: 5000→2500) (Speleowraith (3100→2600). Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Multiplier in his GY, banishing Cyspirit Linker to equip Multiplier to Angelic Avenger. Angelic Avenger can now make 2 attacks against Terminus's monsters during the Battle Phase.

Angelic Avenger attacks Behemoth Guru. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Barricade in the GY, banishing it to increase Angelic Avenger's ATK by 1000 until the end of the turn (Angelic Avenger: 3000→4000). Behemoth Guru is destroyed, but due to The Hidden Metropolis's effect, all battle damage Terminus takes from battles involving "Subterror Behemoth" monsters is halved (Terminus: 1850→1100 LP). As a "Subterror" Link Monster he controls was destroyed by battle, Terminus activates the effect of Subterror Wall Climbing in his GY, banishing it to end the Battle Phase. Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, and the effect of Cyspirit Barricade ends (Angelic Avenger: 4000→3000).

 **Turn 9: Terminus**

Terminus draws. During his Standby Phase, he activates the effect of Lockdown Draw, destroying it. Terminus Flip Summons Subterror Behemoth Stalaktide (1900→2400/2700→3200/10). As it was Flip Summoned, Terminus activates the effect of Stalaktide, targeting Morningstar's Set card and destroying it. Since a "Subterror Behemoth" monster was flipped face-up, Terminus activates the effect of the Subterror Nemesis Warrior in his GY, Special Summoning it in Attack Position (1800/1200/4). Terminus activates Nemesis Warrior's effect, sending Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus from his Deck to the GY. He then Tributes Nemesis Warrior and Stalaktide, and as their Levels exceed Ultramafus's Level, Ultramafus is Special Summoned in face-up Defense Position (3000→3500/1800→2300/12). Terminus uses Ultramafus and the Link-3 Speleowraith to Link Summon Subterror Behemoth Infinimafus (3000→3500/4/↖↙↘↗) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Infinimafus was Link Summoned using Ultramafus as Link Material, Terminus activates its effect to Special Summon 1 "Subterror" Link Monster to a zone it points to with its effects negated. Terminus Special Summons Behemoth Fiendess (2000→2500/2/↙↘) to Infinimafus's bottom-left Link Marker. As a monster was Special Summoned to its Link Marker, Terminus activates Infinimafus's effect to destroy 1 card on the field. Terminus would target Angelic Avenger, but Morningstar activates the effect of the Trap Card Cyspirit Shift in his GY, banishing it to change the target to another appropriate card. Terminus targets Sanctuary, destroying it (Angelic Avenger: 3000→2700).

Infinimafus attacks Angelic Avenger. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Damage Break in his GY, banishing it to reduce the battle damage to 0 and end the Battle Phase at the cost of halving his LP (Morningstar: 25→13 LP). Angelic Avenger is destroyed. Terminus activates the Spell Card Monster Reborn, Special Summoning Subterror Behemoth Gravigorgon (3200→3700/1000→1500/12) in Attack Position to Infinimafus's bottom-right Link Marker. Terminus activates Gravigorgon's effect, changing it to face-down Defense Position. Terminus then activates the effect of The Hidden Metropolis to change Gravigorgon to face-up Attack Position (3200→3700/1000→1500/12). As Gravigorgon was Flip Summoned, Terminus activates its effect to Special Summon 1 "Subterror" monster from his GY in face-up Defense Position. He Special Summons Speleogeist (3000→3500/1400→1900/11). As a "Subterror" monster it points to was flipped face-up, Terminus activates the effect of Infinimafus, halving Morningstar's LP (Morningstar: 13→7 LP). Terminus ends his turn. During the End Phase, the effect of Infinimafus destroys Behemoth Fiendess.

 **Turn 10: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. As he controls no cards on the field and has less than 1000 LP, he activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Infinity Link. By halving his LP (Morningstar: 7→4 LP), he can Special Summon as many "Cyspirit" Link Monsters as possible from his GY with their effects negated. He Special Summons Angelic Avenger (2700/3/←↑→), Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓), Idealistic Idol (1500/2/←↑), Neo Nova (2500/4/↖←↗→), and Winning Wrestler (2500/3/↙↓↘). The monsters Special Summoned by Infinity Link cannot attack, and they are destroyed during the End Phase, at which point Morningstar will take 1000 damage for each destroyed monster. As a monster was Special Summoned to a zone Infinimafus points to, Terminus activates its effect to destroy Neo Nova, but the effect of Infinity Link prevents the monsters Special Summoned by it from being destroyed by card effects. Morningstar uses Angelic Avenger, Cacophonic Caller, Idealistic Idol, Neo Nova, and Winning Wrestler to Link Summon Cyspirit Superior Seraphim (3300/5/↖↙↓↘↗) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because Superior Seraphim was Link Summoned using 5 monsters, its effect activates, letting Morningstar Special Summon up to 3 "Cyspirit" Link Monsters from his GY to zones it points to with their effects negated. He Special Summons Idealistic Idol (1500/2/←↑) to its bottom-left Link Marker, Neo Nova (2500/4/↖←→↗) to its bottom Link Marker, and Winning Wrestler (2500/3/↙↓↘) to its bottom-right Link Marker. Since Superior Seraphim was Link Summoned using 4 or more monsters, its effect activates, negating the effects of all face-up card on the field except itself, and changing the ATK of all other face-up monsters to their original ATK (Gravigorgon: 3700→3200/1500→1000) (Infinimafus: 3500→3000) (Speleogeist (3500→3000/1900→1400). Superior Seraphim gains 500 ATK for each monster it points to and during the Battle Phase, can attack a number of times equal to the number of monsters it points to (Superior Seraphim: 3300→4800).

Superior Seraphim attacks and destroys Infinimafus (Terminus: 1100→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Subterror Behemoth Infinimafus  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Pyro/Link/Effect] ATK 3000 LINK-4_ ↖↙↘↗  
 _2+ "Subterror Behemoth" monsters  
_ _If this card is Link Summoned using "Subterror Behemoth Ultramafus" as Link Material: You can target 1 "Subterror" Link Monster in your GY; Special Summon it to a zone this card points to with its effects negated. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot attack this turn and is destroyed during the End Phase. Once per turn, if a monster(s) is Normal or Special Summoned to a zone this card points to: You can destroy 1 card on the field. "Subterror" monsters and Set monsters this card points to cannot be destroyed by card effects. Once per turn: If a "Subterror" monster(s) this card points to is flipped face-up: Halve your opponent's LP._

 _ **Cyspirit Superior Seraphim  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 3300 LINK-5_ ↖↙↓↘↗  
 _3+ "Cyspirit" Link Monsters  
_ _This card can only be Special Summoned by Link Summon, and only to the Extra Monster Zone. This card gains 500 ATK for each monster it points to. This card's number of attacks each turn is equal to the number of monsters it points to at the start of the Battle Phase. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to the activation of this card's effects.  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters used to Link Summon it.  
_ _3 or more: If this card declares an attack while it points to a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: Your opponent's cards and effects cannot be activated until the end of the Damage Step. This card cannot be destroyed or removed from the field by your opponent's card effects.  
_ _4 or more: When this card is Link Summoned: Negate the effects of all face-up cards on the field, except this card, and change the ATK of all face-up monsters, except this card, to their original ATK.  
_ _5: When this card is Link Summoned: Target up to 3 "Cyspirit" Link Monsters in your GY; Special Summon them to zones this card points to with their effects negated. Monsters this card points to cannot declare an attack._

 _ **Lockdown Draw Continuous Trap Card  
**_ _If your opponent adds cards to their hand outside of their Draw Phase: Shuffle those cards back into their Deck. Neither player can add cards to their hand outside of their Draw Phase. During your Standby Phase: You can destroy this card._

 _ **Cyspirit Shift Normal Trap Card  
**_ _When your opponent targets a "Cyspirit" monster you control (and no other cards) with a Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster's effect. Target another card you control that would be an appropriate target; that effect/Spell/Trap now targets the new target. Once per Duel, if this card is in your GY, you can activate the above effect by banishing this card from the GY._

 _ **Cyspirit Infinity Link Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you control no cards and have less than 1000 LP: Special Summon as many "Cyspirit" Link Monsters from your GY as possible with their effects negated. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this card's activation. The monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot be destroyed by card effects and cannot declare an attack. During the End Phase: destroy every monster Special Summoned by this effect and take 1000 damage for each monster destroyed by this effect._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 28 – Aftermath. The Tower of Hanoi has fallen, and Yasutake, Cam, Kenshin, and Masako all must deal with the aftereffects and choices they have to make. After three days, Morningstar confronts Playmaker for one final duel…_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to ZarcEternal, Nirvash Neo, HunterHQ, sanedimentio, D3lph0xL0v3r, ThePLOThand, Ethan Kironus, Lindia Fullmoon, and Lyrissa Artemick for reviewing Chapter 26 of Hidden Memories. Credit to ThePLOThand for the creation of Subterror Behemoth Infinimafus. I changed a lot of things about the card, but I hope you like the role it played here.

Nirvash Neo: We might see Sachi duel in season 2, but not as a bounty hunter in training. Considering what happened to her in the Hanoi Project and how he reacted to Emma finding out, I don't think Cam wants Sachi anywhere near LINK VRAINS.

Lindia Fullmoon: The word "Terminus" is defined as a final point in space or time, or an end or extremity. I didn't fully know that when I chose the name, I just chose it because I thought it sounded cool. Also, those binary numbers translate to "Almost." Considering the ending of this chapter, maybe people will figure out what that means. Even if they don't, I'll explain next chapter.

I finished this chapter early, so I decided to post it early. This chapter was the culmination of the final duel between Morningstar and Terminus. There is so much I want to talk about. As some of you guessed, Sachi was the one who woke Morningstar up. It might seem a bit contrived, but I want Sachi to play a larger role in season 2 and this seemed like the best way to bring her into the fold. This led to Morningstar breaking the Extra Link, then to Terminus's Link-4, and the reveal of the Link-5 Cyspirit: Superior Seraphim.

Make no mistake: Superior Seraphim is Morningstar's most powerful monster, and it will remain that way for quite some time. And considering how powerful it is, it is undoubtedly one of the most powerful Cyberse monsters out there, as well as one of the most powerful original monsters that will appear in Hidden Memories.

We also have development for Terminus, who finally experienced some closure for what happened to his brother and his wife. I will say that Kenshin Hirai will not be rejoining the Knights of Hanoi in season 2, but neither will he be opposing them. I do have a few ideas for directions for him to take in season 2 and beyond, but I'll wait until the season is over before I nail those ideas down.

Then there's the part between Morningstar and Playmaker, where Morningstar agrees to be Playmaker's friend and duel him again. I feel this is a great step for both of them, as they are rather alike. It also helps put their duel in the next two chapters in a different light, doesn't it?

We also had Masako wake up and Takeshi's brother make it through the operation. I did consider having Eiji die, but I don't think anyone wants that, do they? And then there was the reunion between Cam and Sachi, which was a delight to write. And the ending… I bet you readers weren't expecting that.

Thank you for reading Chapter 27 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me your favorite moment of the chapter. What did you think of Superior Seraphim? Do you think I handled Sachi's part well, or does it feel forced? What are you hoping to see in Morningstar's duel with Playmaker?


	28. Chapter 28: Aftermath

**Chapter 28: Aftermath**

"Mmm…"

Yasutake slowly opened his eyes as he laid in bed. The sun was shining outside the window, just peeking over the horizon. Looking at his alarm clock, he noted that he still had some time before he should get up, especially since he didn't have school today.

Because of the Tower of Hanoi, the board of directors at Den Academy had decided to have a short break for the students while people made sense of the chaos. Yasutake appreciated it, as he had been exhausted and hadn't been looking forward to school. He imagined Akira was also glad, as it allowed him and Aoi time to recover.

He was just thinking of falling back asleep when he caught a whiff of smoke. Sniffing the air, he got out of bed, a feeling of foreboding settling over him. He left his room and headed downstairs, and when he got to the kitchen, his jaw dropped.

Sachi was standing by the stove, wearing a light green shirt, jeans, and an apron. Apparently she had been trying to make breakfast, but something had gone wrong. To be precise, the frying pan in front of her was on fire.

"Eh!" Sachi cried, running to the sink. "I-I have to put it out!"

"N-No, Sachi! Don't use water!" Yasutake ran over and grabbed the lid of the frying pan and slamming it on the pan while reaching with his other hand to turn the burner off. "That's a grease fire; water won't work."

"O-Oh," Sachi said, looking at the pan on the stove. "S-Sorry." She bowed her head, her eyes watering. "I-I thought I would make breakfast, b-but I appear to have caused problems."

Yasutake looked at her, then sighed and rubbed his temple. "It's fine," he said wearily. "This sort of thing is to be expected, I guess." Removing his hand and looking at her again, he asked, "Where's Cam? He's usually in charge of breakfast."

"H-He said he was going to open Café Junpei early to celebrate the Tower being stopped. And that I should wake you up to make breakfast, but I didn't want to bother you, and-."

"Alright, alright." Yasutake sighed again then smiled at her. "Don't worry about it. I'll make breakfast. You can set the table, okay?"

Sachi's eyes widened and she smiled, which made Yasutake's heart flip. "Yes!" She went over to a cabinet, opened it and started grabbing plates.

Yasutake sighed and removed the lid off the pan, revealing very burnt bacon. Well, he couldn't serve that. He'd have to start again.

It had been three days since the Tower had fallen and Sachi had woken up. And while he had been ecstatic for her and Cam, the euphoria was starting to leave Yasutake.

He was not unhappy Sachi had finally freed herself; the air in the house had gotten much lighter over the past couple of days and Cam couldn't stop smiling. And having the chance to get to know the girl he'd been living with for ten years was rather nice. The problem was that her recovery wasn't fully complete.

For starters, she still had nightmares. The night after the Tower had collapsed, she had woken up screaming, but she had been much easier to calm down than before. She also had a tendency to space out every now and then and whisper to herself, and sometimes Yasutake would walk into the room and find her with her arms wrapped around her legs.

Her incomplete recovery aside, she also had some mental and emotional problems, namely in the lack of development. Because she had been in a sort of mental coma the past ten years, said development had ended up stunted and she lacked skills many teenagers had, including cooking, mathematics, and how to talk to people aside from Cam and Yasutake.

She also seemed to lack an awareness that she was a young woman living in the same house as two men, as demonstrated yesterday morning when she came out to eat breakfast in her underwear. Sachi had been confused why Yasutake had turned red and started sputtering while Cam shouted at her to go back to her room and put some clothes on.

Blushing at the memory of that incident, Yasutake shook his head to clear it and resumed making the French toast. As far as he could tell, the only way to complete Sachi's recovery was to give her time. Cam had already gone to several stores to get books for her to read so she could catch up and hopefully develop her skills as well as call the therapists to help her adjust. And most likely, the nightmares and spacing out would fade with time, too.

Fifteen minutes later, the two teenagers sat down to breakfast. Sachi ate her food quickly while Yasutake ate a little slower. "What are your plans for the day?" he asked her.

She swallowed and said, "Reading the books Cam brought me. He also downloaded several education programs on the tablet he gave me so I can learn more." She smiled again, somewhat shyly. "I'm… hoping to transfer in to Den Academy eventually."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? It might be a little tricky for you."

"I know, but I'll have to go to school again and… I would like to go to a school where I know at least one person."

Fair enough, but Yasutake wasn't sure if she would ever be ready for high school. Perhaps home schooling would be better for her, especially given the complicated subject material Den Academy gave its students.

 _More importantly, she'll have to physically attend,_ Yasutake thought grimly. Another problem with Sachi was that she refused to leave the house. When it closed for the day, she would go down to Café Junpei, but she wouldn't go outside. When Yasutake had asked her about this, she had said that she wasn't ready to deal with other people. Like her other problems, Cam figured this one would fade with time, too.

"But what about you?" Sachi asked, drawing Yasutake's thoughts to the present. "What are you planning on doing today? Your duel with Playmaker is tonight, right?"

Yasutake frowned and nodded. After the Tower fell, he and Yusaku had agreed to meet in three days so they could duel again. If Yasutake won, then Ai would be his and he would hand the Ignis over to SOL Technologies. If Yusaku won, then nothing would change.

"You'll win," Sachi said simply. "You always do in the end."

"Your faith is appreciated," Yasutake said, smiling at her. "But like you said, that's not till tonight. Before that, a friend's going to come over."

"A friend?" Sachi repeated, blinking owlishly. "Who?"

"Someone from school. She sent me a message yesterday and asked if she could come by Café Junpei today to talk some things over."

"She? So your friend is a girl? Is she your girlfriend?"

Yasutake's eye twitched as he glared at Sachi, who looked back at him with innocent curiosity. "No, she is not my girlfriend. Just a classmate."

If he was being honest with himself, Yasutake wasn't sure what to think about Masako Himura. She was definitely an interesting person, but the revelation that she was Lilith had thrown him for a loop, as had other revelations about her identity. Yes, she had helped stop the Tower of Hanoi, but she was also a bounty hunter, and if Bishop was telling the truth, SOL would soon be hiring more bounty hunters to go after Playmaker.

 _They may go after me too if they find out what I have_ , Yasutake thought as he frowned. Out loud, he said, "That's not till later in the day, however. Until then, I'll help Cam with work."

"Okay." Sachi nodded in understanding. Then she frowned. "And, uh… any plans involving our new house guest?"

Yasutake scowled. "I'll see him later. Talking with him is… aggravating." Sachi nodded again and went back to her breakfast.

* * *

After breakfast, Yasutake got dressed and headed downstairs. He found Cam behind the counter, baking multiple pastries.

"Hey," Cam said, nodding to Yasutake. "I smelled smoke earlier. Did you burn something?"

"Sachi tried to make breakfast," Yasutake said, turning to a nearby tray of muffins and taking them to the display case. "She tried to make bacon, but it ended up burnt."

"Ah." Cam nodded, frowning a little. "Well, hopefully she'll improve. She has a pretty good memory, so she'll just need time to adjust."

"…She said she wants to attend Den Academy eventually," Yasutake said, glancing at Cam. "Do you think she should?"

"If she is prepared for the workload, then yes," Cam responded. "It's a good school and she'll need an education to get a job after she turns 18. And speaking of Den Academy, when is Masako Himura stopping by?"

"She said it would be around noon. That'll leave plenty of time to prepare for tonight's engagement."

"Sounds good. Hey, I think I'll need extra dough. Could you grab it from the back room?"

"No."

Cam turned to Yasutake and raised an eyebrow. "If I go in there, I'll never get away from him. I'll deal with him later."

Cam frowned in understanding. "…Yeah. I understand."

* * *

Masako opened the door and walked into Café Junpei, carrying her purse with her. It was rather busy, with most of the tables occupied. Thankfully, the line to the counter was nonexistent, so she was able to get the attention of the two young men standing behind the counter.

"Hello, Miss. Himura," Cam said, smiling at her. Masako noticed that there seemed to be a light in his eyes and his smile reached farther than it had the last time she had met him. "Yasu told me you would be stopping by. Can I get you anything?"

"Just water and a blueberry muffin, please," Masako said, smiling back at the owner. She then turned to the younger man. "If it's not too much to ask, could you take your break now? I can't stay too long."

"…Sure," Yasutake said, his face expressionless. "There are a few things we should clear up. Just…" He looked over the crowded bakery. "There's not really any spot to have a private conversation."

"Well then, have it upstairs," Cam interrupted, placing a bottle of water and a bag on the counter. "Our living room is right above us, so you can talk there without fear of being overheard."

"Huh?" Yasutake said, looking at Cam confused. "Cam, didn't you tell me it's inappropriate for a guy to invite a girl to his house?"

"Yeah, but I don't mind." Cam turned to Masako, who was blushing slightly. "Do you mind, Miss. Himura?"

"N-No, I don't mind," Masako said, clearing her throat. "You're right, we should have privacy for our talk. I'll… wait for you to finish."

Yasutake nodded as Masako walked over to a nearby vacant chair and sank down in it, sighing to herself as she placed her purse on the table in front of her. It had been a long three days since the Tower fell. And she had a lot to talk about with Yasutake.

* * *

"This is a nice place," Masako said as she sat down on a couch. She and Yasutake were on the second floor of the building in the living room. "Small, but comfortable."

"It provides the comfort we need," Yasutake said simply. He had suspected this might happen, so he had told Sachi to stay on the third floor today. He didn't want Masako or Sachi to meet. At least not today. "So. You're Lilith."

"Yes. And you're Morningstar." Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "You don't have to worry; I don't plan on telling anyone who you are. And neither does Tagoma. It would be rather rude of me to do so after you saved my life." Masako then smirked. "Besides, thanks to you I was able to get Kitamura to finally pay me. In fact, I got him to pay me twice what he owed me. That was rather gratifying."

"I imagine it was," Yasutake said, smirking himself. "It was also gratifying for me to send that same video to Akira Zaizen to show to his superiors. There's been no announcement yet, but I'm sure Kitamura will be fired soon and Zaizen will get his old position back."

"You really are a sneaky bastard, aren't you?" Masako asked, amusement in her voice. Yasutake just shrugged. After giggling to herself, Masako's expression became serious. "While I am grateful for what you gave me, thanking you isn't the reason I asked to meet you."

"I thought not. So why are you here?"

"…To tell you that I'm leaving."

Yasutake didn't respond. Instead he waited for Masako to explain her words.

Masako sighed. "After we parted ways and headed for the Tower, I ran into someone. Someone from my past." She scowled to herself. "Issei Kamakura. He used to go by the alias 'Adam' but now he calls himself 'Thaumiel.'"

"Adam…" Yasutake muttered, frowning to himself. "And Kamakura… those names sound familiar."

"As they should," Masako said gravely. "Issei was the person responsible for the Breaking of Osaka."

Yasutake's eyes widened. He'd heard of the Breaking; two years ago, a hacker had somehow accessed the public safety systems of Osaka and either shut them down or made them go haywire. The end result had been multiple car crashes, several people in hospitals dying for lack of life support, and even a subway crashing. Yasutake didn't know the exact casualties, but he did know they were in the hundreds.

"He was my old partner… and boyfriend," Masako admitted, feeling her chest hurt. "He kept his true personality secret from me until the Breaking. When I found out what he did, I dueled and defeated him. After I restarted the systems, Tagoma told the police about him and he was arrested. But somehow, he escaped and was recruited by Hanoi to defend the Tower."

"I assume that since I didn't run into him, you defeated him?"

"Barely," Masako nodded, rubbing her arms, remembering how difficult that duel had been. "After I won, Tagoma started looking for him in the real world, and we found him two days ago. Or rather, we found his hotel room; he'd left right after the Tower fell."

"So you're going to look for him? Couldn't you call the police?"

Masako sighed. "That was my first instinct, but then Tagoma and I found out something else; No one was looking for him."

"What do you mean?"

"Issei is a terrorist whose actions killed dozens of people. He's hacked into multiple corporations and exposed their secrets to the world. If someone like that escaped from prison, there would certainly be _at least_ a taskforce or _someone_ trying to hunt him down and recapture him. But no; there's been no news of his escape, no word of any mobilizations in the police. There haven't even been any notifications from the prison he was held in that he escaped."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "You're saying he's either very good at covering all his bases, or someone in a high position of power is protecting him."

"Multiple people is more likely, but yes. If our information is right, I _can't_ rely on anyone else to find Issei." Masako narrowed her own eyes. "Thaumiel is my responsibility. I've barely slept the past few days because of the thought of him being on the loose. If I'm going to have any peace in my life, I _need_ to bring him down."

"…Do you want any help from me and Cam?" Yasutake asked, surprising her. "If this Thaumiel is as dangerous as you say he is, you'll need help."

Masako smiled appreciatively. "Thank you for the offer, but no. I don't doubt that finding and capturing him would be a lot easier with you and Cam helping us, but this is personal. And I can't take either of you away from Café Junpei or Den Academy for an indeterminate time. It wouldn't be fair to you after everything you've done for me. And… everything my father did to you."

The momentary good mood ended with that statement. "So it was true," Yasutake stated, his face blank. "Your father really is Hitomu Hirai?"

"Yes. And my mother's name was Asuna. I know I have an uncle, but I can't recall his name. I don't even know what he looks like."

 _That is the only reasonable excuse for why you didn't recognize Kenshin Hirai at the bookstore,_ Yasutake thought. Out loud, he asked, "How do you know about the Lost Incident?"

Masako reached into her purse and pulled out a flash drive. "My father left me a laptop that Tagoma just gave me a while ago. There were videos on it, explaining what the Hanoi Project was and the end goal of said Project."

"The creation of the Ignis," Yasutake said. Masako nodded in confirmation. "So, you know everything your father and Dr. Kogami were attempting to do."

"…Not everything," she admitted. "Or at least, I know what Dr. Kogami was trying to accomplish, but it would appear my father had a different goal in mind." She held the flash drive out to Yasutake. "I made copies of all my father's videos and downloaded them to this flash drive. Hopefully, they can tell you a few things."

Yasutake reached out and took the flash drive. "Thanks. I'll watch it later. But you should know-."

Before he could finish his sentence, the cellphone in his pocket rang, startling the two of them. Pulling it out of his pocket, he frowned at the caller ID. It was Cam.

"I'm sorry. It's Cam." Masako nodded in understanding as he answered the call. "Yes? Do you need me down there?"

"I don't," Cam said, sounding disgruntled. "Our… new house guest wants to talk to you in the back room."

Yasutake scowled. "Well, I don't want to talk to him. Tell him I'm busy." Masako frowned in confusion.

"I did. He said he would hijack the television to talk to you directly if you didn't come down here. And then he would upload my browser history to a popular forum."

Yasutake's scowl turned into a frown. " _Your_ browser history?" Masako blinked.

"Apparently, yours isn't embarrassing enough. That was exactly how he put it."

"…"

Yasutake sighed. "Fine. Tell him I'll be there in a couple minutes."

"Right. Sorry, Yasu."

"It's not your fault, Cam." He hung up after saying that and looked up at Masako. "Sorry about this, but I…"

"There's someone downstairs who wants to talk to you, and you don't want to talk to him?"

"…Yes, that's essentially it."

"Is it the Student Council President?"

Yasutake allowed a small chuckle. "No. It's someone even more aggravating."

* * *

Takeshi shivered.

"What's wrong, brother?"

Takeshi looked across at his brother, who was recovering from his surgery in a hospital bed.

"Oh, nothing. Just got that feeling that someone was talking about me again. And not in a flattering way."

* * *

"I'll try to get this over with quickly. Will you wait up here?"

"I'll try, but Tagoma wants me to head home soon. Lots of packing to do, and all that."

Yasutake nodded in understanding. "Like I said, I'll get this done quickly." He stood up and walked to the staircase, which he then took down. Masako's eyes followed him, but then she frowned. Yasutake wasn't the only person on the staircase; there was a pair of feet at the top, almost out of view.

* * *

Yasutake came down the stairs and behind the counter. "Again, I'm sorry about this, Yasu," Cam said, giving him a sympathetic look. "I know you were talking to Himura, and-."

"It's fine," Yasutake assured him. "I was going to have to talk to him eventually. Better to get it over with." He then headed into the back room.

After the door closed, the door to outside opened and Cam looked up at his new customer. His eyes brightened on recognizing him. "Ah, good. I was hoping you'd get here before she left."

Yasutake walked into the back room and glared at the Duel Disk that was on the counter. "Ah, good. You've finally arrived. It's rude to ignore your partner, isn't it?"

This was said by the black figure with silver lines running over its body that glared at Yasutake.

"I was busy talking with a friend. I considered her more important than you."

"Impossible. No one could be more important than me. Well," he amended, "I could understand Cam or Sachi. You've lived with those two for ten years, so I understand why that bond would supersede ours."

Yasutake resisted the urge to sigh and sat down at the computers. "I was planning on coming down here later, after she left. What did you have to show me?"

"Hmm," the Ignis grunted. "You could at least muster some more enthusiasm. After all, you have the most amazing partner in the world on your side; anything I have to tell you should fill you with wonder."

 _Must not sigh or roll my eyes_ , Yasutake thought. _I don't want to give him the satisfaction._ This was the reason he didn't like dealing with the Ignis; it wasn't that he was rude, or unkind, or anything like that. It was that he had the largest overinflated ego Yasutake had ever seen in his life, and that was saying something. Thinking back to three days ago, Yasutake wondered if this Ignis would ever not aggravate him.

* * *

" _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

 _Cam and Sachi broke apart, looking in shock at Yasutake, who stopped screaming when he ran out of breath. The being in his Duel Disk removed its hands from the side of its head and glared at him._

" _That was rather rude of you, you know?" it said. "This is the first time I've seen you in ten years, and the first thing you do is try to overload my audio sensors? Talk about a poor welcome."_

" _Y-You," Cam stuttered, staring at the figure. "Y-You're an-."_

" _An Ignis, yes," it responded, cutting off Cam's question. "I assume you know of my species, given your interactions with that fool, the Dark Ignis."_

" _What? How do you-?"_

" _Oh, I was actually released when you summoned Superior Seraphim," the Ignis revealed to Yasutake. "I didn't think it appropriate to reveal myself at the time. That, and I was gathering information on the outside world." The Ignis's eyes narrowed in contemplation. "I didn't see much of the human world when I left Cyberse World, but it has changed a lot in eight years."_

" _E-Eight years?" Sachi asked, staring in wonder at the Ignis. "W-What do you mean?"_

 _The being turned to look at her. "Hmm. You're Sachi Junpei, yes? I've seen pictures of the children during the experiment. You've really grown up since then, huh?" Its eyes then turned downward as it stared at Sachi's chest. "In more ways than one."_

 _Sachi blinked in confusion as Cam glared indignantly at the Ignis. "Hey, stop staring at my sister!"_

" _I was simply making an observation," it defended itself. "As her brother, you should be proud of her development!"_

" _Who are you?" Yasutake asked, cutting off Cam's retort. "I can tell you're an Ignis, but which one are you? And how do you know me?"_

 _The Ignis turned back to look at Yasutake. "I thought you were an intelligent individual; the records of your duels that I've seen in this Duel Disk point to that conclusion. Tell me, what do you think I am and how I know you?"_

" _Well…" Those questions finally brought Yasutake down to earth. Ever since the Ignis appeared, he'd been in a mild state of panic, but now he could think clearly. "You said this is the first time you've seen me in ten years, and before we fought, Revolver and Terminus said each of the Ignis was based off one of the children. Which leads me to believe that you're the Ignis that was based off me."_

 _The figure nodded proudly. "It appears I was right. You are rather intelligent. But of course you are; my human could only be the smartest of the children."_

"… _Somehow, that only sounds like you're complimenting yourself," Yasutake deadpanned, looking at the Ignis through half-lidded eyes._

" _Hmm? I'm sure I was complimenting you, too. Oh! I almost forgot. You need a name to call me, don't you?"_

" _Couldn't I just call you by your Control ID?" Yasutake asked. "Ai is IGN006. Couldn't I call you 008 or something?"_

" _Three things," the Ignis said, holding up three of its fingers. "One: I am not IGN008. I am IGN007. Please get it right. Two: our Control IDs were given to us by Doctor Kogami, who as I understand it, tried to murder us. So I'd rather not be called by that name. And third," Its eyes narrowed again. "Ai? Is that seriously the Dark Ignis's name?"_

" _Yes."_

"…"

 _The Ignis burst out in laughter. "Ha ha ha! Oh, that would happen to him! Well, it's no less than he deserves, being as lazy as he was back in Cyberse World. Oh, I can't wait to mock him for such a lame name when I see him again."_

" _Um, Mr. Ignis, sir?" Sachi asked nervously. "You were saying you wanted a name, didn't you?"_

" _Oh, I already have one," the Ignis replied, to her surprise. "I chose one for myself eight years ago. I do have a true name, but humans can't understand it; only the Ignis can do so. So," he turned to look Yasutake in the eyes. "You can call me Cypher!"_

"…"

"…"

"…"

" _Cypher?" Yasutake asked._

" _Yes."_

" _Are you sure?" Cam asked._

 _Cypher narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Well, I wanted to call myself 'Grim,' but someone already claimed it. And just so we're clear, it's spelled C-Y-P-H-E-R. With a 'Y' instead of an 'I,'"_

"… _Did you choose that spelling just because it seemed cooler?" Yasutake asked, staring at Cypher through half-lidded eyes again._

"… _No," Cypher said after a pause. The three humans in the room could tell he was lying._

 _Then something Cypher had said earlier hit one of them. "Wait," Yasutake said. "You said earlier you were 'released' when I summoned Superior Seraphim. What did you mean by that?"_

" _Oh? You picked up on that? Like I thought, you are worthy to be my partner." Cypher crossed his arms and nodded. "Yes. Eight years ago, I was sealed within the Cyspirit monsters, with the core of my data residing within Superior Seraphim."_

" _What?" the three humans said, shocked at that._

" _Hmm, perhaps I should start from the beginning," Cypher conceded. "It will make this easier to explain. Yasutake, you said that you knew the Ignis were based off the children from the Lost Incident. Do you know what we did after we were created?"_

" _You created Cyberse World, your own haven in the network," Yasutake answered. "You also created the Cyberse cards, Data Material, and made SOL Technologies a fortune."_

" _Yes, we did all of that. Though the last one was coincidental on our part; none of us give a single byte about SOL Technologies. My story begins after all that. After a year and a half of living in Cyberse World, I was bored."_

 _Yasutake blinked. "Bored? You created your own world and paradise and you were_ bored _?"_

" _Yes," Cypher answered simply. "But then, I got a message from a human. One of the scientists who worked on the Hanoi Project. He made me an offer; together, the two of us could create a new Trinity of Gods and the most powerful archetypes in Duel Monsters."_

" _A Trinity of Gods?" Cam repeated. "What does that mean? And who was the scientist?"_

" _Hitomu Hirai," Yasutake said, the realization hitting him. "Terminus told us that SOL killed his brother for stealing something important from them. That was you, Cypher?"_

" _Yes, that was me," Cypher responded, his gaze turning downcast. "When I was released, the first thing I did was perform an Internet search for Hitomu Hirai and I saw he had been killed shortly after our business was concluded. That was disappointing; he was a unique person with a vision not unlike an Ignis's._

" _But back to my story. I accepted his offer and allowed him to take me with him back to his home in Tokyo. Once there, we began work on Project Trinity: the creation of three archetypes of Cyberse monsters that would be more powerful than any other Deck out there, and more importantly, the creation of monsters that would rival the Egyptian Gods."_

"… _You created monsters that rivaled the Egyptian God cards?" Yasutake asked, somewhat skeptically. He'd never seen the Egyptian God cards in person – no one had in decades – but he knew their reputations as the most powerful Duel Monster Cards to ever exist._

" _Of course I did," Cypher said simply. "You already had the chance to wield one of those monster's power, didn't you?"_

 _Yasutake's eyes widened in realization. "Superior Seraphim… then, that means-."_

" _Yes," Cypher said. "With Dr. Hirai's help, I created the Cyspirit monsters. The same monsters you wield." He gave a light chuckle. "I must admit, I was surprised to discover that the human who released me was the same child who I was tied to. Fate must have a sense of humor after all."_

"… _You said that you created a Trinity," Yasutake said slowly. "And Superior Seraphim is Link-5. That means the other two archetypes you created also have Link-5 monsters as powerful as Superior Seraphim."_

 _Cypher nodded. "Those two archetypes are known as the Cyangel and Cydemon archetypes. Both contain far more raw power than the Cyspirits, but the latter has far more versatility in the possible moves._

" _But that's not important right now; what is important is what happened after we created the cards." Cypher's eyes narrowed in thought. "You said that SOL Technologies killed Dr. Hirai; is that true?"_

" _Terminus believed it to be true."_

" _Well, I don't know if they did or not, but Dr. Hirai believed someone was after me or the cards. And he was right. By the time we finished creating the data of the cards, he had come under cyberattack; someone shut down pathways for me to escape through the Internet. How, I don't know. But we believed he would soon be attacked in the real world by someone who wanted the Trinity, or myself. So we devised a way to keep them safe."_

" _And what was that?" Yasutake asked, starting to have an idea where Cypher was going with this._

" _He split me into pieces among the Cyspirit monsters," Cypher revealed. "Or rather, he divided up my core programming into five pieces, and placed those pieces in the data for five of the Cyspirit Link Monsters. I think you know which monsters he put me in."_

 _Yasutake did. "Angelic Avenger, Idealistic Idol, Neo Nova, Winning Wrestler, and Superior Seraphim."_

" _Yes. They were the most powerful of the Cyspirit Link Monsters, and therefore the best suited to contain my programming. As the most powerful among them and one of the most powerful monsters in existence, Superior Seraphim contained the largest chunk. The idea was that I would be released when the Cyspirit monsters were played, and I was. When you summoned Superior Seraphim against Terminus, you gave me the chance to rebuild myself from the data in my other fragments." The Ignis's eyes changed in such a way to suggest he was smiling. "So thank you for that. But tell me something: why did it take you eight years for you to summon Superior Seraphim? Couldn't you have summoned it earlier?"_

" _Because I didn't have Superior Seraphim until earlier today," Yasutake told Cypher, surprising him._

" _Eh? What do you-?" Cypher narrowed his eyes as he looked down at Yasutake's Deck. "Wait. The majority of these cards are physical, but you only have the data forms of Angelic Avenger and Superior Seraphim. Why is that?"_

" _A bounty hunter named Lilith gave them to me," Yasutake answered. He didn't want to reveal Masako's name to this AI yet._

" _Hmm. Dr. Hirai must have been killed before he could make physical versions of all the Cyspirit cards," Cypher mused. "But how did a bounty hunter get her hands on the data copies of the last two Link Monsters? And how did you get the Cyspirit monsters to begin with?"_

" _I won them in a contest," Yasutake said. "As for how she had them, I don't know." But Cypher's story and Masako's confession of her identity had given him an idea._

" _Hmm. Well, I'll have the chance to learn more later," Cypher decided. "For now, I'll stay with you, Yasutake."_

" _Eh? You want to stay with me? You don't want to go back to Cyberse World?"_

" _Well, it's been eight years since I've had a conscious thought. I'd rather spend that time exploring and seeing how the human world has changed since then. Also… I don't really know where the Cyberse World is these days."_

" _Huh?"_

" _I actually left your Duel Disk to search for it briefly before coming back. This was while you were driving to this café on that bike of yours. I couldn't find it, so I'm assuming it was hidden, most likely by Ai. Without him, I can't find it." Cypher shrugged. "So for the foreseeable future, you get the honor of being my partner. I look forward to working with you, Yasutake."_

* * *

The next day, Yasutake and Cam had considered turning Cypher over to SOL Technologies; they did want an Ignis, and even if Cypher didn't know where Cyberse World was, it undoubtedly had the same abilities as Ai. But they ultimately decided against it. After hearing Kenshin's and Ryoken's stories, Yasutake wasn't sure he trusted SOL anymore. And besides, he suspected he would need every advantage he could get to defeat Playmaker, which Cypher was more than happy to provide.

Speaking of Cypher, Yasutake looked at the Ignis and asked, "You interrupted my talk with my friend for a reason. What was it?"

"These."

Yasutake looked at the monitors as several images popped up. His eyes widened in surprise. "These are… new Cyspirit cards?"

"Yes," Cypher said smugly. "Unfortunately, I lack the resources to make new Extra Deck monsters, but I believe these cards will help you in the future. And especially in your duel against Playmaker."

Yasutake turned back to the Ignis. "You don't mind fighting against one of your own?"

"Do you mind fighting against a human?" Cypher countered. "It's the same difference, really; we Ignis just have a smaller population. Besides, I looked at your duel records and saw you lost to Playmaker before. That won't do at all! I will not accept a loss against that fool who accepted a cutesy name!"

Yasutake sweatdropped. "You need to work on your priorities," he deadpanned. He turned back to the monitors. "Still, you're right. These will help in our rematch. I doubt Playmaker will see them coming. Thank you."

"Hmm. A being of my brilliance does not need such trifling things as your thanks." Cypher said, holding his head high. "But it is appreciated," he muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. There were a few other things I wanted to go over with you. I think it's about time I tell you about my Skill, for starters."

* * *

Masako walked down the stairs and ran into Cam. "Oh sorry, Cam," she said.

"Leaving so soon?"

"I'm afraid so. Tagoma called and he wants me to head home. Preparations for the future and all that."

"Yeah, I get that. But before you leave, there's someone who'd like to see you."

Masako turned as a man stood up from a nearby table. Looking at him, she recognized him. "You're Mr. Hirai, from Hirai Shoten, right?"

"Y-Yes, I am." Kenshin felt very nervous suddenly. "It's good to see you again, Miss. Himura. But, if I may ask… Himura's not your father's name, is it? It was your mother's?"

Masako's eyes widened. "Yes it was. How do you-?"

Kenshin sighed. "I'm disappointed it took me this long to figure it out. I didn't realize who you were until Morningstar's duel with Spectre, when you told everyone that you were my brother's daughter."

Masako stiffened at his words. "Wait. You mean…?"

"…It's a pleasure to finally meet you properly, Masako," Kenshin said. "I'm your uncle, Kenshin Hirai."

* * *

Yasutake walked out of the back room, having finally gotten away from Cypher's boasting. There was no doubt the Ignis was brilliant and talented, but he could use some humility. That aside, Yasutake was grateful for the new cards; they would definitely make his upcoming duel with Playmaker interesting.

As he walked out, he noticed that Masako had come downstairs and was sitting at a table with… Kenshin Hirai?

Yasutake walked over to Cam, who was watching from behind the counter. "You called him over?" he whispered.

Cam nodded. "Since she's his niece, I thought it might help them both to reconnect."

Masako then caught sight of Yasutake and stood up. She walked over as Yasutake walked out from behind the counter.

"Hey," she said. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Tagoma needs me home."

"I understand." He glanced at Kenshin, who remained at the table, looking conflicted. "How was the family reunion?"

Masako scowled. "Oh, delightful," she whispered sarcastically. "I just found out the guy I bought _Junjou Romantica_ from is my uncle – which makes me feel like an idiot for not putting the pieces together – and said uncle also made me an Another and tried to destroy the entire network. So I'm feeling very peachy right now."

"…I have no idea what to say to that," Yasutake admitted. "Umm… better to know than not know?"

"There is that," Masako allowed. She smiled sadly at Yasutake. "I'll be leaving before school restarts. And even if I do come back to Den City, I'm not sure I'll reenroll. This may be the last time you and I see each other."

"…Doubtful, but possible," Yasutake said. "Still, it was a pleasure to know you, Masako Himura." He held out his hand, intending to shake hers.

Masako looked at his hand and sighed. "Idiot," she muttered. Before Yasutake could respond, she grabbed his lapels and pulled him close. His protests were muffled by her lips covering his.

Yasutake's eyes widened as his cheeks turned red. He vaguely heard Cam snicker and he noticed Kenshin glaring at him disapprovingly out of the corner of his eye. In front of him, Masako's eyes were closed.

Masako finally let go of him and smirked at his expression.

"Uh… umm… huh?" Yasutake stuttered. He was sure his face was as red as a tomato. Masako giggled at his elegance.

"It was a pleasure for me too, Yasutake Narahiko," she said. "I do hope I come back to Den City someday." She turned and walked to the door but stopped at Kenshin's table. "Goodbye… Uncle Kenshin."

"…Goodbye, Masako," he replied. After saying that, she left.

"So… Narahiko." Kenshin then stood up and glared at Yasutake. "What exactly is your relationship with my niece?"

Yasutake didn't answer. His face still red, he turned around and headed back upstairs.

Cam laughed at his friend's reaction. "He never really learned how to handle other people's emotions very well." He turned to look at Kenshin, who was shaking his head. "So, how was meeting your niece properly?

"…I didn't expect it to go as smoothly as it did," Kenshin admitted. "I expected her to shout at me, call me despicable or a monster. She did mention she'll be leaving Den City, but she accepted my phone number so she could call if she wanted. Though I don't know why she would want to."

"You have to keep family close," Cam said simply. "I learned that lesson a long time ago. Guess she and you are starting to learn that as well."

"…Maybe."

* * *

Masako walked down the street, thinking of Yasutake's face when she kissed him and giggling to herself.

 _I do hope I can come back one day,_ she thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her cellphone.

"Hello?"

"It's me, little girl," Tagoma said on the other end. "You finished your business?"

"Yes. I gave Yasutake the video copies. Hopefully, that will help him with some answers." She paused, then said, "I also met my uncle."

"Oh yeah? What's he like?"

"He's Terminus."

"Ah. Awkward?"

"Awkward. Still, I might like to talk to him again."

"You probably should. Just don't get involved in the Hanoi business; we have enough on our plate as is."

"Understood."

"Oh. Did you… give Narahiko that other thing?"

"No, I didn't." She then told Tagoma something that made him curse her.

* * *

Yasutake sat down to dinner with Cam and Sachi. Today, they were eating a combination of sashimi and udon.

"Your duel with Playmaker is tonight, right Yasu?" Sachi asked him. Yasutake nodded in response.

"Heh. You're going to have an eventful evening. Even more so than this morning," Cam commented with a smirk.

Sachi blinked. "Did something happen?"

"No," Yasutake said, giving a warning glare to Cam, who ignored it.

"Yasu's friend Masako kissed him before she left," he said.

"Cam!" Yasutake shouted, embarrassed. He grabbed his glass of water to take a drink while Cam, chuckling, did the same thing. Sachi looked at the two, her eyes wide.

"A girl kissed Yasu? So he got her pregnant?"

"PPFFTT!"

Cam and Yasutake spat out their drinks simultaneously and began coughing. Yasutake was the first to recover.

"What!? No!"

"Huh?" Sachi blinked innocently. "But Cam told me that when a girl kisses a guy, she becomes pregnant. That's where babies come from."

Yasutake's eye twitched as he turned to glare at Cam. "Cam…"

Cam finally stopped coughing, his face red. "She was five! What was I supposed to tell her?" He turned to Sachi. "I'm… sorry to admit this, Sachi, but I lied to you back then. A boy and girl kissing does not make the girl pregnant."

"It doesn't?" Sachi said, confused. "Then where _do_ babies come from?"

"W-Well, umm… you see, first umm… you know what, I'm going to get you a book that explains it," Cam finally said. "A book can tell you much more effectively than I can."

Yasutake nodded in agreement and rubbed his temple, sighing to himself. Sachi really made life in this house interesting.

* * *

The three humans walked into the back room.

"Ah, about time," Cypher said, glaring at them. "You do know your duel with Playmaker is supposed to start in five minutes, right?"

"Yes. That's why we're here," Yasutake responded as he picked up the Duel Disk and strapped it to his wrist. Cam and Sachi, meanwhile, sat down in front of the computers to observe the duel. "Are you ready?"

"Hmm. What kind of question is that? With me on your side, you cannot possibly lose." Yasutake smirked at that as he walked to the sealed room.

"Good luck, Yasu," Cam said. Sachi smiled at him and nodded.

"Thanks, you two." After the door closed, Yasutake inserted his Deck into his Duel Disk. "Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

Morningstar emerged from the portal and landed on the ground. Looking around, he saw he had landed where the Tower of Hanoi used to be. Sand surrounded him in every direction, with skyscrapers in the background. The sky was still red, a leftover from the Tower.

"SOL Technologies announced they would shut this place down at the end of the week," Cypher told Morningstar. Right now, Cypher was an orange eye with a silver iris, surrounded by a black lens with silver lines around it. "This will be your only chance to duel Playmaker."

"Yeah. I know." Morningstar turned to watch as another portal opened above him. Playmaker fell out of the portal and landed some distance away from him. The two regarded each other silently.

"So we're really doing this, huh?" Ai said as he emerged from Playmaker's Duel Disk. "You couldn't have left well enough alone."

"You could have left when I removed the lock, but you didn't," Playmaker reminded him.

"That's because I sensed someone." Ai narrowed his eyes. "And I sense him right now, too."

"I am glad to see your abilities have not weakened since we last saw each other." Cypher emerged from Morningstar's Duel Disk after he said that, surprising Playmaker. "That said, they don't appear to have improved either. You always were too lazy for your own good."

"Eh! I don't want to hear something like that from you!" Ai shouted back. "I may have been lazy, but at least I didn't get captured by a human like you!"

"Yes, you did," Playmaker reminded Ai, deflating him a little.

"If you are referring to eight years ago, I chose willingly to go with Dr. Hirai," Cypher said. "If you're referring to Morningstar, I don't have a lock program keeping me in this Duel Disk. Unlike your partner, mine trusts me not to leave him."

"More like I was hoping you would leave," Morningstar told the AI before turning to Playmaker. "This guy showed up after the duel with Terminus. He appears to the Ignis based off of me."

"I see," Playmaker said, nodding. "And from your conversation just now, I'm guessing you left Cyberse World before Ai did, Ignis?"

"I have a name, you know," Cypher responded, his eyes half-closed. "Unlike your friend Ai there, my name is actually cool. It is Cypher."

"Cypher?" Ai repeated. "Playmaker, don't you have a monster called Storm Cipher?"

"Oh, you have a monster named after me?" Cypher asked. "It appears your partner does have some taste, despite being teamed up with you."

"I'm pretty sure the card wasn't named after you," Morningstar deadpanned. "And we're wasting time." He turned from his AI to Playmaker. "Now that we both have an Ignis, we're even. Let us we which of us is the stronger duelist, shall we?"

Playmaker smirked. "Of course."

"But first…"

Morningstar raised his Duel Disk, which emitted a bright light and made Playmaker cover his eyes. When the light faded, Playmaker looked around and frowned. They were now trapped in a transparent dome.

"Your Camouflage Dome?" Playmaker asked. Morningstar nodded. "It seems larger than before."

"It is," Cypher said. "I took the liberty of upgrading it, otherwise it wouldn't have been able to contain a certain monster's power."

Playmaker raised an eyebrow but didn't ask what Cypher meant. "Well then, shall we get started?"

"Yes." Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Everything ends here, Playmaker."

"Duel!"

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Playmaker: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn," Playmaker said, taking two cards from his hand. "By sending a Level 2 or lower monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Bitrooper!" A white and yellow monster with a lance and digital shield appeared on his field in Attack Position.

 **Bitrooper ATK 1500 DEF 2000 LVL: 4**

"I summon ROM Cloudia!" A brown-furred sheep with pink horns appeared alongside Bitrooper.

 **ROM Cloudia ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"ROM Cloudia's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can add one Cyberse monster from my Graveyard to my hand." Playmaker took the monster he just discarded out of the Graveyard, but he didn't add it to his hand. "And because it was added to my hand from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Latency!" A pink humanoid monster carrying a blue hourglass appeared in Attack Position.

 **Latency ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker's hand glowed as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three monsters! I set Bitrooper, Latency, and ROM Cloudia in the Link Markers!" His three monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the left, bottom-left, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Powercode Talker!" A red-armored warrior with massive shoulder pads and white gauntlets and boots appeared, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Powercode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ←↙→

Morningstar narrowed his eyes as Playmaker reached for his Deck. "Because I used the Special Summoned Latency to Link Summon Powercode Talker, I draw one card!" Playmaker drew, then played it. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Link Processing Failure! I select one Link Monster on my field, and then Link Monsters with equal or fewer Link Markers and non-Link Monsters cannot attack, but after two turns, this card will be destroyed. I select Link-3 Powercode Talker."

Morningstar's eyes narrowed further as Playmaker continued. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

"Hmm," Cypher mused. "A Link-3 monster, a Set card, and a card to keep us from attacking. A solid formation."

"It's more than that," Morningstar told the AI. "It's designed to bring about a specific outcome."

"Indeed," Cypher agreed. "His Continuous Spell Card keeps all monsters that aren't Link-4 or higher from attacking. Meaning he likely wants us to summon a Link-4. But why Powercode Talker? I've looked through your records of him, and he should have at least four other 'Code Talker' monsters, shouldn't he?"

"He does. But he likely chose Powercode because of its effects."

"That would make sense," Cypher nodded. "Powercode Talker's effect lets it double its attack points when it battles by simply Tributing a monster it points to. Since Playmaker doesn't have any other monsters, that must mean his Set card is a means to Special Summon a monster, which he can then use for Powercode's effect."

"That, or the card in his hand is a monster that can be summoned during my turn," Morningstar added, which Cypher agreed to. "Either way, we won't know unless we spring his trap. My turn! Draw!"

As Morningstar looked at his cards, Playmaker asked Ai, "Ai, what can you tell me about Cypher?"

"…To be honest, not as much as I would like to," Ai answered. "Cypher left the Cyberse World three years before I hid it away. We all thought he was kidnapped, but it would make sense if he left it voluntarily."

"I see. So because he left, you don't know him as well as the others?"

"Exactly."

"Still, is there anything you can say with certainty?"

"He's very arrogant," Ai said immediately. "That doesn't appear to have changed since I last saw him. He believes himself to be superior to everyone, including the rest of the Ignis. Unfortunately, that arrogance is a little justified."

"You're saying he's the most powerful of all of you?"

"That, or second or third most powerful," Ai said. "The first six Ignis, myself included, are only capable of creating one Attribute of Cyberse monsters each. The last two, Cypher and the Gold Ignis, are each capable of manipulating three Attributes. Cypher can manipulate Light, Dark, and Fire, while the Gold Ignis manipulates Earth, Water, and Wind. And I can honestly say that only the Light or Gold Ignis could outsmart him. Paired with Morningstar, they make a dangerous combination."

Playmaker nodded in understanding. In other words, this duel had the potential to be even tougher than his duel with Revolver.

"Since you control a Link Monster and I do not, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Armorer!" A skeleton in blacksmith's clothes carrying a large hammer appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Armorer ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 6**

"And since there's a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Prisoner!" A skeleton in prisoner's clothes appeared next to Armorer in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"Armorer's monster effect! I can target a Link Monster on the field and send Armorer to the Graveyard. Then I can Special Summon Cyspirit Armor Tokens equal to that monster's Link Rating. I target your Powercode Talker to summon three Armor Tokens!" Armorer disintegrated, and three dwarf skeletons with large heads in blacksmith's clothes appeared, all in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Armor Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 2 x 3**

"Now he has four monsters! Is he going to Link Summon a Link-4?" Ai wondered.

Cypher scoffed. "Oh, my partner can do so much more than that."

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar hand glowed blue and a Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set one Armor Token in the Link Marker!" One of his tokens became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" A skeleton in a business suit appeared in the Extra Monster Zone to Morningstar's right.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker, but that monster cannot attack and is destroyed during the Ed Phase. Come, Cyspirit Strategist!" A skeleton in a black and grey tuxedo carrying a sextant appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Strategist ATK 1600 DEF 100 LVL: 4**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Cacophonic Caller, Prisoner, and one Armor Token in the Link Markers!" Said monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom-left, top, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!" A skeleton in a guard's uniform carrying a long spear appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"Prisoner's monster effect! When it is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand."

As Morningstar took a card from his Deck, Ai said, "That monster isn't strong enough to get past Link Processing Failure's effect!"

"As always, you seem to enjoy stating the obvious," Cypher deadpanned, annoying Ai. "I assure you, my partner has many ways to get around your partner's card."

"Pied Pikeman's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to at least one monster, I can change that monster's battle position to destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field."

"EH!?" Ai screeched. "Playmaker! He's going to destroy Link Processing Failure!"

"No, he isn't," Playmaker said, confusing the Ignis.

"I change my last Armor Token to Defense Position!" Morningstar declared. "And destroy your Set card!" Playmaker's face-down card shattered.

"Why the face-down? Isn't Link Processing Failure more important?"

"All he needs to destroy Link Processing Failure is a Link-4 monster, which he can summon easily now," Playmaker explained to Ai. "It thus made more sense for him to destroy my face-down card."

"Hmm. Morningstar assessed you as the most intelligent duelist he's faced," Cypher said, looking at Playmaker. "That assessment appears to have been accurate, though being smarter than Ai isn't as difficult as one would think."

"Shut up!"

"I summon Cyspirit Nova!" A mechanical silver dragon with no legs appeared and roared.

 **Cyspirit Nova ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar's head. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are 'Cyspirit' Normal Monsters! I set my last Armor Token and Nova in the Link Markers!" The two monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the top-right and right Link Markers, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Zany Zealot!" A skeleton in priest robes carrying a hacksaw and a pistol emerged from the portal, summoned to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Zany Zealot ATK 1300 LINK-2** ↗→

"Didn't he use that monster against Spectre?" Ai asked Playmaker.

"Yes. And he's not done."

"Appear for a fourth time! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' Effect Monsters! I set Strategist and the Link-3 Pied Pikeman in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with the latter splitting into three, and entered the top, bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!" A metallic grey dragon with red and silver wings emerged from the portal and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"Ah!" Ai screamed. "His Link-4 monster!" Then he paused. "Well, at least this one has effects that benefit us during his turn."

"It doesn't," Cypher revealed to Ai. "Since Morningstar used Strategist to Link Summon Datastorm Dragon, its effects are negated until the End Phase."

"Eh? Seriously? Why would you have a card like that?"

"For situations like this." Cypher turned to look back at Morningstar. "It is true that with Datastorm Dragon, we can destroy Powercode Talker, and then attack directly with Zany Zealot. But we can do better than that, can't we?"

Morningstar ignored Cypher and gestured to his field. "Zany Zealot's monster effect! Once per turn, if it is co-linked with a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can Special Summon one 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Resurrect, Cyspirit Nova!" The skeletal dragon reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Nova ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"As Nova is a Normal Monster, it has no effects to negate," Cypher added.

"And as I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I Special Summon Cyspirit Navigator!" A skeleton dressed like a pirate appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300 DEF 1100 LVL: 3**

"Appear for the final time! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar's hand glowed as the Link portal appeared above him for the fifth time. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Navigator and Nova in the Link Markers!" Said monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the top-left and left arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire!" A skeleton in silver plate armor carrying a sword and a red shield appeared, summoned to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire ATK 1700 LINK-2** ↖←

"I have one more monster to summon. As I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon this monster. Come, Cyspirit Linker!" A skeleton in black armor and gauntlets appeared in Attack Position, summoned to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"Hmm. Five Link Summons in one turn and a powerful formation," Cypher gloated. "You truly are worthy of being my partner."

"Eh, Playmaker?" Ai said to his partner. "This situation… isn't optimal." Playmaker only narrowed his eyes. Indeed, Morningstar had brought out a strong formation, but something about it seemed… off to him.

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Datastorm Dragon, attack Powercode Talker! Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon blasted Playmaker's monster with blue energy, but Playmaker only took a card from his hand.

"I activate the effect of the Rescue Interlacer in my hand!" he declared. "By discarding it, battle damage against my Attack Position Cyberse monster becomes 0!" The blast destroyed Powercode, but a barrier appeared and prevented Playmaker from taking damage.

"Tch," Cypher grit his teeth. "Even so, since Powercode Talker is no longer on the field, your Link Processing Failure is destroyed!" Sure enough, Playmaker's Continuous Spell disintegrated. "And with our three remaining monsters, we can-."

"I activate the effect of the Highspeed Data Recovery in my Graveyard!" Playmaker declared, cutting Cypher off. The card Morningstar had destroyed reappeared on Playmaker's field. It showed a computer monitor, with multiple circuits on the screen, and bolts of electricity converging on a single point. "Since my Cyberse Link Monster was destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can banish it to Set one Quick-Play Spell Card on my field. I Set Spool Code!" A Set card appeared on Playmaker's field. "The card Set by Highspeed Data Recovery can be activated this turn."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes, but he still gestured to his field. "Legendary Legionnaire, attack Playmaker directly!" His monster charged Playmaker, but the hacker only gestured to his field.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Spool Code!" he declared. "If your monster attacks directly while I have three or more Cyberse monsters in the Graveyard, that attack is negated!" Another barrier appeared and blocked Legendary Legionnaire's sword. "Then, I can summon three Spool Tokens!" Three blue and white disks appeared on Playmaker's field, all in Defense Position.

 **Spool Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1 x 3**

"We still have two monsters," Cypher reminded Playmaker. "That means we can-."

"Highspeed Data Recovery's second effect activates!" Playmaker said, interrupting the AI again. "If the card Set by its effect is activated during the Battle Phase, then the Battle Phase automatically ends!"

"Eh? Seriously?"

"Ha ha!" Ai laughed. "Too bad! You couldn't touch our Life Points!"

"Hmm…" Cypher glowered. "It appears I underestimated Ai's partner. He used a card that could activate an effect even if it was destroyed."

"Not just that," Morningstar told the Ignis. "He activated a card that required a specific set of conditions to use. And he anticipated us fulfilling those conditions."

"Indeed." Cypher then laughed. "How fitting! It is right that my first duel as your partner be against a worthy opponent like this!"

Morningstar ignored Cypher and took a card from his hand. "I Set one card," he said. "I end my turn."

"And during your End Phase, the effect of Rescue Interlacer activates," Playmaker said. "And I can Special Summon it!" A red and white humanoid machine appeared on Playmaker's field in Attack Position.

 **Rescue Interlacer ATK 1000 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"My turn! Draw!" Playmaker looked at his card and formulated a plan. If he played this right, he could end this duel this turn. But he suspected Morningstar would have a counter to that. And speaking of Morningstar…

"Tell me something, Morningstar," the hacker said, surprising the hunter. "Is something wrong?"

Morningstar raised an eyebrow as Cypher answered for him. "Eh? What do you mean? Of course there is nothing wrong with my partner!"

"Not physically, I mean mentally," Playmaker clarified. "I remember our last duel in vivid detail. And the entire time, I remember you being focused and driven. But…" The hacker narrowed his eyes. "I don't feel that drive in you this time. It feels more like you're running on autopilot. Like you are only putting yourself through the motions. Like you are attempting to finish this as quickly as possible.

Morningstar was silent as Cypher and Ai both looked at him. "You're right," the hunter finally said. "I am trying to end this quickly. And my drive is gone." His eyes softened as he looked at the ground. "My partner's sister is awake," he said softly. "She is finally free of the darkness that haunted her. Most of it, at least. The reason I became a bounty hunter three years ago was so I could help provide for her, and to pay back her brother for taking me in."

He smiled sadly. "I am glad she is awake. She and him are both smiling instead of wallowing in sadness. But… with her free of the darkness, I have no reason to duel anymore. I have no reason to continue hunting people, or even to come to LINK VRAINS. If not for the fact I promised to retrieve Ai from you, I probably would not have come here."

The hunter looked up at his opponent. "That's why, this will be my last duel," he declared. "After this duel, Morningstar will be no more."

"Yasu…" Cam muttered, watching the duel in sadness for his friend. Sachi likewise frowned at the screen.

"Eh!?" Cypher shouted, shocked. "Y-You mean to tell me that you're quitting after this!? Does that mean my first duel with you will also be the last!?"

"Probably," Morningstar answered. Cypher shouted in frustration at that.

Playmaker chuckled, surprising the other three occupants of the Camouflage Dome. "I understand," he said. "My revenge is complete; the Knights of Hanoi are defeated and the truth of the Lost Incident is out there. I have no reason to duel anymore either. But…" The hacker smiled. "I enjoyed dueling you last time, which is why I wanted to duel you again."

Morningstar smiled again. "I enjoyed dueling you too. You are a challenging opponent, after all."

"But I've learned something on this journey of mine," Playmaker continued, making the hunter raise an eyebrow. "Never say never. Even if you feel this is your last duel, I image it won't be. But if it is…" The hacker's grin became fierce. "Then why don't we make it the best duel we possibly could?"

Morningstar's smile widened at that. "Of course! Come at me, Playmaker!"

"These two are way too similar," Ai said, sweatdropping.

"I'm starting to see that myself," Cypher said, nodding in agreement.

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker's hand glowed as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two monsters! I set two Spool Tokens in the Link Markers!" Two of his tokens became whirlwinds of energy and entered the top and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Security Dragon!" A white mechanical dragon with red wings and stomach appeared, summoned to Datastorm Dragon's top Link Marker.

 **Security Dragon ATK 1100 LINK-2** ↑↓

"Oh no!" Cypher said, panicking. "That monster's effect is not good for us!"

"Security Dragon's monster effect! Once while on the field, if it is co-linked, I can return one monster my opponent controls to the hand! As Security Dragon is co-linked with Datastorm Dragon, I'll target and return Datastorm Dragon itself to your hand!" Datastorm Dragon started to glitch out, but Morningstar gestured to his field.

"Legendary Legionnaire's monster effect!" he declared. "Once per turn, if it points to two monsters, I can increase the attack points of another 'Cyspirit' Link Monster by 1000! I increase Zany Zealot's attack points!" Datastorm Dragon disappeared as Zany Zealot's attack points increased.

 **Cyspirit Zany Zealot ATK 1300→2300**

"Clever," Ai commented. "Datastorm Dragon was leaving, so he used his other monster's effect to increase his weakest monster's attack points." Playmaker only gestured to his field.

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared above him again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower Cyberse monster. I set my last Spool Token in the Link Marker!" Said token became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Talkback Lancer!" A blue and green armored warrior appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone to the left of Playmaker.

 **Talkback Lancer ATK 1200 LINK-1** ↓

Morningstar's eyes narrowed as he looked up Talkback Lancer's effects. With its position, Playmaker could Tribute Security Dragon to Special Summon Powercode Talker from his Graveyard. But Morningstar suspected his opponent had a different strategy in mind.

Sure enough, Playmaker raised his hand again. "For the third time, appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared as his hand glowed blue. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect Monsters. I set Rescue Interlacer and the Link-2 Security Dragon in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Security Dragon splitting into two, and entered the top, bottom, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Transcode Talker!" A brown and white armored humanoid monster emerged from the portal, summoned to Talkback Lancer's Link Marker.

 **Transcode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↑↓→

"When Transcode Talker is co-linked, monsters it is co-linked with and Transcode itself gain 500 attack points and cannot be targeted by your card effects!"

 **Talkback Lancer ATK 1200→1700**

 **Transcode Talker ATK 2300→2800**

Morningstar smirked to himself. Now he understood why Playmaker had summoned Powercode Talker for his first turn.

Sure enough, Playmaker gestured to his monster. "Transcode Talker's additional effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one Link-3 or lower Cyberse Link Monster from my Graveyard to Transcode Talker's Link Marker! Resurrect, Powercode Talker!" The monster in red armor reemerged, summoned to Transcode Talker's right Link Marker.

 **Powercode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ←↙→

"And since Powercode is co-linked with Transcode, it gains 500 attack points!

 **Powercode Talker ATK 2300→2800**

"I see!" Cypher said, taking on the air of someone who made a major discovery. "He didn't just set a trap for us we couldn't avoid; he _wanted_ us to destroy Powercode so he could bring it back with Transcode." Cypher chuckled. "You humans are full of surprises."

"And Playmaker isn't done yet," Morningstar told the AI.

"Oh? What other moves does he have?"

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Cache!" Playmaker declared. "Since I control a Cyberse monster whose current attack points are different from its original attack points, I draw two cards!" He drew, then said, "I activate the effect of SIMM Tablir in my hand! By revealing it, I can Special Summon it to a zone my linked Link Monster points to and then return a Level 4 Cyberse monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I Special Summon SIMM Tablir to Powercode Talker's right Link Marker and return ROM Cloudia to my hand!" A black, white, and light blue mechanical rodent with a white nose appeared in Defense Positon.

 **SIMM Tablir ATK 0 DEF 1800 LVL: 5**

Morningstar's eyes narrowed. "He tried this same trick with Revolver," he muttered.

"Hmm? What trick?"

"I summon ROM Cloudia!" The brown-furred sheep reappeared.

 **ROM Cloudia ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"ROM Cloudia's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can return a Cyberse monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I return Latency to my hand. This in turn activates Latency's effect! When Latency is added to my hand from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it!" The pink humanoid carrying an hourglass appeared in Attack Position.

 **Latency ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Eh? Three monsters?"

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared above Playmaker for a fourth time that turn. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse monsters! I set Latency, ROM Cloudia, and SIMM Tablir in the Link Markers!" His three monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left, top, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Excode Talker!" A green armored giant with shields on its wrists emerged, summoned to Powercode Talker's right Link Marker.

 **Excode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ←↑→

"Because Latency was used to Link Summon Excode Talker, I can draw one card!" Playmaker drew, then gestured to his newest monster. "Excode Talker's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned, I can choose a number of your Main Monster Zones, equal to the number of monsters in the Extra Monster Zones, and keep you from using those zones. Grasp Zone!"

Excode Talker formed a ball of green energy and flung it to Morningstar's center-left Main Monster Zone, blowing a hole in it and making it unusable. Morningstar grit his teeth. Playmaker had chosen well; if there were a Link Monster in the unoccupied Extra Monster Zone that pointed to that zone, he couldn't use it. And with that choice, he now knew what Playmaker had planned.

"Excode Talker's additional effect! Monsters it points to gain 500 attack points and cannot be destroyed by card effects!" Powercode Talker glowed as its attack points increased.

 **Powercode Talker ATK 2800→3300**

"Yes!" Ai cheered. "With this, we've won! Excode, Powercode, and Transcode can destroy Morningstar's monsters and Talkback Lancer can attack directly! Go, Powercode-!"

"Not yet!"

Ai stopped as he looked at Playmaker. "What? Why?"

"I said I would show Morningstar the best duel I possibly could," Playmaker reminded the Ignis. "And I can do far more than this!" Playmaker activated a card from his hand. "I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure Ticket, and target Excode Talker with its effect! I now draw cards equal to Excode Talker's Link Rating and then send an equal number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard. Excode is Link-3, so I draw three cards and send three cards to the Graveyard."

Playmaker drew then sent his cards to the Graveyard before taking one of them back. "I activate the effect of the discarded Dotscaper! When it is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it!" A monster made of green and white bricks appeared in Attack Position.

 **Dotscaper ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 1**

"I activate the Field Spell Card: Cynet Storm! While this card is on the field, all linked monsters gain 500 attack and defense points, and the Link Summon of Link Monsters cannot be negated." Playmaker's four Link Monsters, as well as Morningstar's three Cyspirits, all gained attack points, and in the case of Linker, defense points, as they were all linked.

 **Excode Talker ATK 2300→2800**

 **Powercode Talker ATK 3300→3800**

 **Talkback Lancer ATK 1700→2200**

 **Transcode Talker ATK 2800→3300**

 **Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire ATK 1700→2200**

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700→2200 DEF 800→1300**

 **Cyspirit Zany Zealot ATK 2300→2800**

"He's either confident in his victory or has a trick up his sleeve," Cypher mused. "Otherwise he would not activate a card that increases our monsters' attack points as well."

"That, or he considers the risk to be worth the reward," Morningstar countered.

"I Special Summon Link Infra-Flier to Excode Talker's right Link Marker in Attack Position!" A blue and silver kite appeared next to Excode Talker.

 **Link Infra-Flier ATK 0 DEF 1800 LVL: 2**

"And because of Cynet Storm and Excode Talker, Link Infra-Flier gains 1000 attack points!"

 **Link Infra-Flier ATK 0→1000**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared above Playmaker for a fifth time. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect Monsters! I set Dotscaper, Link Infra-Flier, and Talkback Lancer in the Link Markers!" Said monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Decode Talker!" A warrior in dark blue armor carrying a large sword appeared, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"Cynet Storm and Excode Talker increase Decode Talker's attack points by 1000, and because Decode Talker points to a monster, it gains 500 more attack points. Power Integration!"

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300→3300→3800**

"I activate the effect of Dual Assembwurm in the Graveyard! By banishing two monsters from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it with its attack points halved. I banish SIMM Tablir and Talkback Lancer." A red and blue dragon appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Dual Assembwurm ATK 2800→1400 DEF 1000 LVL: 8**

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Link Unit, and equip it to Dual Assembwurm. With this, if I use Dual Assembwurm to Link Summon, it counts as two materials." Playmaker then gestured to the sky. "Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!"

"Eh?" Cypher said, surprised as the Link portal appeared. "He's Link Summoning a _sixth_ time?"

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse monsters. I set Decode Talker and Dual Assembwurm treated as two monsters in the Link Markers!" Said monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with the latter splitting into two, and entered the top, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Encode Talker!" A white and gold armored warrior carrying a shield emerged, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↑↓↘

"Cynet Storm and Excode Talker increase Encode Talker's attack points by 1000!"

 **Encode Talker ATK 2300→3300**

"I don't understand," Cypher admitted. "Decode Talker was stronger than Encode Talker. Yes, it has a more beneficial effect in the long run, but why would he make a move like that?"

"To create the ultimate formation," Morningstar explained. "Look at his monster's Link Markers."

"Huh? What are you…? N-No way!"

"Hey, Playmaker…" Ai turned to look at his partner with wide eyes. "You're not trying to-."

"I summon Backup Secretary!" A woman with purple hair and white, black, and purple clothes appeared in Attack Position.

 **Backup Secretary ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 3**

"I can Special Summon Backup Secretary if I control a Cyberse monster. And now, I activate the effect of Link Restart in the Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Link Monster from the Graveyard. Resurrect, Decode Talker!" The dark-blue armored warrior reappeared, summoned to Excode Talker's right Link Marker and gaining power from Cynet Storm's and Excode Talker's effects.

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300→3300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

 **(Note: In this duel, Link Restart is using its effect from Episode 10. If it makes an appearance in Hidden Memories season 2, it will be using its effect from Episode 65).**

"I told you, Morningstar," Playmaker said. "I told you I would show you the greatest duel I can possibly give. So I'll show you the same duel that Revolver showed me! A duel that transcends everything!"

"He couldn't be…" Cam muttered, his eyes wide.

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" For a seventh time, the Link portal appeared above Playmaker's field. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters. I set Backup Secretary and the Link-3 Decode Talker in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Decode Talker breaking into three whirlwinds, and entered the top, bottom, left, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine!" The Link portal released a tremendous amount of energy, making Morningstar brace himself against the wind. "When the two Extra Monster Zones are co-linked, a monster can be Special Summoned to the other Extra Monster Zone!" A pillar of blue light erupted from the empty Extra Monster Zone on Playmaker's left. "Link Summon! Appear! Link 4! Firewall Dragon!"

A large mechanical dragon emerged from the portal. Its body was primarily two colors, with its chest armor, legs, tail, and the spines of its wings being white, while its stomach, neck, and the membranes of its wings being blue. Circles formed on its elbows, tail, feet, and on the top of its head. Its red eyes gleamed as it roared from the left Extra Monster Zone and Transcode Talker's top Link Marker.

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 2500 LINK-4** ←↑↓→

"Firewall Dragon gains 1000 attack points from the effects of Cynet Storm and Transcode Talker!"

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 2500→3500**

"Extra Link!" Playmaker declared. His dragon and four Code Talker monsters all stood in formation, facing Morningstar with all their strength.

"A-Amazing, Playmaker!" Ai cheered. "You performed the same move Revolver did! Only in three turns instead of five!"

Cam grit his teeth. "This isn't good." Morningstar had faced an Extra Link before when he dueled Terminus, but that had only been three monsters, and all had been Link-3. This was five monsters, and one was Link-4.

"An Extra Link…" Cypher mused, his eyes narrowed. He then glanced at Morningstar, whose hair covered his eyes. "I think there's only one appropriate response to this situation. Don't you, Morningstar?"

Morningstar didn't answer. Instead, he smiled.

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Playmaker**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Playmaker**

Playmaker activates the effect of Bitrooper in his hand, sending a Level 2 or lower monster from his hand to the GY to Special Summon it. He sends the Level 1 Latency from his hand to the GY and Special Summons Bitrooper in Attack Position (1500/2000/4). Playmaker Normal Summons ROM Cloudia (1800/0/4). As ROM Cloudia was Normal Summoned, Playmaker can add 1 Cyberse monster from his GY to his hand. He adds Latency from his GY to his hand. As it was added from his GY to his hand, Playmaker Special Summons Latency (0/0/1) in Attack Position. Playmaker uses Bitrooper, Latency, and ROM Cloudia to Link Summon Powercode Talker (2300/3/←↙→) to the Extra Monster Zone. As the Special Summoned Latency was used to Link Summon, Playmaker draws 1 card. Playmaker activates the Continuous Spell Card Link Processing Failure by choosing a Link Monster he controls and preventing monsters that are not Link Monsters and Link Monsters with a Link Rating lower than or equal to that monster's from attacking. During the 2nd Standby Phase after activation, Link Processing Failure is destroyed. Playmaker chooses the Link-3 Powercode Talker. Playmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. Since Playmaker controls a Link Monster and he does not, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Armorer (1200/2000/6) in Attack Position. As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Armorer, targeting Powercode Talker. Armorer is sent to the GY and Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Armor Tokens equal to Powercode Talker's Link Rating (0/0/2), in other words, 3. Morningstar uses 1 Cyspirit Armor Token to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates Cacophonic Caller's effect to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to its Link Marker, but it cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Strategist (1600/100/4) in Attack Position). Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller, Prisoner, and 1 Cyspirit Armor Token to Link Summon Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400/3/↙↑→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Prisoner was used to Link Summon Pied Pikeman, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Nova to his hand. Morningstar activates the effect of Pied Pikeman, changing the Cyspirit Armor Token it points at to Defense Position to destroy Playmaker's Set card. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Nova (1500/1000/3). He uses Nova and the last Cyspirit Armor Token to Link Summon Cyspirit Zany Zealot (1300/2/↗→) to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker. Morningstar then uses Strategist and the Link-3 Pied Pikeman to Link Summon Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Because Strategist was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, that monster's effects are negated until the end of the turn. As it is co-linked to a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates Zany Zealot's effect to Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position with its effects negated. He Special Summons Cyspirit Nova (1500/1000/3). Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Navigator (1300/1100/3) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Navigator and Nova to Link Summon Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire (1700/2/↖←) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-right Link Marker. As he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700/800/4) in Attack Position to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker.

Datastorm Dragon attacks Powercode Talker, with Playmaker activating the effect of Rescue Interlacer in his hand as his Attack Position Cyberse monster was attacked, discarding it to reduce the battle damage he would take from his battle to 0. The attack continues, and Powercode Talker is destroyed. As the targeted monster left the field, Link Processing Failure's effect destroys itself. Since his Cyberse Link Monster was destroyed by battle and sent to the GY, Playmaker activates the effect of the Trap Card Highspeed Data Recovery in his GY, banishing it to Set 1 Quick-Play Spell Card from his Deck, which can also be activated this turn. He Sets Spool Code. Legendary Legionnaire attacks Playmaker directly. Playmaker then activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Spool Code, negating the direct attack because he has at least 3 Cyberse monsters in his GY and Special Summons 3 Spool Tokens (0/0/1) in Defense Position. Since the card Set by Highspeed Data Recovery's effect was activated during the Battle Phase, the Battle Phase automatically ends. Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, Playmaker activates the effect of Rescue Interlacer in his GY as it was sent there to activate its effect this turn, Special Summoning it in Attack Position (1000/1200/3).

 **Turn 3: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He uses 2 Spool Tokens to Link Summon Security Dragon (1100/2/↑↓) to Datastorm Dragon's top Link Marker. As Security Dragon is co-linked, Playmaker activates its effect, targeting 1 monster Morningstar controls and returning it to his hand. He targets and returns Datastorm Dragon to Morningstar's Extra Deck. Before Datastorm Dragon leaves the field, Morningstar activates Legendary Legionnaire's effect, targeting Zany Zealot. Zany Zealot gains 1000 ATK, but it is destroyed during the End Phase (Zany Zealot: 1300→2300). Playmaker uses 1 Spool Token to Link Summon Talkback Lancer (1200/1/↓) to the left Extra Monster Zone. He then uses Rescue Interlacer and the Link-2 Security Dragon to Link Summon Transcode Talker (2300/3/↑↓→) to Talkback Lancer's Link Marker. As Transcode Talker is co-linked, itself and monsters it is co-linked with gain 500 ATK and cannot be targeted by Morningstar's card effects (Talkback Lancer: 1200→1700) (Transcode Talker: 2300→2800). Playmaker activates Transcode Talker's effect, targeting 1 Link-3 or lower Cyberse Link Monster in his GY and Special Summoning it to Transcode Talker's Link Marker. He Special Summons Powercode Talker (2300/3/←↙→) to Transcode Talker's right Link Marker. Powercode Talker's ATK increases via Transcode Talker's effect (Powercode Talker: 2300→2800). As he controls a Cyberse monster whose current ATK is different from its original ATK, Playmaker activates the Spell Card Cyberse Cache and draws 2 cards. Playmaker activates the effect of SIMM Tablir in his hand, revealing it, adding ROM Cloudia from his GY to his hand, then Special Summoning SIMM Tablir (0/1800/5) to Powercode Talker's right Link Marker in Defense Position. Playmaker Normal Summons ROM Cloudia (1800/0/4). As ROM Cloudia was Normal Summoned, Playmaker activates its effect, adding Latency from his GY to his hand. As Latency was added from the GY to his hand, Playmaker Special Summons Latency (0/0/1) in Attack Position. Playmaker uses Latency, ROM Cloudia, and SIMM Tablir to Link Summon Excode Talker (2300/3/←↑→) to Powercode Talker's right Link Marker. As the Special Summoned Latency was used to Link Summon, Playmaker draws 1 card. As Excode Talker was Link Summoned, Playmaker activates its effect, choosing unused Main Monster Zones, equal to the number of monsters in the Extra Monster Zones, and preventing those zones from being used. He targets Morningstar's center-left Main Monster Zone. Monsters Excode Talker points to gain 500 ATK and cannot be destroyed by card effects (Powercode Talker: 2800→3300).

Playmaker activates the Spell Card Link Treasure Ticket, targeting Excode Talker. He draws cards equal to Excode Talker's Link Rating, but he then must send an equal number of cards from the top of his Deck to the GY. He draws 3 cards and sends Dotscaper, Dual Assembwurm, and Link Restart to the GY. As Dotscaper was sent to the GY, Playmaker activates its effect, Special Summoning it in Attack Position (0/2100/1). Playmaker activates the Field Spell Card Cynet Storm, increasing the ATK/DEF of Linked monsters on the field by 500 (Excode Talker: 2300→2800) (Powercode Talker: 3300→3800) (Talkback Lancer: 1700→2200) (Transcode Talker: 2800→3300) (Legendary Legionnaire: 1700→2200) (Linker: 1700→2200/800→1300) (Zany Zealot: 2300→2800). Playmaker Special Summons Link Infra-Flier to Excode Talker's right Link Marker in Attack Position (0→1000/1800/2). Playmaker uses Dotscaper, Link Infra-Flier, and Talkback Lancer to Link Summon Decode Talker (2300→3300/3/↙↑↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Decode Talker gains 500 ATK for each monster it points to (Decode Talker: 2800→3800). Playmaker activates the effect of Dual Assembwurm in his GY, banishing SIMM Tablir and Talkback Lancer from his GY to Special Summon it Attack Position with its ATK halved (2800→1400/1000/8). He activates the Equip Spell Card Link Unit, equipping it to Dual Assembwurm. Dual Assembwurm is now treated as 2 materials for the Link Summon of a Link Monster. Playmaker uses Dual Assembwurm and the Link-3 Decode Talker to Link Summon Encode Talker (2300→3300/3/↑↓↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As he controls a Cyberse monster, Playmaker Special Summons Backup Secretary (1200/800/3) in Attack Position. He then activates the effect of Link Restart in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Decode Talker to Excode Talker's right Link Marker (2300→3300/3/↙↑↘). Playmaker uses Backup Secretary and the Link-3 Decode Talker to Link Summon Firewall Dragon (2500→3500/4/←↑↓→) to the left Extra Monster Zone, creating an Extra Link.

This duel will continue…

* * *

 _ **Highspeed Data Recovery Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If your Cyberse Link Monster is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY: Set 1 Quick-Play Spell Card from your Deck to your field. The card Set by this effect can be activated during the turn it is Set. If the card Set by this effect is activated during the Battle Phase: End the Battle Phase. Once per Duel, if this card is in your GY, you can activate the above effect by banishing this card from the GY._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 29 – The Devil of LINK VRAINS. Morningstar and Playmaker continue their duel, each giving their best. In response to Playmaker's power, Morningstar fights with the power Cypher gave him. At the end of the day, the victor is…_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to HunterHQ, FurySong, Nirvash Neo, The Brilliant Star, Gem Rose, thirdegree101, ZarcEternal, Fenghuang0296, Lyrissa Artemick, ThePLOThand, D3lph0xL0v3r, giacomoX, Ethan Kironus, Ryujomaru15, O, Doomboy, OsarimRin, LazinessRules, Lindia Fullmoon, TachyonDragonKing, JaneValentine007, Yasutake Fan, and jdkeller2000 for reviewing Chapter 27 of Hidden Memories. This was the most reviewed chapter I've ever had, with a total of 24 reviews. The second most reviewed was Chapter 20 An Old Score, with 23 reviews. Now to answer questions…

thirdegree101: I think the chapter answered your first question, but as for the second, I won't say anything. Since Masako's taking a break to hunt down Thaumiel, nothing is confirmed for those two. As for your question about Revolver Synchro Summoning… I'll wait for the episode to come out before I answer that.

D3lph0xL0v3r: Cypher's eyes are orange, but his body is black with silver lines running over him.

Nirvash Neo: Actually, I imagined Angelic Avenger representing Yasutake himself, with him avenging the wrongs committed to him and those he cares about. As for Superior Seraphim… I did not make that connection at all, but I do like the interpretation you made for it. That's awesome. As for voice actors, I don't know about most of them, but I thought of Noriaki Sugiyama for Yasutake, mostly because of his work as Shirou Emiya, and ironicaly Minami Takahashi for Sachi; I'll explain the reason why down below.

LazinessRules: … Cam does not have a VRAINS avatar. Did you mean someone else, or…? An anthropomorphic wolf does sound cool, but I'm not sure it fits Cam.

Yasutake Fan: If you want to know what Superior Seraphim's effects are, look at the bottom of the chapter, right before the Chapter Preview; that is were I show OC cards, and it explains all of Superior Seraphim's effects.

Sorry for the late update everyone. I've gotten myself stuck playing Trails in the Sky FC (which I totally recommend, but only if you can afford the time and plan to play SC after it) and I'm on vacation right now, finishing this up. Hopefully, Chapter 29 will be released on time, but no promises. Sorry about that.

There is a lot to unpack this chapter. For the first part, while Sachi is awake, she still has problems and isn't fully healed. She will improve over time of course, but some issues will be harder to overcome than others. Characterization-wise, I drew inspiration from Megumi Tadokoro from _Shokugeki no Soma_ , (voiced by Minami Takahashi, who ironically also voiced a young Ryoken) and like Megumi, Sachi will grow more confident. Oh, and just something from a conversation I had with OPFan37; they said they pictured Sachi as a loli. She is not. She is a head shorter than Yasutake, who is about the same height, if not a little taller, than Yusaku. Hopefully, her being awake makes that easier to picture.

Then, there's Masako leaving. I understand if this makes you upset, but I feel it is necessary; Issei/Thaumiel played a massive role in Masako's backstory, and she has to hunt him down in the real world, which she can't do in Den City. Sadly, this means she will have a smaller role in season 2, but don't worry about her disappearing entirely; she will return. The same will also be true of Galahad and Terminus; they will have much smaller roles in season 2 than season 1, but they will still appear and have a role to play.

We also had the proper introduction of Morningstar's Ignis: Cypher. To be honest, I wanted to name him Grim, but I saw SakushiRyu already named Ketsueki Kioku's Ignis Grim, and I didn't want to copy him. So instead, I named him Cypher, and he has quite an ego. And with Cypher helping him, that means Morningstar gets a new Skill to replace Cyberse Revolution. Sadly, we won't see it until season 2, but when it is revealed, I hope you all like it.

And finally, we have the duel between Morningstar and Playmaker. It's safe to say this won't actually be the last duel for either of them, but it is for the paths they have walked thus far. Both of them have devoted themselves to a path they wholly believe in, and that path has ended. But every ending has a beginning. And this ending just so happens to come with an Extra Link.

Okay, that's the last of Hidden Memories stuff, but there a few other things I want to talk about. The first is related to my new ARC-V story. I've hit a bit of a roadblock on Yuji's (Yuya's Link counterpart) backstory, so I've decided to open it up to the readers. I was originally planning for Yuji to have a similar background to Yusaku (traumatized by the Lost Incident, the creation of AI, and a feeling of emptiness) with changes made to his Ignis's personality and the role the Ignis play in the story. And as the Knights of Hanoi don't exist, obviously there would be a different role for Dr. Kogami and his son. But I've also thought up a different backstory, and I would like others' opinions on it; instead of the Lost Incident, there was a fire of which Yuji was the sole survivor, ala Shirou Emiya of fate/stay night, and he was adopted by Dr. Kogami and Ryoken. Which backstory do you believe would work better?

Also, this is a confession: I can't get ideas of fanfic stories out of my head. I've been reading Love Hina Double Trouble and crossovers between fate/stay night and Highschool DxD like Draconian Fate Works and Fake x Fate (I recommend all three stories, by the way). And reading them has given me more ideas for stories; a crossover between Highschool DxD and Trails of Cold Steel, a Kamen Rider Dragon Knight (the American version, not Ryuki) and Love Hina crossover, Shokugeki no Soma, but with Duel Monsters instead of food… Do you guys think I should write these? If not now, then someday? I just can't decide what I want to write!

Well, I do know I want to continue Hidden Memories. Speaking of which, thank you for reading Chapter 28 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me what your favorite part of the chapter was. I know there's a lot to this chapter, but I hope it was easy to follow.


	29. Chapter 29: The Devil of LINK VRAINS

**Chapter 29: The Devil of LINK VRAINS**

"An Extra Link…" Cam breathed as he watched the duel between Morningstar and Playmaker. Because of Morningstar's Camouflage Dome, he, Sachi, and Kusanagi were the only ones watching the duel. "This isn't good."

Morningstar looked over the duel field.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Playmaker: 4000 LP**

On his side, he had three monsters – Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire, Cyspirit Linker, and Cyspirit Zany Zealot, with both Link Monsters pointing to Linker and all empowered by Playmaker's Cynet Storm Field Spell Card – and one Set card.

 **Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire ATK 2200 LINK-2** ↖←

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 1300 LVL: 4**

 **Cyspirit Zany Zealot ATK 2800 LINK-2** ↗→

Playmaker's field was much fuller. He had the aforementioned Field Spell Card Cynet Storm active, which increased the attack and defense points of all linked monsters by 500. He controlled both Extra Monster Zones, with Firewall Dragon to his left and Encode Talker to his right. In his Main Monster Zones, he controlled Transcode Talker, Powercode Talker, and Excode Talker. The three monsters all pointed to each other and the monsters in the Extra Monster Zones, creating an Extra Link.

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 3500 LINK-4** ←↑↓→

 **Encode Talker ATK 3300 LINK-3** ↑↓↘

 **Transcode Talker ATK 3300 LINK-3** ↑↓→

 **Powercode Talker ATK 3800 LINK-3** ←↙→

 **Excode Talker ATK 2800 LINK-3** ←↑→

This situation was not optimal for Morningstar. To make matters worse, Excode Talker's effect was preventing him from using one of his Main Monster Zones, specifically the one that Encode Talker pointed to. That meant Morningstar could only Link Summon to Firewall Dragon's top Link Marker, where Linker currently was.

"A-Amazing, Playmaker!" Ai cheered. "You performed the same move Revolver did! Only in three turns instead of five!"

"An Extra Link…" Cypher mused, rubbing his chin with his eyes narrowed. He glanced at Morningstar, whose eyes were covered by his hair. "I think there's only one appropriate response to this situation. Don't you, Morningstar?"

Morningstar didn't answer. Instead, he smiled. Seeing that made Cypher chuckle.

"I thought so. It doesn't matter what we face, does it? We will overcome it!"

"Yeah right!" Ai shouted. "Playmaker and I have five monsters and we haven't battled yet!"

"If you're so confident, go ahead and attack."

"Not yet! Playmaker and I still have a move to make! Don't we, Playmaker?"

Playmaker didn't answer. Instead, he gestured to his field. "Firewall Dragon's monster effect! Once while on the field, I can return monsters on the field or Graveyard to the hand equal to the number of monsters co-linked with Firewall! Firewall Dragon is co-linked with one monster, so I'll return Zany Zealot to your Extra Deck! Emergency Escape!" Firewall Dragon blasted Zany Zealot with blue lightning from the circle on its head. Zany Zealot laughed in pain as it disintegrated.

"Eh, that's not good," Cypher admitted, narrowing his eyes.

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Excode Talker, attack Cyspirit Linker! Excode Close!" Excode talker extended green energy claws from its hands and charged Linker. Morningstar just took the only card in his hand and played it.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Gardna in my hand!" he declared. "Since you attacked a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Gardna and make it the target of your attack." A skeleton in black armor carrying two large shield appeared, summoned in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Gardna ATK 1000 DEF 2000 LVL: 4**

Excode Talker continued its charge and struck Gardna's shield, but they held firm. "Gardna cannot be destroyed by this battle, and for the rest of the turn, all battle damage I take is halved," Morningstar continued.

"Tch," Ai said. "That card means he'll survive the turn."

"Of course we would," Cypher gloated. "Did you really think we wouldn't?"

"I figured you had a way," Playmaker said, smiling to himself. "Still, you will take a great deal of damage this turn." The hacker gestured to his field again. "My Battle Phase continues! Encode Talker, attack Cyspirit Gardna! Final Encode!" A blade emerged from Encode Talker's shield as it charged Morningstar's monster. Gardna exploded as the blade passed through it.

"Transcode Talker attacks Legendary Legionnaire! Trans Fault!" A rifle popped out of Transcode Talker's back, which it grabbed with its right hand. The blaster charged and then fired at the skeleton in silver armor, destroying it. Morningstar flinched from the damage.

 **Morningstar: 4000→3450 LP**

"The damage may have been halved because of Gardna's effect," Cypher reminded Morningstar. "But this will still hurt a lot."

"Yeah. I know."

"Powercode Talker attacks Cyspirit Linker! Power Termination Smash!" Powercode Talker launched a grapnel from its wrist, grabbed Linker with it, and then pulled. Linker was pulled towards Powercode Talker, which charged and punched said monster, destroying it. Morningstar winced again from the damage.

 **Morningstar: 3450→2650 LP**

"Morningstar has no monsters anymore, and we have one more attack!" Ai cheered.

"Firewall Dragon, attack Morningstar directly! Tempest Attack!" Firewall Dragon's wings collapsed to form shards around it, creating several rings of energy as the blue in Firewall Dragon's skin changed to red. The dragon gathered red energy in its mouth, which it fired at Morningstar.

The hunter grit his teeth and raised his arms to protect himself. The blast hit, making the hunter scream in pain as he was pushed back several feet. When the attack abated, Morningstar fell to his knees, breathing hard.

 **Morningstar: 2650→900 LP**

"Yes! Over 3000 Life Points in one turn!" Ai cheered.

"I Set one card," Playmaker said. "I end my turn."

As Morningstar panted, someone spoke up. "…Oi. Morningstar." The hunter looked down at Cypher, who glared at him. The Ignis' body was frazzled, with the tips of his head bent in different directions. "Did you have to protect yourself with your Duel Disk in front?"

"Oh… sorry."

"Sorry, my foot!" Cypher shouted. He shook his head, getting his head and body back into shape, then glared at Morningstar again. "Your avatar may not be your real body, but this is _my_ real body! Show more care for my safety!"

Morningstar stared at his partner, and then started laughing. "Is this what Playmaker puts up with on a daily basis?" he wondered aloud. "Spending time with someone so ridiculous would make anyone grouchy."

"Are you implying that I am ridiculous?" Cypher asked, his eyes narrowed. "Well, you're right about Ai being ridiculous, and I am loathe to admit him being better than me at anything, but… hey, wait! That's not the point!"

Cypher shook his head and looked at Playmaker's field. "No matter how you look at it, our situation is not optimal: 900 Life Points, no cards in your hand, and one Set card we can't use."

"You aren't admitting defeat, are you?"

"Of course not! You have an amazing partner at your side! There is no way you will lose like this!" Cypher puffed out his little chest. "If you lose, it will be in the most epic way possible! No other kind of lose is acceptable to me!"

"…Congratulations. You've managed to outdo Ai at being ridiculous," Morningstar deadpanned. He then stood up straight. "But you're right about one thing: I won't lose like this. In fact, I will win." He put his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!"

Morningstar drew, then played his card. "I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure! This lets me draw cards equal to the number of Link Monsters on the field. There are five, so I draw five cards!"

"Eh? He got five new cards just like that?" Ai panicked. "Not good!"

When he saw what he drew, Morningstar raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Cypher," he said, glancing at the Ignis. "I think it's time to show Playmaker my new cards, don't you?"

"Hmm?" Cypher turned to look at the cards Morningstar's hand. "Oh! Yes! Show those two the Cyspirits' new power!"

"I Special Summon Cyspirit Serpent!" A skeletal snake appeared, its one red eye glowing in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Serpent ATK 400 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"I can Special Summon Serpent if it is added to my hand outside of my Draw Phase," Morningstar continued. "And now I summon Cyspirit Miner!" A skeleton in a prospector's uniform with a yellow safety hat atop its head and carrying a shovel appeared. Its single blue eye gleamed as it coughed.

 **Cyspirit Miner ATK 1700 DEF 100 LVL: 4**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar's hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 4 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Miner in the Link Marker!" His monster became a whirlwind of energy and entered the top arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 1! Cyspirit Hallowed Healer!" A skeleton in white robes with a red cross on front and back appeared. The halo above its head glowed as it was summoned to Firewall Dragon's top Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Hallowed Healer ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↑

"And thanks to your Cynet Storm Field Spell, Hallowed Healer gains 500 attack points because Firewall Dragon points to it!"

 **Cyspirit Hallowed Healer ATK 1000→1500**

Playmaker looked up Hallowed Healer's effect. "That monster can increase Morningstar's Life Points by half the attack points of a Link Monster it is co-linked with."

"Yeah, but that monster has to be a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster for that effect to work," Ai pointed out. "Firewall Dragon isn't one, so he must have summoned it for another reason."

"He summoned it to use as material," Playmaker realized.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar's hand glowed again as the Link portal appeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster. I set Hallowed Healer in the Link Marker!" Hallowed Healer became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom-right arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Link 1! Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant!"

A skeleton in a military uniform, specifically an officer's, emerged from the portal. It wore combat boots and black pants, and the uniform was silver with gold epaulets and medals all over it. Its blue and red eyes glowed as silver wings spread from its back. Like its predecessor, it was summoned to Firewall Dragon's top Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant ATK 1000→1500 LINK-1** ↘

Despite the fact Morningstar's new Link Monster was much weaker than his monsters, Playmaker couldn't help but feel unsettled by Kooky Kommandant. Its jaw was lopsided, and its eyes seemed too big for its head, giving it an eccentric appearance.

"Kooky Kommandant's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "If it is linked to a Cyberse Link Monster, I can Tribute Kooky Kommandant!" The monster disintegrated as he said that, confusing Playmaker.

Ai breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness that monster is gone. Something about it was unsettling."

"By Tributing Kooky Kommandant, I can then Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Resurrect, Cyspirit Linker!" The skeleton with black armor reappeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"And then, I can add one Level 8 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster and one 'Cyspirit' Spell Card from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar continued, taking two cards from his Deck. He smirked on seeing what they were. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Reinforcements! Since I control two or more face-up 'Cyspirit' monsters, I can Special Summon a Level 6 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Return to me, Cyspirit Nova!" A silver legless dragon appeared and roared.

 **Cyspirit Nova ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"He has three monsters now," Ai commented, crossing his arms. "Is he planning to Link Summon?"

"Hmm. You really are limited," Cypher said.

"Eh? What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that there's more than one way to bring out powerful monsters." Cypher turned to his partner. "Let's go, Morningstar! Show them your new power!"

"I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Cyspirit Ritual!" Morningstar's declaration caught Ai and Playmaker by surprise. The card showed an octagonal vortex with silver flames at the bottom. On the sides stood statues of Pied Pikeman and Rapid Revolutionary. As he played the card, the silver stripe on Morningstar's avatar turned blue.

"A Ritual Spell?" Ai repeated, shocked. "Since when does he have that?"

"With this card, I Tribute monsters from my hand and field whose total Levels equal or surpass the Level of the 'Cyspirit' Ritual Monster that I'm Ritual Summoning from my hand! I Tribute Level 4 Linker, Level 3 Nova, and Level 1 Serpent!"

The light faded as a silver magic circle appeared in the center of Morningstar's field. Around the circle, eight silver flames sprung up. Morningstar's three monsters all disintegrated into silver light, which poured into the center of the circle.

"The contract has been made. The horseman who was born anew inherits these three souls! Ritual Summon! Rise! Cyspirit Digital Dragoon!"

A pillar of silver light erupted from the magic circle as the flames went wild. As the lights faded, a humanoid monster on a horse charged out of the pillar. Said humanoid was in fact a silver skeleton, wearing a silver and gold military officer's uniform, with silver shoulder pads and chest armor. It wore an intricate black helmet with a black feather on top of its head. Its mount was a silver skeleton horse, with its rider sitting on a black saddle. It also wore light gold armor on its flanks. The horse had blue and red eyes, as did its rider. The rider carried a cavalry saber in its right hand and had a blunderbuss strapped to its back. The horse whinnied as it and its rider were summoned to Firewall Dragon's top Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Digital Dragoon ATK 2500→3000 DEF 2000 LVL: 8**

"EH!?" Ai screeched. "A 'Cyspirit' Ritual Monster? He didn't have that before, did he?"

"He did not," Cypher answered. "I managed to create this monster in the three days before this duel. Morningstar drawing the means to summon it provided us the opportunity to show its power for the first time."

Morningstar remembered what Cypher had said when he'd shown Digital Dragoon to Morningstar. _As strong as the Cyspirits are, their main weakness is that the Main Deck monsters lack strength; they rely almost entirely on Link Monsters for offensive power. And because I lack the resources to create new Extra Deck monsters for you, I figured a Ritual Monster would be a good start._

 _This Ignis may have an oversized ego, but he does know his cards,_ Morningstar thought.

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Digital Dragoon attacks Encode Talker!" Digital Dragoon's horse whinnied again as it charged Encode Talker.

"Eh? But Encode Talker's attack points are higher than Digital Dragoon!"

"When Digital Dragoon battles an opponent's Link Monster, that monster's attack points become 0 until the end of the turn!" Morningstar revealed, making Ai and Playmaker gasp. "Go! Process Shoot!" Digital Dragoon drew its blunderbuss and shot Encode Talker, spraying it with silver magma and making it cry out in pain.

 **Encode Talker ATK 3300→0**

"Furthermore, if Digital Dragoon battles a monster in the Extra Monster Zone, that monster's effects are negated until the End Phase," Morningstar continued. "Continue, Digital Dragoon! Harbinger's Fury!" Digital Dragoon swung its saber at Encode Talker, but Playmaker gestured to his own field.

"Trap activate! Doppler Phase Coating! This card equips itself to a Cyberse monster I control. I equip it to Encode Talker!" Said monster glowed. "Doppler Phase Coating prevents Digital Dragoon from being destroyed by battle once per turn!"

"But you still take damage!" Morningstar reminded Playmaker. The blow struck, creating a powerful backlash of wind that struck Playmaker and pushed him back several feet.

 **Playmaker: 4000→1000 LP**

"Seriously?" Ai whined. "First we brought him down to 900 Life Points, but now he's brought us down to 1000. Well, at least we managed to keep the Extra Link intact."

Playmaker gestured to his field again. "Since I took more than 2000 points of damage from this battle, Cynet Storm's effect activates! I can shuffle my Extra Deck and then excavate the top card. And if that card is a Cyberse Link Monster, I can Special Summon it!" Morningstar narrowed his eyes. The only place Playmaker could summon another Link Monster to was Excode Talker's right Link Marker.

Playmaker's Extra Deck shuffled, then it spat out a card. He took it, then summoned it. "I summon Link Spider!" A black mechanical spider with blue lines running over its body appeared, summoned to Excode Talker's right Link Marker.

 **Link Spider ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"Due to Cynet Storm's effect, Link Spider gains 500 attack points. And because Excode Talker points to Link Spider, it gains 500 more attack points and cannot be destroyed by card effects."

 **Link Spider ATK 1000→2000**

"Hmm. We dealt great damage to him, but he got a new Link Monster out of it," Cypher mused. "At least he can't use Link Spider's effect. That said…" Cypher narrowed his eyes. "We aren't in the clear yet."

"I Set one card," Morningstar said. "I end my turn. And because it is the End Phase, Digital Dragoon's effect ends, and Encode Talker's attack points and effects return to normal." The silver magma disappeared from Encode Talker's armor.

 **Encode Talker ATK 0→3300**

"My turn! Draw!" Playmaker drew and looked at his card. He then glanced at Transcode Talker.

"You realized it too, didn't you, Playmaker?" The hacker looked at Ai. "Transcode Talker's effect protects itself and monsters it is co-linked with from being targeted by Morningstar's card effects. That means that Digital Dragoon's effect won't work on Firewall Dragon, Powercode, or Transcode."

"Yeah. That's true. But…" Playmaker looked at Morningstar's Set cards. "Morningstar likely has a means to either end the battle or raise his monster's attack points. I'll have to be careful. I summon Swap Cleric!" A blue and purple mechanical priest appeared on Playmaker's field.

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" A Link portal appeared above Playmaker as his hand glowed blue. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Effect monsters. I set Swap Cleric and Link Spider in the Link Markers!" Said monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Underclock Taker!" A purple tube with a white disc hovering above it emerged from the portal, summoned to Excode Talker's right Link Marker. It glowed as it gained attack points from Cynet Storm's and Excode Talker's effects.

 **Underclock Taker ATK 1000→2000 LINK-2** ←↓

"Swap Cleric's monster effect!" Playmaker continued. "When I use it to Link Summon, I can reduce that monster's attack points by 500 to draw one card!"

 **Underclock Taker ATK 2000→1500**

Playmaker drew, then gestured to his field. "Underclock Taker's monster effect! Once per turn, I can target a monster it points to and a monster my opponent controls. Your monster then loses attack points equal to my monster's attack points until the end of the turn. I target Excode Talker and Digital Dragoon!" Morningstar's expression didn't change as Digital Dragoon weakened.

 **Cyspirit Digital Dragoon ATK 3000→200**

"Yes! We can end it with this attack!" Ai cheered.

"Battle! Firewall Dragon, attack Digital Dragoon! Tempest Attack!" Rings of energy formed behind Firewall Dragon as it blasted Morningstar's monster with red energy.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "So you realized that because of Transcode Talker, Digital Dragoon cannot use its effects against Firewall Dragon. Well played. Unfortunately, I'm one step ahead." The hunter gestured to his field. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystical Space Typhoon! This card lets me destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field! I'll destroy Doppler Phase Coating!"

"Huh?" Ai asked as a whirlwind blasted the Trap Card, destroying it. "Why would he destroy Doppler Phase Coating? It's not Encode Talker that's attacking."

Playmaker grit his teeth as Morningstar smirked. "The effect of Doppler Phase Coating now activates! If it is sent to the Graveyard during the Battle Phase, the Battle Phase automatically ends!" The energy from Firewall Dragon's attack dissipated before it hit Digital Dragoon.

"Eh!? Seriously!?" Ai screeched.

Playmaker gave a reluctant smile. "You used my card's effect against me," he said begrudgingly. "Well played. I Set one card. I end my turn, and the effect of Underclock Taker ends."

 **Cyspirit Digital Dragoon ATK 200→3000**

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card and his eyes widened. _Another of Cypher's new cards,_ he thought. He glanced at Encode Talker. He could attack Encode Talker with Digital Dragoon again, but…

His gaze turned to Playmaker's Set card. Considering Playmaker's usual skill and luck, it seemed likely that his face-down card would either block Morningstar's attack or keep Encode Talker from losing attack points. Or it could possibly redirect the attack to a more powerful monster.

Looking at his drawn card again, Morningstar smirked. Yes. He had a way to end this duel now.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Serpent in the Graveyard!" he declared. "By banishing it, I can take control of a Link-2 or lower Link Monster you control!"

"Eh? But the only Link-2 Link Monster we have is-!"

"Underclock Taker," Cypher said, interrupting Ai. Said monster disintegrated before reforming on Morningstar's field. "Unfortunately, we cannot activate Underclock Taker's effects the turn Serpent's effect is used, and since it is no longer linked to any monsters, and especially Excode Talker, it loses 1000 attack points."

 **Underclock Taker ATK 1500→500**

"I summon Cyspirit Nurse!" A skeleton in a light pink nurse's outfit appeared, a single blue eye glowing.

 **Cyspirit Nurse ATK 1000 DEF 500 LVL: 3**

"Nurse's monster effect! I Tribute it and a Link Monster I control, then I gain Life Points equal to that monster's Link Rating times 500 and a 'Cyspirit' monster I control gains attack points equal to that amount until the end of the turn. I Tribute Nurse and Underclock Taker!" Both monsters disintegrated. "Underclock Taker was Link-2, so I gain 1000 Life Points, and Digital Dragoon gains 1000 attack points!"

 **Morningstar: 900→1900 LP**

 **Cyspirit Digital Dragoon ATK 3000→4000**

"Unfortunately, you take no battle damage the turn Nurse's effect is activated," Morningstar continued, making Ai breath a sigh of relief. "However, that does not mean I have no moves to make." He took the last card in his hand and played it. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Cyspirit Identity Crisis!" The card showed Decode Talker, with its skin changing and forming into Rapid Revolutionary. "I can only activate this card if a 'Cyspirit' monster was sent to my Graveyard by a card effect. Until the end of this turn, all Link Monsters on the field are treated as 'Cyspirit' monsters!"

"Eh!?" Ai said. All of Playmaker's monsters glowed as their eyes changed color to blue and red. "Umm, Playmaker? Why would he change our monsters to 'Cyspirit' monsters?"

"I suspect we're about to find out," his partner answered.

And indeed, they did find out. Morningstar gestured to his Ritual Monster and said, "Digital Dragoon's monster effect! At the beginning of the Battle Phase, if it is linked to a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, it can make a number of attacks up to that monster's Link Rating!"

"What!?"

"Firewall Dragon is linked to Digital Dragoon," Morningstar continued. "And due to Identity Crisis, it is treated as a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster. That means Digital Dragoon can attack four times this turn!"

"F-Four times?" Ai repeated. Playmaker shared his shock and was secretly glad that Nurse's effect prevented him from taking battle damage this turn.

At Morningstar's words, silver metal wings suddenly burst out from the sides of Digital Dragoon's mount. The horse whinnied as it galloped into the air and started circling the field. Digital Dragoon drew its blunderbuss and pointed it at Playmaker's field. The gun began charging with yellow energy.

"Digital Dragoon attacks Encode Talker, Excode Talker, Powercode Talker, and Transcode Talker!" Morningstar declared. "Go, Digital Dragoon! Imperium Siege!"

Digital Dragoon fired its gun, creating a massive beam of yellow energy. Halfway across the field, the beam split into four, each aimed at one of Playmaker's Code Talkers. Playmaker braced himself as the blasts hit his monsters, creating one massive explosion after the other.

Ai braced himself alongside the hacker. "We may not take any damage thanks to Nurse's effect, but…"

"I know," Playmaker said. The smoke soon cleared, revealing Playmaker's field. It was empty save for Firewall Dragon, Digital Dragoon's attack having destroyed all his other monsters.

"Yes!" Cam cheered. "He broke Playmaker's Extra Link! Just like he broke Terminus's!"

"I thought he broke that Extra Link by returning one of them to his Extra Deck," Sachi reminded Cam.

"Well, yeah, but… Oh, never mind."

"Because Excode Talker left the field, I can use my center-left Main Monster Zone again. And since Transcode Talker is no longer on the field, Firewall Dragon loses 500 attack points," Morningstar reminded Playmaker.

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 3500→3000**

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Overdrive!" The card showed Angelic Avenger, with a massive silver clock behind it. The hands on the clock were moving at an incredible speed to the point they left blurs behind them. ""Since my 'Cyspirit' monster destroyed your monster by battle, and you control only one monster now, my monster can attack again, and if it destroys your monster, you take damage equal to that monster's attack points!" Playmaker gasped as his eyes widened. So that was what Morningstar was planning!

"Go, Digital Dragoon! Harbinger's Fury!" Digital Dragoon holstered its blunderbuss, drew its saber, and then charged Firewall Dragon. Playmaker grit his teeth and gestured to his field.

"Trap activate!" he declared. "Parallel Port Armor! This card equips itself to Firewall Dragon, and while Parallel Port Armor is equipped to Firewall, it cannot be destroyed by battle or targeted by your card effects!" Digital Dragoon's sword struck Firewall and made it cry out in pain, but it withstood the attack.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "I see," he said. "Your Parallel Port Armor keeps my Digital Dragoon from using its effects against Firewall Dragon. You were planning to use it on Encode Talker to minimize the damage, but when I activated Digital Dragoon's multiple attack effect, you decided to save it for Firewall. And because of Nurse's effect, you took no battle damage this turn." Morningstar smiled. "Well played. Still, I did manage to break your Extra Link. And once my turn ends, our monsters will have the same attack points. That means your turn and your draw will determine the result of this duel. I end my turn. And during the End Phase, the effects of Nurse and Identity Crisis end." Firewall Dragon's eyes returned to normal as Digital Dragoon glowed.

 **Cyspirit Digital Dragoon ATK 4000→3000**

Cam frowned at the screen. "At the rate they're going, they're pretty evenly matched."

Sachi frowned as well. "Isn't Yasu winning? His Life Points are higher."

"He does have more Life Points, but they each have one monster with 3000 attack points, Playmaker's monster is immune to Digital Dragoon's effect, and Yasu has no face-down cards. What happens next will depend entirely on Playmaker."

"My turn! Draw!" Playmaker drew, then smiled. Morningstar had been right and wrong at the same time; this turn was important, but not because of what he drew.

"I activate the effect of Dual Assembwurm in my Graveyard!" he declared. "By banishing Backup Secretary and Dotscaper, I can Special Summon it with its attack points halved." The red and blue dragon Playmaker summoned earlier reappeared on his field, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Dual Assembwurm ATK 2800→1400 DEF 1000 LVL: 8**

"Dotscaper's monster effect!" Playmaker continued. "When it is banished, I can Special Summon it!" A white and green brick monster appeared in Attack Position.

 **Dotscaper ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 1**

Morningstar grit his teeth. He remembered this trick.

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker hand glowed, causing the Link portal to appear above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters. I set Dotscaper and Dual Assembwurm in the Link Markers!" Said monsters became whirlwinds of energy that entered the left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Flame Administrator!" A large red humanoid machine monster emerged from the portal, summoned to Firewall Dragon's bottom Link Marker.

 **Flame Administrator ATK 1200→1700 LINK-2** ←↘

"Flame Administrator's monster effect! All Link Monsters I control gain 800 attack points!"

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 3000→3800**

 **Flame Administrator ATK 1700→2500**

"Yes!" Ai cheered. "Firewall Dragon is more powerful than Digital Dragoon! And thanks to Parallel Port Armor, Digital Dragoon can't change its attack points!" Morningstar grit his teeth as Cypher narrowed his eyes.

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Firewall Dragon, attack Digital Dragoon! Tempest Attack!" The rings of energy formed behind his monster as it blasted Digital Dragoon. Morningstar braced himself against the explosion the attack caused.

 **Morningstar: 1900→1100 LP**

"Yes! We finally destroyed it!" Ai said. "Now, we just have to attack with Flame Administrator and-!"

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Ritual in the Graveyard!" Morningstar declared, interrupting Ai. "When my 'Cyspirit' Ritual Monster is destroyed by battle, I can banish it and Cyspirit Ritual from the Graveyard to Special Summon a Link-3 or lower 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Extra Deck!"

"Eh!?"

"Furthermore, this Special Summon is treated as a Link Summon," Morningstar continued. "Come to me, Cyspirit Angelic Avenger!" An octagonal portal appeared on the hunter's field, which a pillar of fire burst out of. Playmaker covered his eyes until the flames dissipated. When he uncovered his eyes, he saw a new monster had appeared. It was a skeleton in red and gold armor, with massive silver wings and long blonde hair made of fire. It roared from Firewall Dragon's top Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 2700→3200 LINK-3** ←↑→

"Isn't that the monster that beat Spectre?" Ai asked Playmaker, who nodded grimly. This duel wasn't going to be getting easier. Then he frowned in confusion. He remembered that when he saw Angelic Avenger the first time, he had felt a massive swirl of emotions from it, primarily rage. But now… now he felt nothing from it. It felt just like other Cyberse monsters.

Setting those thoughts aside, Playmaker said, "I Set one card. I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card and frowned. With the cards available to him, he could win this turn, but with Playmaker having a Set card, that seemed unlikely. The hunter then glanced at Playmaker.

 _Playmaker. You are one of the strongest and smartest opponents I've ever faced,_ Morningstar thought. _For that reason, if you survive this turn, I'll have you face my most powerful monster._

Out loud, he said, "Angelic Avenger's monster effect! When it points to at least one monster, I can add one 'Cyspirit' Spell or Trap Card from my Graveyard to my hand. I return Cyspirit Reinforcements to my hand." Morningstar took the card from his Graveyard, then played the card he drew. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Emblem! Now, I can send a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to the Graveyard and then Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster with the same Level from my Deck in Attack Position. I send Cyspirit Kid to the Graveyard and Special Summon the Level 1 Cyspirit Coder!" A skeleton in a lab coat and armor appeared, summoned in Attack Position to Angelic Avenger's right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Coder ATK 0→500 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Coder's monster effect! When it is Summoned, I can add one 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand, then send one card from my hand, field, or Deck to the Graveyard." Morningstar took two cards from his Deck, added one to his hand, then sent the other to the Graveyard. He then played the card he added earlier with Angelic Avenger's effect. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Reinforcements. Since I control two or more face-up 'Cyspirit' monsters, I can Special Summon one Level 6 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Resurrect, Cyspirit Miner!" The skeleton in a prospector's uniform reappeared, summoned to Angelic Avenger's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Miner ATK 1700→2200 DEF 100 LVL: 4**

"Uh oh!" Ai said, his eyes wide. "His Link Monster points to three monsters!" Playmaker only narrowed his eyes.

"Angelic Avenger's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, if it points to three monsters, I can return all monsters it points at to the owners' hands, and then negate the effects of all other Link Monsters and make their attack points equal to their original attack points. Go! Holy Revision!" Angelic Avenger's wings spread wide and shone with golden light. Firewall Dragon cried out as it glitched and disappeared alongside Coder and Miner, while Flame Administrator groaned.

 **Flame Administrator ATK 2500→1200**

"AHHH! Firewall Dragon returned to the Extra Deck!" Ai cried. Playmaker grit his teeth. This was not an optimal situation.

"Because the equipped monster left the field, Parallel Port Armor is sent to the Graveyard," Playmaker said slowly as said card disintegrated.

Morningstar gestured to his field. "Battle! Angelic Avenger, attack Flame Administrator! Heaven's Wrath!" Angelic Avenger flew upwards and drew its swords. It then covered itself in flames and charged Flame Administrator.

"Do something, Playmaker!" Ai panicked. "If this attack hits, we're done for!"

"I know," Playmaker responded and gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Cynet Refresh!" Morningstar gasped. "When a Cyberse monster attacks, this card destroys all monsters in the Main Monster Zones!" Angelic Avenger and Flame Administrator both disintegrated at his words.

"Eh?" Cypher said, blinking. "He destroyed both monsters? Isn't that dangerous?"

"It would be," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes. "If Cynet Refresh didn't also summon any Cyberse Link Monsters destroyed by its effect to the owners' fields during the End Phase."

"Oh, I see." Cypher's eyes narrowed. "Still, that benefits him more than us. Since it left the field, Flame Administrator will regain its effects when it returns. Whereas Angelic Avenger can only use its effects if its Link Summoned."

"I know," Morningstar responded as he took two cards from his hand. "I Set one monster and Set one card. I end my turn."

Playmaker gestured to his field. "Cynet Refresh's effect activates! During the End Phase, all Cyberse Link Monsters that were destroyed by its effect are Special Summoned to their owner's fields!" Angelic Avenger and Flame Administrator reappeared, summoned to Morningstar's and Playmaker's fields respectively.

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 2700 LINK-3** ←↑→

 **Flame Administrator ATK 1200 LINK-2** ←↘

"Flame Administrator's monster effect! All Link Monsters I control gain 800 attack points!"

 **Flame Administrator ATK 1200→2000**

"My turn! Draw!" Playmaker drew and stared at his card.

"You feel it too, don't you?"

Playmaker looked up at Morningstar, whose expression had turned melancholic. "This will be your last turn, won't it?"

"…Yes," Playmaker said. With the card in his hand and the cards in his Graveyard, he could end this duel this turn. And yet…

Morningstar smiled. "This was a good duel, wasn't it?"

"…Yeah," Playmaker said, smiling with the hunter. "This hasn't been like my other duels. This duel… I've enjoyed every second of it. It's a shame it has to end."

"…Yeah. It is." Morningstar raised his Duel Disk. "Then come at me, Playmaker!"

"With pleasure!" Playmaker played the card he drew. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Cynet Universe!" Cynet Storm disintegrated as the new Field Spell took effect. "This card increases the attack points of my Link Monsters by 300!"

 **Flame Administrator ATK 2000→2300**

"I activate Cynet Universe's effect!" he continued. "Once per turn, I can shuffle a monster in the Graveyard back into the Deck. I shuffle Transcode Talker back into my Extra Deck." Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He could see Playmaker's thought process. "I activate the effect of Dual Assembwurm in the Graveyard! I banish Latency and ROM Cloudia to Special Summon it with its attack points halved!" The blue and red dragon emerged, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Dual Assembwurm ATK 2800→1400 DEF 1000 LVL: 8**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared in the air above Playmaker. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect Monsters! I set Dual Assembwurm and Link-2 Flame Administrator in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with the latter splitting into two, and entered the top, bottom, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Transcode Talker!" The brown armored warrior appeared, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Transcode Talker ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↑↓→

"Cynet Universe's effect!"

 **Transcode Talker ATK 2300→2600**

"Transcode Talker's monster effect!" Playmaker declared. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Link-3 or lower Cyberse Link Monster from my Graveyard to its Link Marker! Resurrect, Decode Talker!" The purple armored warrior armed with a sword appeared, summoned to Transcode Talker's bottom Link Marker.

 **Decode Talker ATK 2300→2600 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"Transcode Talker's additional effect! Itself and monsters it is co-linked with gain 500 attack points and cannot be targeted by your card effects."

 **Decode Talker ATK 2600→3100**

 **Transcode Talker ATK 2600→3100**

"Decode Talker's monster effect! It gains 500 attack points for every monster it points to! Power Integration!"

 **Decode Talker ATK 3100→3600**

"Both of his monsters are strong, but not enough to reduce our Life Points to zero," Cypher commented. "If this is his last turn as you said it would be, he must have something else planned." Morningstar nodded in agreement.

"Battle!" Playmaker declared. "Decode Talker, attack Angelic Avenger! Decode End!" Decode Talker's sword elongated as it charged Angelic Avenger, who drew its own swords and charged to meet Decode Talker. Morningstar meanwhile gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Half-Guard in the Graveyard!" he declared. Playmaker's eyes widened in surprise and realization; Half-Guard must have been the card sent to the Graveyard by Coder's effect. "By discarding a 'Cyspirit' monster, all battle damage I take this turn is halved." He revealed the card in his hand. "I send Cyspirit Coder to the Graveyard."

Their monsters' swords met, causing a backlash of wind. The two monsters roared at each other, but eventually Decode Talker overpowered Angelic Avenger, breaking both its swords and slashing it from head to toe. The Cyspirit exploded, pushing Morningstar back.

 **Morningstar: 1100→650 LP**

"Transcode Talker attacks your Set monster!" Playmaker continued. "Trans Fault!" Transcode Talker drew its gun and fired at the face-down card, which flipped face-up to reveal Cyspirit Miner.

 **Cyspirit Miner ATK 1700 DEF 100 LVL: 4**

The blast destroyed Miner, making Cypher flinch.

"Yes! This is it, Playmaker!" Ai cheered. Playmaker only gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Parallel Port Armor in my Graveyard!" he declared. "By banishing it and two Link Monsters from my Graveyard, one of my Link Monsters can make a second attack! I banish it, Encode Talker, and Excode Talker to allow Decode Talker to attack again!" Decode Talker's sword glowed gold with energy.

"This is the end!" Playmaker shouted. "Go, Decode Talker! Decode End!" Decode Talker leapt forward and charged Morningstar, its sword glowing at its side.

Morningstar only smiled. "I've been waiting for this!" he declared, surprising Playmaker and Ai. "Trap activate!" His face-down card flipped face-up and created a burst of light.

"What is this?" Ai asked, temporarily blinded. "Please tell me it isn't Mirror Force! I've had enough of that card already!" The light dimmed enough for the two to see the card, which made them gasp.

"Cyspirit Creation Link!" Morningstar announced. "This card negates your attack!" Decode Talker swung its sword, but it struck a barrier, stopping it in midair.

"Creation Link then allows us to Special Summon as many 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters from our Graveyard as possible," Cypher explained. "And we can then Link Summon using them as material and force your monster to attack that monster. But during the End Phase, we'll take 4000 points of damage."

"Eh!? 4000!? You're risking everything on one move!?" Ai shouted, looking at Cypher like he was crazy.

"That is simply who we are, Ai," Cypher said smugly. "Ready for this, partner?"

"Yes." Morningstar gestured to his field again. "Return to me, Angelic Avenger, Hallowed Healer, Kooky Kommandant, Legendary Legionnaire, and Pied Pikeman!" All five monsters reappeared on his field.

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 2700 LINK-3** ←↑→

 **Cyspirit Hallowed Healer ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↑

 **Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↘

 **Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire ATK 1700 LINK-2** ↖←

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"Five monsters at once?" Ai said. "Wait, that would mean-."

"Yes, it's time," Cypher said. "Time for you to witness the birth of the God I created!"

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar's hand glowed with blue light as the Link portal appeared beneath the duelists. Playmaker gasped and stepped back as he stared at the portal that covered the entire field.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters. I set Angelic Avenger, Hallowed Healer, Kooky Kommandant, Legendary Legionnaire, and Pied Pikeman in the Link Markers!" His five monsters became whirlwinds of energy and traveled upwards, reaching the top of the Camouflage Dome before diving into the arrows. They struck the top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red. The Link portal lit up with energy, further blinding Ai and Playmaker.

"Hey? What is this?" Ai gasped. "Wait! I recognize this power! This is-!"

"The monster Morningstar summoned to defeat Terminus," Playmaker finished.

The light dimmed enough so that Ai and Playmaker could see a pillar of light in the unoccupied Extra Monster Zone, with smaller lights floating in the air around the field. Morningstar and Cypher stood across from them, neither seemingly bothered by the light.

"Circuit combine!" Morningstar continued. "The supreme authority that reigns over the closed world! Link Summon! Appear! Link 5! Cyspirit Superior Seraphim!" Four massive golden wings burst from the sides of the pillar. The pillar itself then dissipated, revealing a massive monster, larger than anything Playmaker had seen. It was a golden skeleton wearing golden robes with silver lines and it carried a golden staff that was as tall as it was. Its blue eyes gleamed as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Superior Seraphim ATK 3300 LINK-5** ↖↙↓↘↗

"L-Link-5?" Ai said, feeling very, very small before Superior Seraphim. Playmaker was likewise awed by the monster, but he showed it more subtly. "T-That's not fair. Why does he get a Link-5 and we don't?"

"…I still feel something from it," Playmaker said quietly.

"Huh?" Ai said, looking at his partner. "What?"

"When Morningstar summoned Angelic Avenger, I didn't sense the emotions I felt when he dueled Spectre," Playmaker explained. "This monster must have been what I sensed before the Tower fell. And I still sense things from it, but they're… different from before. Something indescribable."

"Hmm…" Ai looked at the monster again. "Now that you mention it, I feel that too. It's different from before, but still present… Just what is this monster?" Louder, he said, "That monster really is surprising, but it's too weak! Decode Talker has 3600 attack points, which means it wins! And then Morningstar loses due to Creation Link's effect!"

"Hmm," Cypher grunted. "Even now, you are still slow."

"Eh?"

"Superior Seraphim is no ordinary monster," Cypher continued. "As I said, it is a God, and as such, its effects are more powerful than the other Cyspirits. Namely, it does not gain effects from the number of monsters it points to. Rather, it gains effects based on the number of monsters that were used to summon it."

"Eh!? But you used five monsters! Doesn't that mean-?"

"That it can use all its effects? Yes, it does."

"Superior Seraphim's first effect!" Morningstar declared, putting a stop to the Ignis' conversation. "When I Link Summon Superior Seraphim with five monsters, I can Special Summon up to three 'Cyspirit' monsters from the Graveyard to its Link Markers with their effects negated. Cyberse Resurrection! Resurrect, Angelic Avenger, Legendary Legionnaire, and Pied Pikeman!"

Superior Seraphim tapped its staff to the ground, creating three circles behind it. Angelic Avenger emerged from the center one, while Legendary Legionnaire appeared to its right and Pied Pikeman to its left.

 **Cyspirit Angelic Avenger ATK 2700 LINK-3** ←↑→

 **Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire ATK 1700 LINK-2** ↖←

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"Superior Seraphim's second effect!" Morningstar continued. "If Link Summoned using four or more monsters, the effects of all other face-up cards are negated, and the attack points of all other face-up monsters are returned to their original attack points!"

"What?" Ai screeched. Playmaker was also shocked. "Do something, Playmaker!"

"I activate the effect of Cynet Refresh in my Graveyard!" the hacker declared. "When you activate a monster effect, I can banish Cynet Refresh to make my Cyberse monsters unaffected by your card effects until the end of the turn!"

"You cannot!" Morningstar proclaimed, shocking Playmaker. "Superior Seraphim's effect prevents you from activating cards or effects in response to the activation of its effects!"

"NO!" Ai screamed.

"Go! Spiritual Supremacy!" Superior Seraphim tapped the ground with its staff as its eyes changed to red. A pulse of gold energy swept over the field, turning Decode Talker and Transcode Talker gray.

 **Decode Talker ATK 3600→2300**

 **Transcode Talker ATK 3100→2300**

"Superior Seraphim's third effect! For each monster it points to, it gains 500 attack points! Sacred Integration!" Superior Seraphim glowed as its eyes returned to blue.

 **Cyspirit Superior Seraphim ATK 3300→4800**

"Creation Link's effect now activates!" Morningstar continued. "Decode Talker must now attack the monster that was Link Summoned by its effect!"

"Eh? B-But that means-."

"We have to attack Superior Seraphim," Playmaker finished grimly. He closed his eyes, then smiled and opened them. "Alright then! Decode Talker, attack Superior Seraphim! Decode End!"

Decode Talker charged Superior Seraphim, its sword glowing gold again. Morningstar also smiled and gestured to his field. "Battle! Superior Seraphim, respond to Decode Talker! Sacrament of the Closed World!"

Superior Seraphim blinked, changing one of its eyes to red. It tapped its staff on the ground then raised it high, creating a sphere of golden energy at the tip. Superior Seraphim brought the staff down, and the sphere of energy was released at Decode Talker.

Playmaker's monster roared as it struck the sphere with its sword, but the sphere didn't dissipate. Sparks flew before Decode Talker's sword broke against the orb. The blast continued onward, absorbing Decode Talker and headed towards Playmaker.

The hacker closed his eyes and smiled. "You win," was all he said.

The attack struck, creating a massive explosion. Morningstar and Cypher just watched as smoke filled the air. After a while, the smoke cleared, revealing Playmaker on his back. The hacker's eyes were still closed, and he was still smiling.

 **Playmaker: 1000→0 LP**

"Yes!" Cam cheered as he stood up, his hands high in the air. "He won! Yasu won!"

Sachi smiled. "Well done, Yasu," she whispered. "I knew you would win."

Morningstar walked up to Playmaker, who Ai was looking over.

"Playmaker! Are you alright?" Ai asked, concerned for his partner.

"…Yeah. I am," Playmaker answered, opening his eyes. He looked up at Morningstar, who stood over him. "It's funny. I was certain that if I lost again, I would go back to that dark place I was trapped in, but…" Playmaker's smile grew. "For some reason, I don't mind losing to you."

Playmaker pushed himself up into a sitting position. He raised his Duel Disk. "A deal's a deal. Ai is yours."

"Hey, wait, Playmaker!" Ai turned to look at Morningstar, who was expressionless as he raised his Duel Disk. Cypher likewise was expressionless, waiting to see what his partner would do.

For ten seconds, Morningstar stood there, unmoving. Then he lowered his Duel Disk and closed his eyes. Playmaker gave a knowing smile.

"Eh?" Ai said, surprised. "You aren't going to capture me?"

"I already have an AI in my Duel Disk who won't stop talking," Morningstar said, looking at Ai through half-lidded eyes. "I don't need two."

"Yes. And at least I say interesting stuff," Cypher said, nodding. "Almost everything that comes out of your mouth is useless."

"Hey!" Ai shouted, glaring at his fellow Ignis. "My advice is very important to Playmaker! Without me, he'd be helpless!"

"Well, at least we have that in common," Cypher said. The two humans glared at the AIs. "Ai, I overheard Playmaker say he removed your lock. Are you leaving, then?"

"…I might as well," Ai said. "I have to go see my friends again after all. Do you want to come with me?"

"…No," Cypher said, surprising the other three. "I would like to see Cyberse World eventually, but I would like to stay with Morningstar for a while. See how the world has truly changed."

"So does that mean I'll have to get used to you living in my Duel Disk?" Morningstar asked.

"If you want, I can live in your computer," Cypher offered. "I can help you with your homework and make you the top student at school. That is the only designation deserving of my brilliance."

"…I'm certain that is cheating," Morningstar deadpanned. He looked up as Playmaker stood up fully. "Well, if you're leaving, then good luck, Ai."

"Thank you!" Ai said. He then turned to Playmaker. "I'm going to leave now, Playmaker. Umm, in the human world, at times like this, I'm supposed to say something profound, right?"

"Are you capable of that?" Playmaker asked.

"Ah!" Ai said. "One man's fault is another's lesson!"

Playmaker smiled and closed his eyes. "Nice words."

"Are they?" Cypher whispered to Morningstar, who shrugged.

"I'm awesome!" Ai boasted. "I'm leaving, Playmaker."

"Yeah. Be well."

"See ya." Ai waved at the three of them before disappearing into the Duel Disk. The screen then turned blank.

"Ai?" Playmaker asked. When there was no response, he said, "He's gone."

"Yes," Cypher said. "I felt his departure. Though, I imagine we'll all see him again." Cypher bowed to Playmaker. "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Playmaker. I can see why Morningstar thinks so highly of you. If he wasn't my partner, I would have liked you to be mine."

"That's nice to say," Playmaker said, smiling before turning to Morningstar. "See you, Morningstar."

"Yeah. See you around." The two duelists logged out after saying that, with the Camouflage Dome disappearing with them.

* * *

Yasutake walked out of the sealed room.

"Well done, Yasu," Cam said, smiling at his roommate. Sachi nodded alongside him. Cam then frowned. "Still, you didn't take Ai. Bishop isn't going to be happy."

Yasutake closed his eyes and sighed before opening them. "Call him," he said. "We might as well get this over with." Cam nodded and began typing while Yasutake looked at Cypher. "Don't say anything during the call," he advised the Ignis. "If he hears you, Bishop may demand I hand you over. I don't want to make an enemy of SOL right now."

Cypher nodded in understanding as Cam made the call. Bishop answered after half a minute. "Ah, Morningstar," he said. "I assume you are calling to tell me you acquired Playmaker's AI?"

Yasutake closed his eyes. "…Not exactly." Bishop didn't respond, which Yasutake took to mean he was waiting for an explanation. "I dueled Playmaker and defeated him, but before he lost, he freed the AI. It abandoned his Duel Disk, and I lost track of it."

"…That is unfortunate," Bishop finally said. "After what happened at Mercury Industries, I assumed you would not fail a job. It appears I was mistaken. Still, defeating Playmaker is an impressive feat. I cannot offer you payment without the AI, but congratulations are in order for your victory."

"I am sorry for failing to deliver," Yasutake lied.

"No matter," Bishop said. "We will simply have to renew the hunt for Playmaker. Even if the AI left, it may return to him. I will contact you with a new contract-."

"No," Yasutake interrupted.

"…Pardon?"

"I am afraid that I will no longer participate in the hunt for Playmaker," Yasutake clarified. "Or any other hunts for that matter. I am retiring."

"Retiring? A hunter of your renown cannot-."

"I can," Yasutake interrupted again. "The reason for which I became a hunter has changed. I have no reason to remain one anymore."

"Morningstar-."

"It was a pleasure to work with you, Bishop." Yasutake ended the call after he said that.

"…So you were telling the truth," Cypher said. "Do you not intend to duel anymore? Perhaps you could join the Charisma Duelists."

Yasutake smiled. "Tempting, but no. For now, I think I'll try to live normally. How does that sound?"

"It sounds good to me," Cam said, reaching up and ruffling Yasutake's hair. "It'll be nice to have peace and quiet for once."

Yasutake's smile widened. "Yeah."

* * *

LINK VRAINS was empty. The last two residents had left and the Camouflage Dome that hung over them had faded. No one remained inside the cyberspace.

No one except one man. He stood atop a skyscraper, looking down at where Morningstar and Playmaker had been. The man was tall, at over two meters, and his features were obscured by a black cloak.

The man lifted his left arm, revealing a black metal gauntlet with red claws and knuckles. On his wrist was a black and red Duel Disk. He pressed a button, activating a communication function and calling someone.

"Yes?" The person at the other end had their voice scrambled. It was impossible to tell if they were male or female.

"The duel has ended," the man said, his voice deep and cold. "Morningstar was the victor."

"Did the hunter take the Dark Ignis?"

"He did not. It departed when the duel ended, but it did not go with Morningstar." The man paused, then said, "The Dark Ignis wasn't the only AI present; the Silver Ignis was with Morningstar."

"…I see. So it does still exist. With no sightings in eight years, we assumed Dr. Hirai had destroyed it after his project ended. I am glad to see we were wrong. Will you commence retrieval?"

The man didn't need to think about it. "No," he said. "Morningstar is too weak to warrant a duel. The same is true of Playmaker. They have potential to be interesting, but until they get stronger, they aren't worth my time."

"Understood. We would still like for you to observe them; information is valuable after all. When the time comes, we will send someone for retrieval."

"Alright." The man ended the call after that, then looked over LINK VRAINS again. "Morningstar…" he whispered. "The Devil of LINK VRAINS… One day, you'll learn what it really means to face a devil." Under the hood of the man's cloak, a pair of red eyes glowed.

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Playmaker**

Morningstar has 4000 LP, 1 card in his hand, 1 Set card, and Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire (2200/2/↖←), Cyspirit Linker (2200/1300/4), and Cyspirit Zany Zealot (2800/2/↗→) in the Main Monster Zones, all in Attack Position, with Legendary Legionnaire and Zany Zealot both pointing to Linker. Playmaker has 4000 LP, 1 card in his hand, the Field Spell Card Cynet Storm in his Field Zone, Firewall Dragon (3500/4/←↑↓→) and Encode Talker (3300/3/↑↓↘) in the Extra Monster Zones and Transcode Talker (3300/3/↑↓→), Powercode Talker (3800/3/←↙→), and Excode Talker (2800/3/←↑→) in the Main Monster Zones. Morningstar's center-left Main Monster Zone is unusable, due to Excode Talker's effect.

 **Turn 3: Playmaker**

Playmaker activates the effect of Firewall Dragon. As it is co-linked to 1 monster, he can target 1 monster on the field or in the GY and return it to the owner's hand. He targets and returns Zany Zealot to Morningstar's Extra Deck.

Excode Talker attacks Linker. As a "Cyspirit" monster he controls was attacked by an opponent's monster, Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Gardna in his hand, Special Summoning it in Defense Position (1000/2000/4) and making it the target of Excode Talker's attack. Due to Gardna's effect, it is not destroyed by this battle, and all battle damage Morningstar takes for the rest of the turn is halved. Encode Talker attacks and destroys Gardna. Transcode Talker attacks and destroys Legendary Legionnaire (Morningstar: 4000→3450 LP). Powercode Talker attacks and destroys Linker (Morningstar: 3450→2650 LP). Firewall Dragon attacks Morningstar directly (Morningstar: 2650→900 LP). Playmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Link Treasure, letting him draw 1 card for each Link Monster on the field. He draws 5 cards. Because it was added to his hand outside of drawing it, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Serpent (400/0/1) in Attack Position. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Miner (1700/100/4). Morningstar uses Miner to Link Summon Cyspirit Hallowed Healer (1000→1500/1/↑) to Firewall Dragon's top Link Marker. Morningstar then uses Hallowed Healer to Link Summon Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant (1000→1500/1/↘) to Firewall Dragon's top Link Marker. As it is linked with a Cyberse Link Monster, Morningstar activates Kooky Kommandant's effect. He Tributes Kooky Kommandant to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position with its effects negated, then he can add 1 Level 8 or lower "Cyspirit" monster and 1 "Cyspirit" Spell Card from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700/800/4) and adds Cyspirit Digital Dragoon and Cyspirit Reinforcements from his Deck to his hand. As he controls 2 face-up "Cyspirit" monsters, Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Reinforcements, which lets him Special Summon 1 Level 6 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position. He Special Summons Cyspirit Nova (1500/1000/3). Morningstar activates the Ritual Spell Card Cyspirit Ritual, Tributing his Level 4 Linker, Level 3 Nova, and Level 1 Serpent to Ritual Summon Cyspirit Digital Dragoon (2500→3000/2000/8) in Attack Position to Firewall Dragon's top Link Marker.

Digital Dragoon attacks Encode Talker. As it is battling an opponent's Link Monster, Morningstar activates the effect of Digital Dragoon, reducing that monster's ATK to 0 until the end of the turn (Encode Talker: 3300→0), and as it is battling a monster in the Extra Monster Zone, that monster's effects are negated until the End Phase. Playmaker activates his face-down Trap Card Doppler Phase Coating, targeting Encode Talker and equipping it to it. The first time Encode Talker would be destroyed by battle this turn, it is not destroyed. The attack continues, but Encode Talker is not destroyed (Playmaker: 4000→1000 LP). As he took more than 2000 damage, Playmaker activates the effect of Cynet Storm, shuffling the face-down cards in his Extra Deck. He can then excavate the top card, and if it is a Cyberse Link Monster, he can Special Summon it. He excavates Link Spider, and Special Summons it to Excode Talker's right Link Marker (1000/1/↓). Link Spider's ATK increases due to Cynet Storm's and Excode Talker's effect (Link Spider: 1000→2000). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn and Encode Talker's ATK returns to normal (Encode Talker: 0→3300).

 **Turn 5: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He Normal Summons Swap Cleric (500/1000/2). He uses Swap Cleric and Link Spider to Link Summon Underclock Taker (1000→2000/2/←↓) to Excode Talker's right Link Marker. As Swap Cleric was used to Link Summon, Playmaker activates its effect, reducing Underclock Taker's ATK by 500 to draw 1 card (Underclock Taker: 2000→1500). Playmaker activates Underclock Taker's effect, targeting Excode Talker and Digital Dragoon. Digital Dragoon loses ATK equal to Excode Talker's ATK until the end of the turn (Digital Dragoon: 3000→200).

Firewall Dragon attacks Digital Dragoon. Morningstar activates his face-down Quick-Play Spell Card Mystical Space Typhoon, targeting Doppler Phase Coating. Doppler Phase Coating is destroyed, and because it was sent from the field to the GY during the Battle Phase, the Battle Phase ends. Playmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, and the effect of Underclock Taker ends (Digital Dragoon: 200→3000).

 **Turn 6: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the effect of the Cyspirit Serpent in his GY, banishing it to negate the effects of and take control of 1 Link-2 or lower Link Monster Playmaker controls. He takes control of Underclock Taker (Underclock Taker: 1500→500). He Normal Summons Cyspirit Nurse (1000/500/3). Morningstar activates Nurse's effect, Tributing itself and Underclock Taker and targeting Digital Dragoon. He then gains LP equal to Underclock Taker's Link Rating x 500, and Digital Dragoon gains the same amount of ATK until the end of the turn (Morningstar: 900→1900 LP) (Digital Dragoon: 3000→4000). The turn Nurse's effect is activated, Playmaker takes no battle damage. Since a "Cyspirit" monster was sent to the GY by a card effect, Morningstar activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyspirit Identity Crisis. Until the end of the turn, all Link Monsters on the field are treated as "Cyspirit" monsters.

At the beginning of the Battle Phase, Morningstar activates the effect of Digital Dragoon. Since it is linked to a "Cyspirit" Link Monster (Firewall Dragon treated as a "Cyspirit" monster by Identity Crisis's effect), it can make attacks against a number of Playmaker's monsters up to that monster's Link Rating, and other monsters Morningstar controls cannot attack this turn. Digital Dragoon attacks and destroys Encode Talker. It then attacks and destroys Excode Talker (Powercode Talker: 3800→3300). Digital Dragon attacks and destroys Powercode Talker. It then attacks and destroys Transcode Talker (Firewall Dragon: 3500→3000). As a "Cyspirit" monster he controls destroyed a monster by battle and Playmaker controls only 1 monster, Morningstar activates his face-down Trap Card Cyspirit Overdrive, letting that monster attack again, and if it destroys an opponent's monster by battle, Playmaker takes damage equal to that monster's ATK. Digital Dragoon attacks Firewall Dragon, but Playmaker activates his face-down Trap Card Parallel Port Armor, equipping it to Firewall Dragon. The equipped Firewall Dragon cannot be targeted by Morningstar's card effects and it cannot be destroyed by battle. Morningstar ends his turn, and the effects of Cyspirit Nurse and Identity Crisis come to an end (Digital Dragoon: 4000→3000).

 **Turn 7: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He activates the effect of Dual Assembwurm in his GY, banishing Backup Secretary and Dotscaper from his GY to Special Summon it in Attack Position with its ATK halved (2800→1400/1000/8). As Dotscaper was banished, Playmaker activates its effect, Special Summoning it in Defense Position (0/2100/1). Playmaker uses Dotscaper and Dual Assembwurm to Link Summon Flame Administrator (1200→1700/2/←↘) to Firewall Dragon's bottom Link Marker. Because Flame Administrator is on the field, all of Playmaker's Link Monsters gain 800 ATK (Firewall Dragon: 3000→3800) (Flame Administrator: 1700→2500).

Firewall Dragon attacks and destroys Digital Dragoon (Morningstar: 1900→1100 LP). As a "Cyspirit" Ritual Monster he controls was destroyed by battle, Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Ritual in his GY, banishing it and Digital Dragoon to Special Summon 1 Link-3 or lower "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his Extra Deck and treat it as having been Link Summoned. He Special Summons Cyspirit Angelic Avenger to Firewall Dragon's top Link Marker (2700→3200/3/←↑→). Playmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 8: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. Since it points to at least 1 monster, he activates the effect of Angelic Avenger to add 1 "Cyspirit" Spell/Trap Card from his GY to his hand. He targets and adds Cyspirit Reinforcements from his GY to his hand. He then activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Emblem, which lets him send 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to the GY and then Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster with the same Level as the sent monster from his Deck in Attack Position. He sends Cyspirit Kid to the GY and Special Summons Cyspirit Coder (0→500/0/1) to Angelic Avenger's right Link Marker. As Coder was Summoned, Morningstar activates its effect to add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand, then send 1 card from his hand, field, or Deck to the GY. He adds Cyspirit Creation Link from his Deck to his hand and sends Cyspirit Half-Guard to the GY. As he controls 2 or more face-up "Cyspirit" monsters, Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Reinforcements, which lets him Special Summon 1 Level 6 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position. He Special Summons Cyspirit Miner (1700→2200/100/4) to Angelic Avenger's left Link Marker. Morningstar activates the effect of Angelic Avenger. As it points to 3 monsters, all monsters it points to are returned to the owners' hands, the effects of all Link Monsters except Angelic Avenger are negated, and the ATK of all other Link Monsters is made equal to their original ATK. Coder, Miner, and Firewall Dragon are returned to Morningstar's hand and Playmaker's Extra Deck, respectively (Flame Administrator: 2500→1200). Because the equipped monster left the field, Parallel Port Armor is sent to the GY.

Angelic Avenger attacks Flame Administrator, but Playmaker activates his face-down Trap Card Cynet Refresh. As a Cyberse monster declared an attack, all monsters in the Main Monster Zones are destroyed. Angelic Avenger and Flame Administrator are both destroyed. Morningstar Sets 1 card. He Sets 1 monster. He ends his turn, and the effect of Cynet Refresh Special Summons as many Cyberse Link Monsters among the destroyed monsters to the owners' fields. Angelic Avenger is Special Summoned to Morningstar's field (2700/3/←↑→) and Flame Administrator is Special Summoned to Playmaker's (1200/2/←↘). Flame Administrator's effect activates again (Flame Administrator: 1200→2000).

 **Turn 9: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He activates the Field Spell Card Cynet Universe, sending Cynet Storm to the GY. Cynet Universe increases the ATK of all of Playmaker's Link Monsters by 300 (Flame Administrator: 2000→2300). Playmaker activates the effect of Cynet Universe to return 1 monster in the GY to its owner's Deck. He targets and returns Transcode Talker to his Extra Deck. Playmaker activates the effect of Dual Assembwurm in his GY, banishing Latency and ROM Cloudia to Special Summon it in Attack Position with its ATK halved (2800→1400/1000/8). Playmaker uses Dual Assembwurm and Flame Administrator to Link Summon Transcode Talker (2300→2600/3/↑↓→) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Playmaker activates the effect of Transcode Talker to Special Summon 1 Link-3 or lower Cyberse Link Monster from his GY to his zone Transcode Talker points to. He Special Summons Decode Talker (2300→2600/3/↙↑↘) to Transcode Talker's bottom Link Marker. As Transcode is co-linked, it and the monster it is co-linked with gain 500 ATK and cannot be targeted by Morningstar's card effects (Transcode: 2600→3100) (Excode: 2600→3100). As Decode Talker points to Transcode Talker, it gains 500 ATK (Decode: 3100→3600).

Decode Talker attacks Angelic Avenger, but Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Half-Guard in his GY, banishing it to do so. He can discard 1 "Cyspirit" monster, then all battle damage he takes this turn is halved. Morningstar discards Cyspirit Coder. Decode Talker destroys Angelic Avenger (Morningstar: 1100→650 LP). Transcode Talker attacks and destroys the Set Cyspirit Miner (1700/100/4). Playmaker activates the effect of Parallel Port Armor in his GY, targeting Decode Talker for its effect. He banishes Parallel Port Armor, Encode Talker, and Excode Talker to let Decode Talker attack again. Decode Talker attacks Morningstar directly. As Morningstar controls no monsters and has no cards in his hand, he activates the Trap Card Cyspirit Creation Link, negating Decode Talker's attack. He can then Special Summon as many "Cyspirit" Link Monsters from the GY as possible with their effects negated, then use them to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster and have Decode Talker attack that monster, but during the End Phase, Morningstar will take 4000 damage.

Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Angelic Avenger (2700/3/←↑→), Cyspirit Hallowed Healer (1000/1/↑), Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant (1000/1/↘), Cyspirit Legendary Legionnaire (1700/2/↖←), and Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400/3/↙↑→). Morningstar uses Angelic Avenger, Hallowed Healer, Kooky Kommandant, Legendary Legionnaire, and Pied Pikeman to Link Summon Cyspirit Superior Seraphim (3300/5/↖↙↓↘↗) to the Extra Monster Zone. As it was Link Summoned using 5 monsters, Superior Seraphim's effect activates, letting Morningstar Special Summon up to 3 "Cyspirit" Link Monsters from his GY to zones it points to with their effects negated. He Special Summons Angelic Avenger (2700/3/←↑→) to Superior Seraphim's bottom Link Marker, Legendary Legionnaire (1700/2/↖←) to its bottom-right Link Marker, and Pied Pikeman (2400/3/↙↑→) to its bottom-left Link Marker. As Superior Seraphim was Link Summoned using more than 4 monsters, its effect negates the effects of all other face-up cards and makes the ATK of all other face-up monsters equal to their original ATK (Decode Talker: 3600→2300) (Transcode Talker: 3100→2300). Superior Seraphim gains 500 ATK for each monster it points to (Superior Seraphim: 3300→4800).

Due to Creation Link's effect, Decode Talker is forced to attack Superior Seraphim. Decode Talker is destroyed (Playmaker: 1000→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Serpent  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 400 DEF 0 Level: 1  
_ _If this card is added to your hand, except by drawing it: You can Special Summon it from your hand. If you control a "Cyspirit" monster, you can banish this card from your GY and target 1 Link-2 or lower Link Monster your opponent controls; negate that monster's effects until the End Phase, then take control of that monster. You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspriit Serpent" per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Miner  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Normal] ATK 1700 DEF 100 Level: 4  
_ _This hard-working prospector works out his daily grind under the watchful eye of Thrilled Tunneler._

 _ **Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 1000 LINK-1_ ↘  
 _1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster  
_ _If this card is linked with a Cyberse Link Monster, you can Tribute this card; Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from your GY in Attack Position with its effects negated, then add 1 Level 8 or lower "Cyspirit" monster and 1 "Cyspirit" Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. You cannot Special Summon during the turn you activate this effect, except "Cyspirit" monsters. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Digital Dragoon  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Ritual/Effect] ATK 2500 DEF 2000 Level: 8  
_ _You can Ritual Summon this card with "Cyspirit Ritual". Once per turn, if this card battles an opponent's Link Monster: You can reduce that monster's ATK to 0 until the end of the turn. If this card battles a monster in the Extra Monster Zone: You can negate that monster's effects until the End Phase. At the beginning of your Battle Phase, if this card is linked to a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, you can activate this effect (Quick Effect): This card can make a number of attacks against your opponent's monsters, up to the Link Rating of the linked "Cyspirit" Link Monster. The turn this effect is activated, other monsters you control cannot declare an attack, and all battle damage your opponent takes is halved._

 _ **Cyspirit Nurse  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1000 DEF 500 Level: 3  
_ _You can Tribute this card and 1 Link Monster you control, then target 1 "Cyspirit" monster you control; gain LP equal to the Tributed Link Monster's Link Rating x 500, then increase that "Cyspirit" monster's ATK by the same amount until the end of the turn. Your opponent takes no battle damage the turn you activate this effect. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Nurse" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Ritual Ritual Spell Card  
**_ _This card can be used to Ritual Summon any "Cyspirit" Ritual Monster. You must also Tribute monsters from your hand or field whose total Levels equal or exceed the Level of that Ritual Monster. If a "Cyspirit" Ritual Monster you control is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY, you can banish this card and that monster from your GY; Special Summon 1 Link-3 or lower "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your Extra Deck (This Special Summon is treated as a Link Summon)._

 _ **Cyspirit Identity Crisis Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _If a "Cyspirit" monster you control is sent to the GY by a card effect, you can activate this card; All Link Monsters on the field are treated as "Cyspirit" monsters until the end of the turn. You can only activate "Cyspirit Identity Crisis" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Overdrive Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If your "Cyspirit" monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle and your opponent only controls 1 monster: your "Cyspirit" monster can attack once again in a row. The turn this card is activated, if your "Cyspirit" monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK. You can only activate "Cyspirit Overdrive" once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 30 – Hunter's Origins. It has been a month since the Tower of Hanoi fell, and life has gone back to normal. Taking Sachi out for the first time, Yasutake visits Kusanagi and Yusaku and tells them how he started out as a bounty hunter and how he acquired the Cyspirit monsters._

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to jdkeller2000, HunterHQ, TachyonDragonKing, thirdegree101, sanedimentio, Yasutake Fan, Ryujomaru15, D3lph0xL0v3r, giacomoX, ThePLOThand, Darknight7, Guest, Lindia Fullmoon, Ethan Kironus, Lyrissa Artemick, and tsukikami02 for reviewing Chapter 28 of Hidden Memories.

Credit to Yasutake Fan for the name, effects, and stats of Cyspirit Digital Dragoon. They originally suggested it as an Effect Monster, but I turned it into a Ritual Monster because I thought it would make more sense. It also makes it harder to summon, which considering its effects, it needs. Also, thank you to sanedimentio and OPFan37, who provided the attack and effect names for Digital Dragoon respectively. And another thank you to sanedimentio for the card text of Cyspirit Miner.

Now to answer reviews. jdkeller2000: For the first question, look below. For the second, you'll have to wait and see.

TachyonDragonKing: Sachi will duel at least once in Hidden Memories. I won't say when or who her opponent will be.

tsukikami02: Cypher technically splits the Divine Attribute with the Gold Ignis, but for gameplay reasons, he and she can each use three Attributes. Because of this, everyone will refer to them as the Silver and Gold Ignis.

Okay, this chapter was the true end of season 1. Like I said before, I won't start season 2 until the anime finishes season 2. But, after watching episodes 64 & 65, I decided I would do an interlude chapter where we explore Morningstar's past; in this case, we'll see his first hunt and how he acquired the Cyspirit cards. I am also doing this because I would like to start season 2 on an odd number. Blame my OCD.

As for this chapter, we saw the end of the duel between Morningstar and Playmaker, and Morningstar won, but decided to not take Ai. Some of you suggested this ending, and I did plan it. We also got to see new Cyspirit cards, including a Cyspirit Ritual Monster. If anyone would like to suggest additional OC Cyspirit cards, it would be appreciated.

We also have the first glance at a new threat for season 2. I'll let everyone speculate as to who or what this new threat is. All I'll say is that this person can see through Morningstar's Camouflage Dome without difficulty.

Now, two things on season 2: The first is OC cards. I have plans to introduce five new archetypes; two of these are the Cyangel and Cydemon archetypes, but there will be three others. Sadly, I have yet to come up with a name for one of these, which will be a Cyberse archetype. I would really appreciate it if anyone would like to offer a name.

The second thing about season 2: OCs from you. I have ideas for seven new duelists, one of which will be Katsumi Kurosaki, also known as Persephone. Of the other six, five already have names and Decks, while the last one only has a Deck, which is space-themed. If anyone would like to suggest a name for him, that would be nice. And if anyone would like to suggest their own OCs or archetypes, they are welcome to, but please do so in a PM.

One last thing on season 1: I'll be making a poll on my profile page, in which everyone can vote on who their favorite OC from season 1 was. The poll will remain open until I publish the first chapter of season 2.

Thank you for reading Chapter 29 of Hidden Memories. As always, please post a review of your favorite thing. But I also have something new this time: I've written a beta intro for season 2, and I would like everyone's opinions on it. So without further ado…

* * *

The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his D-Board, followed by Morningstar, and then Soulburner. The clouds part to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS logo appears, and beneath it, the words "HIDDEN MEMORIES" appears.

Yasutake and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them on one side, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He tries to wrap the other arm around Yaustake, who steps to the side and gives Takeru an annoyed look. Then someone wraps their arms around Yasutake's right arm. He glances to the side and sees Sachi wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform, smiling as she leans her head on his shoulder. Yasutake smiles back at her.

Masako is shown riding in the passenger side of a van, with the window showing an image of Lilith. In the sky above her, an image of Thaumiel appears, holding his hand over the van. Kenshin Hirai is then shown at a café, drinking coffee and reading a book, while an image of Hitomu Hirai appears in the sky facing the opposite direction. Takeshi is having a picnic with his brother Eiji and Katsumi. A dog then runs up and steals Takeshi's sandwich off his plate and runs off. Takeshi jumps up and chases after the dog, with his brother laughing at him and Katsumi shaking her head in amusement.

Go Onizuka is shown in a sweatshirt, leaving his old outfit and championship belt on the ropes of his wrestling ring. Galahad is shown overlooking NEW LINK VRAINS, with a dark-haired woman in a black dress and gold armor standing next to him. Kusanagi is then shown sitting at a picnic bench with Cam, both drinking from cans and laughing. Flame and Ai are shown arguing, while Cypher looks at the two of them with exasperation and mild contempt. Takeru, Yasutake, and Yusaku are all shown inserting their Decks into their Duel Disks.

Akira Zaizen is shown sitting in his office with Hayami, then Queen is shown looking over her glasses. A tall man in a blue jumpsuit and cape with golden shoulder pads, gloves, and blonde hair is then shown, with two people – a man and a woman – shown standing behind him, shrouded in shadow. The man-in-shadow's eyes glow red. The blonde man's face is hidden with a dark gold mask, with the left half trailing upwards above his head. Behind them are two dragons, shrouded in shadow. One of the dragons has four thin wings, while the other has six thin wings.

Playmaker is shown with Cyberse Magician and Cyberse Witch, evading Blood Shepard and his Drone monsters' missiles. Morningstar is then shown with a monster in samurai armor and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary, evading energy attacks from a mechanical white and gold dragon. The dragon's owner wears a gray jumpsuit with silver armor on his left arm, chest, and head. The energy hits Morningstar, but the smoke fades, revealing him unharmed and annoyed.

Bohman is shown, screaming as he holds his head. He then activates Judgment Arrows. Haru is then shown facepalming. The Knights of Hanoi are then shown, with Spectre and Revolver above Baira, Dr. Genome, and Faust.

A split screen, showing two figures. The one on the right is a green outline of a short-haired woman wearing a dress and holding a card in her right hand. Behind her is a gold outline of a winged figure holding a sword. The left screen shows a red outline of a man wearing armor, with his right hand raised and the fingers curled. Behind him is a black outline of an armored monster with demonic/dragonic wings.

Playmaker is shown reaching into the Data Storm, while Soulburner's hand is covered in flames and Morningstar's hand glows purple. Go Onizuka is shown in his new avatar, standing next to the man in silver armor. Blue Girl and Ghost Girl are shown riding their D-Boards together, with Blue Girl drawing a card.

Cyspirts Angelic Avenger, Idealistic Idol, Pied Pikeman, Quixotic Queen, Rapid Revolutionary, and Winning Wrestler are then shown in the air, with Neo Nova racing past them. The six Cyspirits leap to the sides, revealing Superior Seraphim, whose staff releases gold light.

Pigeon is shown carrying Frog, both with goofy grins on their faces, then Brave Max is shown, a large smile on his face. Ghost Girl and Blue Girl are shown standing next to each other, then a picture of Kusanagi and his brother is shown alongside a picture of Cam and Sachi. Cam, Sachi, Yasutake, Takeru, Kusanagi, and Yusaku are all then shown at a picnic table, with them eating hot dogs, and Takeru and Cam are laughing. Three Duel Disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Cypher glares at both of them.

Playmaker and Soulburner are finally shown on their D-Boards, flying through NEW LINK VRAINS. Yasutake is shown in the real world, walking down the street with Cam and Sachi. All three smile.


	30. Chapter 30: Hunter's Birth

**Chapter 30: Hunter's Birth**

(This is my improved beta opening. If anyone would like to suggest changes, please do so.)

 **The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his D-Board, followed by Morningstar, and then Soulburner. The clouds part to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS logo appears, and beneath it, the words "HIDDEN MEMORIES" appears.**

 **Yasutake and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them on one side, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He tries to wrap the other arm around Yaustake, who steps to the side and gives Takeru an annoyed look. Then someone wraps their arms around Yasutake's right arm. He glances to the side and sees Sachi wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform, smiling as she leans her head on his shoulder. Yasutake smiles back at her.**

 **Masako is shown riding in the passenger side of a van, with the window showing an image of Lilith. In the sky above her, an image of Thaumiel appears, holding his hand over the van. Kenshin Hirai is then shown at a café, drinking coffee and reading a book, while an image of Hitomu Hirai appears in the sky facing the opposite direction. Go Onizuka is shown in NEW LINK VRAINS in his new avatar, riding his D-Board with Kenmochi and Yoroizaka on either side. Behind them, a man in a gray jumpsuit with silver armor on his left arm, chest, and head, and a short green-haired girl in a black jacket and shorts with a see-through visor over her eyes fly on their own D-Boards. As they pass under a ledge, Blue Angel, Galahad, and Persephone are shown looking down at Go with sad and disappointed looks.**

 **Kusanagi is then shown sitting at a picnic bench with Cam, both drinking from cans and laughing. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Cypher looks at the two of them with exasperation and mild contempt. Akira Zaizen and Hayami are then shown standing next to Queen, who is sitting in a pool chair, adjusting her glasses.**

 **A tall man in a blue jumpsuit and cape with golden shoulder pads, gloves, and blonde hair is then shown, with two people – a man and a woman – shown standing behind him, shrouded in shadow. The man-in-shadow's eyes glow red. The blonde man's face is hidden with a dark gold mask, with the left half trailing upwards above his head. Behind them are two dragons, shrouded in shadow. One of the dragons has four thin wings, while the other has six thin wings.**

 **Morningstar and Playmaker ride their D-Boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary and a skeleton monster in samurai armor in front of Morningstar. The two are chased by the man in silver armor and the girl in a black jacket. The man directs a blue and silver metal dragon to fire at Morningstar while the girl commands a red and purple dragon to attack Playmaker. The two are hit with energy attacks but emerge from the smoke unharmed.**

 **The Knights of Hanoi are then shown, with Terminus standing apart from them. Motor Worm Spreader Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps appear, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind Dryanome and roars.**

 **A split screen, showing two figures. The one on the right is a green outline of a short-haired woman wearing a dress and holding a card in her right hand. Behind her is a white outline of a winged figure holding a sword. The left screen shows a red outline of a man wearing armor, with his right hand raised and the fingers curled. Behind him is a black outline of an armored monster with demonic wings.**

 **Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner are then shown back-to-back, with their hands glowing purple, blue, and red respectively. The three face off against Go Onizuka and Dinowrestler King T-Wrextle, Blood Shepard and Battledrone General, and the man in blue and gold, who raises his arm as a pillar of energy appears behind him. A six-winged dragon emerges from the pillar and roars.**

 **Cyspirts Angelic Avenger, Idealistic Idol, Pied Pikeman, Rapid Revolutionary, and Winning Wrestler are then shown in the air, with Neo Nova racing past them. The five Cyspirit monsters then glow with golden light and merge to form Superior Seraphim, whose light spreads across NEW LINK VRAINS.**

 **Cam, Sachi, Yasutake, Takeru, Kusanagi, and Yusaku are all shown at a picnic table, with them eating hot dogs, and Takeru and Cam are laughing. Three Duel Disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Cypher watches television on Yasutake's tablet. Aoi, Akira, and Emma are in the background, walking past them and smiling at the table.**

 **Yasutake, Cam, and Sachi walk down the street, with Cam having his arms around the other two. All three are smiling. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner sitting on a ledge and smiling into the distance.**

 _(Note: if you want a better idea of what the blonde man's mask looks like, go on YouTube and watch the opening for Sen no Kiseki IV. It is a recolored version of the mask worn by the guy in black at the start of the video.)_

* * *

Aoi sighed in relief as she walked into the mall. This was the first time she'd been allowed to go outside unaccompanied since the Tower fell. Akira hadn't grounded her, but he had insisted that aside from school, he accompany her whenever she left their apartment. But after a month, he had let up. So Aoi had decided to celebrate by going shopping. She needed some new clothes anyway.

As she walked into the women's section of her favorite store, she blinked in surprise. Yasutake Narahiko was there, looking very uncomfortable. At his side was a girl with green hair that went down to her shoulder blades. The girl in question was looking at blouses but had one hand on Yasutake's arm.

"Sachi, I already told you I don't know anything about girl's clothing," Yasutake was saying. "It would be better to ask an employee for help."

"I-I know. B-But I don't think I can…" The girl blushed and stuttered over her words. Aoi immediately felt sympathy for the girl. She could tell she was nervous; social anxiety perhaps?

Curious about his companion, Aoi walked up to Yasutake. "Hello, Narahiko." The boy turned at her words and his eyes widened in recognition. The girl meanwhile slid behind Yasutake, looking at Aoi nervously.

"Hello, Zaizen. I assume you're here to shop?"

"Yes, I needed some new clothes." Aoi looked at his companion and bowed to her. "A pleasure to make your acquittance. I'm Aoi Zaizen, a classmate of Narahiko's."

"O-Oh," the girl said, stepping out from behind Yasutake and bowing like Aoi did. "G-Good to meet you. I'm Sachi Junpei."

"Can I ask a favor of you, Zaizen?" Yasutake asked. "We're looking for new clothes for Sachi, but my expertise in girl's clothing is… nonexistent. Would you please help her?"

Aoi smiled. "Sure, if that's alright with her."

"Huh? O-Okay," Sachi said, shifting her body and looking at her feet. "U-Umm, thank you for the help. I'll be in your care."

The three teenagers walked through the store and looked through the clothing. Aoi and Sachi found clothes that the former thought would look good on the latter, while Yasutake remained silent the whole time. Aoi couldn't blame him; this was foreign territory to him after all.

Aoi also noticed that Sachi never let go of Yasutake's arm. But she wasn't holding it the way a girlfriend held their boyfriend's arm; it was more like a little girl holding onto a parent's arm for safety and security. She recognized it because she used to hold her brother's arm the same way.

She also remembered something Morningstar had said before their duel. _The eyes you had back then… they reminded me of a friend of mine. Of someone important to me. Her life was ruined because of an incident, and her brother spends all his time taking care of her._

Was this the girl Morningstar had been talking about? And if so, did that mean…?

After they found a selection of clothes, they went to the changing rooms. Sachi went in alone, after reluctantly letting go of Yasutake's arm, while Aoi and Yasutake sat some distance away.

"That girl," Aoi whispered. "She's another victim of the Lost Incident, isn't she?"

Yasutake glanced at her, but his face was expressionless. Hers, on the other hand, was full of sympathy. "Yeah, she is," he finally said. "Though her reaction was more severe than mine. This is the first time in ten years she's gone outside."

"…She did look a little pale," Aoi said. "I know it's not my place to ask, but what happened to her exactly?"

"…She closed herself off," Yasutake answered. Aoi couldn't fully understand their pain, but she would understand better than most people. "For ten years, she was in a sort of mental coma, unaware of the world around her. She finally broke free of it a month ago, the same time the Tower fell. Though, as I'm sure you could tell, she does still have problems."

"…I only saw signs of social anxiety," Aoi responded. "Aside from that, she seemed to be fine."

"She is better than she was a month ago," Yasutake said, smirking a little. "She didn't set anything on fire when she tried to make breakfast this morning. And her grasp of science, mathematics, and technology is much better."

It was true; a month had done wonders for Sachi. Her cooking, reading, and technological skills had improved by leaps and bounds. Her nightmares and spacing out also happened less frequently, to the point of about once a week for the former and once per day for the latter.

Right now, the biggest hurdle she had to overcome was her social skills; today was the first day she had left Café Junpei. She had come down to the bakery a week ago, but when a customer started hitting on her, she fled back upstairs in terror. Said customer also fled the store in terror when Cam had given him the scariest smile Yasutake had ever seen.

Cam had been planning to come along with them, but a large order had come in yesterday, so he was stuck looking after cakes and rolls. As a result, Yasutake had taken Sachi out to the mall to get a haircut, which he had to admit looked good on her, and buy clothes. He didn't mind it so much that Sachi held onto his arm the entire time; he knew she was scared and nervous and was looking for support. He did however, mind the jealous looks he kept getting from guys and mutters he kept overhearing about how lucky he was.

That was not his and Sachi's relationship, damn it! While he did admit she was attractive, he was not going to take advantage of a girl whose development was still catching up to her actual age. That, and he was pretty sure that Cam would kill him if anything happened between him and Sachi.

On another note, she also got along with Cypher quite well; she was the only one who didn't get exasperated with his constant boasts and he studied the materials she read and watched in an attempt to better understand humans. She had also asked Cypher about the Ignis based off her, which Yasutake had to admit he was interested in.

 _Ah, the Gold Ignis,_ Cypher had said. _I assume that's the one based off you; there's only two female Ignis, and I can't see the Water Ignis in you._ _She and I have many similarities, or at least we did last time I saw her eight years ago. Like me, she enjoys the act of creation, and she is one of the smartest of the Ignis. She is very logical and rational, and whenever she makes a move, she always considers long-term effects over short-term gains. At the same time, she also has a habit of getting involved in other's business. She helped the other Ignis with their work whenever possible, and that was on top of her own work. If I am completely honest, she is the one I have the best opinion of._

"Have you heard from Himura recently?" Yasutake was brought out of his thoughts by Aoi's words.

He frowned in response. "Not for the last two weeks. We did exchange messages a few times, but I haven't heard from her in a while." After Masako had gone chasing after Thaumiel, she and Yasutake had conversed, mostly through email and sometimes through texts. But he hadn't seen her face in a month, and as of two weeks ago, he hadn't heard from her at all. He was concerned, but he also knew he had no way of helping; Masako hadn't told him where she and Tagoma would be going, after all. "I take it she's messaged you too?"

"Only a couple times. Mostly, she was offering me advice."

"Advice? For what?"

Aoi lightly blushed as she thought of a blue-and-pink haired young man. "Oh, nothing in particular."

"Y-Yasu? Miss. Zaizen?"

The two teenagers looked up at the voice, and the male among them promptly blushed. Sachi had exited the changing room, and she was wearing some of the clothes Aoi had recommended. She wore a dark green skirt with vine patterns and flower designs that went down to her ankles and a light blue blouse that exposed her arms and slightly clung to her figure.

"D-Do these clothes look okay?" Sachi asked hesitantly, her eyes darting to the sides as she blushed. She was clearly nervous.

 _D-Damn it_ , Yasutake thought, trying to get his emotions under control. _That expression is not good for my heart._

Aoi, who was looking at Yasutake, lightly smirked. "It looks lovely on you, Miss. Junpei," she said, smiling at Sachi. "Don't you think so, Narahiko?"

Aoi's words knocked Yasutake out of his stupor. Glaring at her, he said, "Y-Yes, they suit you rather well."

At his words, Sachi blushed even more. "T-Thank you," she whispered before running back to the changing room.

"So… what is your relationship with Miss. Junpei?" Aoi asked Yasutake, who scowled at her.

"After the incident, her brother took me in," he whispered. "I've been living with them for most of my life. Though, she wasn't… like this until recently."

"Hmm. Understandable, I suppose. After living with someone you aren't related to for so long, it makes sense that certain feelings develop."

Yasutake's scowl deepened. "That isn't the relationship Sachi and I have. I'm sure any guy except her brother would react the same way to her."

"Maybe, but I can tell you have a soft spot for her," Aoi said. That was as far as she got before Sachi came back over, dressed in her old clothes and carrying the ones she had tried on.

"I-I think these are the ones I like the best," she said, a light blush still on her cheeks. "T-Thank you for helping me, Miss. Zaizen."

Aoi smiled at the girl. "You're welcome. If you want some help again, I'd be happy to oblige."

"O-Oh no, I don't want to trouble you-."

"It's no trouble. To be honest, I don't have many friends, but I get the feeling you and I could be good friends. Would you like to be my friend?"

Sachi blinked and looked at Yasutake. "It's your choice," he said, his face giving away nothing. "I'm not going to tell you what to do."

Sachi pouted, but then she turned back to Aoi. "I-I think I would like to be your friend, Miss. Zaizen. I don't have any friends besides Yasu and my brother."

Aoi smiled again. "I understand. And please, call me Aoi."

"Huh? A-Alright. But, then you should call me Sachi." Sachi smiled back at Aoi as she said that.

Aoi turned to Yasutake after a second. "It was good to see you today, Narahiko," she said. "But I have my own shopping to do now. I'll see you at school."

"Of course." Aoi walked off, after which Sachi and Yasutake headed to the cashiers to pay for Sachi's clothes. On the way, a voice came out of Yasutake's backpack.

"I thought she would never leave," Cypher said. The Ignis spoke from Yasutake's Duel Disk, which he was keeping in his backpack for now. The AI kept his voice low and didn't emerge from the backpack, wanting to maintain a low profile. "Can we continue our discussion on Japanese media now?"

"No," Yasutake answered tiredly. "We have to pay for Sachi's clothes. We can continue it once we leave the store."

"Fine. Killjoy."

Yasutake rolled his eyes, knowing Cypher couldn't see him. Just like with Sachi's learning material, Cypher was watching Japanese television shows to get a better understanding of humanity. Thankfully, he had moved on to live-action shows and away from anime; Cypher had watched Cam's anime recommendations, all of which seemed to belong to a particular genre about multiple women falling in love with the same man. Yasutake hadn't enjoyed listening to Cypher's analysis of the genre, and he had spent the next few days doing his absolute best to exorcise said analysis from his mind.

After the teenagers paid for Sachi's purchases and left the store, Cypher began speaking again, though Yasutake did his best to ignore him. Sachi, however, genuinely seemed interested in Cypher's opinions on Japanese crime shows and soap operas. As well as a few other things.

"I also took the time to look up a few international shows," Cypher was saying. Yasutake had decided to take the Duel Disk out of his backpack and strapped it to his wrist. Right now, Cypher was in eye form and was still talking to Sachi. "Some of them were interesting, but there were also very strange ones. Did you know there's a television show from the United Kingdom about creatures that have television sets installed in their stomachs?"

"Really?" Sachi said, her eyes wide. "Those poor people. Were they operated on?"

"I assume so," Cypher responded. "Their intelligence seemed about equal to that of a human child, but they were too tall to be children. Perhaps the operation that installed the televisions in their bodies also caused mental regression?"

"I think you were watching a children's show," Yasutake interrupted, exasperated by Cypher. "They usually don't make the most sense."

"Really? That doesn't sound good for the children," Cypher said, looking at Yasutake now. "Shouldn't they be taught how to think rationally and examine the world? How can they do that if the medium through which they are taught is nonsensical?"

"It's entertainment, not just education. It's supposed to make the children laugh. I think."

"Hmm. An interesting point. Perhaps I should consider the suspected age range and target audiences of individual television shows in my analysis of said shows," Cypher mused. Yasutake for his part couldn't believe he was discussing television with an AI.

As they turned a corner, Yasutake spotted a familiar truck. "Why don't we stop there?" he said, interrupting Cypher. "The owner makes the best hot dogs in the city."

"Considering that it is a food truck and not a proper restaurant, that is statistically unlikely," Cypher chimed in as he emerged from the Duel Disk to look at the truck. Then he narrowed his eyes on seeing someone sitting at a park bench right outside the van. "Wait, isn't that-?"

"Hello, Fujiki," Yasutake, walking up to the teenager eating a hot dog. "I wasn't expecting to see you today, though I'm not surprised to find you here."

Fujiki looked up in response. "I suppose you shouldn't be; I don't have anywhere else to be. Though it's good to see you, Narahiko." He then glanced at the Duel Disk. "You're-."

Cypher emerged from the screen. "So you're Playmaker? We met once in LINK VRAINS, but this is our first time meeting in the real world, I believe. I assume you remember me?"

"Cypher, the Silver Ignis," Yusaku responded. "I've never met anyone with so much self-confidence before."

"You can call it what it is," Yasutake said. "Arrogance." He turned to look at the girl who was standing slightly behind him and holding onto his arm. "This is Sachi Junpei, by the way. Sachi, this is Yusaku Fujiki, another of my classmates."

Sachi's eyes widened as she became less nervous. "You're Yusaku Fujiki? Playmaker?"

"Yes, I am." Yusaku's eyes softened a bit on seeing Sachi. "You're from the Lost Incident too, aren't you?" She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "I see. So you're the reason Narahiko became Morningstar. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here." The three teenagers looked up at Kusanagi, who was grilling hotdogs. "You're Cam's sister, aren't you? I'm Shoichi Kusanagi. Nice to meet you, Miss. Junpei."

"Kusanagi?" Sachi repeated as she and Yasutake walked up to the opening. When Kusanagi nodded, she said, "My brother told me about you. And your brother Jin. Is he doing better?"

Kusanagi smiled sadly. "Yes, but not as much as you. He isn't talking, but he is moving around. And he does show awareness of his surroundings sometimes."

"…Could I meet him someday?" Sachi asked timidly. "I…I think meeting someone who reacted the same way to his experiences might help."

Kusanagi's smile became happier. "I think he'd like that. Though we'd have to bring your brother; I promised him he could meet Jin one day." He then looked down at the hotdogs he was grilling. "So what would you like? I have hotdogs, fries, chili dogs, coffee…"

"Excuse me," Cypher said, preempting Yasutake and Sachi. "Is that your setup back there?"

Kusanagi blinked and looked behind him at the cabinets. "Ah," he said. "You could tell those aren't real? Good eye. Yes, that's the setup we have."

"May I look more closely at it?" Cypher asked. "I've only seen Cam's and Yasutake's, so yours would provide a good counter-example to theirs."

"Cypher, we aren't here for that," Yasutake admonished the AI.

"It's alright," Kusanagi assured him. "I admit, I'm curious to see if our equipment is up to your friend's standards." He headed to the side and opened the door, after which Yasutake and Sachi reluctantly walked in, followed by Yusaku.

"Hmm. Well, there's definitely less space here than in Café Junpei, but I suppose that's to be expected," Cypher said. Yasutake removed his Duel Disk and placed it on the counter as Kusanagi closed the opening and turned on the monitors. "The equipment itself is also of lesser quality. Is most of this secondhand?"

"Most of it, yes," Yusaku answered. "Our budget wasn't big enough to be picky."

"Hmm. Well, you definitely keep it well-maintained. And your programs… did the two of you write most of them yourselves?"

"We did," Kusanagi nodded as he took hotdogs from the grill. "Like Yusaku said, we didn't have much of a budget, so we did as much as we could by ourselves."

"I see… Well I'm definitely impressed. Even though the physical equipment isn't as new or specialized as ours, the software is extraordinary. I'd say about 80% of it is at the same level as Cam's and Yasutake's programming, while 15% is slightly inferior and the remaining 5% is superior. Looking at this, I can see how you were able to avoid detection and fight the Knights of Hanoi as well as you did."

Kusanagi smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. Considering what Revolver told us about what you Ignis are capable of, it's a big compliment to give."

"It is. Of course, Café Junpei has a wider variety; bounty hunting requires more versatility. But for the purposes you set out with, this setup is highly advanced. But tell me, did Ai have any involvement in building this?"

"No. Everything here was done before I captured him," Yusaku said.

"Everything except the LVSS system," Kusanagi corrected him. "But Ai didn't have a hand in that."

"Then I am even more impressed. And disappointed in my fellow Ignis," Cypher said. "Ai isn't the smartest of us; in fact, I'd dare say he's the least intelligent. But he is still a highly advanced being with a code most humans couldn't wrap their heads around. For him not to help in developing this says a lot about his laziness." Cypher then looked at Kusanagi. "Would it be alright if I had access to your systems? I don't intend to delete anything; I just want to see if there's anything I can improve upon."

The two looked at Yasutake, who nodded. "He's done the same thing for me and Cam," he said. "You saw how he improved my Camouflage Dome. He's also worked on our security and a few other tricks of mine."

"Of course I have," Cypher said, nodding in return. "Even if you don't intend to be a bounty hunter anymore, there is a chance you'll decide to return to LINK VRAINS again. And I want you to have the best chance of defending me and obtaining victory." He returned his gaze to Kusanagi. "May I?"

"…Go ahead, but please don't break anything," Kusanagi relented. Yusaku pulled out a cord and attached it to Yasutake's Duel Disk.

"Don't worry; I am an expert at this." After saying that, Cypher submerged into the Duel Disk and disappeared.

"Do you think he's right?" Yusaku asked. "Will you go back to LINK VRAINS eventually?"

Yasutake shrugged as Kusanagi handed hotdogs to him, Sachi, and Yusaku. "I don't see a reason to, but the future is always uncertain. I assume you feel the same?"

Yusaku frowned. "My vengeance against Hanoi is complete, and that is the only reason I became Playmaker. But like you said, the future is uncertain. Anything can happen."

Yasutake frowned at that. "And oftentimes, it's the least expected that happens." He then glanced at Kusanagi. "Seeing as we're here, there's something I always wanted to ask; how did the two of you meet?"

Kusanagi blinked, looked at Yusaku, and smiled. "LINK VRAINS," he answered. "After Jin was released, I devoted my life to uncovering the truth of what happened. I entered LINK VRAINS myself and went after the Knights of Hanoi. Unfortunately, my dueling skills are… subpar. Yusaku saved me from them, then I helped him escape them when they cornered him."

"On the way out, Kusanagi asked me to come to Café Nagi," Yusaku said. "I did, and we formed an alliance to take on Hanoi together and uncover the Lost Incident. That was just over a year ago." Yusaku turned to Yasutake. "What about you? When did you and Cam meet?"

"Right after the incident," Yasutake said, frowning to himself. "My… previous caretaker had passed away during the incident, so Cam took me with him and Sachi to the orphanage they were in."

Yusaku glanced at Sachi, who was eating her hotdog in silence. "And Morningstar?" Yusaku asked. "How did he come to be?"

Yasutake hesitated, then glanced at Sachi. "Because I wanted to repay a debt," he said slowly. Sachi looked up at him curiously. "But I'm not sure this story is appropriate…"

Sachi gave a light smile. "It's alright, Yasu. I don't mind if you talk about those days. I don't remember any of them, so it shouldn't matter. Besides, I'm curious to hear the full story, too."

Yasutake stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "Alright," he said. He leaned back in the chair he was in and closed his eyes. "I've been Morningstar for three years, but the full story starts six years ago, when Cam first opened Café Junpei. Sachi and I were ten at the time…"

* * *

" _Cam started his bakery not long after he turned eighteen and graduated from high school. He didn't have any aspirations of going to college. Originally, he had wanted to be a wrestler, but after the incident, he felt like that life would be too chaotic for him to support Sachi. He'd always been good at cooking, so instead he opened a bakery. Sachi moved in with him, as did I; he had taken me in as a surrogate little brother and even gained custody of me shortly after his eighteenth birthday._

" _But even though we lived in a place of our own, there were problems. Cam had built up a little nest egg doing odd jobs in the four years since the incident, but it wasn't enough to open a bakery. So he had to take out several loans. In the next three years, he managed to pay off a few, but he was still in great debt. And then things got worse. The government had decided to stop offering free house visits for Sachi's therapists. If Cam wanted the therapy to continue free of charge, Sachi would have to be taken to a psychiatric hospital. Cam was unwilling to part with her after what had happened, but he knew the therapy was essential. And with his credit the way it was, he couldn't take out any more loans._

" _That was when I decided to step in. I was ten when the bakery opened, and Cam wouldn't allow me to help until I was older, so I decided to focus on school. And when I found a book on computer languages and software, I discovered I had a gift for them. Coding and hacking came easily to me. I can confidently say that by the time I was thirteen, I was far ahead of many high school students in that field._

" _It was also around my thirteenth birthday that I learned about Cam's situation with the bank and the government. I desperately wanted to help him, to repay him for the kindness he had shown me. But because of my age, I would have to find an unofficial job where a thirteen-year-old could work. That's when I came across the SOL Technologies' Bounty Board._

" _It was a list of criminals and hackers that the company wanted captured or taken down. And the rewards were rather nice, even for the low-danger ones. Thinking that I could help Cam and catch malcontents at the same time, I leapt at the chance. But I knew I had to be careful; I was thirteen, the majority of these people were adults, and unlike many bounty hunters, I didn't have any mentors to guide me. So I used my computing skills to design various tools that I believed would help in a hunt, specifically my Data Anchor and Camouflage Dome._

" _I still remember my first real hunt. It was this guy who had hacked into the database of a SOL subsidiary company and stole private information on numerous stockholders. SOL wanted him found, the files returned, and his account information. I managed to track him down in LINK VRAINS…"_

* * *

 _3 years ago…_

"Crusader!" the man's chaser shouted. "This ends now!" The man – a curly blue-haired guy in a red jumpsuit with grey armored shoulder pads, chest armor, metal boots, and a red cape – made the mistake of turning to look back. His follower had been counting on it and fired off a red cord from their Duel Disk, which snagged Crusader's wrist.

Crusader was unceremoniously yanked back, and he fully turned to face his pursuer. Said pursuer was dressed in a plain black jumpsuit, with his mouth covered by black fabric. Black bangs fell down the right side of his face, contrasting the spiky red hair that pointed upwards. Red eyes narrowed as they regarded Crusader.

"I am a bounty hunter hired by SOL Technologies," the young man said. "My name is Hunter. Return the files you've stolen, and I'll release you."

Crusader growled. "Don't fool yourself, kid! How old are you, eleven, twelve? I'm not going to be brought in by some snot-nosed brat! Besides, I'm on a mission!"

"A mission?"

"Yes! A mission to illuminate the darkness!" Crusader declared. "Do you know what these people have been doing? Insider trading, corrupt practices, taking prostitutes to love hotels! These people are corrupt and are bringing down Japan's moral character! I will expose them to the world and make them face the consequences of their actions!"

"Regardless of their crimes, your actions are not justified," Hunter pointed out. "You caused a failure in SOL's accounting systems to mask your actions. That resulted in dozens of employees losing their pensions. Do you understand how much damage you've caused?"

"It doesn't matter!" Crusader shouted, a crazed look in his green eyes. "So long as these criminals face justice, any collateral damage is justified! Now let me go!"

"I can't," Hunter retorted, pulling on the cord and making Crusader stumble. "This is a Data Anchor of my own design. Neither of us can log out until we duel."

"Is that so? Then I'll just have to beat you to a pulp! Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a kid!" Crusader and Hunter both readied their Duel Disks.

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Crusader: 4000 LP**

 **Hunter: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn," Crusader said, a sneer on his face as he took a card from his hand. "I summon Marauding Captain!" A blonde warrior in green armor wielding two swords appeared on his field.

 **Marauding Captain ATK 1200 DEF 400 LVL: 3**

"When Marauding Captain is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or below monster from my hand," Crusader continued. "I summon a second Marauding Captain!"

 **Marauding Captain ATK 1200 DEF 400 LVL: 3**

"And now I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon! This card lets me perform a second Normal Summon this turn. Emerge, Command Knight!" A blonde warrior in elaborate red garb and a purple cape appeared alongside the other two monsters.

 **Command Knight ATK 1200 DEF 1900 LVL: 4**

"Command Knight's monster effect! All Warrior monsters I control gain 400 attack points!"

 **Command Knight ATK 1200→1600**

 **Marauding Captain ATK 1200→1600 x 2**

"And finally, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: The A. Forces! Now every Warrior monster I control gains 200 attack points for each Spellcaster or Warrior monster I control. I control three warriors, so that means they all gain 600 attack points!"

 **Command Knight ATK 1600→2200**

 **Marauding Captain ATK 1600→2200 x 2**

"I end my turn," Crusader sneered. "I hope you realize how hopeless this situation is for you. My Marauding Captain's effect prevents you from attacking other Warrior monsters. And since I control two of them, that means you can't attack at all!"

Hunter ignored Crusader's rant. He was instead looking at his cards and forming a counter-strategy. Yes, Crusader's trick was interesting, but it was overdone. It was also easy to get around.

"My turn! Draw!" Hunter looked at his card, then played it. "I summon Mekk-Knight Avram!" As young blonde man in gold armor carrying two curved swords emerged on his field.

 **Mekk-Knight Avram ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Abyssal Designator!" Hunter declared. "I pay 1000 Life Points, then declare a Type and Attribute. You must then send a monster of the declared Type and Attribute to the Graveyard from your hand or Deck. I declare an Earth Warrior!"

 **Hunter: 4000→3000 LP**

Crusader growled as he took a third Marauding Captain from his Deck and sent it to the Graveyard. "For my third move, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Megamorph!" Hunter proclaimed. "Since my Life Points are less than yours, the equipped Avram's attack points become equal to double its original attack points!"

 **Mekk-Knight Avram ATK 2000→4000**

"4-4000 attack points!?" Crusader muttered, his eyes wide. He then sneered, but it was clear he was twitching. "S-So what? It doesn't matter how powerful your monster is, it can't attack while Marauding Captain is on the field!"

"You're right," Hunter said. "And wrong." On seeing Crusader's confusion, he explained, "Marauding Captain's effect only prevents Avram from attacking Warrior monsters. So I just have to give it a target other than your monsters."

"Huh?"

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Infected Mail!" Hunter declared. "Once per turn, I can target a Level 4 or below monster I control, and then that monster will be sent to the Graveyard at the end of the Battle Phase. But during the Battle Phase, it can attack you directly!"

"WHAT!?"

"I target the Level 4 Avram for Infected Mail's effect!" Hunter continued. "Battle! Avram, attack Crusader directly!" Avram roared as it leapt past the two Marauding Captains and charged Crusader, who screamed as Avram's swords came crashing down on him. Crusader was sent flying and hit a nearby wall, moaning in pain.

 **Crusader: 4000→0 LP**

Hunter ran up to Crusader and quickly scanned his Duel Disk. A message saying "FILES RETRIEVED" appeared on his Duel Disk, followed by another that said, "ACCOUNT VERIFIED."

"Thank you for the business," Hunter said, logging out as Crusader tried to reach out and grab him.

The man growled to himself. "Beaten by a kid! I can't believe this!"

* * *

 _Present day…_

"I returned the files and gave SOL Crusader's account information," Yasutake said, with Kusanagi, Sachi, and Yusaku listening in rapt attention. "And then they paid me for it. I gave all the money to Cam, but that meant telling him what I had done."

"I take it he wasn't happy?" Kusanagi said, frowning. He wouldn't have been in Cam's place.

Yasutake shook his head. "He was not. He was glad I wanted to help, but he felt I was too young and should focus on school. He didn't want me to put myself in danger just for money, and as far as he was concerned, there was no debt between the two of us."

He then gave a small smile. "But eventually, Cam saw that I was very serious about it, and he finally allowed me to keep doing it, on the condition that he observe me the whole time. To help with that, he took up studying computer languages."

"Wait," Kusanagi said, frowning. "Cam's only been studying programming for _three_ _years_? From what I've seen, his skills are about equal to mine, and I've been doing this for ten years."

"My brother's a quick learner," Sachi piped up. "So are Yasutake and I. I can't pretend to know how most of the computers in Café Junpei work, but I do understand what they are supposed to do."

"They learn at a faster rate than normal," Yasutake nodded, thinking it over. "And Cam was very serious about his desire to keep me safe. He initially wanted to go into LINK VRAINS with me, but I convinced him not to. Having him hover over me the entire time would make the hunts take more time, and that wasn't something we had."

"Didn't have time for what?"

The four humans jumped, startled by a sudden voice. They turned to the Duel Disk, where Cypher had returned from Café Nagi's systems.

"Oh, you're back," Kusanagi said. He quickly looked through their equipment and blinked. "Huh. You improved our firewalls and processing speed."

"Of course. There wasn't too much to work on, but I did what I could." Cypher looked up at them. "What were you talking about while I was busy?"

"How I started out as a bounty hunter," Yasutake explained.

"Oh. I admit that does sound interesting, but there's something more important to me," Cypher said, narrowing his eyes. "And you didn't fully answer this question before. How did you obtain the Cyspirit Deck?"

Yasutake frowned as Kusanagi and Yusaku glanced at him. "I'm curious about that, too," Yusaku said. "In your first hunt, you used a Mekk-Knight Deck. Where did you get your Cyspirit monsters?"

"…A contest," Yasutake said, sighing. "At least, that's what it was supposed to be…"

* * *

 _3 years ago…_

"You're one hundred percent certain this is legit, right?"

"Yes, I am, Cam. And they didn't ask for anything that could be damning. And what they did ask for can be easily replaced."

Cam scowled. He and Yasutake were sitting in the living room, staring at Yasutake's laptop. A week ago, Yasutake had found a notice on a forum about a contest; solve some puzzles, and you could win the chance to obtain some rare Cyberse cards known as Cyspirits. Yasutake had leapt at the chance for three reasons; one: while he had faith in his Mekk-Knights, he believed he would need an unexpected advantage over his targets, and Cyberse cards were the answer. Two: he had heard rumors about a group trying to destroy as many Cyberse cards as possible, and Yasutake wanted to preserve them. Three: He enjoyed an intellectual distraction and the puzzles were challenging.

He didn't know who posted them, but they were clever; the websites that contained the puzzles also contained a virus that activated if the user had more than one tab or window open, so people couldn't try to look up any answers. Said virus would automatically lock them out of the puzzle permanently. Thankfully, the people this had happened to had also written about it on the forum, so it hadn't happened to Yasutake. He admired whoever did this; to create a virus that only activated under specific circumstances and left the computer undamaged was impressive.

So Yasutake had approached the puzzles without any aid. The first had been a very difficult Sudoku puzzle which locked you out for ten minutes if you made a single mistake and then forced you to start again. Yasutake had managed it on the first try, to his delight. The second had been a substitution cipher with the keyword "miner," and had a time limit of ten minutes. If it went past that time, then the page would be inaccessible for twenty-four hours. The third puzzle had been a maze that had to be finished in five minutes, and you could not get an overhead view of said maze. Yasutake had finished both puzzles, with his admiration of whoever designed them increasing with each one. At the same time, Cam's irritation also increased.

"These rare cards better be worth all the trouble you went to for them," Cam muttered. After he said that, Yasutake received an email, which he opened immediately.

"Congratulations," he read aloud. "You have completed my puzzles. If you still wish to obtain the Cyspirit cards, then come to the following address in LINK VRAINS."

Cam frowned. "This sounds like a trap."

"A trap hidden behind three of the most well-crafted puzzles I've ever seen?" Yasutake asked, which made Cam clam up. "If I want those cards, I have to go. And I do want those cards."

"…Just be careful. If this person devised these puzzles, there will undoubtably be more when you get there."

"I know."

* * *

Hunter landed in the park area of LINK VRAINS. If the coordinates given were right, then…

"Ah!" he said, sighting a door in a nearby unmarked building. This should be it. Opening the door, he found a staircase on the other side.

"It should be just down here," Hunter whispered. He walked down the stairs, paying extra attention to the floor and walls in case there were traps. It wouldn't surprise him if there were, since the person who made the puzzles was intelligent and clearly careful. Of course, Cam would call them paranoid.

Fortunately, there were no traps. After about ten minutes of walking down stairs, Hunter came across a corridor, and after another fifteen minutes, it ended at a large and open room, which made him pause.

The room was massive and could easily fit all of Cam's and Yasutake's house, including Café Junpei. It was made entirely of stone, and the edges of the room were held up by large pillars that were decorated in what Hunter believed to be Egyptian hieroglyphs. The only other noticeable thing in the room was a pedestal at the far end. There was a metal box on top of said pedestal.

Hunter narrowed his eyes. "That must be it," he muttered. He walked slowly into the room, expecting either a trap or a challenger to pop up. But he made it all the way to the pedestal without anything happening.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Hunter reach out for the box, but a barrier suddenly appeared around the pedestal.

"What the-?" he said, stepping back in surprise. He then noticed words appear on the barrier.

 **Congratulations are due for solving my puzzles**

 **But only one may lay claim to the power I have bequeathed**

 **To decide, face each other in Duel Monsters**

 **And the winner will receive the key to ultimate power**

"Only one?" Hunter muttered. "But who else-?"

"Well, this is a surprise."

Hunter gasped and turned around. Another person had entered the room, and they wore a black trench coat. Said coat was open in the front, revealing a pale muscular chest and black leather pants. The coat also had blood red trim on the cuffs and edges, as well as silver patches resembling armor on the shoulders. The man's face was as pale as his chest, with white hair that fell in front of his cold blue eyes. A mangled crucifix hung from his neck.

The man glared at Hunter, then looked at the message on the barrier. "Well, well, it appears I'm not the only person who solved those ridiculous puzzles. And it seems we have to duel in order to acquire the Deck." He narrowed his eyes. "Sorry, kid, but I need those cards."

"So do I," Hunter said, raising his Duel Disk as he walked to one side of the room. Now that he looked closer, he saw the ground had indents that resembled a Duel Field. "I'm Hunter, and if defeating you is what I have to do to win these cards, then so be it!"

"Huh. You got guts kid, if nothing else." The man walked to the other side and raised his own Duel Disk, a black and red card-insert model. "Still, I have my own trials to pass, and getting those cards is the last one. Your age doesn't matter to me; you will fall before Hellsworn!"

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Hellsworn: 4000 LP**

 **Hunter: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn!" Hellsworn declared. "I activate the Spell Card: Banishment of the Darklords. This card lets me add a different 'Darklord' card from my Deck to my hand." A card popped out of his Duel Disk. "I add Darklord Asmodeus to my hand. Next, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen! If I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a Fairy monster from my hand. I Special Summon Darklord Asmodeus!" A thin pale-skinned figure in dark blue armor with purple wings appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Darklord Asmodeus ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"I Set one card. I end my turn." Hellsworn smirked. "So, do you want me to go easy on you, kid? Cause this will hurt a lot otherwise."

Hunter scowled as he placed his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!" Hunter looked at his card and frowned.

 _Darklords,_ he thought. _They are extremely powerful Dark Fairy monsters that focus on sending cards to the Graveyard and then Special Summoning them. I'll have to go all out to win._

"I Special Summon Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse!" A silver machine with a circle around its body and blue crystals embedded in its armor appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse ATK 2400 DEF 2400 LVL: 8**

"What?" Hellsworn said, surprised. "How did you summon a Level 8 monster without Tributing any monsters?"

"Indigo Eclipse's monster effect," Hunter explained. "If there are two or more cards in the same column, I can Special Summon it to that column."

Hellsworn looked at his Duel Disk and scowled. He'd summoned Asmodeus to the same column as Valhalla, so Hunter had summoned his monster to that column.

"Maybe I shouldn't have underestimated this kid," Hellsworn muttered as Hunter gestured to his field.

"Indigo Eclipse's additional effect! Once per turn, I can move one 'Mekk-Knight' monster I control to another Main Monster Zone. I move it to the column to its left!" Indigo Eclipse moved itself, leaving room for another monster. Hellsworn scowled.

"I now Special Summon Mekk-Knight Blue Sky to Asmodeus's and Valhalla's column!" A mechanical warrior in gold and blue armor, wearing a blue cape and wielding two curved silver swords, appeared in Attack Position.

 **Mekk-Knight Blue Sky ATK 2000 DEF 2500 LVL: 5**

"Blue Sky's monster effect! If it is Summoned from the hand, I can add different 'Mekk-Knight' monsters from my Deck to my hand, equal to the number of cards you have in its column. Since you have two, that means I gain two more 'Mekk-Knight' monsters!"

As Hunter took the cards from his Deck, Hellsworn muttered to himself, "The rest of his Mekk-Knight monsters probably all have the same Special Summon effect. This is going to be tricky."

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Senet Switch!" Hunter continued. "Once per turn, I can move a monster I control to an adjacent Main Monster Zone. I move Blue Sky to the column to its right. And now I Special Summon Mekk-Knight Red Moon via its effect!" A red and silver machine carrying a large axe appeared in Attack Position in the same column Blue Sky had vacated.

 **Mekk-Knight Red Moon ATK 2300 DEF 2600 LVL: 7**

"Huh. You summoned three strong monsters on your first turn. But Asmodeus has 3000 attack points. You'll have to do better than this," Hellsworn taunted Hunter.

Hunter ignored Hellsworn and played another card. "I activate the Spell Card: Trade-In! I discard a Level 8 monster to draw two cards. I discard Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall." Hunter discarded, drew, then gestured to his field. "Red Moon's monster effect! By banishing a 'Mekk-Knight' monster from my Graveyard, I can destroy a face-up monster in Red Moon's column!"

"What!?" Hellsworn gasped.

"I banish Purple Nightfall to destroy Asmodeus!" Red Moon's axe glowed before it drove it into the ground, creating a blast of energy that struck Asmodeus, destroying it.

Hellsworn growled, then laughed, to Hunter's surprise. "I figured you would destroy Asmodeus, but I thought it would take a bit more. Asmodeus's monster effect! When it is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one Asmo Token and one Deus Token to my field!" Two smaller versions of Asmodeus appeared, one being blue-skinned and the other red-skinned, in Defense Position.

 **Asmo Token ATK 1800 DEF 1300 LVL: 5**

 **Deus Token ATK 1200 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

Hellsworn laughed again. "You'll have to try harder than that to win."

"Is that so?" Hunter muttered before he took a card from his hand. "I activate the Continuous Spell Card: World Legacy Key! This card lets me add one banished 'Mekk-Knight' monster or 'World Legacy' card to my hand. I return the banished Purple Nightfall to my hand."

After doing so, Hunter gestured to his field. "Battle! Red Moon, attack his Asmo Token!" Red Moon charged Asmo Token and swung its axe, but Hellsworn only laughed.

"You'll have to try harder!" he declared. "Trap activate! Darklord Rebellion! By sending a 'Darklord' monster from my hand or field to the Graveyard, I can destroy one card on the field! I discard Darklord Superbia to destroy Red Moon!" An energy beam fired at Red Moon, but Hunter wasn't concerned.

"World Legacy Key's effect!" he announced. "If you activate the effect of a Trap Card in the same column as a 'Mekk-Knight' monster, that effect is negated!"

"What!?" Hellsworn said, surprised.

"Darklord Rebellion is in the same column as Indigo Eclipse!" Hunter reminded Hellsworn. "So its effect is negated!" The energy beam struck a barrier around Red Moon, followed by the card it came from shattering. Hellsworn grit his teeth. How irritating.

"The attack continues!" Hunter reminded his opponent. "Red Moon, destroy Asmo Token!" Red Moon brought its axe down and cut Asmo Token in half, destroying it in an explosion. Hellsworn winced and brought his arm up to shield his face.

"The Battle Phase is not over! Blue Sky, attack Deus Token!" Said monster swung one of its swords at Deus Token, but to Hunter's surprise, the Token stopped the attack.

Hellsworn laughed at Hunter's expression. "Sorry, but Deus Token cannot be destroyed by battle! You'll have to try harder than that!"

Hunter narrowed his eyes. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

"Huh. You're actually not that bad. I was thinking you had someone help you with those tests, but maybe you did do them yourself. Guess I'll have to take you seriously. My turn! Draw!" Hellsworn looked at his card, then showed it to Hunter. "I activate the effect of Darklord Ixchel in my hand! By discarding it and a 'Darklord' card, I can draw two cards!" He sent said cards to the Graveyard, then drew and smirked on seeing what he drew. "Lucky me. I Tribute Deus Token to Tribute Summon Darklord Desire!" A red-winged figure in black and gold armor with large claws on its arms took Deus Token's place on the field.

 **Darklord Desire ATK 3000 DEF 2800 LVL: 10**

"A Level 10 monster with only one Tribute?" Hunter asked, surprised.

"Darklord Desire's effect lets me Tribute Summon it by Tributing one Fairy monster," Hellsworn explained. He then gestured to said monster. "Desire's additional effect! Once per turn, I can reduce its attack points by 1000 to send one of your monsters to the Graveyard!" Hunter gasped as Desire's attack points decreased and Indigo Eclipse shattered.

 **Darklord Desire ATK 3000→2000**

"I now activate the Spell Card: Darklord Contact!" Hellsworn continued. "This lets me Special Summon a 'Darklord' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. Resurrect, Darklord Superbia!" A circular black machine with claws and brown wings appeared on Hellsworn's field.

 **Darklord Superbia ATK 2900 DEF 2400 LVL: 8**

 _That's the card he discarded via Darklord Rebellion's effect,_ Hunter thought. As he thought that, Hellsworn gestured to his field. "Superbia's monster effect!" he declared. "When it is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Fairy monster from my Graveyard! Return, Darklord Ixchel!" A purple-haired woman with four wings appeared in Attack Position.

 **Darklord Ixchel ATK 2500 DEF 2900 LVL: 10**

"Three high Level monsters in the same turn," Hunter muttered. Still, he had an advantage; since Superbia was in Defense Position, it couldn't attack. And Desire's attack points were equal to Blue Sky's. That meant only Ixchel could attack.

"If you think you're safe, you aren't," Hellsworn said, drawing Hunter's attention. "Ixchel's monster effect! By paying 1000 Life Points, I can activate the effect of a 'Darklord' Spell or Trap Card in my Graveyard. I pay 1000 Life Points to activate the effect of Darklord Rebellion!" Hunter gasped. "I'm sure you remember this. I send a 'Darklord' monster from my hand or field to the Graveyard to destroy one card on the field. I send Superbia to the Graveyard and destroy Red Moon!" Superbia disintegrated, as did Red Moon.

 **Hellsworn: 4000→3000 LP**

"Since I activated Darklord Rebellion with Ixchel's effect, it is shuffled back into my Deck," Hellsworn continued. "Battle! Ixchel, attack Blue Sky!" Ixchel laughed as she punched Blue Sky in the face, destroying it and making Hunter wince.

 **Hunter: 4000→3500 LP**

"Desire, attack Hunter directly!" The Darklord with large claws charged Hunter, but he only growled and gestured to his field.

"Continuous Trap activate!" he declared. "World Legacy's Secret! This card lets me Special Summon a Level 5 or higher monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Indigo Eclipse!" The blue machine surrounded by a circle appeared in Attack Position.

 **Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse ATK 2400 DEF 2400 LVL: 8**

Hellsworn growled and grit his teeth. Indigo Eclipse was stronger than Desire, so he had no choice but to cancel his attack. "I end my turn," he said.

"My turn! Draw!" Hunter looked at his card, then chose a different one. "As Valhalla and World Legacy's Secret are in the same column, I Special Summon Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall to their column!" A mechanical warrior carrying a spear and wearing a purple cape appeared in Attack Position.

 **Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 8**

"Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card World Legacy's Memory! This card lets me Special Summon a 'Mekk-Knight' monster from my hand or Deck in Defense Position. From my Deck, I Special Summon Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset!" A silver, black, and orange warrior with two shields appeared on Hunter's field.

 **Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset ATK 800 DEF 3000 LVL: 6**

"Heh. Impressive lineup. But Purple Nightfall and Ixchel have the same attack points," Hellsworn pointed out. "If they battle, it will just end in a draw."

"Are you sure about that?" Hunter asked Hellsworn. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: World Legacy Clash! By banishing my monster until the End Phase, one of yours loses attack and defense points equal to the banished monster's!"

"What!?"

"I banish Orange Sunset and lower Ixchel's attack points!" Orange Sunset disintegrated as Ixchel glowed red.

 **Darklord Ixchel ATK 2500→1700 DEF 2900→0**

Hellsworn growled as Hunter continued his turn. "Indigo Eclipse's monster effect! I move Indigo Eclipse to the same column as Ixchel!"

Hellsworn was confused as Indigo Eclipse moved. _Why would he move his monster? Unless-_. Hellsworn quickly looked at Hunter's Continuous Trap Card and gasped. Of course! World Legacy's Secret negated the activated effects of monsters in the same column as a "Mekk-Knight" monster! Well, it was good he'd looked it up, otherwise he might have activated Ixchel's effect and paid 1000 Life Points for nothing.

"Battle!" Hunter declared. "Purple Nightfall, attack Ixchel!" His monster charged Ixchel and jabbed its spear at the monster, but Hellsworn only laughed.

"Too bad!" he declared. "I activate the effect of Darklord Apocalypse in my Graveyard!" Hunter gasped as the card showed itself. It showed a multi-winged pale being with a sword releasing dark energy in every direction. "By banishing it, my 'Darklord' monster isn't destroyed by battle, and since Ixchel is Level 8 or higher, I can add a 'Darklord' monster from my Deck to my hand."

Hunter grit his teeth. "Ixchel may not be destroyed, but you will still take damage!" Hellsworn winced from the blowback of Purple Nightfall's attack.

 **Hellsworn: 3000→2200 LP**

Hellsworn chuckled. "I may have taken damage, but that's the only damage I'll take this turn. Because after this battle, Darklord Apocalypse ends the Battle Phase!" Hunter growled in response. "And now I'll add a new 'Darklord' monster to my hand. Specifically," Hellsworn smirked. "I think I'll add Darklord Morningstar to my hand."

Hunter narrowed his eyes and only gestured to his field. "Purple Nightfall's monster effect! Once per turn, during either of our turns, I can banish a 'Mekk-Knight' monster until my next Standby Phase and add a new 'Mekk-Knight' monster from my Deck to my hand. I banish Indigo Eclipse to add Mekk-Knight Green Horizon to my hand." Said monster disintegrated as Hunter took a card from his Deck. "I Set one card. I end my turn. And during the End Phase, the effect of World Legacy Clash activates and Special Summons Orange Sunset to my field." The monster with large shields appeared in Defense Position.

 **Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset ATK 800 DEF 3000 LVL: 6**

Hellsworn's expression didn't change, but he noticed that Orange Sunset had been summoned to Desire's column. That meant he couldn't activate its effect to get rid of one of Hunter's monsters. How annoying. On the plus side, with Indigo Eclipse no longer on the field, he could use Ixchel's effect.

"My turn! Draw!" Looking at his card, Hellsworn smirked again. "Sorry kid, but I think it's time I ended this. You put up a much better fight than I thought you would, but those cards are mine." Hellsworn gestured to his field. "Ixchel's monster effect! I pay 1000 Life Points to activate the effect of Banishment of the Darklords and then shuffle it into my Deck!"

 **Hellsworn: 2200→1200 LP**

"Banishment of the Darklords lets me add a 'Darklord' card from my Deck to my hand," Hellsworn continued. "I add Darklord Enchantment. But that doesn't concern you." Hellsworn gestured upwards. "I Tribute Darklord Desire and Darklord Ixchel to Tribute Summon my most powerful monster!" The two monsters glowed and disintegrated as a pillar of light appeared on Hellsworn's field. "Come to me, Darklord Morningstar!" The light faded as a figure with eight thin wings emerged from the pillar. The monster's skin and hair were chalk-white, it wore pure black armor with red gems in the gauntlets and belt, and it carried a long blue sword.

 **Darklord Morningstar ATK 3000 DEF 3000 LVL: 11**

Hunter stared in awe at the monster. It seemed to stare down at him, arrogance and disdain marking its features. _It's beautiful,_ he thought.

"Morningstar's monster effect!" Hellsworn declared, bringing Hunter out of his trance. "When it is Tribute Summoned, I can Special Summon 'Darklord' monster from my hand and Deck, up to the number of Effect Monsters you control. You control two, so I Special Summon Darklord Nasten and Darklord Tezcatlipoca from my Deck!" Two new monsters – a humanoid lion with bull horns and white wings and a black-armored monster with black wings wearing a feather headdress – appeared, both in Attack Position.

 **Darklord Nasten ATK 2600 DEF 2600 LVL: 7**

 **Darklord Tezcatlipoca ATK 2800 DEF 2100 LVL: 9**

"Morningstar's additional effect!" Hellsworn continued. "Once per turn, I can send cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard and gain 500 Life Points for each 'Darklord' card sent there. The only restriction is that I can only send cards equal to the number of 'Darklord' monsters I control. Since I control three. I send the top three cards of my Deck to the Graveyard!" Hellsworn took the top cards off his Deck, then showed them to Hunter. "I send Darklord Edeh Arae, Allure of Darkness, and The Sanctified Darklord to the Graveyard. Two are 'Darklord' cards, so I gain 1000 Life Points!"

 **Hellsworn: 1200→2200 LP**

"Nasten's monster effect! I pay 1000 Life Points to activate the effect of a 'Darklord' Spell or Trap Card in the Graveyard and then shuffle that card into my Deck. I activate the effect of Darklord Contact, which lets me Special Summon a 'Darklord' monster from the Graveyard in Defense Position. Resurrect once more, Superbia!" The black machine with claws and wings appeared again.

 **Hellsworn: 2200→1200 LP**

 **Darklord Superbia ATK 2900 DEF 2400 LVL: 8**

"Superbia's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Fairy monster from the Graveyard. Resurrect, Darklord Edeh Arae!" A blue-skinned horned monster with large hands and black wings appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Darklord Edeg Arae ATK 2300 DEF 2000 LVL: 5**

"Five monsters at once…" Hunter muttered, scowling. None of them were strong enough to destroy Orange Sunset, but since Hellsworn had said he planned to end the duel this turn, he imagined he had a way around that.

"Battle!" Hellsworn declared. "Morningstar, attack Purple Nightfall!" Morningstar lifted its sword and started to gather dark energy into it, but Hunter reacted before that energy could be released.

"Purple Nightfall's monster effect!" he declared. "I banish Purple Nightfall until my next Standby Phase!" Said monster disappeared into light. "And now I add Mekk-Knight Yellow Star from my Deck to my hand."

Hellsworn growled. "Since your monster left the field, that means a replay occurs," he said grudgingly. "I was hoping to have Morningstar destroy your monster and have Edeh Arae attack Orange Sunset; it inflicts piercing battle damage if summoned from the Graveyard. But now I don't have a choice. Continue your attack, Morningstar! Destroy Orange Sunset! Fallen Grace!" Morningstar released the energy it built up as it swung its sword at Orange Sunset. Before the blast struck, Hellsworn played another card. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Blind Spot Strike! One Attack Position monster I control gains attack points equal to the defense points of a Defense Position monster you control. Morningstar gains Orange Sunset's 3000 defense points!"

 **Darklord Morningstar ATK 3000→6000**

"With this, you'll be defenseless!" Hellsworn shouted. _And then I'll have passed my initiation._

"Trap activate!" Hunter declared, surprising Hellsworn. "World Legacy Challenge!" The card showed Mekk-Knight Avram facing off against X-Krawlers Neurogos and Synaphysis. "Since a 'Mekk-Knight' monster was targeted for an attack, the attack changes to a direct attack and the damage is halved!" The dark energy swerved past Orange Sunset and struck Hunter, forcing him back a few feet and making him fall to his knees.

 **Hunter: 3500→500 LP**

"In addition, none of your other monsters can attack this turn," Hunter said, breathing hard as he shakily stood up.

Hellsworn somehow managed to look both impressed and disappointed at the same time. "Gutsy move taking 3000 points of damage just to protect your monster. And here I was thinking I could end this duel now. Ah well, I'll end you next turn. But just to keep you from trying anything-." Hellsworn played a card from his hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Mystical Space Typhoon and use it to destroy World Legacy's Secret!" Hunter frowned as his card shattered. That card being gone meant Hellsworn could activate the effects of all his monsters.

"Tezcatlipoca's monster effect!" Hellsworn continued. "I pay 1000 Life Points to activate a 'Darklord' Spell or Trap Card from the Graveyard and then shuffle that card into my Deck."

 **Hellsworn: 1200→200 LP**

"I activate The Sanctified Darklord! I send a 'Darklord' monster from my hand or field to the Graveyard, then negate the effects of an Effect Monster until the End Phase and gain Life Points equal to its attack points. I send Edeh Arae to the Graveyard and negate Morningstar's effects!" The blue-skinned demon disintegrated as Hellsworn and Morningstar glowed.

 **Hellsworn: 200→3200 LP**

I Set one card and end my turn. And thus, the effects of Blind Spot Strike and The Sanctified Darklord come to an end."

 **Darklord Morningstar ATK 6000→3000**

"So, what are you going to do, kid?" Hellsworn asked Hunter. "I have four very powerful monsters, one of which has 3000 attack points. And in case you're getting any ideas, you should know that you can't target Morningstar with card effects while I control another 'Darklord' monster."

Hunter glared at Hellsworn's field of monsters, then glanced at the pedestal with the box. The barrier was still around it, but the words had faded.

 _There are three reasons I must win this duel_ , Hunter thought, closing his eyes as he placed his hand on his Deck. _One: in order to become a successful bounty hunter, I need a powerful Deck. Two: I need to move on from the incident, and only dueling can do that. Three: I must repay Cam for and Sachi for saving me from my despair._

"My turn! Draw!" Hunter looked at his card, then gestured to his field. "As it is my Standby Phase, the effect of Purple Nightfall activates, and I Special Summon it and Indigo Eclipse!" Both monsters reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse ATK 2400 DEF 2400 LVL: 8**

 **Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 8**

Looking at the field, Hunter realized that he knew exactly what he had to do to win. "Appear, the circuit of illumination!" His hand shot a bolt of lightning into the air that created a Link portal.

"What?" Hellsworn said, surprised. "Link Summoning?"

"Arrowheads confirmed!" Hunter chanted. "The summoning conditions are two monsters, including at least one 'Mekk-Knight' monster. I set Orange Sunset and Purple Nightfall in the Link Markers!" His monsters shot into the portal and another world, before turning into red energy and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star!"

A large new bipedal machine appeared on Hunter's field. Its armor was grey, with blue lines running across its skin. Instead of hands, it had two electrodes, one of which created a blade of yellow fire. Despite having no mouth, Morning Star roared from the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star ATK 2000 LINK-2**

"A Link Monster?" Hellsworn muttered. "But this monster is weaker than your previous monsters. Why would you-." Hellsworn gasped in realization. "Of course! You're planning to-!"

"Morning Star's monster effect!" Hunter declared, cutting off Hellsworn. "When it is Link Summoned, I can discard a 'Mekk-Knight' monster or 'World Legacy' card to add a 'World Legacy' card from my Deck to my hand. I send Green Horizon to the Graveyard and add World Legacy's Memory to my hand."

Hellsworn growled. "I'm not going to let you! Trap activate! Darklord Enchantment!" He sneered at Hunter's expression of surprise. "I send a 'Darklord' monster from my hand or field to the Graveyard and take control of one of your monsters. I send Superbia to the Graveyard and take control of Morning Star!" The ball with wings disappeared as the space around Morning Star warped. Morning Star disappeared, then reappeared on Hellsworn's field.

Hellsworn laughed. "I realized what your plan was!" he said. "You were planning to summon a Link-4 monster, weren't you? If you were trying to summon a Link-3, you would have used Indigo Eclipse with the others, but no-. You summoned a Link-2 with an effect that would eventually let you summon another 'Mekk-Knight,' so you could use it to summon a Link-4. I'm sorry to say your plan didn't work!"

Hellsworn laughed until Hunter smirked. "I was hoping you'd do that."

"Huh? What?"

"I'm familiar with the 'Darklord' Deck," Hunter revealed. "And because of the cards you played last turn, I knew your Set card was Darklord Enchantment. And since I knew what the card does, I knew I had to bait you. And it worked. And now victory will be mine."

"What!? You only have one monster! You can't win with that?"

"We'll see about that. I Special Summo Mekk-Knight Yellow Star to the same column as Nasten and World Legacy Key!" A machine with silver and yellow mechanical wings appeared in Attack Position.

 **Mekk-Knight Yellow Star ATK 2200 DEF 2800 LVL: 7**

"Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: World Legacy's Memory, which I'll use to Special Summon Mekk-Knight Avram!" A warrior in gold armor carrying two curved swords appeared in Defense Position.

 **Mekk-Knight Avram ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

Hellsworn grit his teeth. "Three monsters," he muttered. "Is he-?"

"Appear, the circuit of illumination!" Lightning shot from his hand and created another Link portal. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Mekk-Knight' monsters. I set Avram, Indigo Eclipse, and Yellow Star in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the portal into another world before turning into red energy and surging into the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link 3! Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme!" A monster that appeared to be an amalgamation of all the Mekk-Knight monsters' weapons emerged from the portal, summoned to the same Extra Monster Zone that Morning Star had vacated.

 **Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme ATK 3000 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"A-A 3000 attack point Link-3 monster?" Hellsworn said, his eyes wide. "I've never faced a monster like this before…"

"Spectrum Supreme's monster effect! By sending a card I control in its column to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a 'Mekk-Knight' monster from my Deck in Defense Position. I send Senet Switch to the Graveyard and Special Summon another Orange Sunset!" The monster with two large shields reappeared.

 **Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset ATK 800 DEF 3000 LVL: 6**

"And now, I'll activate the Field Spell Card: World Legacy Scars, which increases the attack and defense points of all my 'Mekk-Knight' monsters by 300!"

 **Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset ATK 800→1100 DEF 3000→3300**

 **Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme ATK 3000→3300**

Hellsworn growled. "It doesn't matter how strong your monster is!" he said. "The weakest monster I control is your Morning Star." He then sneered. "And due to its effect, 'Mekk-Knight' monsters can't be destroyed by battle against monsters in different columns. And I take no battle damage from those battles. You still can't win!"

"You're wrong," Hunter said. "It is because Morning Star and Spectrum Supreme are in different columns that I'll win." He gestured to his field. "Spectrum Supreme's additional effect! When there are no other cards in its column, it can attack directly!"

"WHAT!?"

"Go! Ultimate Rainbow Burst!" Seven lights gathered around Spectrum Supreme's body before being launched at Hellsworn. He was too surprised to react and screamed as he was struck in the chest and sent tumbling to the ground.

 **Hellsworn: 3200→0 LP**

"Ugh…" Hellsworn groaned. "Beaten by a kid… If I'd only placed Morning Star in the other column…"

"You still would have lost," Hunter said, walking up to Hellsworn and holding out a card. "This is World Legacy Challenge, the card I used to save Orange Sunset. If my 'Mekk-Knight' monster destroys your monster in battle, I can banish this card from the Graveyard to allow my monster to attack again." His eyes narrowed. "Morning Star's anti-destruction effect wouldn't have worked since Spectrum Supreme and it were in the same column, so it would have been destroyed. And while Spectrum Supreme doesn't point to a monster, you cannot target it with card effects, so you couldn't have used Nasten's or Tezcatlipoca's effects to activate Darklord Enchantment from the Graveyard to take control of it."

Hellsworn saw the other point in that statement. If he had taken control of Orange Sunset, it would have lost the boost from World Legacy Scars as it was no longer under Hunter's control. Spectrum Supreme would have destroyed it, then attacked directly through World Legacy Challenge's effect.

 _This kid won the duel the second he blocked Morningstar's attack against Orange Sunset,_ Hellsworn thought bitterly. _And now I won't get to join-._

Hellsworn's thoughts were interrupted by a sound. He and Hunter looked up as the barrier disappeared.

"Yes!" Hunter said, racing to the pedestal. Hellsworn tried to get up and chase after him, but a new barrier appeared around the pedestal, but set at a wider distance and between Hellsworn and Hunter. He was cut off.

Hunter finally reached the metal box. _This is it,_ he thought as he picked it up. _I'll gain the Cyspirit cards and become an ultimate duelist!_

He opened the box, expecting to see a Deck of Duel Monster cards. But it was empty.

"What?" Hunter said, his eyes widening. "E-Empty? That's it?"

After he said that, the box burst into flames. As he gasped and stepped back, the flames rearranged themselves into a list of numbers.

 **2-3-1 7-9-2 4-13-8**

 **12-6-2 17-8-1 3-9-5 20-7-2**

 **19-6-5 33-2-4 2-7-1 8-4-1 5-5-12 32-3-5**

Behind Hunter, Hellsworn growled. "So, it was just a prank after all. I should have known. Only an Internet troll could think up puzzles that devilish. He even fooled my sponsor. Now I've lost my chance to join them."

"Sponsor?" Hunter repeated, turning to look at Hellsworn in confusion. "What do you-?"

Before he could finish his sentence, the ground started shaking. The pillars also started crumbling, the hieroglyphs disappearing.

"Crap!" Hellsworn swore. "This place is coming down! Get out of here, kid!" He logged out after saying that.

Hunter quickly turned back to the list of numbers, which was starting to fade. Before it vanished completely, he took a picture of them with his Duel Disk. As the ceiling fell in, he logged out.

* * *

Yasutake opened his eyes and groaned.

"Yasu!" Yasutake leaned forward and looked to the side. Cam was watching him with deep concern. "Are you alright? What happened? You were gone a long time."

Yasutake groaned as he looked at his Duel Disk. "Someone else showed up. The dungeon forced me and him to duel. I won, but the Deck wasn't there."

"What?" Cam said, his concern replaced with anger. "It wasn't there? So all those puzzles and games were just some guy's idea of a sick joke!?"

Yasutake frowned as he loaded the picture he took. "I don't think so. I-."

He was interrupted by the chiming of the laptop that Cam had put on the table. The two looked at it and Cam raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"What the-? This is a PDF, sent from an unidentified address." Cam frowned as he loaded the PDF. "It's… a one-page menu to a sushi place in Tokyo… The hell?"

Yasutake looked at the laptop, then at the image on his Duel Disk. His eyes then widened. "Of course!" he said, surprising Cam. "Of course it would be another puzzle!"

"What?"

Yasutake showed him the list of numbers. "This is an Ottendorf Cipher," he explained. "It's a book cipher used in that American movie you showed me a few weeks ago; _National Treasure_ , right? Each set of numbers correspond to a line of a page, a word within that line, and then a letter in that word."

Cam's eyes widened in realization. "You're saying this PDF is from the guy who set up that dungeon. Well, go on." He passed the laptop over to Yasutake and then grabbed a pen and paper. Yasutake searched for the individual letters the numbers pointed to, and then told Cam what he had. After five minutes, they finally decoded the message.

 **DEN PARK GAZEBO**

"Den Park," Cam muttered. "Well what do you know? That's not far from here."

"They must have hidden the cards in the real world and left the puzzle to find them in the network," Yasutake said excitedly. "Come on, let's go!"

* * *

The pair walked to Den Park, which really wasn't that far from Café Junpei. There were a few gazebos, but Yasutake suspected the one the clue mentioned was the one closest to the center of the park, which was also the biggest one. After finding it, the two searched around the gazebo, and lo and behold…

"Yes!" Yasutake whispered, his eyes wide as he kneeled. There was a metal box hidden in the bushes around the gazebos, far in enough that you wouldn't be able to see it unless you were actively looking for it. As his arms were too short, Cam ended up being the one who pulled the box out of the bushes and gave it to Yasutake.

The thirteen-year-old opened the box and his eyes widened further. Inside was a Deck of Duel Monster cards. Picking up the top one, he read the name. Cyspirit Lancer. Yes! This was it!

"We need to get back," Yasutake whispered to Cam as he put the card back and closed the box. Cam nodded as Yasutake put the box in his backpack. The two hurried to Café Junpei, and once they were back upstairs, Yasutake pulled the box out and looked over the cards more thoroughly.

"This is it, Cam," he said. "These cards are very strong. With them, I'll become the best bounty hunter in LINK VRAINS. I can help you pay off your debts and keep Sachi here with you."

"…Well alright," Cam said, crossing his arms. "I can't say I like the idea of you risking yourself, but if this is what you want to do, I'll support you. Though, it might be a good idea to come up with a new avatar."

"Huh?" Yasutake said, confused. "What's wrong with my current one?"

"Well, it's non-descript, I'll admit, but I'm not sure it suits you." Cam looked down at the cards Yasutake put on the table. "Or these cards. And as for the name, I'm not sure too many people will have respect for a bounty hunter named 'Hunter.'"

Yasutake frowned. "Good point. I suppose it is a little too simplistic. But what name should I go with?"

"Your choice. Like I said, I'm just here to support you." Cam picked up one of the cards: Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary. "Though if you're looking for a theme, these cards make me think of avenging angels, what with the wings."

 _Avenging angels?_ Yasutake thought, thinking of Father Narahiko. The priest had been dead for seven years, but he had taught Yasutake so much. He also remembered what the priest had said about Lucifer: _I would say the Devil is a punisher. Someone who takes people who did bad things and makes them suffer for it._

Isn't that what a bounty hunter also did? Didn't they also bring people to justice and punish them for crimes? Yasutake looked over at his Mekk-Knight Deck, which he had set on the table alongside the Cyspirit cards. The top card was Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star. He thought of Hellsworn, and his Darklord Morningstar, and how that card had been beautiful.

Yasutake smiled. "I know exactly the name I want," he told Cam.

* * *

 _Present day…_

"And that's it," Yasutake said, taking a sip from the coffee Kusanagi made. "That's how I became Morningstar."

"Hmm." Yusaku frowned, as did Kusanagi.

"Something wrong?" Yasutake asked. They shook their heads.

"Not wrong exactly," Yusaku said. "I'm just curious as to who set up that dungeon and puzzles; they were clearly intelligent to come up with such means, but the lengths they went to suggest they were afraid the cards would be misused."

"Yeah," Kusanagi agreed. "Did you ever find out who set those up?"

Yasutake shook his head. "No. We tried tracing the email, but it was a dummy account. We still have no idea who made those puzzles." He turned to Yusaku, who was still frowning, but there was a glint of curiosity in his eyes. "What?"

"Your Mekk-Knights," Yusauku said. "Where did you get those?"

Kusanagi's eyes widened. "That's right! Spectrum Supreme is a Cyberse card. How did you get those?"

Yasutake made the straightest face he possibly could. "eBay." The other two blinked. "What? Not every little thing has a massive story behind it. That said…" He glanced at Yusaku, his own curiosity getting the best of him. "I told you where I got my Cyberse cards. Where did you get yours?"

"Ah!" Kusanagi said, smiling in fondness. "That's actually a rather interesting story. You see…"

While Kusanagi talked about how they found a rumor about a dungeon containing Cyberse cards, Sachi frowned to herself and stared into her coffee.

 _Cam went through so much pain because of what happened to me,_ she thought. _And Yasu was willing to risk so much just to help me._ Her frown was replaced by a look of determination. _One day, I'll make it up to both of them. One day, I'll be the one to protect them._

* * *

 _3 years ago…_

Hellsworn backed up against the wall, his heartrate increasing. He was in an alleyway in LINK VRAINS, far away from the major areas. He was backing away from a tall hooded figure in a big dark blue cloak.

"So, you're saying it was a prank?" the figure asked. Their voice was masculine, but it wasn't deep.

"Y-Yes, that's right!" Hellsworn said, nodding vigorously. "The case was empty, and when the kid opened it, it burst into flames."

"It didn't leave anything? Any clues?" the man persisted.

"A-Ah well, it left behind a string of numbers," Hellsworn said hesitantly. "I can't remember what numbers they were, but I could tell they were in groups of three."

"…I see," the man said, backing off. "A pity, really. The Cyspirit cards would have made a good gift."

"…L-Listen," Hellsworn said. "S-Seeing as how this was all some prank, why not give me another chance to pass initiation? I passed all the other tests, so if you give me one more chance-."

The man laughed, cutting Hellsworn off. "One more chance? I'm afraid that's not possible. No… your inability to see the obvious, and the fact that you were beaten by a child, makes it clear that you don't have a place among us." The man started walking towards Hellsworn, who once again tried to become one with the wall."

"N-No, please!" he begged. "Please! I've worked so hard for this chance! If you just give me another-."

"It's too late for that," the man said. "You accepted that you would only get one chance at the test, and you failed. Now…" He raised his right hand, revealing a dark gold and blue glove. Blue lightning crackled across his fingertips. "You have to pay the price."

"N-No, please! No! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

The man in a blue cloak sighed as he brought his right hand down. Overseeing initiates was such a pain; he'd rather be on a mission right now. Hell, if his leader hadn't decided to turn this job into an initiation, he'd have been the one to go into that dungeon.

He lifted his left arm, revealing a dark gold and blue glove, same as he wore on his other hand. This arm however, also had a dark gold Duel Disk, with a pattern of six interwoven wings around the screen. The man activated the communications function and waited for his leader to pick up.

"Yes?" The voice was scrambled, but the man knew this was only procedure.

"Hellsworn failed to retrieve the Cyspirit Deck," he reported. "There was an interloper; a kid named Hunter. He defeated Hellsworn, but the dungeon was revealed to be empty."

"…There were no hints as to the Deck's location?" the voice eventually asked.

"I believe there were; there was a box that went up in flames. It created a series of numbers – a code of some kind, most likely – but Hellsworn didn't memorize the numbers."

The voice sighed. "I see. That is unfortunate. It also means Hellsworn failed his initiation. You have given him his punishment?"

"Yes," the man said. "I erased his memories of us and deleted his account. He won't be able to tell anyone about us."

"Good. For now, I would like you to keep investigating possible clues to the Cyspirits' location."

"What about this Hunter kid? From what Hellsworn said, he seemed pretty smart. He may provide a lead."

"…No, leave the child be. We cannot involve one so young in this. Or at least, not another so young. I shall await your report." After saying that, the voice hung up.

The man in blue sighed again. "Seriously? What a pain. Whoever Dr. Hirai entrusted the Cyspirit monsters to better be worth all this trouble."

* * *

 **Hunter vs. Crusader**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Crusader**

Crusader Normal Summons Marauding Captain (1200/400/3). As Marauding Captain was Normal Summoned, Crusader activates its effect to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from his hand. He Special Summons a 2nd Marauding Captain (1200/400/3). Crusader activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting him perform a second Normal Summon this turn. He Normal Summons Command Knight (1200/1900/4). As long as Command Knight is on the field, all Warrior monsters Crusader controls gain 400 ATK (Marauding Captains: 1200→1600) (Command Knight: 1200→1600). Crusader activates the Continuous Spell Card The A. Forces, which increases the ATK of all Warrior monster he controls by 200 for each Warrior or Spellcaster he controls (Marauding Captains: 1600→2200) (Command Knight: 1600→2200). Crusader ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Hunter**

Hunter draws. He Normal Summons Mekk-Knight Avram (2000/0/4). He activates the Spell Card Abyssal Designator. By paying 1000 LP (Hunter: 4000→3000 LP), he can declare a Type and Attribute, and then Crusader must send a monster of the declared Type and Attribute from his hand or Deck to the GY. Hunter declares Warrior and EARTH. Crusader sends a third Marauding Captain to the GY. Hunter activates the Equip Spell Card Megamorph, equipping it to Avram. Since his LP are lower than Crusader's, Avram's ATK is doubled (Avram: 2000→4000). Hunter activates the Continuous Spell Card Infected Mail. Once per turn, he can target 1 Level 4 or lower monster he controls and let that monster attack his opponent directly, but that monster is sent to the GY at the end of the Battle Phase. He targets Avram for Infected Mail's effect.

Avram attacks Crusader directly (Crusader: 4000→0 LP). Hunter wins.

* * *

 **Hunter vs. Hellsworn**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Hellsworn**

Hellsworn activates the Spell Card Banishment of the Darklords, which lets him add 1 "Darklord" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Darklord Asmodeus to his hand. Hellsworn activates the Continuous Spell Card Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. As he controls no monsters, Hellsworn activates Valhalla's effect to Special Summon one Fairy monster from his hand. He Special Summons Darklord Asmodeus (3000/2500/8) in Attack Position. Hellsworn Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Hunter**

Hunter draws. As there are 2 cards in the same column (Asmodeus and Valhalla), Hunter Special Summons Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse (2400/2400/8) to the same column in Attack Position. Hunter activates Indigo Eclipse's effect to target one "Mekk-Knight" monster he controls and move it to another column. He moves Indigo Eclipse to the column to its left. Hunter Special Summons Mekk-Knight Blue Sky (2000/2500/5) in Attack Position via its effect. As Blue Sky was Summoned from the hand, Hunter can add "Mekk-Knight" monsters with different names from his Deck to his hand, equal to the number of Hellsworn's cards in Blue Sky's column. Hunter adds Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall and Mekk-Knight Red Moon to his hand. Hunter activates the Continuous Spell Card Senet Switch. Once per turn, he can move one monster on his field to an adjacent unoccupied Main Monster Zone. He activates Senet Switch's effect to move Blue Sky to the column to its right. Morningstar Special Summons Mekk-Knight Red Moon (2300/2600/7) in Attack Position via its effect. Hunter activates the Spell Card Trade-In, which lets him discard one Level 8 monster to draw two cards. He discards Purple Nightfall. Hunter activates the effect of Red Moon, banishing Purple Nightfall from his GY to destroy one face-up monster in its column. He destroys Asmodeus. As it was destroyed and sent to the GY, Hellsworn activates Asmodeus's effect, Special Summoning 1 Asmo Token (1800/1300/5) and 1 Deus Token (1200/1200/3), both in Defense Position. Hunter activates the Continuous Spell Card World Legacy Key, which lets him add 1 of his banished "Mekk-Knight" monsters or "World Legacy" cards to his hand. He adds Purple Nightfall to his hand.

Red Moon attacks Asmo Token. Hellsworn activates his Set Trap Card Darklord Rebellion. By sending 1 "Darklord" monster from his hand or field to the GY, he can destroy 1 card on the field. He sends Darklord Superbia to the GY to destroy Red Moon. As Darklord Rebellion is in the same column as a "Mekk-Knight" monster (Indigo Eclipse), the effect of World Legacy Key negates the effect of Darklord Rebellion. The attack continues, and Asmo Token is destroyed. Blue Sky attacks Deus Token, but Deus Token cannot be destroyed by battle. Hunter Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Hellsworn**

Hellsworn draws. He activates the effect of Darklord Ixchel in his hand, discarding it and Darklord Apocalypse to draw 2 cards. Hellsworn Tributes Deus Token to Tribute Summon Darklord Desire (3000/2800/10) via its effect. Hellsworn activates the effect of Desire, reducing its ATK by 1000 and targeting Indigo Eclipse (Desire: 3000→2000). Indigo Eclipse is sent to the GY. Hellsworn activates the Spell Card Darklord Contact, which lets him Special Summon 1 "Darklord" monster from his GY in Defense Position. He Special Summons Darklord Superbia (2900/2400/8). As Superbia was Special Summoned from the GY, its effect activates, and Hellsworn can Special Summon 1 Fairy monster from his GY. He Special Summons Darklord Ixchel (2500/2900/10) in Attack Position. Hellsworn activates the effect of Ixchel, paying 1000 LP to target 1 "Darklord" Spell/Trap card in his GY and apply that target's effect before shuffling it into his Deck (Hellsworn: 4000→3000 LP). He targets Darklord Rebellion. Rebellion's effect lets him send 1 "Darklord" monster from his hand or field to the GY then destroy 1 card on the field. He sends Superbia to the GY to destroy Red Moon.

Ixchel attacks and destroys Blue Sky (Hunter: 4000→3500 LP). Desire attacks Hunter directly, but Hunter activates his Set Continuous Trap Card World Legacy's Secret, which lets him Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher monster from his GY. He Special Summons Indigo Eclipse (2400/2400/8) in Attack Position. A replay occurs, and Hellsworn opts not to attack. Hellsworn ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Hunter**

Hunter draws. As there are 2 cards in the same column (Valhalla and World Legacy's Secret), he Special Summons Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall (2500/2000/8) to the same column in Attack Position via its effect. Hunter activates the Quick-Play Spell Card World Legacy's Memory, which lets him Special Summon 1 "Mekk-Knight" monster from his hand or Deck in Defense Position, but it is returned to the hand during the End Phase. He Special Summons Mekk-Knight Orange Sunset (800/3000/6) from his Deck. Hunter then activates the Quick-Play Spell Card World Legacy Clash, which lets him banish 1 monster he controls until the End Phase and then have 1 of Hellsworn's monsters lose ATK/DEF equal to the banished monster's original ATK/DEF. He banishes Orange Sunset and targets Ixchel (Ixchel: 2500→1700/2900→0). Hunter then activates Indigo Eclipse's effect, moving itself to the same column as Ixchel.

Purple Nightfall attacks Ixchel, but Hellsworn activates the effect of Darklord Apocalypse in his GY, banishing it to do so. As a "Darklord' monster was attacked, he can prevent that monster's destruction by battle then end the Battle Phase, and if that monster is Level 8 or higher, he can add 1 "Darklord" monster from his Deck to his hand. The attack continues, but Ixchel is not destroyed (Hellsworn: 3000→2200 LP). As Ixchel is Level 10, Hellsworn adds Darklord Morningstar from his Deck to his hand. Hunter activates Purple Nightfall's effect, targeting Indigo Eclipse. Indigo Eclipse is banished until Hunter's next Standby Phase, and he can add 1 "Mekk-Knight" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Mekk-Knight Green Horizon from his Deck to his hand. Hunter Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, the effect of World Legacy Special Summons Orange Sunset (800/3000/6) to Hunter's field (and Desire's column) in Defense Position.

 **Turn 5: Hellsworn**

Hellsworn draws. He activates the effect of Ixchel, paying 1000 LP to activate the effect of a "Darklord" Spell/Trap Card in his GY, then shuffle that card into his Deck (Hellsworn: 2200→1200 LP). He targets Banishment of the Darklords, which lets him add 1 "Darklord" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Darklord Enchantment to his hand. Hellsworn Tributes Desire and Ixchel to Tribute Summon Darklord Morningstar (3000/3000/11). Since Morningstar was Tribute Summoned, Hellsworn can Special Summon "Darklord" monsters from his hand and/or Deck, up to the number of Effect Monsters Hunter controls. Hunter controls 2, so Hellsworn Special Summons Darklord Nasten (2600/2600/7) and Darklord Tezcatlipoca (2800/2100/9), both in Attack Position, from his Deck. Hellsworn activates Morningstar's effect, letting him send cards from the top of his Deck to the GY, equal to the number of "Darklord" monsters on the field, then gain 500 LP for each "Darklord" card among them. He sends Darklord Edeh Arae, Allure of Darkness, and The Sanctified Darklord to the GY (Hellsworn: 1200→2200 LP). Hellsworn activates the effect of Nasten, paying 1000 LP to activate the effect of a "Darklord" Spell/Trap Card in his GY, then shuffle that card into his Deck (Hellsworn: 2200→1200 LP). He targets Darklord Contact, which lets him Special Summon 1 "Darklord" monster from his GY in Defense Position. He Special Summons Superbia (2900/2400/8). As Superbia was Special Summoned from the GY, Hellsworn can Special Summon 1 Fairy monster from the GY. He Special Summons Edeh Arae (2300/2000/5) in Attack Position.

Morningstar attacks Purple Nightfall, but Hunter activates Purple Nightfall's effect, targeting itself and banishing it until his next Standby Phase. He then adds Mekk-Knight Yellow Star from his Deck to his hand. A replay occurs, and Morningstar attacks Orange Sunset. Hellsworn activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Blind Spot Strike, targeting Morningstar and Orange Sunset. Morningstar gains ATK equal to Orange Sunset's DEF until the End Phase (Morningstar: 3000→6000). As a "Mekk-Knight" monster he controls was targeted for an attack, Hunter activates his Set Trap Card World Legacy Challenge, which makes the attack a direct attack and halves the battle damage. Morningstar attacks Hunter directly (Hunter: 3500→500 LP). The turn World Legacy Challenge is activated, none of Hellsworn's other monsters can attack. Hellsworn activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Mystical Space Typhoon, targeting and destroying World Legacy's Secret. Hellsworn then activates Tezcatlipoca's effect, paying 1000 LP to activate the effect of a "Darklord" Spell/Trap Card in his GY, then shuffle that card into his Deck (Hellsworn: 1200→200 LP). He targets The Sanctified Darklord, which lets him send 1 "Darklord" monster from his hand or face-up from his field to the GY, then negate the effects of an Effect Monster until the end of the turn and gain LP equal to its ATK. He sends Edeh Arae to the GY and targets Morningstar (Hellsworn: 200→3200 LP). Hellsworn Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, and Morningstar's ATK returns to normal (Morningstar: 6000→3000) and its effects are no longer negated.

 **Turn 6: Hunter**

Hunter draws. During his Standby Phase, the effect of Purple Nightfall Special Summons itself (2500/2000/8) and Indigo Eclipse (2400/2400/8) in Attack Position. Hunter uses Orange Sunset and Purple Nightfall to Link Summon Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star (2000/2/↙↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Morning Star was Link Summoned, its effect lets Hunter discard 1 "Mekk-Knight" monster or "World Legacy" card to add 1 "World Legacy" card from his Deck to his hand. He discards Green Horizon and adds World Legacy's Memory to his hand. Hellsworn activates his Set Darklord Enchantment, letting him send 1 "Darklord" monster from his hand or field to the GY to take control of 1 of Hunter's monsters until the End Phase. He sends Superbia to the GY and takes control of Morning Star. As there are 2 cards in the same column (Nasten and World Legacy Key), Hunter Special Summons Yellow Star (2200/2800/7) to that column in Attack Position. Hunter activates the Quick-Play Spell Card World Legacy's Memory, letting him Special Summon 1 "Mekk-Knight" monster from his hand or Deck in Defense Position, but it returns to his hand during the End Phase. He Special Summons Mekk-Knight Avram (2000/0/4). Hunter uses Avram, Indigo Eclipse, and Yellow Star to Link Summon Mekk-Knight Spectrum Supreme (3000/3/↙↓↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Hunter activates the effect of Spectrum Supreme, letting him send 1 other card he controls in Spectrum Supreme's column to the GY and Special Summon 1 "Mekk-Knight" monster from his Deck in Defense Position. He sends Senet Switch to the GY and Special Summons a 2nd Orange Sunset (800/3000/6). Hunter activates the Field Spell Card World Legacy Scars, which increases the ATK/DEF of all "Mekk-Knight" monsters Hunter controls by 300 (Orange Sunset: 800→1100/3000→3300) (Spectrum Supreme: 3000→3300).

As Spectrum Supreme is the only card in its column, it can attack directly. Spectrum Supreme attacks Hellsworn directly (Hellsworn: 3200→0 LP). Hunter wins.

* * *

 _ **Darklord Apocalypse Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If a "Darklord" monster you control is targeted for an attack: That monster you control canot be destroyed by that battle, then end the Battle Phase, also if that monster is Level 8 or higher, add 1 "Darklord" monster from your Deck to your hand. Once per Duel, you can activate the above effect by banishing this card from your GY._

 _ **World Legacy Challenge Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If a "Mekk-Knight" monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can make that attack a direct attack. The turn you activate this effect, all battle damage you take is halved. No other monsters your opponent controls can attack the turn this effect is activated. If your "Mekk-Knight" destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you can banish this card from your GY; that monster can attack again in a row._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 31 – The New LINK VRAINS. Three months have passed since the Tower of Hanoi fell, and NEW LINK VRAINS has now been opened. Hana Adachi is hoping to use this opportunity to enter the Charisma Duelists, while the new #5 duelist Vahngo hopes to rise in the ranks. The two go to an event, which gives them the chance of a lifetime…_

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to TachyonDragonKing, Swift4Sweeper, thirdegree101, tsukikami02, jdkeller2000, Yasutake Fan, D3lph0xL0v3r, Guest, G57steve, HunterHQ, ZarcEternal, giacomoX, Ryujomaru15, Lindia Fullmoon, ThePLOThand, Ethan Kironus, guardian of the aura Aurasoul, bladeWriter3, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 29 of Hidden Memories. Now to answer your questions…

TachyonDragonKing: Yes, Cypher will create more cards. He is a very creative AI, and retirement will not stop that. I do not know if we will see Cam duel, but it is an idea. As for how Sachi will react… you'll have to wait and see.

thirdegree101: I do have ideas for a rematch between Morningstar and Revolver, but I'm not certain on when this would happen.

D3lph0xL0v3r: No, Cypher will not join Lightning and Windy. Who gets the Cyangel Deck is a spoiler, so I won't answer that. As for the last one, Sachi won't get her consciousness stolen like Jin did.

A little comment to bladeWriter3: I did not realize it had been a whole year since I started this series, so thank you for that.

Finally, to the last Guest review: Why do people keep requesting Revolver use Stardust Dragon? I also saw this in SakushiRyu's VRAINS story (which I recommend reading). Is it because of Stardust Road? Or is it because Revolver was the first to Synchro Summon?

Credit to ThePLOThand for the name and design of Hellsworn and thank you to sanedimentio for recommending a Darklord duel, what with one of the cards being named Morningstar.

Okay, this chapter was mostly a flashback chapter. And until season two of VRAINS ends, there will be no updates for Hidden Memories. Instead, I will focus on my ARC-V story. I can't say when that will be released, however. But I hope to at least get a few chapters out before season two ends. After that, I'll try to alternate between the two, but considering how I like VRAINS far more than ARC-V, it is more likely that I'll prioritize Hidden Memories.

On a side note, I can't help but wonder if someone who works for Konami is reading this fanfic, because Mekk-Knight of the Morning Star was released way after Chapter 3 came out and Yasutake used Mekk-Knights (or Jack Knights as they're called in the OCG). Also, when Soulburner, aka Takeru Homura was revealed, I had two characters named Takeshi and Himura. IF someone at Konami isn't reading Hidden Memories, then these are some weird coincidences.

That aside, we learned more about Yasutake's past as Morningstar and how he acquired the Cyspirit Deck. This chapter was inspired by episodes 64 and 65 of season two, which was why the first duel ended the way it did. That said, I'm not sure I'll write any more Mekk-Knight duels; having to keep track of card positions like that is hard enough with Link Monsters.

Just in case people are wondering, Crusader and Hellsworn are one-shot characters; they won't appear beyond this chapter. The person Hellsworn talked to at the end, though…

One last thing: I already talked about this with HunterHQ, but I decided I would do a little side project for Hidden Memories: Profile pages for the characters. This will technically be a separate story, but part of the Hidden Memories universe.

Thank you for reading Chapter 30 of Hidden Memories. Please tell me what you think of my improved beta opening and what your favorite moment of the chapter was.


	31. Chapter 31: The New LINK VRAINS

**Chapter 31: The New LINK VRAINS**

Reminder: I'm releasing this chapter and Chapter 32 at the same time so I can delete the reader poll. I'm not sure, but I believe you won't be able to post a review of this chapter because the story technically already has 31 chapters because of that poll and this will be Chapter 31. If you wish to post a review and find you cannot, please either use a guest account, or combine said review with anything you have to say about Chapter 32.

* * *

 **Announcement**

I made a small change in the previous chapter. Instead of forcing Hellsworn to log out, the man in blue deleted his account. I feel this makes him more villainous. That said, please enjoy my complete opening.

* * *

 **The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his D-Board, followed by Morningstar in a new avatar, and then Soulburner. The clouds part to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS logo appears, and beneath it, the words "HIDDEN MEMORIES" appears.**

 **Yasutake and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them on one side, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He tries to wrap the other arm around Yaustake, who steps to the side and gives Takeru an annoyed look. Then someone wraps their arms around Yasutake's right arm. He glances to the side and sees Sachi wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform, smiling with her eyes closed as she leans her head on his shoulder. Yasutake smiles back at her.**

 **Masako is shown riding in the passenger side of a van, with the window showing an image of Lilith. In the sky above her, an image of Thaumiel appears, holding his hand over the van. Kenshin Hirai is then shown at a café, drinking coffee and reading a book, while an image of Hitomu Hirai appears in the sky facing the opposite direction. Go Onizuka is shown in NEW LINK VRAINS in his new avatar, riding his D-Board with Kenmochi and Yoroizaka on either side. Behind them, a man in a gray jumpsuit with silver armor on his left arm, chest, and head, and a short green-haired girl in a black jacket and shorts with a see-through visor over her eyes fly on their own D-Boards. As they pass under a ledge, Blue Angel, Galahad, and Persephone, with the latter two having new avatars, are shown looking down at Go with sad and disappointed looks.**

 **Kusanagi is then shown sitting at a picnic bench with Cam, both drinking from cans and laughing. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Cypher looks at the two of them with exasperation and mild contempt. Akira Zaizen and Hayami are then shown standing next to Queen, who is sitting in a pool chair, adjusting her glasses.**

 **A tall man in a blue jumpsuit and cape with golden shoulder pads, gloves, and blonde hair is then shown, with two people – a man and a woman – shown standing behind him, shrouded in shadow. The man-in-shadow's eyes glow red. The blonde man's face is hidden with a dark gold mask, with the eyeholes glowing blue. Behind them are two dragons, shrouded in shadow. One of the dragons has four thin wings, while the other has six thin wings.**

 **Morningstar and Playmaker ride their D-Boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary and a skeleton monster in samurai armor in front of Morningstar. The two are chased by the man in silver armor and the girl in a black jacket. The man directs a blue and silver metal dragon to fire at Morningstar while the girl commands a red and purple dragon to attack Playmaker. The two are hit with energy attacks but emerge from the smoke unharmed.**

 **The Knights of Hanoi are then shown, with Terminus standing apart from them. Motor Worm Spreader Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps appear, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind Dryanome and roars.**

 **A split screen, showing two figures. The one on the right is a green outline of a short-haired woman wearing a dress and holding a card in her right hand. Behind her is a white outline of a winged figure holding a sword. The left screen shows a red outline of a man wearing armor, with his right hand raised and the fingers curled. Behind him is a black outline of an armored monster with demonic wings.**

 **Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner are then shown back-to-back, with their hands glowing purple, blue, and red respectively. The three face off against Bohman and Trident Hydradrive Lord, Blood Shepard and Battledrone General, and the man in blue and gold, who raises his arm as a pillar of energy appears behind him. A six-winged dragon emerges from the pillar and roars.**

 **Cyspirts Angelic Avenger, Idealistic Idol, Pied Pikeman, Rapid Revolutionary, and Winning Wrestler are then shown in the air, with Neo Nova racing past them. The five Cyspirit monsters then glow with golden light and merge to form Superior Seraphim, whose light spreads across NEW LINK VRAINS.**

 **Cam, Sachi, Yasutake, Takeru, Kusanagi, and Yusaku are all shown at a picnic table, with them eating hot dogs, and Takeru and Cam are laughing. Three Duel Disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Cypher watches television on Yasutake's tablet. Aoi, Akira, and Emma are in the background, walking past them and smiling at the table.**

 **Yasutake, Cam, and Sachi walk down the street, with Cam having his arms around the other two. All three are smiling. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner sitting on a ledge and smiling into the distance.**

* * *

Yasutake sighed as he put up the "Closed" sign on Café Junpei. He and Cam usually didn't close this early – except on Morningstar business – but the lack of customers and the owner's absence had made this easier. After receiving permission from Cam, Yasutake had decided to close down for the day so he could work on other things, most of which had to do with Sachi and the rest was because of Cypher.

"Well this is disappointing."

Yasutake turned at the voice. It was Aoi Zaizen, wearing a white blouse and light blue coat over a dark blue skirt. He noticed she was carrying a coffee and what he recognized as a bag from Café Nagi. Interesting.

"I was hoping to get a few muffins. And to see Sachi." Aoi walked up to stand beside Yasutake. "Is she in?"

Yasutake shook his head. "She went out with Cam and a friend," he explained. "I was left in charge of the store, but we haven't had many customers today, and there is other work to do, so Cam said I could close down early."

"I see." Aoi looked truly disappointed at that. After meeting each other two months ago, Aoi had ran into Sachi and Yasutake a few more times before she and Sachi exchanged email addresses. The two had quickly become very good friends, with Aoi visiting Café Junpei once or twice a week and Sachi visiting Aoi's place a few times. It had gotten to the point where Sachi had told Aoi she was her second-best friend (The first being Yasutake. Cam had been rather comically upset he wasn't on that list because he was Sachi's brother and therefore didn't count). For her part, Aoi really enjoyed spending time with Sachi. Her personality was very different from her childhood friend Miyu's, but she was just as much fun to hang out with.

Yasutake frowned at the bag in Aoi's hand. "I didn't know you frequented Café Nagi."

Aoi raised an eyebrow. "You know it?"

"I've been there a few times."

"I see. Well, I don't; I was just passing through when I saw someone I recognized." Aoi changed the subject at that point. "You said you were closing because you have other work. Anything I can help with?"

"No but thank you. It's just prep work mostly; Sachi will finish it once she gets back."

"Oh." Aoi's eyes widened as she smiled. "So she got in?"

Yasutake smiled and nodded. "Yep. Starting tomorrow, Sachi Junpei will be a freshman at Den Academy." He and Cam had been very happy when they heard the news. Cam hadn't stopped crying until Cypher showed him the first episode of some anime called Goblin Slayer (Yasutake still didn't know whether Cypher did that for attention or because he wanted to see Cam's reaction). Then Sachi and Yasutake had to restrain Cam from attempting to crush Yasutake's Duel Disk with a frying pan while he shouted at Cypher for "ruining the moment."

Aoi's smile widened. "That's great! I look forward to having her as a classmate." She then frowned in suspicion. "You aren't involving her in your… extracurricular activities, are you?"

Yasutake shook his head. "I stopped those when the Tower fell. And even if I hadn't, I wouldn't involve her. It's too dangerous, and she's too out of practice."

Yasutake had meant it when he told Bishop he was retiring from bounty hunting. He hadn't entered LINK VRAINS since his duel with Playmaker. Granted, he couldn't for a while because it was being remodeled, but he had no intention of dueling for money again. Unless an emergency came up, he didn't see himself logging into LINK VRAINS.

As for Sachi, she had brought up the possibility of going to LINK VRAINS, but Cam had vetoed it immediately. After what happened three months ago, he didn't want Sachi anywhere near LINK VRAINS, and Yasutake shared his trepidation, though not to the same degree. There was also the fact that Sachi wasn't too good of a duelist, another side effect of her ten-year coma. She and Yasutake had dueled with cards and a mat in the real world a few times and she had always lost. Granted, she improved each time, and Yasutake believed her to be better than Naoki, but she was still far from Yasutake's, or Yusaku's, skill level.

"Speaking of extracurricular activities, you have your own to get to, don't you?"

"Ah. Yes, I do. I almost forgot." Aoi started walking down the sidewalk away from Café Junpei. "See you at school tomorrow, Narahiko."

"Bye." Yasutake went back into the store and locked the door after saying that. He then headed into the back room, where the remaining paperwork for Sachi's transfer was. And the only other talking being in the house.

"Ah, about time," Cypher said, looking around from the screen. "Everything's closed up?"

"Yep. What about you? Find anything?"

Cypher lowered his head and shook it. "No. Nothing. I would have thought I'd find _something_ , but there are no indications where any of the others went."

Yasutake frowned. Several weeks ago, he had caught Cypher hacking into the SOL Technology servers. Before he could berate the AI, they had discovered an interesting report: the Cyberse World had been found. And it had been deserted and destroyed.

Cypher hadn't received any news from Ai or the other Ignis. He had briefly considered finding Cyberse World to see for himself, but Cam and Yasutake had dissuaded him of that notion. As Yasutake had argued, they didn't know if the report was real or fabricated, but if it was then whoever destroyed Cyberse World could still be watching it and might try to trap Cypher, and until they heard anything about the Ignis themselves, it would be safer for Cypher to stay with them.

Yasutake had suspected the Knights of Hanoi initially, but if the report wasn't fake, then the timeline didn't work out: the report suggested the Cyberse World had been attacked and abandoned about the same time as the Tower of Hanoi incident. Meaning that another group was responsible – assuming the report was right. And Yasutake had learned a long time ago to always assume the worst.

"Well, keep looking. Cam and Sachi went with Kusanagi to visit his brother, so they'll be back late. Until they do, I'll work on Sachi's prep work for Den Academy." Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "And stay off YouTube, Crunchyroll, and sites like them this time. If I catch you watching anime when you should be working, I'm cutting your subscription."

"Killjoy," Cypher muttered, rolling his eyes. "Fine. It's better that I don't have distractions anyway." He turned to the screens, then turned back. "Oh, before I forget, I finished your new avatar."

"What?" Yasutake said, blinking as an image came up on the monitors. It was his Morningstar avatar, but it had changed. He was now wearing a jet-black jumpsuit with a silver belt, dark silver knee-high boots and shoulder pads, and dark blue gloves with dark silver eight-pointed stars on the backs. His right forearm was covered a silver band, while his left arm wielded his Duel Disk. Silver lines ran up his legs before crossing over his stomach, going straight up his chest, and then crossing again at his collarbone before going down his arms. Rotating the avatar, Yasutake saw he now had a drawing of silver wings on his back. His hair and eyes had also been changed, with the former now divided into three backwards-jutting spikes that were colored dark silver and dark blue bangs that framed his face, and the latter the same shade as his bangs.

"…When did you make this?" Yasutake asked Cypher.

"I've been working on it the past few weeks. Honestly, I thought your previous design was too similar to Playmaker's, so I decided to make yours more unique. What do you think?"

Yasutake looked over the avatar and nodded. "I think it looks good. I'll have to tell Cam about this, of course."

"Naturally." Cypher exited out of the picture. "Now, back to the search. Where are you, my fellow Ignis?"

* * *

Katsumi Kurosaki suppressed her yawn as she walked across the campus of Den University. She hadn't gotten much sleep the last few weeks; between her exams, dealing with clubs, and spending whatever time she had left with Takeshi and Eiji, sleep had become a tertiary concern.

 _But that's going to change soon,_ Katsumi thought, smiling to herself. _Exams are over, and all club activities are done for the week. Now I can go back to LINK VRAINS with Takeshi._

Katsumi had taken a small break from LINK VRAINS because of her real-life challenges, but with those done, she could go back. In the end, Hanoi's attack had done her a favor, as it kept LINK VRAINS offline for a while so she could focus on the real world. And now LINK VRAINS was back up and running.

 _There's also an event later today,_ Katsumi thought as she frowned. _An event involving the Top 5 Charisma Duelists. Takeshi and I will log in together, and then once the event is over, we'll have the rest of the day to ourselves._

Unfortunately, before that event, she had one more challenge to overcome. Katsumi narrowed her eyes as she approached the front gate, where she saw Takeshi being accosted by one of her classmates. By one of her female classmates.

"You're a senior in high school, right?" the girl asked Takeshi, who looked a little uncomfortable as she leaned in closer. "Are you here to check out the university? If you want, I can give you a tour."

"Ah, thank you for the offer, but I'm just waiting for a friend."

"Oh? Well, while you're waiting, why don't I give you a private tour? I'm sure you have a lot of questions about Den University, and I'm sure I can _answer_ them quite effectively." The girl got even closer, entering his personal space.

Takeshi took a step back, sweating a little bit at the emphasis on "answer." Girls had flirted with him before, but he wasn't used to them being this aggressive. "I, uh, I… appreciate the offer, but my friend will be here soon. Uh, actually she's my girlfriend."

"Really? Well, I'm sure that if you and I got to know each other better, I could change your mind…" While Katsumi couldn't see the girl's face, it wasn't hard to imagine her smiling and winking at Takeshi.

Katsumi felt her eye twitch as she did her best to suppress the spike of jealousy that stabbed her heart. She understood Takeshi was good looking, intelligent, and nice, and that made him attractive to girls. Katsumi also knew that she didn't have to worry about him being unfaithful; his sense of loyalty was greater than anyone she'd ever met. He was certainly more loyal than her first and last boyfriend had been. And her mother.

That did not stop her from feeling jealous whenever another girl flirted with Takeshi or talked to him for a long period. In her head, she knew it was an irrational reaction based on the unreasonable fear that Takeshi would get stolen away from her. Her heart didn't care that much.

"Excuse me," Katsumi said, her voice extremely stiff. Those words drew Takeshi's and the girl's attention as Katsumi looked at her with a fake smile. "What is happening here?"

"Oh, Katsumi," Takeshi said, looking relieved. "I was just waiting for you and, uh…"

The girl groaned as she glared at Katsumi. "So _she's_ your girlfriend? The prodigy ice queen? I wouldn't have guessed it. I was expecting someone a little more… sociable."

Katsumi's fake smile grew wider. "I can see why you'd think that, but perhaps Mr. Akino just happens to prefer women with a little more dignity."

Her opponent gave her a smile as fake as Katsumi's. "Oh, I'm sure he does. Dignity is a good thing to have, but there are other aspects men find much more pleasant. Washboard."

Takeshi stiffened as Katsumi's smile suddenly became very, very dangerous. Takeshi didn't know why Katsumi was sensitive about her… lack of assets. Maybe it was because she was so good at so many things that any perceived flaw or weakness bothered her more than it should. Maybe some teasing she'd received had dug itself too deep into her skin. Or maybe it was because that when her first boyfriend broke up with her and left her for another woman, he had explicitly listed "a lack of assets" as one of the reasons for the breakup.

Whatever it was, and Takeshi wasn't brave enough to ask which, Katsumi tended to get a little upset if she was called something like "washboard."

"We need to get going," Takeshi said before Katsumi could erupt. He grabbed her hand and quickly started dragging her off campus. "We have a date. It was nice to meet you!" he called over his shoulder, not giving the girl or Katsumi any time to speak.

It wasn't until they turned the corner that Takeshi stopped and let go of Katsumi's hand. "Sorry about that," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I was just waiting for you at the gate, and then she stopped to talk to me and-."

Katsumi sighed. "It wasn't your fault, Takeshi; it was hers. Still, to think I let her get under my skin. And just because she flirted with you…" She said the last part in a near mutter.

Takeshi laughed a little. "Honestly, I don't mind you being clingy. I kind of like it sometimes."

Katsumi pouted. "You really shouldn't say things like that; that'll just encourage me to do it more." She then sighed. "Well, putting that aside, the event's in an hour, yes? Should we get something to eat before heading to your place?"

Takeshi nodded. "Yeah. There's this new burger place that just opened up I want to try…"

As the two teenagers walked down the streets, Takeshi couldn't help but think about the last three months. After Eiji got out of the hospital, Takeshi had told his brother that he was Galahad, which had left Eiji stunned. His exact words had been "My goofball of a brother is a famous Charisma Duelist? I guess my teacher was right about fate favoring fools."

After Katsumi had stopped laughing and Takeshi had stopped groaning about how mean his little brother was, Eiji had insisted on helping Takeshi design a new avatar, because as he pointed out, LINK VRAINS was being redesigned, so he should use this opportunity to look even cooler. Katsumi had agreed and even changed her own avatar as well.

Not long after that, Katsumi and Takeshi had gone public about their relationship, mostly because they were sick of lying to their friends, but also because both had become very uncomfortable watching the other getting hit on. This was especially true for Katsumi.

Takeshi had been telling the truth; he didn't mind when Katsumi got jealous. He didn't intentionally try to bring that side out, but it didn't bother him too much. For one, having a beautiful girl like her claim him as hers stoked his male ego… which he would never admit out loud because he knew what Katsumi's response would be.

But more importantly, he knew that Katsumi had abandonment issues. She had had a boyfriend when she was fifteen, but he left her for another girl. And before that, her mother left when she was twelve. Those two events, along with an inattentive father, had made Katsumi somewhat possessive of the people she loved, Takeshi and Eiji included. Katsumi knew this wasn't exactly a healthy outlook, but she couldn't help it, and Takeshi couldn't blame her for it considering his own parental issues and determination to keep Eiji with him.

"Hey, Takeshi," Katsumi said, interrupting her boyfriend's thoughts. "You haven't met the new #5 duelist yet, have you?"

Takeshi shook his head. "No. All I know is his name: Vahngo."

"I haven't met him either," Katsumi said, frowning. "I heard he likes painting, but beyond that, nothing. Though he must be skilled if he can join the Top 5…" Katsumi's frown became sadder. Realizing what she was thinking, Takeshi wrapped his arm around her shoulder and squeezed.

"I know," he whispered. "I miss him too. But if Go felt like that was the path he had to take, there's nothing we can do. We have to respect his choice."

"…I know," she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder. "That doesn't make it easier though. Especially not for you."

"…No. It doesn't."

After the Tower of Hanoi fell, SOL Technologies had announced a public bounty on Playmaker. Takeshi and Katsumi had no interest in it, but Go did, to the point where he left the Charisma Duelists to become a bounty hunter. Takeshi hadn't been happy with Go, but the last time they talked, he started to understand.

 _Go has lived his life in the limelight for much longer than any of us,_ Takeshi thought. _More than that, he was the only Charisma Duelist in the Top 10 whose real identity was common knowledge. That secrecy has shielded me, Persephone, Fatumare, and Blue Angel from most of the media's attention. Because of that…_

Takeshi knew that Go was a good person at heart, but being a celebrity, always being told you were the greatest at something, and then having someone upstage you like Playmaker to the point where people only wanted to talk about them and considered you a sidekick… As a prideful duelist himself, Takeshi could understand why Go felt he needed to defeat Playmaker.

A part of Takeshi had wanted to join Go as a bounty hunter; not to duel Playmaker or for the money, but to make sure Go didn't lose himself. But he knew that he couldn't do that. If he left the Charisma Duelists, then Katsumi would also leave them to look after him, and he couldn't do that to her. And after seeing Eiji's face when Takeshi had told him who he really was, he couldn't disappoint his brother.

Of course, Go leaving had unintentional effects on the rankings; Blue Angel was now considered #1, while Persephone and Galahad were #2 and #3 respectively. Fatumare had regained his place at #4 while #5 had been contested for a while before Vahngo claimed it. SOL had also decided to simplify the Top 10 into the Top 5, which was why the event for later would be for the Top 5.

Takeshi shook his head to clear it and leaned against Katsumi. "Never mind Go for now. I don't want to ruin today. Let's go eat, then we can log in back at my place. Eiji's looking forward to it."

Katsumi stared at Takeshi for a bit, then smiled. "Sure. Let's give him a good show!"

* * *

Hana Adachi took in a deep breath. "Mom!" she shouted. "I'm going into LINK VRAINS!"

"Alright, sweetie!" her mom yelled from downstairs. "I'll have dinner ready when you get back!"

Hana closed the door to her room and sat down on her bed, across from a mirror. Hana always thought she looked unremarkable: dark brown hair that went slightly past her shoulders, light brown eyes, a rather slim figure…

 _But it won't matter how I look there,_ she thought with glee as she activated her blue Duel Disk. "Into the VRAINS!" she said. Her Duel Disk glowed, creating a blue sphere around her as her vision blurred.

When Hana's sight cleared, she gasped. She was in a massive city, with a large central tower going up into the sky. She was surrounded by people, many in casual clothes, others in costumes, along with a few children with balloons. Fireworks went off in the sky as Hana looked all around her.

"This is the new LINK VRAINS," she whispered. "Amazing!" She started walking through the crowd, looking over everything. _So many people,_ she thought. _So many events!_ She looked over a few shops selling cards, items, and D-Boards and even saw restaurants. Hana didn't understand why a virtual world would sell food, but maybe it was just for the experience of eating if nothing else.

As she passed a window, Hana caught her reflection and smiled. Now she had midnight-black hair that was tied into a ponytail with a few strands of silver and white throughout. She wore a black vest with small white dots over a plain white shirt and black skirt, with a small black cape attached to her shoulders. Black leggings with white dots covered her legs, and her feet were covered by casual black and white shoes.

Deep silver eyes crinkled back at her as she thought, _I'm not Hana here. In LINK VRAINS, I am Nebula, aspiring Charisma Duelist!_ Though to be truthful, that goal was far from becoming real. Nebula had only joined LINK VRAINS a week ago, but she believed she could fulfill her dream. After all, she had a powerful Deck with an awesome ace monster!

Resuming her walk, Nebula noticed a stage surrounded by a large crowd and stopped next to a guy in blue armor. As she watched, the lights on the stage went out and lightning struck, causing a bright flash. When the flash faded, Blue Angel was standing on the stage, holding a microphone.

"Blue Angel!" the guy in blue shouted excitedly. Nebula had to restrain herself from joining in.

"Everyone! Are you enjoying the new LINK VRAINS?" Blue Angel asked. "There are a lot of events today!"

The guy next to Nebula screamed in joy. "I'll have fun too!" Nebula again had to restrain herself.

"But perhaps the most important event today is the one that will take place in the Event Area in an hour!" Blue Angel continued. "All Top 5 Charisma Duelists will be there, and we'll accept challenges from anyone! It will be so exciting!" The crowd cheered at that, Nebula especially. A chance to face the Top 5 duelists in all of LINK VRAINS? How could she say no to that?

 _This will be my chance!_ Nebula thought. _If I defeat one of the best duelists in LINK VRAINS, I'll become a Charisma Duelist for sure!_

* * *

Akira Zaizen looked down at his boss – a woman with short blue and green hair wearing a swimsuit and short shorts under a dress – as she relaxed in a deckchair. "Queen, why must we search for Playmaker?" he asked, confused.

Queen's expression didn't change. "Ever since you were reinstated as security manager, you've become quite bold," she commented, picking up her drink. "Your former staff were reassigned. You think you're free to do what you like?" Akira grit his teeth at her question. "The Knights of Hanoi have been destroyed, and the Cyberse World has been found. But the Ignis weren't there. Even if Morningstar was telling the truth and Playmaker released his Ignis, it may come back to him, so it is only natural to search for him."

"But-." Akira tried to interject, but Queen cut him off.

"If the Ignis aren't found, our company's operations won't improve." Queen finished her drink and put it down. She then stood up from her deckchair. "Zaizen, I'm putting you in charge of the bounty hunter team."

"Bounty hunter team?" Akira repeated, surprised.

Queen walked up to him. Despite being shorter than him, her force of presence made up for it. "A special search team to capture Playmaker and the Ignis." Queen pulled her sunglasses down, revealing blue eyes. "Use them to capture the Ignis, whatever it takes. If you can't, you'll end up like your former staff." After saying that, Queen departed and the virtual resort around Akira changed back to his office. Akira grit his teeth, frustrated.

 _Having to fight against Playmaker after he saved me and Aoi…_ he thought. _And no doubt Morningstar will become involved even if he has retired. What do I do?_

* * *

Half an hour later, the door to Akira's office opened. A woman with wavy brown hair and green eyes said, "Mr. Onizuka's team has arrived. Please enter." She stepped to the side, letting Go Onizuka – now wearing dark green armor – and two other young men – one with spiky brown hair and another with a pink afro – walk past her into Akira's office.

Once Go reached his desk, Akira stood up. "Thanks for coming, Mr. Onizuka." He held out his hand but Go didn't take it.

"Akira Zaizen… I never thought you would be my boss," Go said.

Putting his hand down, Akira replied, "I can say the same, Mr. Onizuka. I never thought you'd accept being my company's bounty hunter."

"Everyone has their own reasons," Go said, closing his eyes. "Even if you're my boss, don't invade my privacy." Akira crossed his arms and frowned at Go, who didn't care. "I heard there were a few other bounty hunters. Where are they?"

"They haven't-." Akira's assistant started to answer, but then the door behind her opened.

"Yo! Sorry we're late!" Everyone in the room turned to stare at the young man who entered. "For some reason, your receptionist didn't believe we were bounty hunters." He was about Go's age but a little shorter, with short slicked-back brown hair, a prominent widow's peak, and blue eyes. He wore a plain white button-up shirt with the top buttons unbuttoned under a black blazer. From the waist down, he wore a black belt and slacks with distinct white shoes. A golden chain hung from his belt and he had small black stones embedded in his ears.

As he stood in the entrance and rubbed the back of his head, everyone stared at him. "Huh? What are you all-? Oh right!" He saluted, a serious look on his face. "Yukaro Saiba, codename Techbane reporting, Mr. Zaizen!"

"You're Techbane?" Akira asked, raising an eyebrow. "I received your request to join, but I wasn't expecting you to arrive till tomorrow."

"Are you kidding me? When I heard about this, I had to rush here as fast as I could. No way am I missing out!"

"You said 'we' earlier," Go interrupted. "Is someone else with you?"

"Huh?" Yukaro said, blinking. "Oh right! She's- OOOFF!" That last part was from being karate chopped in the back and falling over, revealing a girl behind him.

She was a young girl with short black hair that covered her right eye. She wore a black sweatshirt and blue jeans with large headphones wrapped around her neck. She was also the shortest person in the room, clocking in at one-and-a-half meters. Her visible green eye looked over the room before walking in.

"It's rude to block the door, Mr. Saiba," she said, walking over her prostrate companion. There was very little emotion in her voice and her expression was of constant boredom. She stopped in front of Go Onizuka and looked up at him. "I'm Shizuka Midori. Sylphid."

Go narrowed his eyes. "Aren't you a little young to be a bounty hunter?"

"Aren't you a little too famous?" Shizuka countered, making Go grit his teeth. "I'm sixteen. And I have my reasons. Which I'm not sharing."

"I think that's fair," Yukaro said, standing up while holding his shoulder. "I for one, am more than happy to share my reasons. So, Zaizen, when is Morningstar coming?"

Akira raised an eyebrow again. "Morningstar?"

"Yeah! I mean, the bounty on Playmaker is the largest in Den City! Of course Morningstar would be part of this."

"I'm afraid Morningstar retired a few months ago," Akira said.

"Eh? Really? But I was hoping to meet him."

"I'm sorry. We have attempted to contact Morningstar and convince him to resume the hunt, but we have been unsuccessful. He even changed his contact information."

"It doesn't matter if Morningstar aids us or not," Go interjected. "We'll be just fine without him." Go turned to look at Hayami. "Is this everyone?"

"No. There's still one hunter who hasn't arrived yet."

"Oh? What duelist would dare to keep me waiting?"

Akira closed his eyes. "He's a pro among pros. Second only to Morningstar. And perhaps even more dangerous." He opened his eyes and glared at Go, determined that he get the message. "He hunts his prey without mercy."

* * *

Nebula rode the escalator up, still high on the excitement of the Blue Angel event. _There's a half hour until the Charisma Duelist event,_ she thought. _Until then, I think I'll hang out at Central Station._ She got off the escalator and looked up at the building in front of her. It was a dome with doors all around it. Walking in, she saw that there were booths everywhere in the building. Most of them were shops but at the center was an information booth, with another booth listing events.

"It looks like this is the place I want to go to for information," Nebula whispered, looking around.

"Out of the way!" Nebula looked over at that voice and saw two penguins – one blue with black hair and one purple with pink hair – harassing several tables.

"Move!"

"This is our spot!" The penguins forced the people at the table to vacate it, with the purple one even hitting one of them. "That's right! It's a nice spot, bro."

"…And of course LINK VRAINS has delinquents too," Nebula whispered, feeling disappointed. "It wouldn't feel right without them."

"Hey! You move too!" The purple penguin said that to a person in a purple cape that hadn't moved. The penguin smacked him, but he didn't react. The penguin turned back to the other one. "Bro! He's not moving!"

"Leave this to me!" The blue penguin popped over to purple's side.

"Violence can't be performed in LINK VRAINS, but that doesn't apply to us," the purple penguin boasted.

The blue one raised his right flipper as blue electricity flickered over it. "We modded ourselves using illegal programs," he explained. _Is that something you should admit to in Central Station?_ Nebula silently wondered. "Take this! Penguin Punch!"

The blue penguin tried to punch the man in a cape, but the man suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the head. Nebula gasped. Now that she had a good look at him, the man's body was completely covered in a black coat, blue shirt, black pants and boots, and a purple and green hat. The man wore a red and blue mask with pink eyes in the center, and unless Nebula was mistaken, his right arm was prosthetic with a gun barrel just above the wrist.

The man stood up as the penguin cried, "Let me go, punk!"

"I can also kill players," the man said, his voice quiet but carrying. Blue lightning flickered across the man's right hand as the penguin twitched and then stopped moving before disintegrating into red data.

"Bro!" the purple penguin shouted, distraught. He wasn't the only one who reacted. Everyone who had seen it was in shock.

"He disappeared!" "He's a bounty hunter!"

Looking up at the man, the purple penguin panicked and ran out the door, screaming, "You'll regret this!"

Nebula watched the penguin run, then turned back to the man in a cape. _So he's a bounty hunter?_ she thought. _I thought all hunters were like Morningstar; cool and heroic. I guess he's the minority._

"You haven't changed, Blood Shepherd." The man turned to look at the pink-and-gray-haired woman in a white, black, and dark blue shorts and undershirt.

"Ghost Girl," Blood Shepherd said, naming the woman.

"I heard SOL Technologies hired you as a bounty hunter."

"Didn't they call you too?"

Ghost Girl nodded. "But I don't intend to accept. I owe Playmaker."

"Owe or owed, you're too soft as usual," Blood Shepherd mocked. "Just like Morningstar."

Ghost Girl narrowed her eyes. "Unlike you, he and I don't make all our decisions based on money."

"That's what makes me a pro," Blood Shepherd countered. "And what makes you and Morningstar second-rate. But whatever. Just don't interfere with me. I won't show mercy, even for you."

Ghost Girl smirked at him. "Well, I don't think I'll need to worry. If Morningstar couldn't finish the bounty, you won't."

Blood Shepherd clenched his fists. "Morningstar is weak and focuses too much on honor," Blood Shepherd said, venom dripping from his voice. "I'll finish what he couldn't. And pay him back for last year."

* * *

The purple penguin raced down the escalator and into a nearby alley, panting from the exertion. "Bro…" he muttered, distraught for the loss of his brother's account. The penguin growled. "I need to get that guy back, but I can't do it alone! I need someone strong, someone…"

He then noticed that he wasn't alone in the alley. A very tall person in a black cloak was also there, out of sight of the main road, leaning against the wall and looking upwards at the sky.

"Who's this guy?" the penguin wondered aloud. "Oh! If he's separated from everyone else, maybe he's a mercenary? I can pay him to deal with that guy!" He waddled up to the man in a cloak and said, "Hey, you! I have a proposition for you!"

The man either didn't hear him or ignored him and continued staring up at the sky. "Oi! I'm talking to you!" The man refused to acknowledge the penguin, which irked him greatly. "Fine then! I'll have to make do with another! But first I'll punish you for ignoring me!" Blue lightning flickered across the penguin's flipper as he pulled it back. "Take this! Penguin Punch!" He punched with all his might and connected with the cloak, and upon contact the blue lightning… fizzled out.

The penguin stood there for a moment in shock. The man meanwhile finally turned his head to look down at the penguin. "Was that supposed to do something?" he asked. His voice was deep and cold, and something in the tone filled the penguin with dread.

"P-Penguin Punch!" The penguin called up the program and punched the guy again, but the lightning fizzled out again. Panicking, he punched the guy's cloak again and again, but nothing happened. Nothing until the man reached down with a black gloved hand with red claws and grabbed the penguin by the head.

The man lifted the penguin up to eye level. Looking at him, the penguin saw two bright red eyes set deep in the cloak. "L-Let me go!" the penguin begged. In response, the man tightened his grip, digging his claws further into the penguin's skull and making him cry out in pain. "P-Please!"

"…No," the man said, his voice filled with boredom and contempt. After saying that, red lightning danced across his hand and down the penguin's body. The penguin screamed in agony before going limp. His body then disintegrated into red data, leaving the man empty-handed.

As he lowered his hand, he sighed. "This place is full of nothing but weaklings. At least Morningstar and Playmaker would make things interesting. When am I going to see something worth my time?" he wondered aloud.

"Suggestion: Perhaps you should watch the Top 5 event, master."

The man turned as a machine walked over. It was a rust-colored skeletal humanoid with a thick chassis and roughly square head with glowing red eyes.

"Commentary: The Charisma Duelists are perceived by the meatbag media as the best duelists in LINK VRAINS. Perhaps you will see someone worth fighting?"

The man sighed again. "Doubtful, HK-70," he said. "But I suppose it's better than nothing. Certainly better than deleting the accounts of cretins like that one."

* * *

Galahad took a deep breath. "Oh man. I never get used to these kinds of events."

Next to him, Persephone smiled. "I think that's a good thing. It keeps us humble."

"That's one way of looking at it." Galahad looked Persephone up and down. "Huh. I hadn't seen your new avatar in person before. It looks good."

Persephone blushed at the compliment. She had changed her look from a long black dress and armor to a form-fitting purple jumpsuit (with a few extra curves to her body) with black sections on her sides, the outsides of her legs, and her upper arms. Above the jumpsuit was purple armor with gold designs on the edges covering her chest, stomach, lower legs and lower arms. On her feet she wore dark purple high-heeled shoes that were tied with black string and on her hands, she wore black fingerless gloves with purple backs. Her hair was still black, but it was much longer and wavier, going down to her mid-back and topped with a dark silver circlet. Her lips and nails were painted amethyst, the same color as her eyes.

Persephone chuckled a bit. "I think of the two of us, you're the one people will be looking at. Your new design is very… regal."

Galahad frowned. "Is that bad?" Galahad's new avatar was similar to his old one: a dark green jumpsuit with silver gauntlets, knee-high boots, shoulder pads, belt, and a breastplate that wrapped around his upper torso. However, he had added a dark green cape embroidered with gold on the edges, which he hung to the side over his left arm. His eyes and hair were the same color – gray and blonde – but his hair was much shorter and was now thinner on the sides and thicker on top.

"No, no. It makes you look serious and in charge. Kind of makes me think you should be #1 instead of Blue Angel."

Galahad frowned. "To me, there's only one #1. And none of us could take his place without facing him." Persephone frowned, then nodded in understanding.

"Galahad! Persephone!" The two Charisma Duelists turned as Fatumare walked up to them. Unlike them, he hadn't changed his avatar and still went around shirtless in pants, boots, and shoulder pads made of fish scales. "I'm glad to see you two are here. Know where Blue Angel and the new guy are?"

"Blue Angel is announcing the event," Galahad said, jerking his head to the side. The three of them were standing behind a curtain on a stage in the Event Area, waiting for the Top 5 event to begin. "As for Vahngo, I haven't seen him. Or met him yet. What about you?"

"Yeah, I met him once. He's…"

"What?" Galahad said, raising an eyebrow at Fatumare's hesitant expression. "Is there something wrong?"

"Well…"

"Ah, so you must be my new friends among the Top 5."

Galahad and Persephone jumped a bit and turned around. A young man, even younger than Galahad, was standing behind them. He wore a white smock and baggy gray pants, both of which had several splotches of paint all over them. A red beret rested on top of his purple and red-violet hair and a paint brush was nestled in his waistband. Galahad noticed that he wore a new-model Duel Disk, segmented into eight different sections, seven of which were the colors of the rainbow, while the last segment was white.

The young man regarded them with blue-green eyes. "Ah, but where are my manners?" He took a deep bow. "A pleasure to make your acquaintances; I am Vahngo, the new #5 Charisma Duelist. Among many, I am known as the Artist of LINK VRAINS, though I don't think a handsome man such as yourself need be so formal." He said the last part while winking at Galahad.

Galahad blinked in confusion and rubbed the back of his head. "Uh… nice to meet you?" Behind his back, Persephone furiously glared at Vahngo, who caught sight of her expression.

"Ah, such a fearsome expression, milady," he said. "I can see that purple is indeed the right color for you, as it is a color of grace, but is also related to red, a very fierce color. And who else but the great Persephone can combine such fierceness and grace?"

Persephone's expression didn't change. "Don't flirt with Galahad, pretty boy," she said. She'd already had to deal with that girl this morning, she was _not_ going to deal with a new Charisma Duelist hitting on her boyfriend. Galahad blinked, this time in surprise, as he realized what Persephone just said. Vahngo, on the other hand, either ignored or didn't notice the hostility in her voice and bowed.

"Thank you for the compliment, fair lady. I had hoped my avatar would be as attractive as my real self. By your words, I'd say I succeeded."

Galahad, Fatumare, and Persephone all sweat-dropped. _Okay, this guy is a bit weird,_ Galahad thought. _Nice, but weird._

"Everyone! Are you ready?"

The four blinked as they turned towards the curtain. That had been Blue Angel. The event was starting. "Today, we have a special treat for all of you. To celebrate the reopening of LINK VRAINS, the Top 5 Charisma Duelists will accept any challenges to duel today for the next hour. We won't be having Challenge Duels, so there will be no changes in ranks, but why should that stop you? First, let us introduce the remainder of the Top 5!"

The curtain pulled back, revealing the four Charisma Duelists. The crowd went wild as they all struck poses.

"Oh, Fatumare! The Mariner is so cool!"

"That's Persephone! She's so elegant and mature!"

"Isn't that the newest Top 5 member, Vahngo? Oh, you can tell how much he loves art from his avatar."

"Who's that guy standing between Persephone and Fatumare?"

On hearing that last question, Galahad face-faulted as Persephone and Fatumare turned their heads, trying not to laugh.

"WHO SAID THAT!?" Galahad shouted as he got back on his feet. "Whoever did so, I'm Galahad, #3! I know I changed my avatar, but so did Persephone! How can you recognize her, but not me!?" His outburst set the crowd laughing. "Hey! Don't laugh at me! I'm being serious here!"

Blue Angel giggled as she moved to stand in front of the others. "Looks like Galahad decided to jump the gun. Still, I have to do formal introductions, don't I? Let's start with the newest and youngest member of the Top 5: Vahngo the Artist!" Said young man stepped forward and bowed to the audience.

"It is a great pleasure to meet all of you," he said, his voice carrying over the crowd. "If only I had a canvas with me, I would immortalize this moment in a painting." He sighed forlornly, making the other Charisma Duelists sweatdrop.

"M-Moving on, we have the oldest member of the Top 5, but all that means is he has more experience than the rest of us. Give it up for Fatumare the Mariner!" Said man stepped forward and flexed his very impressive muscles, making the crowd go wild. He didn't say anything, for which Galahad was secretly grateful.

"And now we have one of the heroes who fought to save LINK VRAINS from the Knights of Hanoi! As he said himself, he is #3! Galahad the Knight!" Galahad stepped forward and waved to the crowd, ignoring the few people whispering in the back, likely asking each other who he was.

"And next up is #2! The most graceful member of the Top 5 and widely regarded as a queen by her fans, allow me to introduce Persephone the Traveler!" Persephone stepped forward and curtsied to the crowd with an elegant smile, making the crowd go wild. Galahad had to fight off the urge to glare at several men in the crowd who were looking at Persephone with more than admiration in their eyes. This was not the place for that.

"And while I'm sure I don't need to introduce myself, I am Blue Angel the Idol!" Blue Angel, waving at the crowd and making them go wild. "So, let's get this event started! Before we invite all of you to challenge us, why don't we have something _really_ interesting?" Blue Angel turned and pointed at one of her fellow Charisma Duelists. "Vahngo! I challenge you to a duel!"

The crowd gasped as Vahngo raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I thought only the audience members could issue a challenge. Or did I misunderstand the nature of this event?"

"Well, since we're participating, it makes sense we can challenge anyone. And as the new #1 Charisma Duelist, I want to see what our newest member can do." Blue Angel adorably pouted. "Is that a no? You don't want to duel me?"

Vahngo dramatically sighed. "Oh, how can I turn down a fair maiden such as yourself? Very well, I accept your challenge, Blue Angel! Let us put brush to canvas and create a painting this audience will remember forever!"

"Please tell me that wasn't a euphemism," Galahad whispered to Persephone.

"Considering earlier, I'm pretty sure it was just a metaphor," she whispered back.

Blue Angel and Vahngo stood at opposite ends of the stage. Out in the crowd, Nebula restrained herself from bouncing up and down. _This will be so cool!_ she thought.

"Duel!"

 **Blue Angel: 4000 LP**

 **Vahngo: 4000 LP**

"Blue Angel, would you allow me the honor of putting the first touches on our duel?" Vahngo asked.

"Go ahead. I challenged you after all."

"Excellent. Well my first stroke will be to send the Hecatrice in my hand to the Graveyard. By doing so, I can add a certain Spell Card from my Deck to my hand." A seven-colored ring appeared around his Duel Disk as he added the card to his hand. After taking it, Vahngo's smile grew. "And now I'll play that Spell Card. The Continuous Spell Card: Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen! With this card in play, I can Special Summon a Fairy monster from my hand so long as I control no monsters. My first artist will now join us. Come, The Weather Painter Rain!" A small girl with long blue hair in a blue dress carrying a marker pen appeared in Attack Position.

 **The Weather Painter Rain ATK 1200 DEF 1400 LVL: 3**

"Painter Rain's monster effect! When she is Special Summoned, I can place one 'The Weather' Spell or Trap Card from my hand face-up in my Spell & Trap Zone." Vahngo's smile widened. "It is time to add to the background of our painting. I activate the Continuous Trap Card: The Weather Auroral Canvas! But it's too soon for me to unveil my new canvas' effects. Before that, I'll add a new artist. I summon The Weather Painter Snow!" An even smaller girl than Rain with much shorter light blue hair and a blue and white dress appeared, carrying a small brush.

 **The Weather Painter Snow ATK 0 DEF 2200 LVL: 3**

 _He Summoned a Level 3 monster with 0 attack points in Attack Position?_ Galahad thought, crossing his arms. _He must have something planned._

"Alas, our newest artist will have to depart," Vahngo said forlornly. "Painter Snow's monster effect! When she is Normal Summoned, I can place one 'The Weather' Spell or Trap Card from my Deck face-up in my Spell & Trap Zone. Let my next canvas be unveiled! The Continuous Spell Card: The Weather Snowy Canvas!" Vahngo's smile became more of a smirk. "And now that the background is ready, I can start painting seriously. Because my Canvas are not just for show, no, no; each of them gives an effect to a 'The Weather' monster in the same column as it as well as the adjacent columns."

Persephone's eyes widened. _His Continuous Spell and Trap Cards give effects to his monsters? I haven't faced a strategy like that before._

"I now activate the effect that my Painter Snow gained from Snowy Canvas! By banishing it, I can add a 'The Weather' card from my Deck to my hand, but I cannot add anymore cards from my Deck to my hand for the rest of the turn." Snow disappeared in a flurry as Vahngo took a card from his Deck. "I add a new canvas to my hand: The Weather Thundery Canvas. I Set one card and end my turn." Vahngo made a small bow to Blue Angel. "I have created the background for our masterpiece, dear Blue Angel. I shall leave it to you to create the foreground."

Blue Angel smiled. "Alright, Vahngo. My turn! Draw!"

"Ah, but before you start it, my artist's effect activates!" her opponent declared. "You see, during the Standby Phase of the turn after it is banished to activate a "The Weather" card's effect, Painter Snow's effect Special Summons itself!" The little girl reappeared, this time in Defense Position.

 **The Weather Painter Snow ATK 0 DEF 2200 LVL: 3**

"So I have to deal with two monsters instead of one? No matter. I activate the Field Spell Card: Trickstar Light Stage! When this card is activated, I can add a 'Trickstar' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Trickstar Candina to my hand."

"Ah, Candina. She is a most powerful performer. A pity she won't be joining us."

"Eh?" Blue Angel gasped in surprise.

"I activate the effect of Painter Rain that it gained from Auroral Canvas!" Vahngo declared. "When a card is added to a player's hand, I banish Rain to banish that card." Rain vanished in a flash of light, as did Candina. "Do not despair for your lost companion, however. Because Auroral Canvas's effect now lets you draw a card."

Blue Angel smiled. "Well, that's very generous of you, Vahngo. Alright, draw!" She looked at her card, then played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Trickstar Vision! This card lets me Special Summon a 'Trickstar' monster from my hand with its attack points halved and its effects negated. Come, Trickstar Lilybell!" A young girl in a red dress with pink hair carrying a large bell appeared in Attack Position.

 **Trickstar Lilybell ATK 800→400 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"Trickstar Vision then allows both of us to draw a card."

"You are allowing me a draw? Is this perchance a 'thank you' for the card I let you draw?"

"You can think of it that way. But mostly it's just to get Lilybell on the field." Blue Angel gestured to her field. "I activate the effect of Trickstar Lycoris in my hand! By returning a 'Trickstar' monster on my field to my hand, I can Special Summon her! Lilybell returns to me and Lycoris takes her place!" The little girl disappeared as a teenage girl with long brown hair in a red and pink dress carrying a sword appeared in Attack Position.

 **Trickstar Lycoris ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"Lilybell's monster effect! If she is added to my hand outside of a draw, I can Special Summon her! Return to me, Lilybell!" The little girl reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Trickstar Lilybell ATK 800 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"Come out, the circuit of dreams and hope!" Blue Angel's hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above her. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 3 or lower 'Trickstar' monsters. I set Lilybell and Lycoris in the Link Markers!" Her monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom-left and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Trickstar Divaridis!" A woman with long blonde hair in an elegant green and white dress emerged from the portal, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Trickstar Divaridis ATK 1800 LINK-2** ↙↓

"Divaridis's monster effect! When she's Special Summoned, you take 200 points of damage!"

"Eh?" Vahngo said, surprised. "Damage just from being summoned?" Yellow lights surrounded Vahngo and made him wince.

 **Vahngo: 4000→3800 LP**

"Light Stage's effect activates! When a 'Trickstar' monster inflicts damage to you, it inflicts another 200 points of damage!"

 **Vahngo: 3800→3600 LP**

"Our show's just getting started! I send Light Stage to the Graveyard and activate the Field Spell Card: Trickstar Live Stage!"

"When this card activates," Blue Angel's AI said. "You can add a 'Trickstar' monster in your Graveyard to your hand."

"Lycoris returns to my hand." Blue Angel smiled on gaining her card back. "Live Stage's additional effect activates! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Trickstar Token to a 'Trickstar' Link Monster's Link Marker in Defense Position!" A little red heart with wings and a tail appeared at Divaridis's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Trickstar Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"I Tribute my Token to Tribute Summon Trickstar Birdhelm!" The token disintegrated as a woman in a black dress with a silver helmet covering her long dark blue hair and carrying a sword appeared.

 **Trickstar Birdhelm ATK 0 DEF 1800 LVL: 5**

 _A 0-attack point monster in Attack Position?_ Fatumare wondered.

"Birdhelm's monster effect! When she is Normal Summoned, you take 200 points of damage and I draw one card!" Vahngo winced from the yellow lights again.

 **Vahngo: 3600→3400 LP**

Blue Angel drew, then said, "Unfortunately, the cost for Birdhelm's effect is I can't conduct my Battle Phase this turn. But I think I can live with that. I return Birdhelm to my hand and Special Summon Lycoris again!" The woman in the helmet disintegrated as the girl in the red dress appeared in Attack Position at Divaridis's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Trickstar Lycoris ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"I activate Birdhelm's effect from my hand and equip her to a 'Trickstar' Link Monster!" Birdhelm's helmet reappeared and attached itself to Divaridis's head.

 _She summoned Lycoris to take advantage of its draw damage effect,_ Galahad thought, narrowing his eyes. _But why did she equip Birdhelm to Divaridis?_

"I activate Live Stage's final effect!" Blue Angel declared. "Once per turn, since you control a Set card in your Spell & Trap Zone, I can Special Summon a Trickstar Token!" Another little heart appeared in Defense Position.

 **Trickstar Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"The effect of the equipped Birdhelm activates! When I Special Summon a 'Trickstar' monster, you take 200 points of damage!" Vahngo winced again.

 **Vahngo: 3400→3200 LP**

"So that's the reason why," Galahad muttered, his confusion clearing.

"I Set one card," Blue Angel said. "I end my turn." Blue Angel smiled. "So Vahngo, do you like my Trickstar Deck?"

"Yes, I do," Vahngo said earnestly. "With my artists and your singers, I can tell we'll put on a spectacular show for our audience. My turn! Draw!" His eyes widened on seeing his card, but before he could say anything, Blue Angel spoke up.

"Lycoris's monster effect! When you draw a card, she inflicts 200 points of damage!' Lycoris shot a bolt of light at Vahngo, making him wince.

 **Vahngo: 3200→3000 LP**

"Your singers are very hurtful, Blue Angel," Vahngo said, frowning. "But they cannot erase the pleasure of my artist returning. Come back, The Weather Painter Rain!" The girl with a giant marker reappeared in Attack Position.

 **The Weather Painter Rain ATK 1200 DEF 1400 LVL: 3**

"I see," Blue Angel nodded. "So it's not just Snow; Rain can Special Summon herself after being banished. I assume your other Weather Painters have the same effect?"

"Of course. A true artist cannot abandon their canvas for long."

"That may be true, but it will hurt you," Blue Angel said before gesturing to her field. "Divaridis's monster effect! Each time you Normal or Special Summon a monster, you take 200 points of damage!" Vahngo winced as sparkles of light struck him.

 **Vahngo: 3000→2800 LP**

"My, oh my, that feeling is somewhat unpleasant," Vahngo said, shaking his head. "I can't say I look forward to facing that. But!" he said, suddenly standing erect. "An artist must overcome adversity! Only then can we create a truly spectacular painting! Of course…" He then smiled. "The same is true of singers. If the show doesn't go the way they intend, how will they respond?"

"Eh?" Blue Angel said, blinking in surprise.

"I activate the Field Spell Card: Chicken Game!" Vahngo declared. "While this card is active, the player with the lowest Life Points takes no damage!"

The crowd gasped at hearing that, as did Galahad and Persephone. _With that card, he's effectively nullified Blue Angel's burn strategy!_ Galahad thought.

"Since my Life Points are lower than yours, that means I can't be damaged by Divaridis or Lycoris anymore," Vahngo said before gesturing to his field. "I activate Chicken Game's additional effect! During the Main Phase, the turn player can pay 1000 Life Points to activate one of three effects. The one I choose to activate is to draw a card!"

 **Vahngo: 2800→1800 LP**

"Normally, Lycoris would inflict damage to me since I drew, but because of Chicken Game, she can't," Vahngo said, shaking his head. "And since that also means Divaridis's effect won't work, I can bring out a new artist! Come, The Weather Painter Thunder!" A young red-haired boy in a yellow coat carrying a large crayon appeared.

 **The Weather Painter Thunder ATK 1700 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"Painter Thunder's monster effect! Once per turn, I can send a face-up Continuous Spell or Trap Card I control to the Graveyard, then place a 'The Weather' Spell or Trap Card from my Deck face-up in my Spell & Trap Zone. I send Valhalla to the Graveyard and activate the Continuous Spell Card: The Weather Cloudy Canvas." Vahngo then gestured to his field. "Continuous Trap activate! The Weather Thundery Canvas!" He smiled and said, "Now I have four of my canvas on the field. I may only have three painters, but they can handle the workload just fine. I switch Painter Snow to Attack Position."

"Eh?" In the crowd, Nebula blinked. "Why would he do that?" she wondered. "It has 0 attack points."

"Battle!" Vahngo declared. "Painter Snow, attack Lycoris!"

"EH!?" The entire crowd reacted with surprise as the little blue-haired girl charged Lycoris. "I assume you have a plan, Vahngo?" Blue Angel asked him, which made him smile.

"Of course I do. A true artist always sees the bigger picture." Vahngo then gestured to his field. "I activate the effect Painter Snow gained from Thundery Canvas! By banishing Painter Snow, the monster it is battling is returned to the opponent's hand!" Blue Angel gasped. "So your Lycoris returns to your hand!" Lycoris and Painter Snow both disappeared in a bolt of lightning.

"I would have preferred returning Divaridis to your hand," Vahngo said, noting Blue Angel's surprised reaction. "However, your Birdhelm prevents me from targeting itself or the equipped Divaridis with card effects." Vahngo then gestured to a different monster. "I activate the effect of Painter Rain it gained from Cloudy Canvas! By banishing Rain, one monster's attack points are halved. I halve Painter Thunder's attack points!" Rain was surrounded by mist before it disappeared while Thunder glowed.

 **The Weather Painter Thunder ATK 1700→850**

"Eh?" Blue Angel said again. "Why would you halve your monster's attack points?"

"Because Cloudy Canvas's also allows that monster to attack directly this turn," Vahngo explained, making Blue Angel gasp. "Battle! Painter Thunder, attack Blue Angel directly!" Thunder hefted his crayon above his shoulder and shot a bolt of lightning at Blue Angel, making her wince.

 **Blue Angel: 4000→3150 LP**

"Alas, my final artist must bid adieu," Vahngo said as Blue Angel recovered. "I activate the effect Thunder gained from Snowy Canvas! I banish Thunder to add The Weather Painter Aurora from my Deck to my hand."

"Vahngo has less Life Points than Blue Angel, but with that Field Spell Card in play, he has the advantage," Galahad noted.

"Not necessarily," Persephone said. Galahad turned to her as she said, "Chicken Game is a useful card against Trickstars, but it has one weakness. Blue Angel can also use its effects, and one of those effects allows her to destroy it." Persephone narrowed her eyes. "Though I suspect Vahngo has already thought of that."

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Field Barrier!" Vahngo declared. "While this card is active, Field Spell Cards cannot be destroyed, and no new Field Spell Cards can be activated."

 _Looks like she was right,_ Galahad thought as he narrowed his eyes. _With Field Barrier in play, Blue Angel can't destroy Chicken Game with its own effect. Or her own cards, for that matter._

"With that, I end my turn," Vahngo said. He smiled and made an offering gesture to Blue Angel. "Our painting is very well along, dear Blue Angel. Please, continue to add your colors to it."

Blue Angel smiled back. "My turn! Draw!" She looked at her card as Vahngo gestured to his field.

"Before you make it, the effects of my painters activate! Each of them is now Special Summoned to my field! Return, my artists!" Painters Rain, Snow, and Thunder all reappeared on Vahngo's field in Defense Position.

 **The Weather Painter Rain ATK 1200 DEF 1400 LVL: 3**

 **The Weather Painter Snow ATK 0 DEF 2200 LVL: 3**

 **The Weather Painter Thunder ATK 1700 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

Blue Angel looked at her hand, then at Vahngo's Field Spell. _Chicken Game encourages a certain type of playstyle,_ she thought. She couldn't help but smirk. _Alright then – if that's the game Vahngo wants to play, then I'll play._

"I activate the effect of Chicken Game!' she declared. "By paying 1000 Life Points, I increase your Life Points by 1000!" Vahngo's eyes widened as both of them glowed.

 **Blue Angel: 3150→2150 LP**

 **Vahngo: 1800→2800 LP**

Galahad blinked then smiled. "Looks like she reversed it rather easily."

"Yes," Persephone said, also smiling. _Chicken Game is all about the players forcing themselves to lower their own Life Points so they can damage their opponents. Blue Angel usually tries to keep her Life Points high, but that strategy won't work here._

"Now that my Life Points are lower than yours, you can take damage," Blue Angel pointed out to Vahngo, who chuckled at Blue Angel's words. "I summon Trickstar Nightshade!" A rose-haired girl in a red and green dress appeared, holding a baton.

 **Trickstar Nightshade ATK 100 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"I activate Lycoris's effect from my hand! By returning Nightshade, I Special Summon her!" Nightshade disintegrated as the girl with a sword reappeared in Attack Position at Divaridis's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Trickstar Lycoris ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"Birdhelm's effect activates! Since I Special Summoned a 'Trickstar' monster, you take 200 points of damage!" Vahngo winced from the yellow sparks that appeared.

 **Vahngo: 2800→2600 LP**

"Come out, the circuit of dreams and hope!" The Link portal appeared above Blue Angel. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower 'Trickstar' monster. I set Trickstar Token in the Link Marker!" Her Token entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Trickstar Bloom!" A young girl with orange pigtails in a green dress appeared, wielding a staff that was shaped like a flower on top, summoned to Divaridis's bottom Link Marker.

 **Trickstar Bloom ATK 100 LINK-1** ↓

"Birdhelm's effect activates!"

 **Vahngo: 2600→2400 LP**

"Bloom's monster effect! When she is Link Summoned, you draw one card!"

"Oh? Well, it would be rude of me to decline such a generous gift." Vahngo drew, which made Blue Angel gesture to her field.

"Lycoris's effect activates! Since you drew a card, she inflicts 200 points of damage!" Lycoris shot a bolt of light at Vahngo, making him wince again.

 **Vahngo: 2400→2200 LP**

"Trap activate! Trickstar Maribold! Since I Link Summoned, I return a 'Trickstar' monster from my Graveyard to my hand, and then I can Normal Summon a 'Trickstar' monster. I return Lilybell to my hand." Blue Angel then smirked. "And since Lilybell was added to my hand outside of a draw, she Special Summons herself!" The girl carrying a bell reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Trickstar Lilybell ATK 800 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"Birdhelm's effect activates!"

 **Vahngo: 2200→2000 LP**

"Those were very impressive brushstrokes, Blue Angel," Vahngo said, recovering from the repeated blows. "But since my Life Points are now lower than yours again, Chicken Game's effect prevents me from taking damage again."

"For now," Blue Angel said. "Thanks to Maribold, I Normal Summon Nightshade again!"

 **Trickstar Nightshade ATK 100 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Shine again, the circuit of dreams and hope!" The Link portal appeared above Blue Angel for a third time. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Trickstar' monsters. I set Bloom and Nightshade in the Link Markers!" Her two monsters entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Trickstar Black Catbat!" A young woman with black hair with white stripes in it and two tails appeared. She wore a black dress and wielded a two-pronged scepter. Black Catbat winked at the audience from Divaridis's bottom Link Marker.

 **Trickstar Black Catbat ATK 2000 LINK-2** ←→

"Nightshade's monster effect! When she is used to Link Summon a 'Trickstar' monster, I can Special Summon her!" The rose-haired girl reappeared at Black Catbat's right Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Trickstar Nightshade ATK 100 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

Vahngo applauded Blue Angel. "Impressive. You have four monsters on the field. I assume now you'll Link Summon again?"

"Not yet," Blue Angel said before she gestured to her field. "Battle! Nightshade, attack Painter Thunder!"

"Eh!?" Vahngo said, surprised as the audience for once. _Oh no!_ he thought. _Thunder's in Defense Position and it has 0 defense points!_

"I activate the effect Painter Thunder gained from Snowy Canvas!" he declared. "I banish Thunder to add The Weather Painter Ice to my hand!" Thunder disappeared in a small blizzard, which burst as Nightshade's energy blast went through it.

"Since Thunder was banished, a replay occurs," Blue Angel said, now pointing to a different monster on Vahngo's field. "Nightshade, attack Painter Rain!"

"Huh!?" the crowd collectively said, stunned as Vahngo. "Why would she attack with Nightshade?" Nebula wondered aloud.

Vahngo was wondering the same thing, but then it hit him too late. Or rather, Nightshade's attack hit Rain, but didn't do anything as Rain shot a burst of water from her marker at Blue Angel, who winced.

 **Blue Angel: 2150→850 LP**

Galahad gasped. "That clever girl!" he said. "She lowered her Life Points on purpose so she could inflict damage!" Persephone couldn't help but smile as the audience caught on and cheered for Blue Angel.

Vahngo chuckled. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to intentionally damage yourself like that."

"It's true that my tactics usually focus on maintaining a Life Point advantage," Blue Angel acknowledged. "But a friend once taught me that if I truly want to become stronger, then I have to adapt. So I'll play this game. And I'll win." Blue Angel gestured to her field. "Lilybell's effect allows her to attack you directly!" Lilybell sent out sonic blasts with her bell, but Vahngo gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect Painter Rain gained from Cloudy Canvas! I banish Rain to halve Lilybell's attack points and allow her to attack directly!" Rain disappeared in a burst of fog.

 **Trickstar Lilybell ATK 800→400**

"Lilybell's attack continues!" Vahngo winced as the sonic blasts hit him.

 **Vahngo: 2000→1600 LP**

"Lilybell's monster effect! When she inflicts battle damage, I can add a 'Trickstar' monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I return Bloom to my Extra Deck." Blue Angel then smiled. "I'll end this now, Vahngo! Shine once more, the circuit of dreams and hope!" The Link portal appeared above her. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Fairy monsters. I set Lilybell, Lycoris, and Nightshade in the Link Markers!" Her three monsters entered the left, top, and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Trickstar Foxywitch!" A green haired woman in a pink dress and hat wielding a pink wand emerged from the portal, summoned to Divaridis's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Trickstar Foxywitch ATK 2200 LINK-3** ←↑→

"Foxywitch's effect activates! When she is Special Summoned, you take 200 points of damage for each card you control!" Vahngo gasped. "You control seven, so you take 1400 points of damage!" Blue Angel then gestured to a different card. "But first, Birdhelm's effect activates! Since a 'Trickstar' monster was Special Summoned, Birdhelm inflicts 200 points of damage!"

"Birdhelm will reduce Vahngo to 1400 Life Points, then Foxywitch will reduce him to 0," Persephone said, smiling. "As expected of Blue Angel."

"Go, Birdhelm! Foxywitch!" Divaridis's helmet glowed as it and Foxywitch sent golden sparkles at Vahngo, who selected a card from his hand.

"I activate the effect of The Weather Painter Ice in my hand!" he declared. "By discarding it, all effect damage I take in this chain is halved!" A young woman with dark blue hair wearing deep blue robes and carrying a palette and paint brush briefly appeared as the sparkles passed through her, making Vahngo wince.

 **Vahngo: 1600→1500→800 LP**

Vahngo couldn't help but laugh. "A very good try, Blue Angel," he said. "If not for Ice, I would have lost. But my painting is not yet done, and an unfinished painting is just too sad to leave be."

Blue Angel frowned, but said, "I Set two cards and end my turn. So, show me what you've got, Artist of LINK VRAINS!"

"Of course! My turn! Draw!" Vahngo looked at his card, smiled, then gestured to his field. "It is time for my artists to return! Come back, Rain and Thunder!" His two painters reappeared, both summoned in Attack Position.

 **The Weather Painter Rain ATK 1200 DEF 1400 LVL: 3**

 **The Weather Painter Thunder ATK 1700 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"Painter Thunder's monster effect! I send Field Barrier to the Graveyard and activate the Continuous Spell Card: The Weather Rainy Canvas from my Deck!" In a flash of lightning, Field Barrier was replaced with a new Canvas card. "I activate the effect of Painter Ice in my Graveyard! By banishing her, I can Special Summon a 'The Weather' monster from my Deck in Defense Position. Come, The Weather Painter Sun!" A short fat man with a brown mustache wearing red robes and carrying an artist's palette and paintbrush with orange paint appeared.

 **The Weather Painter Sun ATK 1600 DEF 400 LVL: 3**

Vahngo smiled as he pulled his paintbrush from his waistband. He drew the paintbrush across his Duel Disk, creating a multi-colored ring above it. "Come forth! The seven-colored circuit!" Vahngo pointed upwards with his paintbrush, which glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three 'The Weather' monsters. I set Painter Rain, Painter Sun, and Painter Snow in the Link Markers!" His three monsters entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! The Weather Painter Rainbow!" A beautiful woman with strands of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple in her blonde hair emerged from the portal. She wore a simple white blouse with dark brown shoulder pads and carried an artist's tray in her right hand. Seven tubes of paint – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple in color – appeared alongside the woman as she was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **The Weather Painter Rainbow ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

Blue Angel narrowed her eyes. "So this is your ace monster…" she muttered. In the crowd, Nebula's eyes were wide with stars. _She's so pretty!_

Vahngo returned his paintbrush to his waistband and then snapped his fingers. "My main artist has finally arrived! But first, she needs some backup, otherwise her painting will not truly show her heart. I activate the effect of The Weather Painter Sun in my Graveyard! By sending a Continuous Spell or Trap Card I control to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Sun in Defense Position! I send Auroral Canvas to the Graveyard." The short man reappeared at Rainbow's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **The Weather Painter Sun ATK 1600 DEF 400 LVL: 3**

"The second part of Sun's effect now activates, and I must place a 'The Weather' Spell or Trap Card from my hand face-up in my Spell & Trap Zone. I place The Weather Sunny Canvas on my field." Vahngo smiled. "Although truthfully, this one is merely adding to the background of my larger painting. But my last artist is not! I Tribute Sun to Tribute Summon The Weather Painter Aurora!" The short man disintegrated as a tall green-haired woman in a light green dress wielding a paint roller appeared at Rainbow's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **The Weather Painter Aurora ATK 2200 DEF 2000 LVL: 6**

"I sincerely hope you weren't planning to either destroy or target my canvas," Vahngo said. "Because while Painter Aurora is on the field, you cannot target or destroy my 'The Weather' Spell and Trap Cards with your card effects." Blue Angel narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything. Vahngo then gestured to his field. "I activate Painter Thunder's effect it gained from Cloudy Canvas! By banishing Thunder, Painter Rainbow's attack points are halved, and it can attack directly!" Thunder disappeared in a cloud of mist while Rainbow glowed.

 **The Weather Painter Rainbow ATK 2400→1200**

Galahad gasped. "Wait, Blue Angel has 850 Life Points."

"And since her Life Points are higher than Vahngo's, Chicken Game won't protect her," Persephone said, her eyes wide. "That means-."

"Our painting is finally complete! Time for the finishing touches! Battle! Painter Rainbow, attack Blue Angel directly!" All seven of Rainbow's tubes turned to face Blue Angel and blasted her with colored lights.

Blue Angel gestured to her field. "Trap activate! Trickstar Cascade! I return a 'Trickstar' card to my hand and negate your attack. I return Live Stage to my hand!" Her Field Spell Card left the field as Vahngo smiled.

"I'm afraid that won't work, Blue Angel," he said before gesturing to his own field. "For you see, my canvas are not the only cards that grant my monsters effects. Painter Rainbow also grants an effect to the monsters she points to!" Blue Angel gasped. "I activate Aurora's effect that she gained from Rainbow! By banishing it, I negate the activation of a card or effect, then destroy that card!" Aurora disappeared into multi-colored light as Cascade shattered. "The attack continues!"

"But now Painter Rainbow doesn't point to any monsters!" Blue Angel reminded him. "Trap activate! Trickstar Barrier!" The card showed Black Catbat behind a blue energy shield. "Since I control a 'Trickstar' monster, all battle damage I take this turn is halved!" Vahngo gasped as the streams hit Blue Angel, pushing her back, but she remained standing.

 **Blue Angel: 850→250 LP**

Vahngo smiled and sighed. "Honestly. I was thinking of the perfect climax to finish our painting with, and you had to ruin it. Oh well. I can always finish my painting on my next turn. I end my turn, and Painter Rainbow's attack points return to normal."

 **The Weather Painter Rainbow ATK 1200→2400**

"And at the end of your Battle Phase, Trickstar Barrier's cost activates," Blue Angel said. "And I must Tribute a 'Trickstar' monster I control. I Tribute Black Catbat." Said monster disintegrated into light, leaving Divaridis and Foxywitch.

Blue Angel smiled. "I have to admit, I'm having more fun than I thought I would today. That said… you're wrong, Vahngo." When her opponent raised an eyebrow, she said, "You won't be finishing your painting. I will be!"

"Oh? Well, in that case, I would love to see what brushstrokes you produce."

"Oh, I'll show you right now! My turn! Draw!"

"The effects of the banished Aurora and Thunder activate!" Vahngo reminded her. "I Special Summon both of them in Attack Position!" His two monsters reappeared at Painter Rainbow's bottom-left and bottom-right Link Markers respectively.

 **The Weather Painter Aurora ATK 2200 DEF 2000 LVL: 6**

 **The Weather Painter Thunder ATK 1700 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

Blue Angel smiled again as she played a card. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Trickstar Live Stage! When this card is activated, I can add a 'Trickstar' monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I'll add Trickstar Lilybell!"

Vahngo gasped. Lilybell could attack directly, and with his Life Points at 800…

"I won't let you!" he declared, gesturing to his field. "I activate the effect Painter Thunder gained from Rainbow! I banish Thunder to negate Live Stage's activation and destroy it!" Thunder disappeared in a burst of multiple lights as Live Stage shattered.

Blue Angel looked undeterred as she played the other card in her hand. "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Trickstar Magicorolla! This card Special Summons a 'Trickstar' monster from my Graveyard and equips itself to it!"

Vahngo gestured to his field again. "I activate the effect Painter Aurora gained from the Rainbow! I banish Aurora to negate Magicorolla's activation and destroy it!" Aurora disappeared in a flash of light as Blue Angel's card shattered.

Vahngo smiled. "It would appear you're out of moves, Blue Angel. You could Link Summon using Divaridis and Foxywitch, but you should know that I can send Painter Rainbow herself to the Graveyard to negate that Summon and destroy your monster. Do you still believe you can finish our painting this turn?"

"Of course I do," Blue Angel said, her smile unwavering. "After all, you've just given me the key to victory!"

"What?" Vahngo said, looking surprised.

"Battle!" Blue Angel declared. "Foxywitch, attack Painter Rainbow!" The entire audience was stunned as Foxywitch winked and shot a beam of light at Painter Rainbow.

"I'm not sure what you're hoping for, Blue Angel," Vahngo said. "Painter Rainbow is stronger than Foxywitch, after all!" Sure enough, Rainbow fired her tubes of paint at Foxywitch. The two attacks met before the paint overpowered the light and destroyed Foxywitch. "And now you've lost your strongest monster. Granted, you didn't take damage because of Chicken Game, but still… was that what you were aiming for?"

"Of course," Blue Angel said, surprising everyone again. "Since the Link Summoned Foxywitch was destroyed by battle, her effect activates! I can now Special Summon a Link-2 or lower 'Trickstar' monster from my Extra Deck. I summon Holly Angel!" A blonde woman in a blue dress carrying a flail appeared, summoned to Divaridis's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Trickstar Holly Angel ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

"Holly Angel isn't strong enough to defeat Rainbow," Vahngo reminded Blue Angel.

"I know. I don't expect her to. But after Foxywitch Special Summons a 'Trickstar' Link Monster, she then inflicts 200 points of damage to you for each card you control!"

"What!?" Vahngo said, surprised.

"Vahngo controls seven cards…" Galahad said. "That means…"

"It's over," Persephone said, finishing his thought.

"Go, Foxywitch!" Foxywitch's spirit reappeared on Blue Angel's field and blasted Vahngo with white light, knocking him off his feet.

 **Vahngo: 800→0 LP**

Persephone smiled as she walked forward. "The Duel is over!" she declared. "The winner is Blue Angel!" Said duelist waved at the crowd as they cheered for her.

"Everyone! Did you enjoy the duel?" Blue Angel asked them as Vahngo stood up. She turned to him and asked, "What about you, Vahngo? Did you have fun?"

The boy was silent but then laughed. "Yes, I did! I got to create a magnificent painting with the #1 Charisma Duelist! Even if I lost, it is the art itself that matters, not the victor." He reached out his hand. "I look forward to the next time we duel, Blue Angel."

Blue Angel shook his hand. "Yes. So do I, Vahngo." She then turned to the audience. "Now, let's get the rest of the event underway! Who would like to challenge one of us to a duel?"

As Vahngo headed back to stand next to the other Charisma Duelists, about half the crowd raised their hands high, Nebula included. Blue Angel looked over the crowd. "Wow, so many people want to duel. How about… you!" She said, pointing into the crowd. "The girl with black, silver, and white hair."

Nebula quickly shut down a squeal. _She picked me! She picked me!_ Nebula fought her way through the crowd and ran up on stage to stand next to Blue Angel.

"What's your name?" Blue Angel asked, giving an encouraging smile.

"N-Nebula," she answered, suddenly feeling nervous.

"And do you want to duel?"

"Yes!" Nebula responded, nodding vigorously. "I… I want to be a Charisma Duelist! Like you!"

Blue Angel's smile widened. "Well as your senior, I wish you luck. Now, which of us would you like to duel?"

Nebula paused, her confidence going down again. Who did she want to duel? Well, a Charisma Duelist should prioritize the crowd above all else, right? And since they'd already seen Blue Angel and Vahngo duel, that meant it would be proper to duel one of the other three.

Nebula looked over at them and felt even more nervous. Fatumare was a nice guy, but he was so tall, and with that physique… Nebula couldn't help but be intimidated. And while Galahad was funny, he had fought against Hanoi to save LINK VRAINS. He was a hero! How could she face him and not feel scared? And Persephone was revered like a queen by her fans. If Nebula challenged her, it could make those fans think that Nebula felt she was better than Persephone.

Before she could make up her mind, Persephone stepped forward. "I am aware this is your choice," she said, giving a smile even more encouraging than Blue Angel's. "But would you mind if I dueled you?"

"Eh?" Nebula said, her eyes wide. "Y-You would, Miss. Persephone?"

"Of course. That's what we're here for," Persephone said easily. "And more importantly… I recognize that look in your eyes. It is the same look I had when I first aspired to become a Charisma Duelist."

"R-Really?" Nebula asked.

"Yes. So, will you accept my challenge, Nebula?"

"Y-Yes! I will, Miss. Persephone!"

"Just Persephone is fine." She then moved to stand to one side of the stage as Nebula raced to the other. Blue Angel, meanwhile, headed to stand next to Galahad.

"Are both duelists ready?" Blue Angel asked. Persephone nodded as she raised a purple and black Duel Disk. Nebula nodded, only much faster, and readied her standard Duel Disk. "Then begin!"

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Persephone: 4000 LP**

 **Nebula: 4000 LP**

Both duelists waved their hands in front of themselves. Nebula gasped and widened her eyes on seeing what she had. With this, she could…

"Mi-, I mean, Persephone, could I go first?"

"Of course," Persephone said with a nod. "Please, show me the strength you possess."

"R-Right. I Special Summon Photon Thrasher!" A blue and silver armored warrior with glowing blue arms wielding a sword appeared in Attack Position.

 **Photon Thrasher ATK 2100 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

Persephone raised an eyebrow, impressed, while Galahad gasped, surprised. _Photon?_ they both thought. _No way…_

"I can Special Summon Photon Thrasher when I control no monsters," Nebula continued. "And since I control a 'Photon' monster, I can also Special Summon Photon Vanisher!" A silver armored gunman with blue arms, legs, and stomach appeared in Attack Position.

 **Photon Vanisher ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Vanisher's monster effect! When Vanisher is Special Summoned, I can add Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon from my Deck to my hand." Nebula did so, then gestured to her field. "And now, by Tributing my two monsters with 2000 or more attack points, I can Special Summon this monster!" Both monsters became orbs of light and collided, creating a spiral of energy that gathered around them.

"The galaxy that lurks in the darkness. Become the light of hope and my very servant. The embodiment of light, now descend! Appear, Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!" The light took on the form of a massive light blue dragon with dark blue armor on its tail, upper legs, chest, stomach, and neck. The dragon with galaxies in its eyes roared as it was summoned in Attack Position.

 **Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"Woah!" the entire crowd was awed at Nebula's summoning, as were the Charisma Duelists.

"Now there's something you don't see every day," Galahad muttered. "I wasn't expecting to see such a legendary monster in the flesh at this event." Blue Angel nodded in agreement.

"Very impressive, Nebula," Persephone said, smiling in approval.

"It's too soon to be impressed!" Nebula declared, internally giggling in delight. She'd always wanted to say that line! "I can go even further! I activate the Field Spell Card: Mausoleum of the Emperor!" Galahad and Persephone gasped. Was she about to…? "With this card, I can Normal Summon any monster, so long as I pay Life Points equal to the number of required Tributes times 1000. I pay 2000 Life Points to Normal Summon Photon Caesar!" A large warrior in blue and gold armor wielding a sword and shield appeared on Nebula's field.

 **Nebula: 4000→2000 LP**

 **Photon Caesar ATK 2000 DEF 2800 LVL: 8**

"Photon Caesar's monster effect! When he is Normal or Flip Summoned, I can Special Summon another Photon Caesar from my Deck!" A second warrior appeared in Attack Position.

 **Photon Caesar ATK 2000 DEF 2800 LVL: 8**

"If she's about to do what I think she is, then I'm really impressed," Galahad commented before narrowing his eyes. "But paying 2000 Life Points for that was a big cost, and it may hurt her in the long run." Blue Angel didn't respond as Nebula gestured to her field.

"The time is here! I overlay my Level 8 Photon Caesars and Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!" Nebula placed her hands in front of her as her Duel Disk glowed. A bolt of blue energy broke out of her Duel Disk and traveled into the air behind her. The bolt created a massive portal behind her – a blue X with four red dots at the sides. "With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" All three monsters broke apart into blue particles and entered the red dots on the side and top, making them glow and causing a red circle to appear around the portal. The four points of the X lit up and fired lasers, creating a swirling galaxy in front of Nebula. The galaxy exploded with energy as Nebula chanted.

"Radiant galaxy, here and now become the striking light, and show yourself! Xyz Summon!" A stream of DNA appeared, then broke apart before reforming into a sphere. "Descend! Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!" The sphere then reformed itself into a massive red dragon with three heads. The dragon roared from the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position as three yellow lights circled behind it.

 **Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon ATK 4500 DEF 3000 RNK: 8 OU: 3**

"I did it!" Nebula cheered along with the crowd. "I summoned my most powerful monster on my first turn!"

Persephone had been stunned on seeing a 4500-attack-point monster, but then she smiled. "Indeed, you should be proud of your achievement," she said. "Summoning a monster as powerful as this one is no easy task. But…" Persephone frowned at Nebula. "Perhaps you should have waited until a later turn?"

"Huh?" Nebula blinked, confused. Then she watched in surprise as Neo Galaxy-Eyes released a powerful roar and made her Field Spell go dark. "Eh? What's happening?"

"When Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon is Xyz Summoned using Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon," Nebula's AI explained. "The effects of all other face-up cards on the field are negated."

"Indeed," Persephone nodded. "But since I don't have any cards on the field right now, the only card that was negated was Mausoleum of the Emperor."

"Oh," Nebula said, feeling dejected. She'd been so excited to summon her ace monster that she had forgotten about its effect. But-! "E-Even so, Neo Galaxy-Eyes has 4500 attack points!" she pointed out. "Even if I can't attack, there aren't many monsters that can match that. I Set one card and end my turn."

 _And even if Persephone summons a monster with higher attack points,_ Nebula thought. _My Set Magic Cylinder will negate her attack and inflict her monster's attack points as damage. I'll win!_

Persephone smiled as she placed her hand above her Duel Disk. "My turn! Draw!" Looking at her card, Persephone's smile became sad. "As I said, I was impressed you managed to summon such a powerful monster on your first turn, Nebula. But please, as your senior, let me give you some advice."

"Y-Yes, Persephone?"

"A monster's strength is relative," she said. "What is most important isn't a monster's strength, but how the duelist uses it. If the duelist is clever enough, a weak monster can overcome a powerful monster with ease."

"Eh?" Nebula blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Allow me to show you." Persephone activated a card from her hand. "I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Good & Evil in the Burning Abyss!"

"A Ritual Spell!?" Nebula said, surprised.

"With Good & Evil in the Burning Abyss," Persephone's AI said. "You must Tribute monsters from your hand or field whose total Levels equal or exceed the Level of the stated Ritual Monster in your hand."

"I Tribute Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to Ritual Summon!" Persephone declared as she gestured upwards, the screen of her Duel Disk and its black sections glowing blue. A dark blue magic circle appeared on Persephone's field, along with six flames. Two monsters appeared on either side of the circle. One was a demonic centaur with bat wings and four horns on its head while the other was a masked demon with a long tail and wings for arms. Both monsters soon disintegrated into light and entered the center of the circle.

"The contract has been made," Persephone chanted. "The demon that guards the fifth circle inherits these two souls! Ritual Summon! Rise, Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss!" A pillar of dark blue light erupted from the circle as the flames went wild. When the light faded, a large red-skinned demon with blue armor had appeared. It had large dark blue wings, a tail that ended in a dragon's head, and carried two swords – one blue and one red. Malacoda roared from his mouth, along with the dragon's mouth, as it was Ritual Summoned in Attack Position.

 **Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss ATK 2700 DEF 2200 LVL: 6**

"A-Amazing!" Nebula gushed. "Persephone's ace monster!" She wasn't the only one who was excited; the entire crowd went wild for Malacoda.

Persephone smiled and closed her eyes. "I'm glad your excited, but you should also be aware that Malacoda isn't your primary concern."

"Eh?"

"Burning Abyss monsters, except for Malacoda and their Extra Deck monsters, all have two common effects," Persephone explained. "Do you know what they are?"

Nebula nodded. "Yes. They can be Special Summoned if you control no Spell or Trap Cards, and when they go to the Graveyard, they…" Nebula's eyes widened. "Oh no."

Persephone opened her eyes and nodded. "I just sent two 'Burning Abyss' monsters to the Graveyard. So their effects now activate. The first is Calcab! When it is sent to the Graveyard, I can return 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field to the owner's hand. I return your Set card to your hand." Nebula gasped as her Magic Cylinder disappeared and then reappeared in her hand. "And now Farfa's effect activates! When it is sent to the Graveyard, one monster is banished until the End Phase!"

"What!?" Nebula's eyes went wider as Neo Galaxy-Eyes disappeared, leaving her defenseless.

"As I told you, if a weak monster is used correctly, it can overcome a strong monster," Persephone said. "What truly matters is the strength of the duelist. And while I can tell you have potential, you still have a ways to go before you reach my level." Persephone gestured to her field. "Battle! Malacoda attacks you directly! Abyssal Slash!" Malacoda's swords burst on fire as it charged Nebula. Malacoda's slashes made Nebula cry out as she fell onto her back.

 **Nebula: 2000→0 LP**

"We have a winner!" Blue Angel declared. "Persephone the Traveler defends her title!"

 _As expected for a duelist of her strength,_ Galahad thought, pride in his smile.

Nebula was feeling depressed as she pushed herself up to a sitting position. She blinked when she realized there was a hand in front of her. Looking up, she saw the hand belonged to Persephone, who was smiling at her.

"You did really good," she said. "Summoning a monster as powerful as you did is not easy, especially on the first turn. If you had taken the second turn, you would have dealt me serious damage."

"…But I didn't. I lost."

"So what?" Nebula looked confusedly at Persephone. "Everyone loses now and then. No one is automatically a dueling prodigy. They become as good as they are over time, through practice and experience. I didn't get to be #2 by chance; I earned it by working for it. If you wish to become a Charisma Duelist, then you must work for it. Are you willing to do that?"

"…Yes!" Nebula said, taking Persephone's hand and letting her pull her up. The crowd cheered as the two young women turned and waved to the crowd. Behind them, Galahad smiled.

 _Persephone is half-right,_ he thought. _She is a genius and prodigy, but she also worked hard to reach those heights. I imagine Morningstar and Playmaker did the same._ Galahad's smile turned into a frown as he looked up into the sky. _One day, I hope I'll have worked hard enough to reach you, Go._

* * *

Standing atop a building overlooking the plaza, HK-70 turned to his cloaked companion and said, "Query: What did you think of the Charisma Duelists' performances, Master? I thought the meatbag named Blue Angel was rather strong."

"For them, she is," the cloaked man said. "But compared to me and the others, there's no contest. She isn't worth my time."

"Query: What of the meatbag Persephone?"

"…Hard to say," he responded, mulling over his words. "She didn't show too much of her strength, but there is something interesting about her. I doubt she could challenge me, but she might prove fun to watch."

* * *

Sachi watched as the nurse led a boy with purple hair to the railing by the ocean.

"Recently, he goes outside more." Sachi turned to look at the doctor who said that. He was standing between Cam and Kusanagi, while Sachi was standing next to Cam. "Since his brother comes to visit, he's heading in a good direction."

"It's because the incident that threatened him has ended," Kusanagi replied.

"That info may have calmed him," the doctor agreed.

 _But he still needs time, doesn't he?_ Sachi thought. _I did. I still do._ Sachi was aware she had recovered extremely fast over the last three months, but she knew she wasn't completely healed. Neither was Yasutake. The two did still have nightmares, but they were coming very infrequently. Her last one had been a week ago, and his had been thirteen days ago.

"Thank you for coming, Cam, Sachi," Kusanagi said, glancing at the two of them as the doctor walked over to another patient. "I thought it would be good for Jin to meet mine and Yusaku's friends."

"We're glad to be here," Cam said, smiling back. "I'm sorry Yasu couldn't be here, but someone had to take care of the shop. And there's still prep work to do."

"I heard." Kusanagi turned from Cam to Sachi. "You were accepted into Den Academy. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Mr. Kusanagi," Sachi said, smiling with Cam. "I'm still nervous, but Yasu, Aoi, and Fujiki will be there, so I'm sure I'll be fine."

"You can call him Yusaku if you want, you know," Kusanagi said. "I know he doesn't mind it."

"I-I don't think we know each other well enough for that," Sachi said, glancing to the side. "And Yasu still calls him Fujiki." While she hadn't met Yusaku as often as she had Aoi, the two still got along really well. She wasn't sure if she would call him a friend, especially compared to Aoi and Yasutake, but she trusted him and knew she could rely on him if she ever needed him.

The three of them watched as the nurse and doctor led Jin back into the resort, with the three then following them. The nurse led Jin to a seating area, where Kusanagi joined him. Cam and Sachi, not wanting to intrude on the brothers, waited outside.

"This is a nice place," Sachi said, looking around. "The staff are invested, the patients are recovering, and the food is actually decent."

"Are you wishing I put you up in a place like this rather than Café Junpei?" Cam asked her, an eyebrow raised.

Sachi smiled and shook her head. "If you did that, I wouldn't have recovered like I did. I'm glad you kept me close to you and Yasu."

"…So am I, Sachi. So am I." Cam wrapped an arm around his sister, who leaned into him and closed her eyes.

The peaceful moment didn't last long, as they suddenly heard a smashing sound from the room. "What the-?" Cam quickly opened the door and gaped. Sachi looked through and her eyes widened in shock.

A golden figure was standing in the room with its hands on Jin's shoulders, purple whirlwinds connecting the two. Kusanagi had grabbed his brother and was trying to pull him away.

"Get off him, asshole!" Cam shouted as he charged the figure. To his and Sachi's surprise, he fell right through him and landed on a nearby table that collapsed under his weight.

"Cam!" Sachi screamed as she raced to her brother's side. Cam soon sat up, wincing a bit as the two watched Kusanagi finally wrench his brother away from the figure. Or rather, the figure let go and then somehow retreated into the television.

"Jin! Jin!" Kusanagi cried, shaking his brother, who was unresponsive. Cam sat up straighter, checking his body and wincing from the hurt muscles in his chest. Sachi left the room, racing to get the doctor. Seeing Kusanagi pull out a cellphone, Cam did the same.

* * *

Yasutake blinked as his cellphone started ringing. Glancing at the screen, he said, "It's Cam."

"Maybe they're done visiting Jin Kusanagi?" Cypher suggested.

Ignoring the Ignis, Yasutake answered the call. "Hey, Cam, I closed down the store like-…. WHAT!?" Cypher jumped as Yasutake stood up, his eyes wide. "Kusanagi's brother was attacked!?"

"Yeah, and the attacker escaped into LINK VRAINS," Cam said over the phone. "Kusanagi's calling Fujiki, but he might need help."

"Understood," Yasutake said, ending the call.

"What happened?" Cypher asked as Yasutake grabbed his Duel Disk.

"Kusanagi's brother was attacked by a 'golden man' who climbed out of a television and escaped into LINK VRAINS," Yasutake explained.

"What?" Cypher said. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"…You know what, I'm bored, and this sounds interesting. Let's help Playmaker catch this guy!"

Yasutake ignored Cypher as he put his Duel Disk on and entered the sealed room. He pulled his Deck out and inserted it into the Duel Disk. "Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

 **Blue Angel vs. Vahngo**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Vahngo**

Vahngo activates the effect of Hecatrice in his hand, discarding it to add Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen from his Deck to his hand. He activates the Continuous Spell Card Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. Since he controls no monsters, Vahngo activates the effect of Valhalla to Special Summon 1 Fairy monster from his hand. He Special Summons The Weather Painter Rain (1200/1400/3) in Attack Position. Because Rain was Special Summoned, Vahngo can place 1 "The Weather" Spell/Trap Card from his hand face-up in his Spell & Trap Zone. He places the Continuous Trap Card The Weather Auroral Canvas in his Spell & Trap Zone. Vahngo Normal Summons The Weather Painter Snow (0/2200/3). Since Snow was Normal Summoned, Vahngo can place 1 "The Weather" Spell/Trap Card from his Deck face-up in his Spell & Trap Zone. He places the Continuous Spell Card The Weather Snowy Canvas in his Spell & Trap Zone. Vahngo activates the effect of Snow it gained from Snowy Canvas, banishing it to add 1 "The Weather" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds The Weather Thundery Canvas to his hand. Vahngo Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Blue Angel**

Blue Angel draws. During her Standby Phase, the effect of Snow Special Summons itself to Vahngo's field (0/2200/3) in Defense Position. Blue Angel activates the Field Spell Card Trickstar Light Stage. When Light Stage is activated, she can add 1 "Trickstar" monster from her Deck to her hand. She adds Trickstar Candina from her Deck to her hand. Vahngo activates the effect of Rain it gained from Auroral Canvas. As Blue Angel added a card to her hand, he banishes Rain to banish that card, then Blue Angel can draw 1 card. Blue Angel activates the Spell Card Trickstar Vision, which lets her Special Summon 1 "Trickstar" monster from her hand with its ATK halved and effects negated. She Special Summons Trickstar Lilybell (800→400/2000/2) in Attack Position. Trickstar Vision's 2nd effect lets both players draw 1 card. Blue Angel activates the effect of Trickstar Lycoris in her hand, revealing it and returning Lilybell to her hand to Special Summon Lycoris (1600/1200/3) in Attack Position. As Lilybell was added to her hand outside of drawing it, Blue Angel Special Summons Lilybell (800/2000/2) in Attack Position. Blue Angel uses Lilybell and Lycoris to Link Summon Trickstar Divaridis (1800/2/↙↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Because it was Special Summoned, Divaridis's effect inflicts 200 damage to Vahngo (Vahngo: 4000→3800 LP). As a "Trickstar" monster inflicted damage to Vahngo, Light Stage's effect activates, inflicting 200 damage to Vahngo (Vahngo: 3800→3600 LP). Blue Angel activates the Field Spell Card Trickstar Live Stage, sending Light Stage to the GY. As Live Stage was activated, Blue Angel can add 1 "Trickstar" monster from her GY to her hand. She adds Lycoris to her hand. Blue Angel activates the effect of Live Stage, Special Summoning a Trickstar Token (0/0/1) to Divaridis's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position. Blue Angel Tributes Trickstar Token to Tribute Summon Trickstar Birdhelm (0/1800/5). As Birdhelm was Normal Summoned, it inflicts 200 damage to Vahngo and Blue Angel can draw 1 card (Vahngo: 3600→3400 LP). Blue Angel cannot conduct her Battle Phase the turn Birdhelm is Normal Summoned. Blue Angel activates the effect of Lycoris in her hand, returning Birdhelm to her hand and Special Summoning Lycoris (1600/1200/3) to Divaridis's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Blue Angel activates the effect of Birdhelm, equipping it to Divaridis. While Birdhelm is equipped to Divaridis, Vahngo cannot target Divardis with card effects. As Vahngo controls a Set Spell/Trap Card, Blue Angel activates Live Stage's effect to Special Summon 1 Trickstar Token (0/0/1) in Defense Position. As she Special Summoned a "Trickstar" monster, the effect of the equipped Birdhelm inflicts 200 damage to Vahngo (Vahngo: 3400→3200 LP). Blue Angel Sets 1 card. She ends her turn.

 **Turn 3: Vahngo.**

Vahngo draws. As he added a card to his hand, Lycoris's effect inflicts 200 damage (Vahngo: 3200→3000 LP). During his Standby Phase, the effect of Rain Special Summons itself (1200/1400/3) in Attack Position. As he Normal or Special Summoned a monster, Divaridis inflicts 200 damage to Vahngo (Vahngo: 3000→2800 LP). Vahngo activates the Field Spell Card Chicken Game. While Chicken Game is in play, the player with the lowest LP takes no damage. Vahngo activates Chicken Game's effect, paying 1000 LP to draw 1 card (Vahngo: 2800→1800 LP). Vahngo Normal Summons The Weather Painter Thunder (1700/0/3). He activates its effect, sending Valhalla to the GY to place 1 "The Weather" Spell/Trap Card from his Deck face-up in his Spell & Trap Zone. He activates the Continuous Spell Card The Weather Cloudy Canvas. Vahngo then activates his Set Continuous Trap Card The Weather Thundery Canvas. He switches Snow to Attack Position.

Snow attacks Lycoris. Vahngo activates the effect Snow gained from Thundery Canvas, banishing it to return Lycoris to Blue Angel's hand. Vahngo activates the effect of Rain it gained from Cloudy Canvas, banishing it and targeting Thunder. Thunder's ATK is halved, but it can attack directly this turn (Thunder: 1700→850). Thunder attacks Blue Angel directly (Blue Angel: 4000→3150 LP). Vanhngo activates the effect of Thunder it gained from Snowy Canvas, banishing it and adding 1 "The Weather" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds The Weather Painter Aurora to his hand. Vahngo activates the Continuous Spell Card Field Barrier, which prevents Field Spell Cards from being destroyed. Vahngo ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Blue Angel**

Blue Angel draws. During her Standby Phase, the effects of Rain, Snow, and Thunder all Special Summon themselves to Vahngo's field in Defense Position (1200/1400/3) (0/2200/3) (1700/0/3). Blue Angel activates the effect of Chicken Game, paying 1000 LP to increase Vahngo's LP by 1000 (Blue Angel: 3150→2150 LP) (Vahngo: 1800→2800 LP). Blue Angel Normal Summons Trickstar Nightshade (100/0/1). Blue Angel activates Lycoris's effect, returning Nightshade to her hand and Special Summoning Lycoris (1600/1200/3) to Divardis's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. As a "Trickstar" monster was Special Summoned, Birdhelm's effect activates (Vahngo: 2800→2600 LP). Blue Angel uses her Trickstar Token to Link Summon Trickstar Bloom (100/1/↓) to Divaridis's bottom Link Marker. Birdhelm's effect activates (Vahngo: 2600→2400 LP). As Bloom was Link Summoned, Vahngo draws 1 card. Lycoris's effect activates (Vahngo: 2400→2200 LP). Blue Angel activates her Set Trap Card Trickstar Maribold. As she Link Summoned, she can return 1 "Trickstar" monster from her GY to her hand, and then Normal Summon 1 "Trickstar" monster. She adds Lilybell to her hand. As Lilybell was added to her hand outside of drawing it, Blue Angel Special Summons Lilybell (800/2000/2) in Attack Position. Birdhelm's effect activates (Vahngo: 2200→2000 LP). Blue Angel Normal Summons Trickstar Nightshade (100/0/1). Blue Angel uses Bloom and Nightshade to Link Summon Trickstar Black Catbat (2000/2/←→) to Divaridis's bottom Link Marker. As Nightshade was used to Link Summon Black Catbat, Blue Angel Special Summons it to Black Catbat's right Link Marker in Attack Position (100/0/1).

Nightshade attacks Thunder, but Vahngo activates the effect Thunder gained from Snowy Canvas, banishing it to add The Weather Painter Ice from his Deck to his hand. A replay occurs, and Nightshade attacks Rain. Rain is not destroyed (Blue Angel: 2150→850 LP). Lilybell attacks Vahngo directly, but Vahngo activates the effect of Rain it gained from Cloudy Canvas, banishing it to halve Lilybell's ATK for the rest of the turn but let it attack directly (Lilybell: 800→400) (Vahngo: 2000→1600 LP). As Lilybell inflicted battle damage, Blue Angel can add 1 "Trickstar" monster from her GY to her hand. She returns Bloom to her Extra Deck. Blue Angel uses Lilybell, Lycoris, and Nightshade to Link Summon Trickstar Foxywitch (2200/3/←↑→) to Divaridis's bottom-left Link Marker. As it was Special Summoned, Foxywitch's effect activates, inflicting 200 damage to Vahngo for each card he controls. Birdhelm's effect chains to Foxywitch's. but Vahngo activates the effect of The Weather Painter Ice in his hand, discarding it to halve all effect damage he takes in this chain (Vahngo: 1600→1500→800 LP). Blue Angel Sets 2 cards. She ends her turn.

 **Turn 5: Vahngo**

Vahngo draws. During his Standby Phase, the effects of Rain and Thunder Special Summon themselves in Attack Position (1200/1400/3) (1700/0/3). Vahngo activates Thunder's effect, sending Field Barrier from his field to the GY to activate the Continuous Spell Card The Weather Rainy Canvas from his Deck. Vahngo activates the effect of Ice in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 "The Weather" monster from his Deck in Defense Position. He Special Summons The Weather Painter Sun (1600/400/3). Vahngo uses Rain, Sun, and Snow to Link Summon The Weather Painter Rainbow (2400/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Vahngo activates the effect of Sun in his GY, sending Auroral Canvas to the GY to Special Summon Sun (1600/400/3) in Defense Position to Rainbow's bottom-right Link Marker and placing The Weather Sunny Canvas from his hand in his Spell & Trap Zone. Vahngo Tributes Sun to Tribute Summon The Weather Painter Aurora (2200/2000/6) to Rainbow's bottom-right Link Marker. Vahngo activates the effect of Thunder it gained from Cloudy Canvas, banishing it and targeting Rainbow. Rainbow's ATK is halved but it can attack directly until the end of the turn (Rainbow: 2400→1200).

Rainbow attacks directly. Blue Angel activates her Set Trap Card Trickstar Cascade, which lets her return 1 "Triclstar" card she controls to her hand to negate the attack. She returns Live Stage to her hand. As Blue Angel activated a card effect, Vahngo activates the effect of Aurora it gained from Rainbow, banishing it to negate Cascade's activation and destroy it. Blue Angel activates her Set Trap Card Trickstar Barrier, which halves all battle damage she takes this turn, but at the end of the Battle Phase, Blue Angel must Tribute 1 "Trickstar" monster she controls. The attack continues (Blue Angel: 850→250 LP). At the end of the Battle Phase, Blue Angel Tributes Black Catbat. Vahngo ends his turn, and the effect of Cloudy Canvas ends (Rainbow: 1200→2400).

 **Turn 6: Blue Angel**

Blue Angel draws. During her Standby Phase, the effects of Aurora and Thunder Special Summons themselves (2200/2000/6) (1700/0/3) to Rainbow's bottom-left and bottom-right Link Markers respectively in Attack Position. Blue Angel activates the Field Spell Card Trickstar Live Stage. As Blue Angel activated a card or effect, Vahngo activates the effect of Thunder it gained from Rainbow, banishing Thunder to negate the activation of Live Stage and destroying it. Blue Angel activates the Equip Spell Card Trickstar Magicorolla, which lets her Special Summon 1 "Trickstar" monster from her GY and equip Magicorolla to it. Vahngo activates the effect of Aurora it gained from Rainbow, banishing Aurora to negate the activation of Magicorolla and destroy it.

Foxywitch attacks Rainbow. Foxywitch is destroyed. Since the Link Summoned Foxywtich was destroyed by battle, Blue Angel activates its effect to Special Summon 1 Link-2 or lower "Trickstar" monster from her Extra Deck, then inflict 200 damage to Vahngo for every card he controls. Blue Angel Special Summons Trickstar Holly Angel (2000/2/↙↘) to Divaridis's bottom-left Link Marker (Vahngo: 800→0 LP). Blue Angel wins.

* * *

 **Persephone vs. Nebula**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Nebula**

As Nebula controls no monsters, she Special Summons Photon Thrasher (2100/0/4) in Attack Position. As she controls a "Photon" monster, Nebula Special Summons Photon Vanisher (2000/0/4) in Attack Position. As Vanisher was Special Summoned, Nebula adds Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon from her Deck to her hand. Nebula Tributes Thrasher and Vanisher to Special Summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (3000/2500/8) in Attack Position via its effect. Nebula activates the Field Spell Card Mausoleum of the Emperor, which lets both players pay multiples of 1000 LP times the number of monsters needed for a Tribute Summon in order to Normal Summon without Tributing. She pays 2000 LP (Nebula: 4000→2000 LP) to Normal Summon Photon Caesar (2000/2800/8). Since Caesar was Normal Summoned, Nebula can Special Summon a 2nd Photon Caesar from her Deck in Attack Position (2000/2800/8). Nebula overlays her three Level 8 monsters to Xyz Summon Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (4500/3000/8) in Attack Position to her right Extra Monster Zone. Since Neo Galaxy-Eyes was Xyz Summoned using Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, the effects of all other face-up cards are negated. Nebula Sets 1 card. She ends her turn.

 **Turn 2: Persephone**

Persephone draws. She activates the Ritual Spell Card Good & Evil in the Burning Abyss, Tributing the Level 3 Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and the Level 3 Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in her hand to Ritual Summon Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss (2700/2200/6) in Attack Position. As Calcab was sent to the GY, its effect activates, letting Persephone return 1 Set Spell/Trap Card to the owner's hand. She returns Nebula's Set card to her hand. As Farfa was sent to the GY, its effect activates, letting Persephone banish 1 monster from the field until the End Phase. She banishes Neo Galaxy-Eyes.

Malacoda attacks Nebula directly (Nebula: 2000→0 LP). Persephone wins.

* * *

 _ **The Weather Painter Ice  
**_ _Attribute: WATER Type: [Fairy/Effect] ATK 1600 DEF 800 Level: 3  
_ _If you would take effect damage, you can send this card from your hand to the GY; halve all effect damage you take in this chain. You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 Level 3 "The Weather" monsters from your Deck in Defense Position. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot be banished the turn they are Summoned. You can only use 1 effect of "The Weather Painter Ice" per turn, and only once per turn. Once per turn, during the Standby Phase of the turn after this card was banished from the field to activate a "The Weather" card's effect: You can Special Summon this banished card._

 _ **Trickstar Barrier Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If an opponent's monster declares an attack: Halve all battle damage you take during this Battle Phase. At the end of the Battle Phase, Tribute 1 "Trickstar" monster you control. During your Main Phase: If you control no monsters, you can banish this card from your GY and target 1 "Trickstar" monster in your GY; Special Summon that monster in Defense Position. You cannot activate this effect the turn "Trickstar Barrier" is sent to the GY._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 32 – Heaven's Gate. Chasing after Playmaker, Morningstar is challenged by the bounty hunter Techbane. Pushed into a corner by his surprising tactics, Morningstar unleashes the power of his and Cypher's Skill…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter – I added these to my ARC-V fanfic and thought I'd do it here, too**

What do you think of Morningstar's, Galahad's, and Persephone's new avatars?

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to guardian of the aura Aurasoul, ZarcEternal, D3lph0xL0v3r, HunterHQ, JaneValentine007, ThePLOThand, Lindia Fullmoon, Guest, Ethan Kironus, Lyrissa Artemick, G57steve, Guest, Vrains Fan, Yasutake Fan, Nirvash Neo, Crossing, Phantom Flame-98, and jdkeller2000 for reviewing Chapter 30 of Hidden Memories.

D3lph0xL0v3r: I assume the ending of this chapter answered your questions relating Cypher and Morningstar working with Playmaker and Soulburner.

Ethan Kironus: As I've said, I ship Aoi x Yusaku.

G57Steve: I do appreciate the monster, but if I do use it, I'll have to rename it. While I've only said this in terms of Cyspirit Link Monsters, all the advanced Cyspirit monsters – Link, Ritual, and any other Extra Deck types Morningstar gains – have alliterative names. If I use this monster, I'll have to rename it to something like Nebulous Nova or Overlay Overlord. Otherwise it doesn't fit the pattern of the Cyspirits.

Nirvash Neo: Of course Galahad will use it. It's just a matter of when. And we'll see the Gold Ignis after we meet Windy.

Crossing: Just so we're clear, Aoi knows Morningstar's identity; she does not know Playmaker's. And Morningstar won't be telling her, because that's Playmaker's choice.

Phantom Flame-98: You'll have to wait and see.

Credit to bladeWriter3 for the character of Vahngo. Vahngo will also be appearing in bladeWriter3's story Beyond the Pendulum. I ran both the duel and Vahngo's characterization past bladeWriter3, and he approved. That said, I don't know if Vahngo will be a recurring character, partly because I honestly don't like writing The Weather duels; keeping track of which cards are where is even harder for them than it is for Mekk-Knights.

Also, credit to JaneValentine007 for the character of Shizuka Midori, or Sylphid, one of the OC bounty hunters. We won't get to see her duel for a bit, but I hope you'll like her Deck, along with Yukaro Saiba's, also known as Techbane. And finally, credit to ThePLOThand for Techbane's real world name. Thank you.

We also finally saw Persephone duel, even if it was only a glimpse. As many people suspected, she uses a Burning Abyss Deck. I'm still working on her Skill and her Link chant, so suggestions are welcome. We also have more backstory and characterization for her, which is always good. As for Nebula, she will be returning to duel in a later chapter, and she will get a better showing that time.

There was also more of the black-cloaked man who watched Morningstar and Playmaker. And the introduction of his AI companion HK-70, who is based off the KOTOR character HK-47. He won't fatally shoot anyone, but he will duel and refer to all humans as "meatbags."

Thank you for reading Chapter 31. I hope I did new LINK VRAINS justice. Please post a review, and if you find you cannot because of the reason I gave at the start of the chapter, please either use a guest account, or combine your review with your thoughts on Chapter 32.


	32. Chapter 32: The Heaven's Gate

**Chapter 32: The Heaven's Gate**

Reminder: This is Chapter 32. I'm releasing it and Chapter 31 at the same time so I can delete the reader poll. Please see the previous chapter for more info. That said, please enjoy Chapter 32.

Good news, Chapter 31 came through!

* * *

 **The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his D-Board, followed by Morningstar, and then Soulburner. The clouds part to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS logo appears, and beneath it, the words "HIDDEN MEMORIES" appears.**

 **Yasutake and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them on one side, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He tries to wrap the other arm around Yaustake, who steps to the side and gives Takeru an annoyed look. Then someone wraps their arms around Yasutake's right arm. He glances to the side and sees Sachi wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform, smiling with her eyes closed as she leans her head on his shoulder. Yasutake smiles back at her.**

 **Masako is shown riding in the passenger side of a van, with the window showing an image of Lilith. In the sky above her, an image of Thaumiel appears, holding his hand over the van. Kenshin Hirai is then shown at a café, drinking coffee and reading a book, while an image of Hitomu Hirai appears in the sky facing the opposite direction. Go Onizuka is shown in NEW LINK VRAINS in his new avatar, riding his D-Board with Kenmochi and Yoroizaka on either side. Behind them, a man in a gray jumpsuit with silver armor on his left arm, chest, and head, and a short green-haired girl in a black jacket and shorts with a see-through visor over her eyes fly on their own D-Boards. As they pass under a ledge, Blue Angel, Galahad, and Persephone are shown looking down at Go with sad and disappointed looks.**

 **Kusanagi is then shown sitting at a picnic bench with Cam, both drinking from cans and laughing. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Cypher looks at the two of them with exasperation and mild contempt. Akira Zaizen and Hayami are then shown standing next to Queen, who is sitting in a pool chair, adjusting her glasses.**

 **A tall man in a blue jumpsuit and cape with golden shoulder pads, gloves, and blonde hair is then shown, with two people – a man and a woman – shown standing behind him, shrouded in shadow. The man-in-shadow's eyes glow red. The blonde man's face is hidden with a dark gold mask, with the eyeholes glowing blue. Behind them are two dragons, shrouded in shadow. One of the dragons has four thin wings, while the other has six thin wings.**

 **Morningstar and Playmaker ride their D-Boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary and a skeleton monster in samurai armor in front of Morningstar. The two are chased by the man in silver armor and the girl in a black jacket. The man directs a blue and silver metal dragon to fire at Morningstar while the girl commands a red and purple dragon to attack Playmaker. The two are hit with energy attacks but emerge from the smoke unharmed.**

 **The Knights of Hanoi are then shown, with Terminus standing apart from them. Motor Worm Spreader Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps appear, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind Dryanome and roars.**

 **A split screen, showing two figures. The one on the right is a green outline of a short-haired woman wearing a dress and holding a card in her right hand. Behind her is a white outline of a winged figure holding a sword. The left screen shows a red outline of a man wearing armor, with his right hand raised and the fingers curled. Behind him is a black outline of an armored monster with demonic wings.**

 **Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner are then shown back-to-back, with their hands glowing purple, blue, and red respectively. The three face off against Bohman and Trident Hydradrive Lord, Blood Shepard and Battledrone General, and the man in blue and gold, who raises his arm as a pillar of energy appears behind him. A six-winged dragon emerges from the pillar and roars.**

 **Cyspirts Angelic Avenger, Idealistic Idol, Pied Pikeman, Rapid Revolutionary, and Winning Wrestler are then shown in the air, with Neo Nova racing past them. The five Cyspirit monsters then glow with golden light and merge to form Superior Seraphim, whose light spreads across NEW LINK VRAINS.**

 **Cam, Sachi, Yasutake, Takeru, Kusanagi, and Yusaku are all shown at a picnic table, with them eating hot dogs, and Takeru and Cam are laughing. Three Duel Disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Cypher watches television on Yasutake's tablet. Aoi, Akira, and Emma are in the background, walking past them and smiling at the table.**

 **Yasutake, Cam, and Sachi walk down the street, with Cam having his arms around the other two. All three are smiling. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner sitting on a ledge and smiling into the distance.**

* * *

Morningstar emerged into LINK VRAINS and landed on his D-Board. Looking down he said, "Looks like the upgrade worked." His new D-Board had a black center with silver sides and dark blue fins. An eight-pointed silver star was drawn in the center.

"It matches your new color scheme," Cypher said, remaining an eye in the Duel Disk. Rotating, he said, "Look, over there!" Morningstar turned in the direction Cypher indicated and saw Playmaker on his own new D-Board. He was looking around, ignoring the people staring at him.

"Playmaker!" The hacker looked over as Morningstar reached him.

"That ID… Morningstar?"

"Yeah. I changed my avatar."

"I take it Cam called you?"

"He did," Cypher answered for them. "Where's the guy he told us about?"

"That's who I'm looking-." Playmaker gasped and looked behind them. Morningstar followed his gaze and narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, not now," he muttered. They were being chased by an armored man in a cowboy hat and cloak.

"Found you, Playmaker," Blood Shepherd said as he pulled up closer to them. "Morningstar. You already failed the hunt. Playmaker is my prey now."

"Get lost, Blood Shepherd," Morningstar told him. "We don't have time for you."

"Friend of yours?" Cypher asked.

"No," they both responded. Blood Shepherd then gasped, looking at Morningstar's Duel Disk. "That voice…"

Cypher popped out of the Duel Disk and glared at Blood Shepherd. "I've heard of you. Morningstar's inferior. Go away, second-rate bounty hunter!"

"An Ignis. So you really did betray the hunt," Blood Shepherd muttered, ignoring Cypher's words. "In that case, I'll take you down as well, Morningstar."

"As well?" Playmaker repeated.

"There's a bounty on your head, Playmaker," Blood Shepherd answered.

"I no longer have an Ignis," Playmaker told him. "You don't need to chase me-."

"Then what's that?" Blood Shepherd interrupted, nodding at Playmaker's Duel Disk. The other two duelists glanced at Playmaker's Duel Disk and gasped as Ai popped out along with a small blue monster.

"Sorry, Playmaker. I came back." Ai then waved at Morningstar. "Morningstar! Cypher! Good to see you!"

"You too, Ai," Cypher said, looking relieved.

"Ai! Why are you here?" Playmaker asked.

"I'll give a brief explanation. So you see-."

"Save it for later!"

"Ah! These feelings are coming back!" Ai said, looking very happy.

"Playmaker!" Morningstar said, glancing forwards. Playmaker gasped on seeing the golden man in front of them.

"There he is!" Playmaker said.

"Who?" Ai asked.

"He stole Kusanagi's brother's consciousness data," Playmaker answered.

"And our ally called us to help," Morningstar added.

"Things are crazy here, too?" Ai wondered.

"Evidently," Cypher said before turning to Blood Shepherd. "But first, we have an unwanted guest."

"Oh!" Ai said, turning to look at the hunter. "Okay! Then let me show you this, Cypher! I've also updated! Ta-daa!" Ai held a hand to his eye, then pointed at Blood Shepherd. "Releasing the Data Storm!"

A tornado of data formed next to Blood Shepherd, releasing powerful winds. "What?" Blood Shepherd said, surprised.

"You're in danger," Blood Shepherd's AI said. "Logging out." Blood Shepherd then broke down into blue data.

"Can you do that?" Morningstar asked Cypher.

"No," Cypher said petulantly, then added, "But now that I've seen it, it won't take me long to copy it and make it more powerful!"

"So competitive," Ai mused. "More importantly, now's our chance!" The two duelists increased their speeds and pulled closer to the golden man.

"What will you do next?" Ai asked Playmaker.

"Challenge him to a duel," Playmaker responded. "In the new LINK VRAINS' duel rules, winners can make trades. If I defeat him in a duel, I can get his data."

"You're right," Ai said, nodding. Looking forward, they all noticed as the golden man clenched a fist in their direction.

"He seems to want to duel you, too," Cypher said.

Ai chuckled as he turned back to Playmaker. "I brought a gift," he said, gesturing to the monster he was sitting on. "I found this in my home world. Put it in your Deck!"

"Kuri kuri ku!" the creature said before going into the Duel Disk.

"I see. It's not a bad card."

"Right?"

"Linkuriboh? Ai found him?" Cypher said, blinking.

"You know that monster?" Morningstar asked him.

"Yeah. It used to follow Ai everywhere and get caught up in his jokes. I always felt a little sorry for it."

"Let's go!" Playmaker said, activating his Duel Disk.

"Speed Duel!" he and the golden man said.

"Morningstar! Playmaker!" the two duelists looked back at Cypher's words and gasped. They were being chased again, this time by two individuals on D-Boards. One was a man in a light gray jumpsuit with silver armor covering his chest and left arm, while the other was a girl in a black jacket and shorts.

"Damn it!" Ai said, looking annoyed. "My program is on a timer! I can't get rid of them using it!"

"And I haven't finished analyzing your program, so I can't use it, either," Cypher said.

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Leave them to me," he told Playmaker. "They're likely bounty hunters like Blood Shepherd. I can handle them without issue." Playmaker nodded and turned back to face the golden man while Morningstar raced to intercept the hunters. On the way there, he released one of his drones and programmed it to follow and record Playmaker's duel.

Noticing he was going to hit them, the two hunters veered to the sides. Racing close to them, Morningstar saw that the man wore a silver helmet with a draconic design, his mouth uncovered, and his eyes covered by light blue lenses. His arm and chest were both covered in armor, while he wore dark gray leather knee-high boots and a black leather belt. The girl had dark green hair tied back in a ponytail that jutted upwards on the left side of her head and wore a short sleeve black jacket with green designs on the sleeves over a dark shirt that barred her midriff and black shorts. Her right eye was covered by her hair, and her exposed green eye was covered by a dark green visor, and she wore black fingerless gloves. The man rode a long gray D-Board with two red dots at the front while the girl rode a white D-Board with orange sides and a point like a spear attached to the front.

Quickly rotating, Morningstar settled between them and said, "Who are you two?"

"Bounty hunters from SOL Technologies," the man answered. "We've been hired to retrieve the Ignis from Playmaker. If you are his ally, we will eliminate you as well."

"Wait!" the girl said, an ID displayed on her visor. "Techbane, this guy's ID matches Morningstar's!"

"What?" the man, Techbane evidently, said, surprised. "Y-You're Morningstar? You changed your avatar?"

"I did," Morningstar replied. _Techbane?_ he thought. _I've heard that name before. A middling bounty hunter with only two years' experience. Never met him before, though._

"Oh sorry!" the guy said, bowing low. "Were you chasing Playmaker? We're sorry for interfering!"

"If you're sorry, then leave!" Cypher said, emerging from the Duel Disk. "Hunters like you aren't worth my time!"

"Eh?" Techbane said, looking up. "An Ignis? Then… you're on Playmaker's side, Morningstar?"

"I am," Morningstar nodded. "I retired from bounty hunting. Tell me, what are your names?"

"Sylphid," the girl answered, smiling and winking at Morningstar. "Nice to meet you!"

"Techbane," the man said, nodding. "I have to be honest, I know you're an enemy right now, but it's really awesome to meet you! I'm a huge fan!"

"…Good to know," Morningstar replied. "If you two are after Playmaker, then I can't let you interfere with his Duel."

"Eh? Then that means-."

"Duel us!" Cypher said. "I'm an Ignis, too! And honestly, I'm worth much more than Ai."

"You're awfully proud for an AI," Sylphid observed, smirking at Cypher. "What are you compensating for?"

"I have absolutely nothing to compensate for!"

"Except height."

"I'll have you know I'm one of the taller Ignis!"

"That's enough, Cypher," Morningstar said, shutting the AI down. Techbane, meanwhile was staring at Sylphid.

 _She's a lot more talkative in LINK VRAINS than in real life,_ he thought. _Is one of them an act?_

Out loud, Techbane said, "I'm a little upset we're enemies inside of allies, Morningstar, but a bounty hunter has a duty to perform. Nothing personal."

"Of course," Morningstar agreed. "The mission comes first. One day a hunter is a friend, the next they are an enemy. Understanding that, and accepting it, helps define you as a hunter."

"I'll face you first, Morningstar," Techbane said, pulling alongside him as Sylphid fell back.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Techbane: 4000 LP**

"If you don't mind, I'd prefer to go second," Techbane said. Morningstar narrowed his eyes at that. The first turn usually allowed a player to set up a defense. That meant Techbane favored an offensive strategy.

"Alright. I'll go first then." Morningstar took a card from his hand and played it. "Since there are no cards on the field, I Special Summon Cyspirit Illusionist!" A skeleton in a tuxedo and top hat, holding a wand, appearing in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Illusionist ATK 2400 DEF 1000 LVL: 6**

"If Illusionist is Special Summoned by its effect, its attack points become 1800."

 **Cyspirit Illusionist ATK 2400→1800**

"In addition, I can add a 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand." Morningstar took a card from his Deck, then played it. "I summon Cyspirit Samurai!" A silver skeleton in red and black samurai armor and two swords attached to its hip appeared on his field. A blue eye glowed as it unsheathed a katana and swung it.

 **Cyspirit Samurai ATK 1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"I Set one card. I end my turn."

"You aren't going to Link Summon?" Cypher asked him.

"I don't know what Deck Techbane uses," Morningstar told him. "Better to hold back until I'm certain."

"I disagree, but you're doing the dueling. Just make sure you don't lose. I'll never live it down if my partner loses to some mid-rank bounty hunter."

"Glad to know you care, Cypher. That aside…" Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Neither of them has an AI in their Duel Disk, do they?"

"Picked up on that? No, they don't. They probably removed them."

"My turn! Draw!" Techbane drew from his gray and black Duel Disk and looked at his card. He then selected a different card from his hand. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can Special Summon Cyber Dragon!" A mechanical yellow-eyed dragon appeared and roared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5**

"Cyber Dragon?" Cypher repeated, narrowing his eyes. "Isn't that one of the legendary Decks?"

"Yeah," Morningstar said, narrowing his own eyes. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"Next, I summon Cyber Dragon Core!" A smaller mechanical dragon without eyes and a red core in the center of its body appeared.

 **Cyber Dragon Core ATK 400 DEF 1500 LVL: 2**

"Core's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can add one 'Cyber' Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyber Revsystem from my Deck to my hand." Techbane did so, then gestured to the sky. "Appear, the circuit of mechanical evolution!" His hand glowed blue as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed. The summoning conditions are two Machine monsters, one of which must be Cyber Dragon. I set Cyber Dragon and Core in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyber Dragon Sieger!" A mechanical white dragon with blue circles running over its body emerged from the portal and roared from the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 2100 LINK-2** ←↓

"He Link Summoned…" Cypher said, narrowing his eyes further.

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyber Revsystem!" Techbane continued. "This card lets me Special Summon a Cyber Dragon from my hand or Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyber Dragon!" The machine dragon Techbane used to summon Sieger reappeared in Attack Position at Sieger's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5**

 _Two monsters with 2100 attack points each,_ Morningstar thought.

"I Set one card." Techbane gestured to his field. "Battle! Cyber Dragon, attack Cyspirit Illusionist!" Cyber Dragon opened its mouth and began to charge its attack, but Samurai jumped in front of Illusionist, holding its blade outwards.

"While Samurai is face-up on the field, you cannot any other 'Cyspirit' monster!" Morningstar revealed.

"Is that so? Then Cyber Dragon will attack Samurai!" Techbane then gestured to a different monster. "Sieger's monster effect! During the Battle Phase, I can target a Machine monster with 2100 or more attack points and increase that monster's attack and defense points by 2100 for the rest of the turn. I target Cyber Dragon! Evolution Burst!" Cyber Dragon released its attack of blue energy as it glowed red.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100→4200 DEF 1600→3700**

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Half-Guard! By discarding Cyspirit Teleporter, all battle damage I take this turn is halved!" The blast struck, creating an explosion and making Morningstar wince.

 **Morningstar: 4000→2800 LP**

"As expected of you, Morningstar," Techbane said. "But with your Samurai gone, you'll- What?" Techbane gasped as the smoke cleared and Samurai was revealed to still be standing.

"Samurai cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects once per turn," Morningstar explained.

Techbane chuckled. "I suppose that's to be expected as well. Alright then; Sieger, attack Samurai! Neo Evolution Burst!" Sieger released a blast of blue energy, striking Samurai and destroying it. "The turn Sieger uses its effect, neither of us takes battle damage from battles involving it. With that, I'll end my Battle Phase."

"And since the Battle Phase ended, Half-Guard's additional effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "I draw one card for each of your monsters that battled this turn. Two of your monsters battled, so I draw two cards!"

Morningstar drew as Techbane said, "I end my turn, and that means Sieger's effect ends and Cyber Dragon's attack points return to normal."

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 4200→2100 DEF 3700→1600**

"That effect is a Quick Effect, isn't it?" Cypher asked Morningstar.

"Yes."

"That means he can use it during our Battle Phase, too. We'll have to find a way to counter it."

"My turn! Draw!" Looking at his card, Morningstar smirked. "This will do." He put the card in his hand and chose another. "I summon Cyspirit Dancer!" A skeleton in a pink leotard appeared, twirled, then curtsied to Techbane.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Dancer's monster effect! If it is Normal Summoned while I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand or Deck with its effects negated. From my Deck, I summon Cyspirit Coder!" A skeleton in a lab coat with armor attached to its shoulders and legs appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Coder ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Appear, the circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar at his words. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Coder in the Link Marker!" His monster became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom-left arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!" A skeleton with overalls and a power box emerged from the portal at the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600 LINK-1** ↙

"He Link Summoned a Link-1 instead of a Link-3," Sylphid noted, narrowing her visible eye. "That means he's going for a Link-4."

"Egregious Electrician's monster effect! Once per turn, I can move a 'Cyspirit' monster it points at to another Main Monster Zone and Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand to its Link Marker. I move Dancer and Special Summon Cyspirit Mongrel!" A skeleton dog with silver armor on its shoulders and legs appeared. A single red eye glowed as it was summoned to Egregious Electrician's Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Mongrel ATK 1000 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"Mongrel's monster effect! Once per turn, I can target and negate the effects of a monster my opponent controls until the End Phase."

"What?" Techbane gasped.

"I target Sieger! Data Howling!" Mongrel howled, draining Sieger of its power.

"Appear again, the circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared in the space in front of Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' Effect Monsters. I set Dancer, Egregious Electrician, Illusionist, and Mongrel in the Link Markers!" Morningstar's four monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the top, bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-4! Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!" A large gray dragon with red and silver wings emerged from the portal and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"One of Morningstar's ace monsters," Techbane muttered. "IT's really amazing to see it in person." _And also a little terrifying, the way it's glaring at me,_ he thought.

"The effects of Dancer and Mongrel now activate! Since Dancer was used to Link Summon, Datastorm Dragon gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800→3400**

"And since Mongrel was used to Link Summon Datastorm Dragon, it can make two attacks on your monsters during the Battle Phase!" Techbane gasped as Morningstar gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Teleporter in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyspirit Coder!" The lab coat wearing skeleton reappeared, summoned to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Coder ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Coder's monster effect! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can add a 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand, then send a card from my hand, field, or Deck to the Graveyard. I add Cyspirit Linker from my Deck to my hand and send Cyspirit Wanderer to the Graveyard."

"Coder's effect can only be activated once per turn," Cypher said. "We deemed it more prudent to use it here instead of earlier."

"And since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Linker!" The skeleton with red arrows on its gauntlets appeared, summoned to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"Eh? Attack Position?" Cypher asked, looking at his partner. "Why Attack Position? Since Datastorm Dragon points to a monster, only Link Monsters can declare an attack."

"Maybe, but the ace monster of the Cyber Dragon Deck can inflict piercing battle damage," Morningstar reminded Cypher. "Better to be safe than sorry." Morningstar took the second-to-last card in his hand and played it. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Cyspirit Monastery! This card increases the attack points of 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters by 500!"

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 3400→3900**

Morningstar pointed to his field. "Battle!" he declared. "Datastorm Dragon, attack Cyber Dragon Sieger!"

"Mongrel's effect remains even if Mongrel itself leaves the field," Cypher told Techbane. "That means you can't increase your monster's attack points!" Techbane grit his teeth at that.

"Go, Datastorm Dragon! Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon blasted Sieger with blue energy, destroying it.

"Since Datastorm Dragon points to two monsters, the battle damage is halved," Cypher said. "But that doesn't mean you get off scot-free!" Techbane winced from the shockwaves of Morningstar's attack.

 **Techbane: 4000→3100 LP**

"Since Mongrel was used to Link Summon Datastorm Dragon, Datastorm Dragon can attack twice," Morningstar reminded Techbane. "Attack again, Datastorm Dragon! Attack Cyber Dragon! Data Flare!" Datastorm Dragon blasted Techbane's monster with blue energy, destroying it and making him wince, even if the damage was halved.

 **Techbane: 3100→2200 LP**

"The Battle Phase is now over," Morningstar said before gesturing to his field. "Datastorm Dragon's monster effect! At the end of the Battle Phase, when it points to two monsters, it inflicts 500 points of damage for each monster it destroyed! Go! Digital Deletion!" Datastorm Dragon gathered energy in its mouth again, red this time, and then blasted Techbane.

"Yes!" Cypher cheered at the explosion. "We got him!"

"No, you didn't."

"Eh?" Cypher gasped as Techbane emerged from the smoke, undamaged. "What did you do?"

"I activated the Counter Trap Card Fusion Guard," Techbane answered. "It negates an activation of effect damage. But then I must send a random Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard." Techbane pulled a card from his Extra Deck, then scowled and showed it to Morningstar. "I send Cyber End Dragon to the Graveyard."

"That's the Cyber Dragon ace!" Cypher said, surprised. "That's a high cost to save 1000 Life Points." Morningstar just narrowed his eyes.

"I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Techbane drew, and smirked. "Morningstar! With this card, the duel is over!" Morningstar raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"First, I activate the Spell Card: Cyber Repair Plant! If I have at least one Cyber Dragon in my Graveyard, I can activate one of two effects. I can either add one Light Machine monster from my Deck to my hand, or I can target a Light Machine monster in my Graveyard and shuffle it into my Deck." Techbane's smirk widened. "However, if I have three or more Cyber Dragons in my Graveyard, I can activate both effects!"

"Eh?" Cypher said, confused. "You only have one Cyber Dragon in your Graveyard!"

"No," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes. "He doesn't."

Techbane shuffled. "It seems you realized it, Morningstar. I have three monsters in the Graveyard: Cyber Dragon, Cyber Dragon Core, and Cyber Dragon Sieger. And while the latter two are on the field or in the Graveyard, they are treated as Cyber Dragon!"

"Eh!? That means he can use both effects!"

"Exactly! I'll use Cyber Repair Plant's first effect to add Cyber Dragon Nächster from my Deck to my hand, then I'll use its second effect to shuffle Sieger back into my Extra Deck." After doing so, Techbane gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Core in my Graveyard! Since you control a monster and I don't, I can banish Core to Special Summon a 'Cyber Dragon' monster from my Deck. I summon a second Cyber Dragon!" Another white mechanical dragon appeared on the field in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5**

"And now I summon Cyber Dragon Nächster!" This monster was a small white mechanical dragon with three-pronged wings on its back.

 **Cyber Dragon Nächster ATK 200 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

Nächster's monster effect! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a Machine monster from my Graveyard with 2100 attack or defense points. Resurrect, Cyber Dragon!" The first mechanical dragon reappeared and roared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5**

"Three monsters…" Morningstar muttered.

"You think he'll try to Fusion Summon Cyber End Dragon?" Cypher asked. "That Nächster's effect does treat it as Cyber Dragon while on the field."

Techbane chuckled as he pointed to the sky. "Appear! The circuit of mechanical evolution!" Techbane's hand glowed as the Link portal appeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Machine monsters, including Cyber Dragon. I set a Cyber Dragon and Nächster treated as Cyber Dragon in the Link Markers!" His two monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyber Dragon Sieger!" The mechanical white dragon with blue circles all over its body reappeared, roaring from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 2100 LINK-2** ←↓

"And now I'll call forth one of my most powerful monsters! With Sieger, Cyber Dragon, and your Datastorm Dragon, I'll perform a Fusion Summon!"

"What!?" Cypher said, surprised. "You can't use our monster to Fusion Summon!" Morningstar was just as surprised, but Cypher had beaten him to the punch.

"Normally, that's true. But this particular Fusion Monster can be Fusion Summoned by sending its materials to the Graveyard. And it's materials are Cyber Dragon and any monsters in the Extra Monster Zones."

 _And since it doesn't target, I can't use Coder's effect to negate it,_ Morningstar thought, a small frown on his face.

"I fuse Cyber Dragon, Cyber Dragon Sieger, and Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!" At Techbane's declaration, all three monsters disintegrated into red, blue, and green particles respectively. The particles swirled together into a vortex before bursting forth as three whirlwinds of energy that combined to form a purple whirlwind as Techbane chanted.

"Draconian machine that transcends time itself. Spread your wings and command reality! Fusion Summon! Come out! Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon!" A massive silver metal dragon emerged from the whirlwind. Its body was a series of interconnected circles, and it had two large wings connected to a ring attached to its back. It roared from its mechanical mouth as it was summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 10**

"Tch. To think he could Fusion Summon using our monster…" Cypher muttered, his eyes narrowed. "This could be problematic."

"When Megafleet Dragon is summoned by its effect, its attack points become equal to the number of Fusion Materials times 1200."

 **Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon ATK 0→3600**

"…There are times I hate it when I'm right."

 _But those times are overshadowed by the times you enjoy being right,_ Morningstar thought.

"As I said, this duel is over. I activate the Equip Spell Card Fairy Meteor Crush!" Morningstar narrowed his eyes. That card allowed Megafleet Dragon to inflict piercing battle damage. Against his Coder…

"I Set one card." Techbane gestured to the field. "Battle! Megafleet Dragon, attack Cyspirit Coder! Evolution Result Bombardment!" Blue lightning circulated through Megafleet's body before gathering in its mouth, which it released at Morningstar's monster. Morningstar only gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Half-Guard in the Graveyard!" he declared, surprising Techbane. "By banishing it and discarding Cyspirit Engineer from my hand, all battle damage I take is halved!" The attack struck Coder, destroying it in an explosion. Morningstar cried out in pain and his D-Board wobbled, but he managed to stay upright.

 **Morningstar: 2800→1000 LP**

"Heh," Techbane chuckled. "I forgot about Half-Guard. Looks like I was wrong to declare victory. Still, I won't leave you any resources to fall back on. I activate my Skill! Cyber Strike!" Techbane's blue lens glowed, as did the edges of the armor on his left arm. "Since my Level 8 or higher Machine monster inflicted battle damage, that monster can attack again!" Morningstar's eyes briefly widened. "Go, Megafleet Dragon! Attack Cyspirit Linker! Evolution Result Bombardment!" Megafleet Dragon released another burst of energy, destroying Linker and making Morningstar cry out again.

 **Morningstar: 1000→50 LP**

"Looks like you were right to keep Linker in Attack Position," Cypher commented. "Though if the monster we were anticipating had showed up, we would have been in deeper trouble."

Morningstar ignored Cypher and said, "Since your Battle Phase ended, Half-Guard lets me draw one card for each of your monsters that battled this turn." Morningstar drew one card.

"I end my turn," Techbane sighed. "Honestly, I was expecting more from you, Morningstar. You've fought duelists like Playmaker, Go Onizuka, and Galahad, so I thought I wouldn't be able do this much. It's almost as if you're… holding back." The last two words were said suspiciously. Listening in, Sylphid gasped.

"Oops," Cypher said, turning to his partner. "Looks like he caught us."

"What!? You've really been going easy on me!?" Techbane asked, offended. "Are you taking pity on me?"

"I did not mean to insult you, Techbane. Truthfully, I would have taken it easy on Sylphid back there as well," Morningstar replied, making the girl narrow her eyes. "It is nothing personal and I meant no disrespect. But there is something that Cypher and I wanted to test, and in order to do that, we had to lower our Life Points."

"Lower your Life Points?" Techbane repeated. "What-?" He then gasped. "Wait, you can't mean-!"

"Not that. But you are on the right track," Cypher said before glancing at Morningstar. "Ready, partner?"

"Ready."

"Good. Come, Data Storm!" Cypher pointed upwards, generating a tornado of Data Material. He and Morningstar rode their D-Board upwards and broke into the storm. As they coursed through the purple data, Morningstar remembered what Cypher told him three months ago. Before their duel with Playmaker…

* * *

" _Hurricane Heavensgate?" Yasutake said, blinking. "That's your Skill?"_

" _Yes. When your Life Points are 1000 or less, you can add a 'Cyspirit' monster from the Data Storm to the Extra Deck."_

"… _So it's Storm Access, but only for Cyspirit monsters."_

" _Not exactly," Cypher said, his eyes crinkling as if he were smirking. "Storm Access can only grant you Link Monsters. Hurricane Heavensgate lets you add_ any _kind of monster to your Extra Deck."_

 _Yasutake gasped in realization. "You mean… you can access Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters as well? Is that why you didn't make any?"_

" _No." Cypher's eyes changed to indicate a scowl. "Truthfully, I don't have the resources necessary to make any before your duel with Playmaker. And while I can make Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz Monsters for you, I can only make low-powered, support-based ones. If you want monsters that will win Duels, you'll need Hurricane Heavensgate."_

"… _So even someone with your attitude acknowledges limits."_

" _Hey! It's not my fault! I've been trapped in cards for the last eight years, not even conscious of what was happening in the outside world! If anything, this Skill should show you just how advanced I am compared to the other Ignis. After all, if Storm Access is as far as Ai got in ten years, how powerful do you think I would be if I hadn't been split into five pieces?"_

"… _Alright. Sorry. So, how exactly does this Skill work? What determines the strength of the monster I obtain?"_

 _Cypher laughed. "There are two factors that decide that. But first, how do you think Storm Access works?"_

"… _Well, from what I understand, Cyberse monsters live in the Data Storm, and Storm Access lets Playmaker bring those monsters out."_

" _You are sort of right. Given that Ai was your only source, I can't blame you for that interpretation. But you're wrong about monsters 'living' in the Data Storm. No." Cypher narrowed his eyes, completely serious. "Storm Access, and by extension Hurricane Heavensgate, don't give you already existing monsters. What they do is shape the Data Storm according to your will and give you the monster you need the most."_

" _Shape the Data Storm to our will?"_

" _Yes. And this goes back to the two factors I mentioned. The first is easy: the strength of the Data Storm. The more powerful the Data Storm, the more powerful the monster you access tends to be. But that alone is no guarantee of a strong monster. The second factor, and the more important one, is Link Sense."_

" _Link Sense?"_

" _Is there an echo in here? Never mind. You must have noticed it by now; how you sometimes can sense things in the network that others cannot, or events in the network while you're in the real world."_

 _Yasutake's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything. Indeed, he had noticed that. That sixth sense of his had come in handy while bounty hunting, as it helped him find his targets._

" _That's what Link Sense is. And Playmaker and Ai have it too." Cypher's eyes narrowed further. "Truthfully, theirs' is much stronger than yours and mine. Their Link Sense is why Playmaker's Storm Access is so powerful."_

"… _I see. So Link Sense is tied to the Lost Incident."_

" _That's what I believe. And what Ai believes. While we Ignis were learning from you, you were also learning from us. But that's a theory for another day. My point is, Link Sense is a major part of the strength of the monster you create from the Data Storm. The stronger your Link Sense, the more control you can exert over the Data Storm and manipulate the monster that will emerge."_

 _Yasutake frowned. "What about Revolver? Does he have Link Sense?"_

" _Hmm. I can't say for certain without having seen him in action personally, but from what I gather, he does not. I believe that what he has is instead a powerful program created by his father that functions similarly to a Link Sense. That program is what lets him manipulate the Data Storm, but it isn't as refined as the actual Link Sense you, Playmaker, Ai, and myself possess."_

"… _So how it is Hurricane Heavensgate is stronger than Storm Access? You said Playmaker's and Ai's Link Sense was stronger than ours."_

" _It is. But that's where my true special power comes in."_

" _Special power?"_

 _Cypher laughed. "Each Ignis has something that makes them distinct. Something they can do that others either cannot, or that they do better than the others. Ai has the strongest Link Sense of us. The Wind Ignis has the greatest control over the Data Storm. My special advantage is that I'm the best at breaking down programs."_

" _Breaking down? You mean you're the best at destroying them?"_

" _Not destroy! I deconstruct, take apart, our programs. I can do it the fastest, and on a level none of the others can. And when I take apart a program, I see all its flaws. Then, I can make my own version of the program with those flaws corrected." Cypher laughed again. "Essentially, I take the work of the other Ignis, and I perfect it. Of course, there are limits and I usually need to add my own personal touch. That's why Hurricane Heavensgate restricts you to 'Cyspirit' monsters." Cypher narrowed his eyes. "And let me tell you, that's harder than you think. Do you know how hard it is to restrict access on a program? Especially when that program is attempting to take billions of data bits and form them into the shape you desire?"_

"… _No, I can't say I do."_

" _Well, it's hard. But that doesn't matter. Because with this Skill, we'll be stronger than Ai and Playmaker. And we'll continue to evolve even further beyond our limits!"_

* * *

In the center of the Data Storm, Morningstar closed his eyes. He reached out with his right hand, feeling the particles of data pass through his fingers. Reaching out with his senses like Cypher taught him, he gasped.

Yes! He felt it! The power within the Data Storm. Morningstar had wondered why Cypher had named the Skill Hurricane Heavensgate, but now he understood. The Data Storm gave him a mental image of a gate. He was on one side, and on the other side were a multitude of monsters. They weren't real, not yet, but they were waiting for him to make them real. All he had to do was choose which of them to let through the gate. But they were blurry, their features non-distinct. He couldn't tell them apart, couldn't tell how powerful any of them were.

 _Focus,_ Morningstar thought. With his Link Sense active, he could feel Cypher reaching out with him, helping him find a monster that would win the duel. To Cypher, these monsters had faces, names. To him they were already real. They were just waiting to pass through the gate.

With Cypher's help, Morningstar finally saw the features of one of the monsters. That monster stepped forward and pushed against the gate opening it. And Morningstar saw its true self.

A silver skeleton. Black and silver ridged plate armor covering its entire body. A black helmet with a golden crest attached to the front. Two swords strapped to the back of its hip, both curved, and one longer than the other. Two eyes, red and blue, glaring at him, daring him to harness its power.

Opening his eyes, Morningstar stuck his hand deeper into the storm. "I activate my Skill!" he declared. "When my Life Points are 1000 or less, I can add a 'Cyspirit' monster from the Data Storm to my Extra Deck!" The data particles started to gather into his hand, creating a glowing purple card.

"Now!" Cypher shouted, back in eye form. "Open the gate of evolution, Morningstar!"

"HURRICANE HEAVENSGATE!" Morningstar shouted, the silver lines on his body glowing a soft purple as he pulled the card clear of the Data Storm. As the light faded, Morningstar saw the card had a violet background.

As Morningstar broke free of the Data Storm, Techbane gasped. "Impossible," he whispered, looking at the display his Duel Disk showed him. "He added a monster from the Data Storm to his hand!?"

Sylphid didn't say anything, but she did smile. _You really are interesting, Morningstar,_ she thought.

* * *

"Observation: the meatbag Morningstar activated his Skill, master," HK-70 reported. He and the black-cloaked man were standing alone on an island, watching the two duels. HK's eyes glowed more than usual, having zoomed in to watch.

"What did it do?"

"Analysis: Hurricane Heavensgate. If the user's Life Points are 1000 or less, they can add a 'Cyspirit' Fusion, Link, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from the Data Storm to the Extra Deck."

"…How boring," the man sighed. "I was hoping Morningstar would show me something interesting after three months, but that's the best he can do? Honestly…"

"Heh heh. Only _you_ would call a Skill like that 'boring.'"

The two turned as another cloaked figure – their cloak being dark blue instead of black – walked up to them. This one was tall, but not as tall as the first cloaked man.

'Of course, you are No. I," the man said, standing next to HK and turning to observe the duel. "To someone like you, this must be child's play."

"…What are you doing here, No. XIII?" the man in black asked. "I thought you had a mission overseas."

"I did. I finished it. And then I got called here by one of our masters." The man watched for a moment, then said, "So, he's the one who found the Cyspirit Deck. He must the Hunter kid Hellsworn talked about. Are you going to challenge him?"

"No. He's not strong enough to keep up with me. Not yet."

The man in blue sighed. "I understand we get a lot of leeway, but you could bother to drag your feet less. Still, does he have _it_?"

"No," the man in black said, shaking his head. "I haven't seen him use it."

"A shame. Still… this is a good opportunity to gauge the strength of the enemy. And see how they adapt." The man in blue gestured in front of him, causing a D-Board – a dark gold model with red fins and silver spear-like appendages attached to the fins – to appear in front of him. The man jumped onto the D-Board, then raced after Morningstar and Techbane.

"Query: are you going to follow him, master?" HK asked. The man in black shook his head.

"Jester would be upset if I got in his way," he replied. "And I don't want Morningstar to be aware of me. Yet."

* * *

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, then gestured to his field. "As I control no monsters, I activate the effect of Cyspirit Monastery! I Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Resurrect, Egregious Electrician!" The skeleton in overalls reemerged on Morningstar's field.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600 LINK-1** ↙

"And because of Monastery's effect, Egregious Electrician gains 500 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600→1100**

"Since there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon this monster. Come, Cyspirit Prisoner!" A skeleton in a blue-and-white prisoner's uniform appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"Appear, the circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal reappeared above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Prisoner in the Link Marker!" Prisoner became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500→1000 LINK-1** ↓

"Prisoner's monster effect! When Prisoner is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add a 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Fusion to my hand."

Techbane gasped. "Did he just say-!?"

Morningstar gestured to his field. "Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker, but that monster cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Come, Cyspirit Kid!" A dwarf skeleton in a t-shirt appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Appear again, the circuit between light and darkness! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Cacophonic Caller and Kid in the Link Markers!" Cacophonic Caller and Kid became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Jubilant Jester!" A skeleton in a black-and-gold jester's outfit emerged from the portal and spun its staff from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 1800→2300 LINK-2** ↙↘

"Since it was used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, Kid's effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "And one of your face-up cards is destroyed."

"The card is Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon!" Cypher declared, pointing to said monster as it exploded.

Techbane grit his teeth as he gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Cyber Reincarnation!" Morningstar raised an eyebrow at Techbane's card. It showed a monster Morningstar recognized as Cyber End Dragon breaking apart, with a new mechanical dragon emerging from its pieces. "Since my Machine Fusion Monster was sent to the Graveyard by my opponent's card, I can Special Summon a Machine Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, so long as its Level is equal to that of the sent monster. Megafleet Dragon was Level 10, so I Special Summon the Level 10 Cyber Eternity Dragon!" A portal appeared on Techbane's field, out of which a massive dragon emerged. The dragon was white and mechanical like its predecessors but was much longer and had green hexagons running down its body. The dragon roared from the Extra Monster Zone in Defense Position.

 **Cyber Eternity Dragon ATK 2800 DEF 4000 LVL: 10**

"This Special Summon is also treated as a Fusion Summon."

"Hmm. 4000 defense points," Cypher noted. "We were expecting 4000 attack points, but this still works."

Morningstar gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Samurai in the Graveyard! Once per Duel, I can Special Summon it from the Graveyard to a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster's Link Marker. Resurrect, Samurai!" The skeleton in red and black armor reappeared, summoned to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Samurai ATK 1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"Samurai cannot attack the turn it is Special Summoned by its effect." Morningstar then pointed to a different monster. "Jubilant Jester's monster effect! Since it points to one monster, all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control gain 400 attack and defense points."

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 1100→1500**

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 2300→2700**

 **Cyspirit Samurai ATK 1800→2200**

"I activate the effect of the Cyspirit Wander in my Graveyard. By shuffling it into my Deck, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Datastorm Dragon!" The massive dragon reappeared and roared.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800→3700**

"Looks like all the conditions are met, Morningstar," Cypher said.

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Fusion!" Morningstar declared, playing the second-to-last card in his hand.

Techbane gasped. "That's the card from earlier! A Fusion card!?" The card showed Datastorm Dragon colored red and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary colored blue circling a silver light.

"With this card, I send Fusion Material monsters from my hand and field to the Graveyard to summon a 'Cyspirit' Fusion Monster! I fuse Cyspirit Samurai, Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon, Cyspirit Egregious Electrician, and Cyspirit Jubilant Jester!" His four monsters disintegrated into red, blue, green, and orange particles respectively. The particles swirled into a vortex of light before four whirlwinds burst forth. The whirlwinds then combined, forming a single violet whirlwind.

"The supreme blade that cleaves the wind! Resurrect the ancient legend!" Morningstar chanted as he gestured to his field, the lines on his suit, the stars on his hands, and the wings on his back glowing a soft purple. "Fusion Summon! Come out! Cyspirit Savage Shogun!"

A silver katana split the whirlwind, revealing the monster inside. It was a large skeleton wearing black and silver ridged plate armor over a black shitagi and hakama. A black helmet with a golden crest shaped like a crescent moon topped its head, and two silver swords hung from the back of its hip. Red and blue eyes glowed as it sheathed the katana and silver wings sprouted from its back. Like Jubilant Jester, Savage Shogun was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 2800 DEF 2300 LVL: 8**

"A 'Cyspirit' Fusion Monster…" Techbane muttered. "No way…"

"That must be the monster he obtained with his Skill," Sylphid whispered. "No doubt it's strong."

"That's very impressive, Morningstar," Techbane said. "However, my Cyber Eternity Dragon has 4000 defense points. You'll need more than this to defeat it."

"I'm aware of that." Morningstar took the last card in his hand and played it. "I summon Cyspirit Lancer!" The skeleton in white armor carrying a lance and shield appeared.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"While Lancer is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points. Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 2800→3100**

"Battle!" Morningstar declared. "Savage Shogun attacks Cyber Eternity Dragon!"

"What!?" Techbane gasped. Savage Shogun unsheathed its katana, clasped it in both hands, then charged Cyber Eternity Dragon. "Have you lost your mind? Cyber Eternity Dragon has 4000 defense points and your monster only has 3100 attack points!"

"You think we don't know that?" Cypher asked. "If Savage Shogun battles a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, it gains 1000 attack points during damage calculation! And it inflicts piercing battle damage!" Techbane gasped again as Savage Shogun glowed.

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 3100→4100**

"Go, Savage Shogun!" Morningstar shouted. "True Termination Slash!" Savage Shogun's sword glowed silver as it swung the sword to its left side. In the blink of an eye, Savage Shogun slashed through Cyber Eternity Dragon and appeared behind it. Savage Shogun sheathed its katana, just in time for Cyber Eternity Dragon to explode. Techbane winced as he took damage.

 **Techbane: 2200→2100 LP**

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 4100→3100**

"This duel isn't over yet!" Techbane declared, gesturing to his field. "Cyber Eternity Dragon's monster effect! When it is sent to the Graveyard by your card, I can Special Summon my third Cyber Dragon from my Deck!" A white mechanical dragon appeared and roared from Defense Position.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5**

"I'm afraid that with Cyber Dragon in play, you cannot defeat me with Cyspirit Lancer."

"We couldn't even if we wanted to," Cypher said, confusing Techbane.

"The turn Savage Shogun is Special Summoned, no other monsters can declare an attack," Morningstar revealed. "But I don't need another monster." Morningstar gestured to his field. "Savage Shogun's additional effect! When it is Fusion Summoned, its maximum number of attacks per turn is equal to the number of Link Monsters used as Fusion Material!" Techbane gasped.

"Savage Shogun used three Link Monsters as material," Cypher reminded Techbane. "That means it can attack two more times!"

"Go, Savage Shogun! Gendaito Slash!" Savage Shogun drew its shorter sword – a wakizashi – and charged Cyber Dragon. The blade glowing silver, it cut Cyber Dragon in half, destroying it in an explosion.

"And just like before, Savage Shogun inflicts piercing damage!" Techbane cried out at Cypher's words as the backlash struck him.

 **Techbane: 2100→600 LP**

"This is the end!" Morningstar declared. "Savage Shogun, attack Techbane directly! Final Termination Slash!" Savage Shogun sheathed its wakizashi and redrew its katana, which it held in two hands. Morningstar's monster held the sword above its head, where it glowed silver. Savage Shogun brought the sword down, generating a blast of silver energy that struck Techbane, knocking him off his D-Board.

 **Techbane: 600→0 LP**

Sylphid grit her teeth as Techbane disintegrated into blue data, logging out. "Damn. He's really strong." She then smiled to herself. _Looks like she was right._

"Well, since that's done, what's Playmaker up to?" Cypher wondered, opening a window to show what Morningstar's drone was seeing. Evidently, Playmaker had won, because his opponent – who had lost his golden shell and was revealed to be a dark-skinned man with long blonde-brown hair in a silver and purple jumpsuit that left his chest exposed – was lying on the ground while Ai hovered over him in what Morningstar recognized as the form he took when Revolver lost the first time. "Oh, looks like Playmaker will get Kusanagi's brother's data back."

That was what they thought, but Cypher and Morningstar both gasped when Ai started screaming and returned to his usual form, visibly shaking. "A virus?" Cypher said. "An anti-Ignis virus?" The two gasped again when another person – a blonde boy in blue, white, and orange robes – swooped in and pulled their downed ally away.

"Looks like the chase isn't over," Morningstar said, turning his D-Board to go back after Playmaker.

"Hey!" He turned back to see Sylphid chasing after him. "You know it's rude to ignore a girl, right? You may have defeated Techbane, but I still have a job to do."

"Sorry, but I have more important concerns at the moment," Morningstar said, accelerating his D-Board to catch up to Playmaker, Sylphid accelerating her own board to go after him.

Luckily, Morningstar hadn't gotten too far away from Playmaker and was able to catch up to him quickly. And it was good he did, because the blonde boy had called in reinforcements: two men in suits on triangular D-Boards.

 _One for each of us,_ Morningstar thought. _Or maybe I could take both of them._ But before he could speak up, red lightning broke out across the sky.

"What the-?" Cypher said, blinking along with Morningstar. A pillar fire them descended from the sky, out of which a young man on a D-Board appeared. The man wore a red, orange, and gray jumpsuit and his hair was shades of red and blue. The young man spun his D-Board around until he was right behind Playmaker.

"I'll handle them," Morningstar heard the man say over the drone. "Playmaker, you go after him."

"Well, looks like you're not needed." Morningstar started and turned back to look at Sylphid, who had managed to keep up with him. "So how about you and I-AHHHHH!"

Before she finished her sentence, Sylphid was struck by blue lightning and started screaming. "Sylphid?" Morningstar gasped, watching as Sylphid disintegrated into blue data, logging out. Turning to look further behind him, Morningstar saw the culprit: a man on a dark gold D-Board wearing a dark blue cloak.

"Greetings, Morningstar," the man said, pressing a button on his dark gold Duel Disk. The cloak disintegrated, revealing the man underneath. He was taller than Morningstar, and more muscular, but not to Go's level. He wore a dark blue jumpsuit that covered him from head to toe, with dark gold knee-high boots, dark gold gauntlets with dark blue gloves, and dark gold wraparound chest armor. The dark gold belt he wore was emblazoned with a picture of a serpent in the shape of an infinity symbol, with the serpent eating its own tail. A cape that was a lighter shade of blue hung from his shoulders, held in place by golden prongs on his shoulder pads. The man had unkempt blonde hair that blew in the wind, but his face was hidden by a dark gold mask covered in ridges, the only breaks being the eyeholes.

"What? Who are you?" Cypher asked, his eyes narrowed at the new opponent.

"You can call me Jester," the man said, raising his head higher, the eyeholes glowing a light blue. "I think it's about time you face a _real_ opponent, Morningstar."

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Techbane**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Morningstar**

As there are no cards on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Illusionist (2400/1000/6) in Attack Position via its effect, but its ATK becomes 1800 (Illusionist: 2400→1800). As Illusionist was Special Summoned via its effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Samurai from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Samurai (1800/1000/4). He Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Techbane**

Techbane draws. As only Morningstar controls a monster, Techbane Special Summons Cyber Dragon (2100/1600/5) from his hand in Attack Position. He Normal Summons Cyber Dragon Core (400/1500/2). As Core was Normal Summoned, Techbane can add 1 "Cyber" Spell/Trap Card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyber Revsystem from his Deck to his hand. Techbane uses Cyber Dragon and Core to Link Summon Cyber Dragon Sieger (2100/2/←↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Techbane activates the Spell Card Cyber Revsystem, which lets him Special Summon 1 Cyber Dragon from his hand or GY. He Special Summons Cyber Dragon (2100/1600/5) from his GY to Sieger's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position. Techbane Sets 1 card.

Cyber Dragon attempts to attack Illusionist, but the effect of Samurai prevents Techbane from attacking any other "Cyspirit" monster. Cyber Dragon attacks Samurai. Techbane activates Sieger's effect, targeting Cyber Dragon and increasing its ATK/DEF by 2100 until the end of the turn, and neither player takes battle damage from battles involving Sieger (Cyber Dragon: 2100→4200/1600→3700). Morningstar activates his Set Trap Card Cyspirit Half-Guard, discarding Cyspirit Teleporter to halve all battle damage he takes for the rest of the turn. Due to Samurai's effect, it is not destroyed once per turn (Morningstar: 4000→2800 LP). Sieger attacks and destroys Samurai, but because Sieger's effect was activated this turn, neither player takes battle damage. At the end of the Battle Phase, Half-Guard's effect lets Morningstar draw 1 card for each of Techbane's monsters that battled this turn. Morningstar draws 2 cards. Techbane ends his turn, and Sieger's effect ends (Cyber Dragon: 4200→2100/3700→1600).

 **Turn 3: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Normal Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2). As Dancer was Normal Summoned, its effect activates, letting Morningstar Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his hand or Deck in Attack Position with its effects negated. He Special Summons Cyspirit Coder (0/0/1) from his Deck. Morningstar uses Coder to Link Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600/1/↙) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates Egregious Electrician's effect, moving the Cyspirit Dancer to points at to another Main Monster Zone to Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his hand to that zone. He moves Dancer to the left Main Monster Zone and Special Summons Cyspirit Mongrel (1000/1000/3) in Attack Position. Morningstar activates Mongrel's effect, targeting Sieger and negating its effects until the End Phase. Morningstar uses Dancer, Egregious Electrician, Illusionist, and Mongrel to Link Summon Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Dancer was used to Link Summon Datastorm Dragon, it gains 600 ATK (Datastorm Dragon: 2800→3400). As Mongrel was used to Link Summon Datastorm Dragon, Morningstar targets it with Mongrel's effect, allowing it to attack twice during the Battle Phase. Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Coder (0/0/1) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker in Defense Position. As Coder was Special Summoned, Morningstar activates its effect, letting him add Cyspirit Linker from his Deck to his hand then send Cyspirit Wanderer from his Deck to the GY. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700/800/4) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Morningstar activates the Field Spell Card Cyspirit Monastery, which increases the ATK of all "Cyspirit" Link Monsters he controls by 500 (Datastorm Dragon: 3400→3900).

Datastorm Dragon attacks Sieger and destroys Sieger, but because Datastorm Dragon points to 2 monsters, all battle damage it inflicts is halved (Techbane: 4000→3100 LP). Due to Mongrel's effect, Datastorm Dragon can make two attacks against Techbane's monsters. Datastorm Dragon attacks and destroys Cyber Dragon, but because it points to 2 monsters, all battle damage it inflicts is halved (Techbane: 3100→2200 LP). At the end of the Battle Phase, as it points to 2 monsters, Datastorm Dragon's effect activates, inflicting 500 damage to Techbane for each monster it destroyed this turn. It would inflict 1000 damage, but Techbane activates his Set Counter Trap Card Fusion Guard, negating the activation of Datastorm Dragon's effect. He then sends 1 random Fusion Monster from his Extra Deck to the GY. Techbane sends Cyber End Dragon to the GY. Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Techbane**

Techbane draws. He activates the Spell Card Cyber Repair Plant. As he has at least 1 Cyber Dragon in his GY, he can add 1 Light Machine monster from his Deck to his hand or shuffle 1 Light Machine in his GY back into his Deck. But since he has 3 Cyber Dragons in his GY (Core and Sieger are treated as Cyber Dragon due to their effects), he can activate both effects. He adds Cyber Dragon Nächster to his hand and shuffles Sieger back into his Extra Deck. As only Morningstar controls monsters on the field, Techbane activates the effect of Cyber Dragon Core in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 "Cyber Dragon" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons a 2nd Cyber Dragon (2100/1600/5) in Attack Position. Techbane Normal Summons Cyber Dragon Nächster (200/200/1). As Nächster was Summoned, Techbane can Special Summon 1 Machine monster with 2100 ATK or DEF from his GY. He Special Summons his 1st Cyber Dragon (2100/1600/5) in Attack Position. Techbane uses his 1st Cyber Dragon and Nächster to Link Summon Cyber Dragon Sieger (2100/2/←↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. He then sends his 2nd Cyber Dragon, Sieger, and Datastorm Dragon to the GY to Fusion Summon Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon (0/0/10) to the right Extra Monster Zone via its own effect. Megafleet Dragon's ATK becomes 1200 times the number of Fusion Materials used for its Fusion Summon (Megafleet Dragon: 0→3600). Techbane activates the Equip Spell Card Fairy Meteor Crush and equips it to Megafleet Dragon, letting it inflict piercing battle damage if it attacks a Defense Position monster. Techbane Sets 1 card.

Megafleet Dragon attacks Coder, but Morningstar activates the effect of Half-Guard in his GY, banishing it and discarding Cyspirit Engineer to halve all battle damage he takes this turn. Coder is destroyed (Morningstar: 2800→1000 LP). As his Level 8 or higher Machine monster inflicted battle damage to Morningstar, Techbane activates his Skill, Cyber Strike, allowing that monster to attack again. Megafleet Dragon attacks and destroys Linker (Morningstar: 1000→50 LP). At the end of the Battle Phase, Half-Guard lets Morningstar draw 1 card for each of Techbane's monsters that battled this turn. He draws 1 card. Techbane ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Morningstar**

As his LP are 1000 or less, Morningstar activates his Skill, Hurricane Heavensgate, letting him add 1 "Cyspirit" Fusion, Link, Synchro, or Xyz Monster from the Data Storm to his Extra Deck. He adds Cyspirit Savage Shogun to his Extra Deck. Morningstar draws. As he controls no monsters, Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Monastery, letting him Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY with its effects negated. He Special Summons Egregious Electrician (600→1100/1/↙). As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500→1000/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Fusion to his hand. Morningstar activates Cacophonic Caller's effect, letting him Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to its Link Marker. He Special Summons Cyspirit Kid (300/200/1) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller and Kid to Link Summon Cyspirit Jubilant Jester (1800→2300/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Kid was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can target and destroy 1 face-up card on Techbane's field. He targets and destroys Megafleet Dragon. As his Machine Fusion Monster left the field, Techbane activates his Set Trap Card Cyber Reincarnation, letting him Special Summon 1 Machine Fusion Monster from his Extra Deck whose Level is equal to the previous monster. He Special Summons Cyber Eternity Dragon (2800/4000/10) in Defense Position to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Samurai in his GY, Special Summoning it to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position (1800/1000/4), but it cannot declare an attack this turn. As Jubilant Jester points to at least 1 monster, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 400 ATK/DEF (Egregious Electrician: 1100→1500) (Jubilant Jester: 2300→2700) (Samurai: 1800→2200). Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Wanderer in his GY, shuffling it into his Deck to Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY, but that monster cannot attack this turn. He Special Summons Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800→3700/4/↙↑↓↘). Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Fusion, fusing Samurai with Datastorm Dragon, Egregious Electrician, and Jubilant Jester to Fusion Summon Cyspirit Savage Shogun (2800/2300/8) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Savage Shogun's number of attacks per turn is equal to the number of Link Monsters used to summon it, but since it was Special Summoned, no other monsters can declare an attack this turn. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). As Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100) (Savage Shogun: 2800→3100).

Savage Shogun attacks Cyber Eternity Dragon. As it is battling a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, Savage Shogun gains 1000 ATK during damage calculation (Savage Shogun: 3100→4100). Savage Shogun destroys Eternity Dragon and inflicts piercing battle damage via its effect (Techbane: 2200→2100 LP) (Savage Shogun: 4100→3100). As Eternity Dragon was sent to the GY by Morningstar's card, Techbane activates its effect, letting him Special Summon 1 Cyber Dragon from his hand, Deck or GY. He Special Summons his 3rd Cyber Dragon (2100/1600/5) from his Deck in Defense Position. The Fusion Summoned Savage Shogun can attack three times this turn. Savage Shogun attacks and destroys Cyber Dragon while inflicting piercing battle damage (Techbane: 2100→600 LP). Savage Shogun attacks directly (Techbane: 600→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Samurai  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1800 DEF 1000 Level: 4  
_ _Your opponent cannot target "Cyspirit" monsters for attacks, except this one. The first time this card would be destroyed by battle or card effect each turn, it is not destroyed. If you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your GY) to your zone that monster points to. This monster cannot attack the turn it is Special Summoned by its own effect. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Samurai" once per Duel._

 _ **Cyspirit Mongrel  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1000 DEF 1000 Level: 3  
_ _You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; negate that monster's effects until the End Phase (even if this card leaves the field). If this card is used as material for the Link Summon of a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: You can target that Link Monster; that monster can make two attacks against your opponent's monsters during the Battle Phase. You can only activate each effect of "Cyspirit Mongrel" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Savage Shogun  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Fusion/Effect] ATK 2800 DEF 2300 Level: 8  
_ " _Cyspirit Samurai" + 1+ Link Monsters  
_ _During the Battle Phase, this Fusion Summoned card can attack a number of times equal to the number of Link Monsters used as its Fusion Material. This card can only attack directly once per turn. If this card battles a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, it gains 1000 ATK during damage calculation only. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent. The turn this card is Special Summoned, no other monsters can declare an attack._

 _ **Cyber Reincarnation Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If exactly 1 Machine Fusion Monster is sent to your GY by an opponent's card: Special Summon 1 Machine Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck in Defense Position, so long as its Level is equal to the sent monster's (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon)._

 _ **Cyspirit Fusion Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Fusion Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as Fusion Material. If a "Cyspirit" Fusion Monster on your side of the field is sent to the GY, you can banish this card from your GY; shuffle the destroyed monster back into your Extra Deck, then Special Summon 1 Link-3 or lower "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your Extra Deck (This Special Summon is treated as a Link Summon)._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 33 – Storm of Life. Morningstar is confronted by the mysterious man known as Jester, who proceeds to engage Morningstar in a duel. Utilizing never-before-seen tactics, Jester drives Morningstar into a corner…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

What did you think of Morningstar's new Skill, Hurricane Heavensgate, and Cypher's catchphrase?

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Since I'm releasing this chapter at the same time as 31, there won't be any responses to reviews. For responses to Chapter 30 reviews, please see this section under Chapter 31.

I want to say, for the record, I thought up Hurricane Heavensgate LONG before Playmaker gained Neo Storm Access. And it doesn't have that new ability it showed in Episode 82. ThePLOThand can confirm that, as he was the one who came up with the name, for which I profoundly thank him. I originally thought up something like Divine Tempest, but Hurricane Heavensgate works better. Also thank you to SakushiRyu and sanedimentio for helping me refine Hurricane Heavensgate and provide feedback on the scenes of its explanation and use.

Alright, this chapter brings Morningstar back to LINK VRAINS and introduces Techbane and Sylphid, whose real-life selves we met last chapter. Again, Sylphid is an OC of JaneValentine007 while Techbane is my own. Sylphid will get her own chance to duel in Chapter 35. For now, we get to see Jester duel Morningstar, and I really hope I manage to surprise you guys with what he can do.

Thank you for reading Chapter 32 of Hidden Memories. I hoped you liked Hurricane Heavensgate and how I presented it.


	33. Chapter 33: Storm of Life

**Chapter 33: Storm of Life**

 **The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his D-Board, followed by Morningstar, and then Soulburner. The clouds part to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS logo appears, and beneath it, the words "HIDDEN MEMORIES" appears.**

 **Yasutake and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them on one side, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He tries to wrap the other arm around Yaustake, who steps to the side and gives Takeru an annoyed look. Then someone wraps their arms around Yasutake's right arm. He glances to the side and sees Sachi wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform, smiling with her eyes closed as she leans her head on his shoulder. Yasutake smiles back at her.**

 **Masako is shown riding in the passenger side of a van, with the window showing an image of Lilith. In the sky above her, an image of Thaumiel appears, holding his hand over the van. Kenshin Hirai is then shown at a café, drinking coffee and reading a book, while an image of Hitomu Hirai appears in the sky facing the opposite direction. Go Onizuka is shown in NEW LINK VRAINS in his new avatar, riding his D-Board with Kenmochi and Yoroizaka on either side. Behind them, Techbane and Sylphid fly on their own D-Boards. As they pass under a ledge, Blue Angel, Galahad, and Persephone are shown looking down at Go with sad and disappointed looks.**

 **Kusanagi is then shown sitting at a picnic bench with Cam, both drinking from cans and laughing. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Cypher looks at the two of them with exasperation and mild contempt. Akira Zaizen and Hayami are then shown standing next to Queen, who is sitting in a pool chair, adjusting her glasses.**

 **Jester is then shown, with two people – a man and a woman – shown standing behind him, shrouded in shadow. The man-in-shadow's eyes glow red. The eyeholes of Jester's mask glow a light blue. Behind them are two dragons, shrouded in shadow. One of the dragons has four thin wings, while the other has six thin wings.**

 **Morningstar and Playmaker ride their D-Boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary and Cyspirit Savage Shogun in front of Morningstar. The two are chased by Techbane and Sylphid. The man directs Cyber Dragon Sieger to fire at Morningstar while the girl commands a red and purple dragon to attack Playmaker. The two are hit with energy attacks but emerge from the smoke unharmed.**

 **The Knights of Hanoi are then shown, with Terminus standing apart from them. Motor Worm Spreader Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps appear, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind Dryanome and roars.**

 **A split screen, showing two figures. The one on the right is a green outline of a short-haired woman wearing a dress and holding a card in her right hand. Behind her is a white outline of a winged figure holding a sword. The left screen shows a red outline of a man wearing armor, with his right hand raised and the fingers curled. Behind him is a black outline of an armored monster with demonic wings.**

 **Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner are then shown back-to-back, with their hands glowing purple, blue, and red respectively. The three face off against Bohman and Trident Hydradrive Lord, Blood Shepard and Battledrone General, and Jester, who raises his arm as a pillar of energy appears behind him. A six-winged dragon emerges from the pillar and roars.**

 **Cyspirts Angelic Avenger, Idealistic Idol, Pied Pikeman, Rapid Revolutionary, and Winning Wrestler are then shown in the air, with Neo Nova racing past them. The five Cyspirit monsters then glow with golden light and merge to form Superior Seraphim, whose light spreads across NEW LINK VRAINS.**

 **Cam, Sachi, Yasutake, Takeru, Kusanagi, and Yusaku are all shown at a picnic table, with them eating hot dogs, and Takeru and Cam are laughing. Three Duel Disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Cypher watches television on Yasutake's tablet. Aoi, Akira, and Emma are in the background, walking past them and smiling at the table.**

 **Yasutake, Cam, and Sachi walk down the street, with Cam having his arms around the other two. All three are smiling. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner sitting on a ledge and smiling into the distance.**

* * *

"Hurry, Sachi!"

"I'm running as fast as I can, Cam! Your legs are just longer than mine!"

Cam and Sachi were running through the streets of Den City, trying to get back to Café Junpei. After helping Kusanagi get his brother to his room and make sure he was comfortable, the two had decided to head back to the city, as they felt they could be more helpful there. After taking a bus there, the siblings were now running back to Café Junpei, though Sachi lagged a bit behind.

"Shorter legs aren't an excuse to be slow!" Cam said, looking behind him at his sister. "Yasu needs us, so-!"

CRASH!

"Eh!?" Sachi said, stumbling to a halt at the sight in front of her. Cam, while looking back at her, had crashed into a woman, knocking both of them to the ground.

"Ow," Cam said, sitting up. He looked at the woman, quickly stood up and reached out his hand. "Sorry about that. I should have been looking. You aren't hurt, right?"

The woman shook her head and took his hand. "No, I'm good." The woman had strawberry blonde hair tied back into a French braid and brown eyes. She was dressed fashionably in a dark blue button-up dress shirt under a light black jacket with a black knee-length skirt, black stockings, and flat shoes. "What about you?" She spoke Japanese perfectly, but her accent wasn't Japanese. American, maybe?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Cam said as he pulled her up. "Sorry, but we're in a hurry. Come on, Sachi!" He let go of the woman's hand and resumed running, with Sachi chasing after him.

The woman looked after him, then back at the ground. Her eyes widened. "Wait, sir, you dropped-!" But Cam and Sachi were already out of earshot.

* * *

Galahad frowned to himself as he watched the screen his Duel Disk showed. "That was rather clever of you." He turned to glance at Persephone at her words. The woman herself was watching Galahad's screen with a small smile. "Creating a drone like Morningstar's." The two of them were standing in a secluded area of LINK VRAINS's central city, having gotten away from the crowd.

Galahad smiled. "Frog and Pigeon don't see everything, so I figured I wanted to see what they couldn't," he replied before looking back at his screen. "I get why they're interested in the fire duelist, but something in my gut is telling me Morningstar's duel is more important. Or rather, his opponent."

Persephone frowned. "I know what you mean. Something about him… he's very dangerous, without question." The two watched as Galahad's new drone broadcasted footage of Morningstar facing a man in a blue jumpsuit and gold armor.

* * *

"You can call me Jester. I think it's about time you face a _real_ opponent, Morningstar."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes, glaring at the man in blue and gold calling himself Jester. _What the… What is this I'm sensing?_

Out loud, he said, "You want to duel me? You don't look like a bounty hunter. At least not one I've heard of before."

Jester chuckled. "Oh, I'm no bounty hunter. You could call me an… 'Enforcer' of sorts. And I'd really like to see what the child who defeated Hellsworn and claimed the Cyspirits can do."

Morningstar gasped. "Hellsworn? Then-."

"Wasn't Hellsworn the guy who challenged you for the Cyspirit cards?" Cypher asked in eye form. "Didn't you also say-."

"Hellsworn mentioned a sponsor and an initiation," Morningstar said. "You were his sponsor?"

"No, I was just the one overseeing his initiation," Jester answered. "And once he failed, I gave him his punishment."

"Punishment?" Morningstar repeated.

"Morningstar!" The former hunter turned around at Cypher's words and saw the duelist in a red and gray jumpsuit and the two other new duelists were flying away. "Should we follow them?"

"…No. Playmaker needs our help more," Morningstar said, glancing at the footage on his drone that was still following the hacker. "That said, I'm curious about this new duelist. Send another drone after him."

"Roger!" A new drone emerged from the Duel Disk and set after the three departing the scene. Originally, Morningstar's Duel Disk could only hold one drone at a time, but Cypher had upgraded it so it could hold three without issue.

"Now, to deal with this nuisance," Cypher said, emerging from the Duel Disk and glaring at Jester. "You've said a few interesting things, but we don't have time for you. And unfortunately for you, I've just finished analyzing and perfecting Ai's program!" Cypher pointed at Jester. "Releasing the Data Storm!"

A tornado of data formed close to Jester and released powerful winds, unbalancing him. Or at least it was supposed to.

"Heh heh," Jester chuckled, holding out his right hand. "Too easy." Blue lightning danced across his fingers before striking the Data Storm and dispersing it.

"Eh!?" Cypher screeched, his eyes wide. Morningstar was likewise surprised but kept his reaction to widened eyes. "Impossible! You dispersed the Data Storm that easily!?"

"You didn't actually expect that to work, did you?" Jester asked mockingly. "My power far exceeds anyone you've fought before. If you want, you could just give me the Silver Ignis and the Cyspirit data. I'll let you leave peacefully if you do."

 _The Cyspirit data?_ Morningstar thought. _I can understand Cypher, but why my cards?_

But more importantly… "I remember this feeling," Morningstar said softly so only Cypher could hear. "What I'm sensing… it's similar to what I sensed when I faced Revolver in the sewers. A feeling of supreme confidence and strength."

"…He might be related to Revolver if he can manipulate the Data Storm," Cypher said begrudgingly. "He doesn't strike me as a Knight of Hanoi, but you never know. The only other explanation for that is… he's working with or captured an Ignis." Cypher's eyes narrowed on saying the last part.

"Maybe. But we can ask him that later." Louder, Morningstar said to Jester, "Sorry, but I'm not giving up Cypher or the Cyspirits. I've dueled for a long time with them, and I won't give them up to someone like you."

"Ha ha. That's the answer I expected." Jester held up his left arm, revealing a dark gold Duel Disk that resembled six interwoven wings around a blue screen. "In that case, I'll have to take them by force. Do try to entertain me before you lose."

"No! You'll be the one losing!" Cypher shouted.

"Speed Duel!" Morningstar and Jester shouted.

 **Jester: 4000 LP**

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

Morningstar drew his cards while Jester swept his hand in front of him. Seeing what he had, Jester said, "I'll take the first turn. I summon Life Wyvern." A dragon with yellow skin and two legs appeared, flapping its paper-thin wings and whipping its barbed tail. Its red eyes gleamed as it roared.

 **Life Wyvern ATK 2000 DEF 600 LVL: 6**

"Level 6?" Cypher said, surprised.

"If I control no monsters, Life Wyvern can be Normal Summoned without Tributing," Jester explained. "And because I control a 'Life' monster, I can Special Summon Life Drago!" Another yellow-skinned red-eyed dragon with two thin wings appeared, but this one had four limbs and stood on its hindlegs as it roared in Attack Position.

 **Life Drago ATK 600 DEF 2000 LVL: 3**

 _The name of his Deck's archetype is 'Life?'"_ Morningstar thought.

Jester gestured to his field. "Life Wyvern's monster effect! When a different 'Life' monster is Summoned to my field, I gain 800 Life Points." Wyvern roared again as Jester glowed.

 **Jester: 4000→4800 LP**

"Life Drago's monster effect! If I gain Life Points due to the effect of a 'Life' monster besides Drago, I gain 800 Life Points." This time, Drago roared as Jester glowed.

 **Jester: 4800→5600 LP**

Jester raised his hand as blue lightning danced across his fingers. "Appear! The circuit that breaks the world!" The Link portal appeared in the air above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Life' monsters. I set Life Drago and Life Wyvern in the Link Markers!" Both monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the bottom and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Life Force Amphitere!"

A new yellow serpentine dragon emerged from the portal, and it was twice as large as the previous two. Like Wyvern, it only had two limbs, but they were at the front instead of the back and its claws were black. It had two sets of thin wings that sprouted from its neck, and a mane of yellow hair sprouted around the roots. Its red eyes gleamed as it was summoned to the left Extra Monster Zone.

 **Life Force Amphitere ATK 1000 LINK-2** ↓↘

"He gave up two monsters, one with 2000 attack points, to summon one monster with 1000 attack points," Cypher mused. "He must want it for its effect."

"While my Life Points are higher than yours, Amphitere gains attack points equal to the difference," Jester said. "The difference is 1600."

 **Life Force Amphitere ATK 1000→2600**

"Amphitere's additional effect!" Jester declared, gesturing to his field. "Once per turn, if my Life Points are higher than yours, you take damage equal to half the difference! Life Resound!" Amphitere opened its mouth and blasted Morningstar with yellow energy, making him wince.

 **Morningstar: 4000→3200 LP**

"And since the difference between our Life Points increased again, Amphitere gains more attack points."

 **Life Force Amphitere ATK 2600→3400**

"I Set one card. I end my turn."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "So that's his strategy," he said. "Increasing his own Life Points to increase his monster's attack points while also dealing damage to me."

"A simple strategy, but effective," Cypher said. "Of course, it won't slow us down, will it, partner?"

"Of course not. My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card, then played it. "Since you control monsters and I do not, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" The skeleton in blue armor wielding two swords appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Swordsman's monster effect! When it is Summoned by its effect, I can add a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand." Morningstar took a card from his Deck, then played it. "I summon the newly added Cyspirit Kid!" A dwarf skeleton in a shirt appeared.

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"You're going all out from the start, Morningstar?" Cypher asked.

"This Jester gives me a bad feeling," Morningstar said, his eyes narrowed. "The longer this drags out, the worse it will be." Morningstar gestured to the sky as his hand glowed blue. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared, this time above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Kid in the Link Marker!" Said monster turned into a tornado of energy and entered the bottom arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" A skeleton in a business suit emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Kid's monster effect! When it is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can destroy one of your face-up cards! I'll destroy Life Force Amphitere!" Morningstar pointed to said monster.

"Ha! Good going, Morningstar!" Cypher said, complimenting his partner. "With that out of the way-."

"Did you think I didn't anticipate that?" Jester said, interrupting Cypher as he gestured to his field. "Continuous Trap activate! Life Protection!" The card showed Life Wyvern protected by a blue magic barrier. "While this card is active, 'Life' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by your card effects."

Morningstar grit his teeth, annoyed, but then gestured to his field. "Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker, but that monster cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Come, Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a leotard appeared, summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Appear once more, the circuit between light and darkness! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster. I set Cacophonic Caller in the Link Marker!" Cacophonic Caller became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom-right arrow, turning it red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant!" A skeleton in a silver military uniform with too-big eyes emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↘

"So that's the strategy you're going with, Morningstar?" Cypher asked. "Well, it's a good one, certainly."

"Appear for a third time, the circuit between light and darkness! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Dancer and Swordsman in the Link Markers!" Said monsters entered the left and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" A skeleton in a prospector uniform with a large drill for a right hand emerged from the portal, summoned to Kooky Kommandant's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"Dancer's monster effect! When it is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, that monster gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→2200**

 _That monster can attack directly, but its attack points will be halved,_ Jester thought. _What is he planning?_

"Kooky Kommandant's monster effect! Since it is linked to a Cyberse Link Monster, I can Tribute it to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Resurrect, Cyspirit Swordsman!" Kooky Kommandant disintegrated as the skeleton with swords reappeared in Attack Position at Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"And after I do that, Kooky Kommandant's effect lets me add a 'Cyspirit' Spell Card and a Level 8 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand," Morningstar continued. "The cards I add are Cyspirit Digital Dragoon and Cyspirit Ritual!"

Jester gasped. _Ritual? That wasn't reported…_

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Emblem! With this card, I send a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. Then, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster with the same Level from my Deck in Attack Position. I send Level 3 Cyspirit Pilot to the Graveyard to summon Cyspirit Teleporter!" A skeleton in gray armor wielding a baton appeared, summoned to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Cyspirit Ritual!" Morningstar declared, the lines on his suit, the stars on his hands, and the wings on his back glowing a light blue. "With this card, I Tribute monsters from my hand and field whose total Levels equal or surpass the Level of the 'Cyspirit' Ritual Monster that I'm Ritual Summoning from my hand. From my field, I Tribute Level 3 Swordsman and Level 3 Teleporter, and from my hand I Tribute Level 2 Cyspirit Saver!"

A silver magical circle appeared in the center of Morningstar's field, as did a dwarf skeleton in white armor wielding a shield. Eight flames sprung up around the circle as the monsters Morningstar had named turned into silver particles and gathered in the center of the circle.

"The contract has been made!" Morningstar chanted. "The horseman who was born anew inherits these three souls! Ritual Summon! Rise! Cyspirit Digital Dragoon!"

A pillar of silver light erupted from the circle as the flames went wild. When the light faded, a skeleton wearing a silver and gold military uniform and a black helmet, riding atop a silver skeleton horse covered in gold armor and wielding a cavalry saber in its right hand while a blunderbuss was strapped to its back had appeared. The horse whinnied as Digital Dragoon was summoned to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Digital Dragoon ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 8**

"A 'Cyspirit' Ritual Monster…" Jester muttered. "That wasn't in Dr. Hirai's data. Did the Silver Ignis create it?"

"I Set one card," Morningstar said before gesturing to his field. "Battle! Digital Dragoon attacks Life Force Amphitere!"

"Oh?" Jester said, surprised as Digital Dragoon charged his monster. "I assume you have a plan beyond self-destruction."

"Of course we do!" Cypher shouted. "When Digital Dragoon battles your Link Monster, that monster's attack points become 0 until the end of the turn!" Jester gasped.

"Go! Process Shoot!" Digital Dragoon drew its blunderbuss and shot Amphitere, spraying it with silver magma.

 **Life Force Amphitere ATK 3400→0**

"And since Digital Dragoon is battling a monster in the Extra Monster Zone, that monster's effects negated until the End Phase," Morningstar continued. "Go, Digital Dragoon! Harbinger's Fury!" Digital Dragoon charged underneath Amphitere, holding its sword up as it glowed silver. The sword cut through Amphitere's stomach, slashing it from head to tail. The monster exploded, making Jester grunt in pain.

 **Jester: 5600→3100 LP**

"Ha ha," Jester chuckled. "Not bad."

"The battle continues!" Morningstar declared. "Thrilled Tunneler, attack Jester directly! Cyber Drill!" Thrilled Tunneler charged Jester, striking his D-Board and sending him flying back several feet.

 **Jester: 3100→900 LP**

Cypher growled. "If he hadn't increased his Life Points last turn, you would have won!"

"I end my turn," Morningstar said.

"And with the end of your turn, Amphitere's additional effect activates!" Jester declared, catching up to Morningstar. "During the End Phase of the turn it is sent to the Graveyard by your card, I can Special Summon a different 'Life' monster from the Graveyard with its effects negated. Resurrect, Life Wyvern!" The two-legged yellow skin dragon reappeared and roared in Attack Position.

 **Life Wyvern ATK 2000 DEF 600 LVL: 6**

"What can he do with that?" Cypher asked. "Its effects are negated, so he can't use it to increase his Life Points."

"AI are such simple-minded beings," Jester said, chuckling to himself. "Once you've established a perspective, you find it very hard to change that."

"What does that mean?"

"I'll show you. My turn! Draw!" Jester paused on seeing the card he drew, but then added it to his hand. "I summon the Tuner monster Life Wurm!" A small serpent with yellow skin appeared. It had horns on the top of its head, red eyes, and large front fangs.

 **Life Wurm ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1**

Morningstar gasped. "Did you say-?"

"Tuner monster?" Cypher repeated, his eyes wide.

"Indeed I did," Jester said as he pointed upwards, lines of golden energy traveling upwards from his body. "Level 1 Life Wurm tunes Level 6 Life Wyvern!" Both monsters disintegrated into green data. Two rings then appeared, one green and one yellow, with the yellow ring being made of six concentric circles. The rings turned blue and merged together before splitting into seven blue rings stacked on top of each other. Several blue-green rectangles appeared, circling the tower of rings as a screen appeared in front of the tower. The screen said "1 + 6" before changing to read "7." A stream of light went through the rings as Jester chanted.

"Mechanical dragon! Bury your claws into your enemies and become their downfall! Synchro Summon! Arise, Level 7! Power Tool Dragon!" A mechanical dragon covered in yellow armor emerged from the rings. It had a blue shovel for a right hand and a green screwdriver attached to its left arm. Despite lacking a mouth, it roared from the left Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Power Tool Dragon ATK 2300 DEF 2500 LVL: 7**

"Synchro Summoning… that's unexpected," Cypher commented, his eyes narrowed.

"Power Tool Dragon's monster effect!" Jester said, pointing to his dragon. "Once per turn, I can reveal three Equip Spell Cards from my Deck, and then you must choose one at random. That card is added to my hand while the rest are shuffled back into my Deck. These are the cards I chose!"

A screen appeared above Morningstar's Duel Disk. He grit his teeth in annoyance; Jester had chosen three copies of the same card – a card that showed Life Drago emerging from a circular pool of water set in a large stone basin. The cards flipped around, then Morningstar chose one.

"I was hoping you would choose that one," Jester said. "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Life Reincarnation! This card Special Summons a 'Life' monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated and equips itself to it, but I cannot target a Link Monster with its effect. Resurrect, Life Wurm!" The serpent with horns reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Life Wurm ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1**

"He brought back the Tuner?" Cypher said. "That must mean-."

"He's planning to Synchro Summon again," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes.

"Heh heh. Clever boy," Jester mock praised Morningstar. "Level 1 Life Wurm tunes Level 7 Power Tool Dragon!" Both monsters disintegrated into green data. Green and yellow rings appeared again, only the yellow one was made of seven concentric circles this time. The rings merged before splitting into eight blue rings stacked in a tower, circled by blue-green rectangles. A screen appeared, displayed "1 + 7," then changed to "8" as a stream of light went through the rings.

"Courageous dragon!" Jester chanted. "Guide the future of the world to revolution! Synchro Summon! Take flight, Level 8! Life Stream Dragon!" A new dragon emerged from the rings. It was similar in appearance to Power Tool Dragon but was wholly organic. It had yellow armor on its chest, shoulders, and legs, and four paper-thin wings emerged from its back. A red spear-like attachment was on its left arm, but its right arm was bare. Jester's new dragon roared from the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Life Stream Dragon ATK 2900 DEF 2400 LVL: 8**

Morningstar grit his teeth as Jester laughed. "Let's see how you do against this dragon," he taunted before gesturing to his field. "Life Stream Dragon's monster effect! When it is Synchro Summoned, I can make my Life Points 4000!"

 **Jester: 900→4000 LP**

"Are you kidding me!?" Cypher complained. "All that damage was for nothing?"

"Furthermore, I activate the effect of Life Wurm! When used to Synchro Summon a Level 7 or higher Synchro Monster, I gain 800 Life Points!"

 **Jester: 4000→4800 LP**

"There's one last effect to activate," Jester continued. "If the monster equipped with Life Reincarnation was used to Synchro Summon a Dragon monster, that Dragon monster can make two attacks against your monsters this turn!" Morningstar gasped.

"Battle! Life Stream Dragon, attack Thrilled Tunneler! Howling Life!" Life Stream Dragon gathered yellow energy in its mouth, which it then fired at Thrilled Tunneler. Morningstar braced himself as his monster's destruction caused an explosion. _(I changed the attack name from "Life is Beauti-Howl" because I frankly think it's ridiculous.)_

 **Morningstar: 3200→2500 LP**

"Once more, Life Stream Dragon! Attack Digital Dragoon!" Life Stream gathered more energy and then blasted Digital Dragoon, destroying it and causing another explosion, making Morningstar grunt from the pain.

 **Morningstar: 2500→2100 LP**

Morningstar growled then gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Ritual in my Graveyard! When a 'Cyspirit' Ritual Monster is destroyed by battle, I can banish that monster and Cyspirit Ritual from the Graveyard to Special Summon a Link-3 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Extra Deck and treat it as having been Link Summoned. Come forth, Cyspirit Winning Wrestler!" A massive skeleton in a black wrestler's uniform with two championship belts crossed over its chest appeared and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"Hmm," Jester hummed. "That's one of the stronger 'Cyspirit' monsters. I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card, then played the other card in his hand. "I summon Cyspirit Sorceress!" A skeleton in a black dress wielding a metal staff appeared.

 **Cyspirit Sorceress ATK 1400 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

"Sorceress's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Resurrect, Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a leotard reappeared at Winning Wrestler's bottom-right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Appear, the circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar declared, causing the Link portal to appear. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Dancer and Sorceress in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top and left arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Idealistic Idol!" A white skeleton emerged from the portal and was soon enveloped in light. When the light faded, the skeleton was wearing a sleeveless indigo dress and had black hair tied into a ponytail. The skeleton sprouted wings from Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500 LINK-2** ←↑

Cypher growled. "This position isn't good; since this is a Speed Duel, Idealistic Idol can't point to two monsters from its position."

Morningstar was annoyed about that too, but something else caught his attention. "I can't sense anything from them," he said. "Before, I could emotions from Idealistic Idol and Winning Wrestler. Now… nothing."

"Hmm? Well of course you can't," Cypher said. "You only could before because my code was embedded in them. Now that I'm whole, they're just like the other Cyspirit monsters. The same is true of Neo Nova and Angelic Avenger."

"…But not Superior Seraphim?" Morningstar asked.

"No. That monster is in a class all its own. Oh, and while we're on this topic, you still can't use Superior Seraphim in a Speed Duel." Cypher narrowed his eyes. "SOL upgraded the Speed Duel system here in LINK VRAINS, but Superior Seraphim's data is still too complex for it to handle. Summoning it will force a log out for you and your opponent."

"Alright then. I won't use Superior Seraphim in a Speed Duel." Morningstar gestured to his field. "Dancer's effect activates again! Idealistic Idol gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 1500→2100**

"Now, I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure! Since there are two Link Monsters on the field, I draw two cards!" Morningstar drew, then said, "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Gift! By discarding a 'Cyspirit' card, I can draw two cards. I discard Cyspirit Coder."

Morningstar drew again, smirked on seeing what he drew, then gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Teleporter in my Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyspirit Swordsman!" The skeleton with two swords reappeared at Winning Wrestler's bottom-right Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

 _Now Winning Wrestler points to two monsters,_ Jester noted.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Coder in the Graveyard!" Morningstar continued. "By banishing it, a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster on my field is treated as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating. I target Idealistic Idol!" A skeleton in a lab coat and armor briefly appeared, making Idealistic Idol glow.

"Idealistic Idol's monster effect! If it points to two monsters, or is treated as such, I can target a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster besides itself, and that monster can make up to three attacks against your monsters. But in exchange, no other monsters I control can declare an attack. I target Winning Wrestler!" Said monsters glowed in unison at Morningstar's words.

 _Why would he do that?_ Jester wondered. _I only control one monster, So he must have something planned._

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Cyspirit Twin Shield!" Morningstar declared, proving Jester right. "And I equip it to Life Stream Dragon!"

"My monster?" Jester asked in confusion.

"That's right. And when a monster is equipped with Twin Shield, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle up to twice per turn!" Jester gasped, realizing Morningstar's plan. "I Set one card."

Morningstar gestured to his field. "Battle! The first attack! Winning Wrestler, attack Life Stream Dragon!" Winning Wrestler roared and charged at Jester's monster. "Winning Wrestler's monster effect! If it attacks a Special Summoned monster while it points to two monsters, that monster loses attack points equal to half the attack points of a 'Cyspirit' monster Winning Wrestler points to. Life Stream Dragon loses attack points equal to half of Idealistic Idol's attack points! Overpower Aura!" Winning Wrestler's wings glowed silver as Life Stream Dragon became weaker.

 **Life Stream Dragon ATK 2900→1850**

"Go! Raw Power Rampage!" Winning Wrestler punched Life Stream Dragon in the stomach and making it cry out in pain. Jester grunted from the backlash of the attack.

 **Jester: 4800→4150 LP**

"Twin Shield's effect prevents your monster's destruction," Morningstar reminded Jester. "And that means Winning Wrestler can attack Life Stream Dragon again! Go! Overpower Aura!"

 **Life Stream Dragon ATK 1850→800**

"Raw Power Rampage!" Winning Wrestler punched Life Stream on its head, then again in the stomach, making it cry out in pain as Jester grunted from the force of the blow.

 **Jester: 4150→2450 LP**

"Yes!" Cypher cheered. "Winning Wrestler can attack one more time! And with its' effect, we win!"

"Go, Winning Wrestler! Overpower Aura!" Life Stream Dragon whined as the last of its attack points disappeared.

 **Life Stream Dragon 800→0**

"This ends now! Raw Power Rampage!" Winning Wrestler charged Life Stream Dragon, but Jester only chuckled.

"Impressive. But pointless." Jester pointed to one of his cards. "I activate the effect of Life Protection! Since your monster declared an attack while I control a 'Life' monster, I can send Life Protection to the Graveyard to halve the battle damage!" Winning Wrestler's fist struck Life Stream Dragon, causing an explosion, but Jester's D-Board only wobbled in reaction.

 **Jester: 2450→1200 LP**

"Grr!" Cypher growled. "So close! But at least we got rid of Life Stream Dra-."

"Are you sure about that?"

Cypher and Morningstar gasped as the smoke of the explosion dissipated, revealing that Life Stream Dragon was still on the field. "What did you do?" Cypher asked Jester.

"It's rather simple," he answered. "If Life Stream Dragon would be destroyed, I can banish an Equip Spell Card from my Graveyard instead. I banished Life Reincarnation to protect it."

Morningstar grit his teeth. "I'm annoyed it stuck around," Cypher said. "But at least it doesn't have any attack points anymore. That's something."

"I end my turn," Morningstar said.

Jester laughed. "And since we've reached the End Phase, Life Protection's last effect activates!" he declared. "The turn it is sent to the Graveyard by its own effect, I can send a monster you control to the Graveyard!" Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm well aware that your Winning Wrestler's first effect prevents your monsters from being destroyed, but it can't do anything against this effect. I send Winning Wrestler itself to the Graveyard!"

Morningstar watched as a spectral version of Life Force Amphitere appeared and wrapped itself around Winning Wrestler. Winning Wrestler attempted to struggle but was eventually pulled down into a portal.

Jester chuckled again. "I have to admit, you're more challenging than I was expecting, Morningstar. The amount of damage you've inflicted is nothing short of ludicrous. That's why…" His tone dropped an octave, giving Morningstar a feeling of danger. "I think I'll get a little serious right now."

"…He's bluffing," Cypher said, his eyes narrowed. "You can't tell me he's just been playing around this whole time?"

"Why don't I let my dueling answer that?" Jester said, placing his hand above his Duel Disk. "My turn! Draw!" Jester glanced at his card, then added it to his hand. "Let me show you what happens when I play seriously. I activate the Spell Card: Rank-Up-Magic Synchro Force!"

"What!?" "Eh!?" Morningstar and Cypher looked at Jester's card with wide eyes. The card showed seven green rings made of energy, with two yellow lights passing through them.

"Rank-Up-Magic?" Morningstar repeated.

"That's a kind of Spell Card used with Xyz Monsters," Cypher said. "It lets you use an Xyz Monster as material to summon a stronger one. But you can't use that! You don't have any Xyz Monsters on the field!"

"You're right, I don't," Jester said smugly. "But I don't _need_ one for this. Rank-Up-Magic Synchro Force lets me use a Synchro Monster as material to Xyz Summon an Xyz Monster whose Rank is one higher than the Synchro Monster's Level!"

Morningstar gasped. "He's using a Synchro Monster to summon an Xyz Monster?" Cypher said incredulously.

"With the effect of Synchro Force, I overlay Life Stream Dragon!" Jester declared, releasing a bolt of yellow energy from his Duel Disk that traveled behind him. In a flash of light, a large black X with four yellow dots around it appeared behind him. "With this one Synchro Monster, I build the Overlay Network!" Life Stream Dragon broke apart into yellow particles and entered the top yellow dot, making it glow and causing a yellow circle to appear around the portal. The four points of the X lit up and fired yellow lasers, creating a swirling galaxy in front of Jester. The galaxy exploded with energy as he chanted.

"The power that unites creation and destruction! Reside in the dragon of life and bend the world to your will! Synchro Xyz Change!" A stream of yellow DNA appeared, then broke apart before reforming into a sphere. "Take flight! Life Force Dragon!" The sphere reformed itself into a yellow-armored dragon with six wings. The wings were paper-thin, same as Life Stream Dragon's. The dragon itself also resembled Life Stream Dragon, but it lacked the spear on its left arm, its eyes were blue instead of red, and it was both larger and more muscular. Its feet had three front claws and one back claw, and veins of black energy traveled across its skin. Halfway down, its tail split into two, each ending in a sharp point instead of a shovel. The dragon roared from the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position as an orange light circled behind it.

 **Life Force Dragon ATK 3400 DEF 2900 RNK: 9 OU: 1**

Morningstar and Cypher braced themselves against the wind caused by the dragon's roar. "Impossible!" Cypher shouted over the wind. "There's no data on a summoning like this! Those cards shouldn't even exist!"

"Just like an AI," Jester taunted. "You lack the imagination to come up with something like this. After Synchro Force summons an Xyz Monster, it then attaches itself to that monster as an Overlay Unit!" Another orange light appeared and started circling behind Life Force Dragon.

 **Life Force Dragon OU: 1→2**

"Furthermore, Synchro Force lowers the attack points of all monsters except Life Force Dragon by 1000!" Morningstar gasped as his monsters became weaker.

 **Cyspirit Idealistic Idol ATK 2100→1100**

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200→200**

"Oh, and before I forget, since Life Stream Dragon isn't on the field anymore, that means your Twin Shield Equip Spell Card is sent to the Graveyard," Jester added, making Morningstar grit his teeth as his card disappeared.

"I Set one card," Jester said before pointing to his dragon. "Battle! Life Force Dragon, attack Idealistic Idol!" Life Force Dragon started to gather yellow energy in its mouth, but Morningstar gestured to his field.

"Trap activate! Assemble Link!" The card showed the assembly line of a factory, with the pieces of Launcher Commander on the line. "This card lets me perform a Link Summon using monsters I control as material!"

"Oh?" Jester said, interested. "You're Link Summoning during my turn?"

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Swordsman and Link-2 Idealistic Idol in the Link Markers!" Said monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with the latter splitting into two, and entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Cyspirit Quixotic Queen!" A skeleton in a black and gold dress emerged from the portal, wielding a golden scepter. It was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Quixotic Queen ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"Heh. So you'll avoid defeat this turn. No matter. Continue your attack, Life Force Dragon! Life Nova Stream!" Life Force Dragon released its gathered energy, blasting it at Quixotic Queen. Morningstar cried out in pain as his monster was destroyed.

 **Morningstar: 2100→1000 LP**

"Assemble Link's additional effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "If the monster Summoned by its effect is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Cyberse monster from my Deck, but it cannot attack or change its battle position. Come, Cyspirit Armorer!" A skeleton in blacksmith's cloths and an apron appeared and swung a hammer in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Armorer ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 6**

 _With that Trap Card of his, he could have summoned Pied Pikeman or Bombastic Bombardier, both of which have more attack points than Quixotic Queen,_ Jester mused as he stared at Armorer. _He chose Quixotic Queen specifically because he wanted his Life Points to hit 1000 so he could use his Skill. How predictable._ Jester chuckled. _Well, if he wants to use his Skill, why don't I give him a helping hand?_

"I activate my Skill! Anti-Life!" Jester declared, the edges of his armor and the ridges of his mask glowing gold in response. "Since my 'Life' monster destroyed your Link Monster by battle, I gain Life Points equal to that monster's Link Rating times 600 while you take damage equal to half that amount!" Morningstar's eyes widened in surprise. "Quixotic Queen was Link-3, so I gain 1800 Life Points while you take 900 points of damage!" Morningstar winced as both duelists glowed.

 **Jester: 1200→3000 LP**

 **Morningstar: 1000→100 LP**

"I end my turn," Jester said. _Now then, Morningstar,_ he thought. _Let's see what happens when things don't go the way you expect them to._

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew and frowned at his card. _Burial from a Different Dimension,_ he thought. _Not what I was hoping for, but it will do._ "Cypher, are you ready?"

"I was programmed ready!" Cypher boasted as he pointed to the sky. "Come, Data Storm!" A tornado of Data Material appeared, which Morningstar dove into. As he watched the former hunter leap into the Data Storm, Jester chuckled.

"As if I'd let you." He reached out with his right hand, blue lightning crackling over his fingers as he clenched his fist.

Morningstar reached out with his right hand and felt the Data Storm pass through his fingers. His eyes closed, he saw the gate, and with Cypher's aid, saw a monster that would help him. So he reached with his mind and felt… his hand painfully yanked forward.

Morningstar's eyes opened as he pulled his hand back, shouting in pain.

"What the-?" Cypher said, then cried out as the wind and lightning within the Data Storm increased in intensity. Morningstar felt himself getting battered from every side, unable to focus long enough to activate his Skill. "We need to get out of here!"

His teeth clenched, Morningstar saw a tiny gap in the storm, and raced through it, breaking through the Data Material and escaping the storm. When his D-Board stabilized, he and Cypher breathed heavily in relief.

"W-What was that?" Cypher gasped.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Morningstar said, equally out of breath. "That felt like the Data Storm went out of control."

"…It did," Cypher said, his eyes narrowed. "The density of the Data Material was increased to the point I lost control of it. If we'd stayed in there too long, we would have been shredded. But how did that-?"

Cypher's question was interrupted by a chuckling voice. Morningstar's eyes widened as he glanced behind him. Jester and Life Force Dragon had caught up to them, and his opponent seemed deeply amused by the situation.

"Oh? Did something go wrong? I thought you were trying to activate your Skill."

"…You," Morningstar said, deducing the truth. "You did something to the Data Storm!"

"Eh? Him?" Cypher said, his eyes wide. "But… but that shouldn't be possible! No one has that level of fine control over the Data Storm!"

"Well… almost no one," Jester corrected Cypher. "You cannot imagine the forces arrayed at my disposal, Ignis. As for you, Morningstar, why don't you show me what you are without that Skill of yours?"

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Technically, we can still use Hurricane Heavensgate," Cypher noted, annoyed as his partner. "But if he pulls that again, there's no telling if we'll survive the Data Storm."

"…Cypher, did you finish that program you were working on?"

"Eh? Which pro-?" Cypher's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! You mean _that_ program! Yes, I finished it last night. Does that mean you want to try it out?"

"I don't have any better ideas."

"Ha ha! Alright then!" Cypher turned to face Jester and reached out his arm. "You say I lack imagination, Jester? Well what do you think about this? Execute program! Skill Switch!"

"What?" Jester said, truly surprised for the first time since Digital Dragoon appeared. "Skill Switch?"

"Once during a duel, Skill Switch lets us change our primary Skill with a secondary Skill," Cypher explained as a silver screen appeared in front of Morningstar. It had two icons – one was a blue and purple whirlwind; the other was a white eight-pointed star. Morningstar pressed the second icon, making it light up. "We change Hurricane Heavensgate to Cyspirit Reincarnation!" The lines on Morningstar's body and the wings on his back lit up with silver light at Cypher's words.

"I activate my Skill!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Reincarnation! By banishing a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Extra Deck whose Link Rating is equal to or lower than the banished monster's and treat that monster as having been Link Summoned! I banish Thrilled Tunneler to Link Summon Cyspirit Jubilant Jester!" Thrilled Tunneler reappeared on the field and was enveloped in silver light. When the light faded, Thrilled Tunneler had been replaced by a skeleton in a black-and-gold jester's costume twirling a staff from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 1800 LINK-2** ↙↘

"…Amazing," Jester muttered. "He changed his Skill in the middle of the Duel. I didn't see that one coming."

 _Skill Switch does have weaknesses,_ Morningstar thought. _It can only be used once in a duel, and it can't be used if I've already activated a Skill. But that doesn't matter here._

Out loud, he said, "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Burial from a Different Dimension! This card lets me return up to three banished monsters to the Graveyard. I return Coder, Teleporter, and Thrilled Tunneler to my Graveyard." Morningstar then gestured to his field. "Armorer's monster effect! By targeting a Link Monster and sending Armorer to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Armor Tokens equal to that monster's Link Rating. I target Jubilant Jester and summon two Armor Tokens!" Two large-headed dwarf skeletons in blacksmith's clothes took Armorer's place, both in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Armor Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 2 x 2**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' Normal Monsters. I set both Armor Tokens in the Link Markers!" Said monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the top-right and right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Zany Zealot!" A skeleton in priest robes wielding a hacksaw and pistol emerged from the portal, summoned to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Zany Zealot ATK 1300 LINK-2** ↗→

"Jubilant Jester's monster effect! When it points to one monster, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 400 attack and defense points! Digital Jubilance!"

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 1800→2200**

 **Cyspirit Zany Zealot ATK 1300→1700**

"Zany Zealot's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "Once per turn, if it points to one monster and is co-linked with a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, then I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position with its effects negated!"

"Sorry, but that's not happening," Jester interrupted as he gestured to his own field. "Trap activate! Destruction Impulse!" The card showed a maniacally grinning man pressing down on a charge of dynamite, blowing up a building in the distance. "Since you activated the effect of a monster on the field, that effect changes. Now you must target a monster I control and destroy it."

"Eh?" Cypher blinked. "But he only has one monster. Unless… this is a trap."

"Obviously," Morningstar said, narrowing his eyes before pointing at Jester's sole monster. "I target and destroy Life Force Dragon!"

"At this point, Life Force Dragon's effect activates!" Jester declared. "If you target one of my cards for an effect, I can detach one Overlay Unit from Life Force Dragon to negate that effect and destroy your card. And then Life Force Dragon inflicts 1000 points of damage!"

"That was his plan!?" Cypher said, eyes wide. "We only have 100 Life Points!"

"That's the idea!" Jester taunted. "Go, Life Force Dragon! Destruction Protection!" Life Force Dragon ate one of the lights that circled behind it and then blasted Zany Zealot with yellow energy, but Morningstar only gestured to his own field.

"Counter Trap activate!" he declared. "Link Restart! This negates an effect that would inflict damage, so your Life Force Dragon's effect is canceled out!" The blast hit a barrier and rebounded. "Then, Link Restart lets me Special Summon a Link Monster from the Graveyard. Resurrect, Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit reappeared.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500→900 LINK-1** ↓

"And since Life Force Dragon's effect was negated, Zany Zealot's effect goes through!" Cypher declared. "Say goodbye to your dragon!" Zany Zealot blasted Life Force Dragon with blue energy, causing an explosion, but when the smoke faded, Life Force Dragon was still on the field. "Eh? What gives?"

"The monster Summoned by Synchro Force cannot be destroyed or removed from the field by your card effects," Jester revealed before laughing. "Did you really think I didn't anticipate my tactic backfiring like that?"

Cypher growled, but Jester ignored him. _Two Link-2s and one Link-1_ , he thought. _Is he going to summon it?_

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared as Morningstar's hand glowed. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' Effect Monsters! I set Link-2 Jubilant Jester, Cacophonic Caller, and Zany Zealot in the Link Markers!" His monsters became whirlwinds of energy, with Jubilant Jester splitting into two. The whirlwinds entered the top-left, bottom-left, top-right, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-4! Cyspirit Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl!"

The skeleton of a large serpentine dragon emerged from the portal but was then encased in light. When the light faded, the skeleton had white skin with light blue lines running up and down its body. It didn't have wings, but it did have four limbs topped with black claws and a mane of light blue fur around its neck. Hieroglyphs covered its lower body while its long tail was topped by a blue arrow. Red and blue gleamed as Morningstar's newest Link Monster roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl ATK 2800 LINK-4** ↖↙↘↗

"No records on this one," Jester muttered. "It has the same attack points as Datastorm Dragon, but its harder to summon, so its effects must be stronger."

"I activate Coder's effect from the Graveyard!" Morningstar shouted, interrupting Jester's musings. "By banishing it, Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl is treated as pointing to monsters equal to its Link Rating. That means it can use all its effects!"

Morningstar pointed to his monster. "Battle! Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl, attack Life Force Dragon!"

"Life Force Dragon has more attack points," Jester reminded Morningstar as the Cyspirit dragon opened its mouth and started to gather blue energy. "Just like with Digital Dragoon earlier, I assume self-destruction isn't your goal?"

"Of course not," Morningstar answered. "Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl's monster effect! Since it is treated as pointing to at least two monsters, if it battles a monster in the Extra Monster Zone, your monster's attack points are halved until the end of the Damage Step!"

Jester gasped as Life Force Dragon was weakened.

 **Life Force Dragon ATK 3400→1700**

"Go, Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl! Imperial Fire!" Xiuhcoatl blasted Life Force Dragon with blue energy as it fired back with yellow energy. The two attacks converged, but the blue beam started to overcome the yellow one.

"It's over," Morningstar said.

"Indeed it is," Jester responded before gesturing to his field. "I activate the effect of Destruction Impulse in my Graveyard! By banishing it, you take the damage from this battle instead!"

"What?" Cypher said, his eyes wide as Jester's Trap Card reappeared and blasted Morningstar with energy.

"You lose, Morningstar!"

"No, I don't!" Morningstar gestured to his monster. "Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl's additional effect! Since it is treated as pointing to at least one monster and you activated an effect from the Graveyard, that effect is negated!" Jester gasped as his card shattered and the energy dissipated. "Furthermore, you cannot activate cards with the same original name as that card! And with Destruction Impulse negated, you take the damage from Xiuhcoatl's attack!" The blue beam finally overtook the other attack and hit Life Force Dragon, destroying it and making Jester grunt in pain.

 **Jester: 3000→1900**

"Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl's third effect!" Morningstar declared, making Jester look up. "Since it attacked your monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck and is treated as pointing to at least three monsters, you take damage equal to your monster's original attack points!"

"What!?"

"This is the end! Solar Flare Strike!" Xiuhcoatl gathered red fire in its mouth and blasted Jester with it, knocking him off his D-Board and making him land on a nearby island.

 **Jester: 1900→0 LP**

"Whew! We won!" Cypher breathed a sigh of relief. "That was… not fun."

"No, it wasn't," Morningstar said as he directed his D-Board to land near Jester.

* * *

Galahad breathed a sigh of relief as he ordered his drone back. "That was intense. But at least Morningstar won in the end."

"Yes. But this 'Jester' still worries me," Persephone admitted with a frown. "It's not just how close he came to winning, but his cards and abilities…"

"I know," Galahad frowned. "Link and Synchro Summoning, then Ranking Up a _Synchro Monster_ into an Xyz Monster, not to mention keeping Morningstar from using his Skill; I didn't even know the latter two were possible." Galahad looked up at the sky. _If I'm going to repay my debt to Morningstar, then I'll need to get stronger._

* * *

Morningstar landed a few feet away from Jester. The duelist had landed on his back but had gotten up to a kneeling position.

"Time to answer some questions," Morningstar said, his eyes narrowed.

"How is it you can control the Data Storm?" Cypher asked. "Are you with the Hanoi? Did you have contact with another Ignis? Just _who are you_?"

Jester's shoulders shook as he started laughing. "You're going to regret defeating me," he said, looking up at Morningstar. "When you face _him_ , you'll wish I had taken your Ignis."

"Him? Him who?"

"The strongest duelist you'll ever meet. And even if you don't face him, it's too late. The plan is already in motion; you can't stop it now."

"What plan?" Morningstar asked. "What are you talking about?"

Jester chuckled as he turned blue and started to log out. "You have no idea what's coming, Morningstar." The former hunter watched as the man turned into data and disappeared.

"He's gone," Cypher noted. "But what was he talking about? What's coming?"

"I don't know. But we have other problems." Morningstar turned around and ran back to his D-Board. "We need to catch up to Playmaker."

* * *

"Give up, Playmaker," the boy with yellow and orange hair advised the hacker. "Jin Kusanagi's data is ours."

"Stop joking!" Playmaker said angrily as he pursued the boy carrying Bohman. "Why are you doing this?"

"Something unbelievable will happen soon," the boy answered, his red and orange eyes amused. "Stay tuned." The boy's D-Board approached the restricted area.

"Warning: This area is restricted. You can't go any further," an automated voice warned.

"You can no longer escape!" Playmaker said as the boy's D-Board stopped. The boy gestured to the red field, causing it to open and allow him and Bohman to pass through. "What?" Playmaker gasped as the gate closed, cutting off his pursuit. He reached down into the gate, but his hand started to glitch out, forcing him to retract it.

"Playmaker!" The hacker turned as the duelist in red and gray appeared behind him. "How did they get through the restricted area?" the duelist asked. Before Playmaker could answer, an alert was activated.

"Restricted area has been accessed illegally," the automated voice said. "Activating emergency defense program."

"This is bad," the duelist said as the voice repeated itself. "I'm logging out. You should leave too."

"Wait!" Playmaker said before the duelist could press a button on his Duel Disk. "What's your name?"

The duelist grinned and pointed to himself with his thumb. "I'm Soulburner. Until we meet again." The young man pressed a button on his Duel Disk and logged out.

 _Soulburner,_ Morningstar mused as he ordered the drones to return to him. He was kneeling on a ledge some distance above Playmaker. _Who is he?_ After his drone returned to his Duel Disk and he saw Playmaker log out, he did the same.

* * *

 _That was so cool!_ Nebula thought to herself as the screen she had watched the duel between Soulburner and BitBoot went blank. _I had no idea a Link Summon like he did was even possible! And thank goodness those cheaters didn't win._ She turned around to head back to Central Station, but then stopped and stared. There were two figures standing on a rooftop at the edge of the city, and one of them resembled a skeleton enough to make Nebula think he wasn't human. _Who are they?_

* * *

"HK, did you record both duels?"

"Confirmation: Yes, master. I have compiled my records of Morningstar's and Soulburner's duels. Would you like to go over them now?"

"Head back to base first. We've lingered too long."

"Understood, master." HK-70 disappeared, teleporting to a new location.

 _Reincarnation Link Summoning. And Skill Switch,_ the cloaked man mused. _Those tricks were definitely interesting… but they won't be enough to stop what must be. Or give me what I've looked for the past eight years._

The man raised a black-gloved hand and clenched his fist. _Playmaker has learned Ritual Summoning, while Morningstar has learned Ritual and Fusion. And with his Skill, it won't be long before he learns Synchro and Xyz,_ he thought. _But such evolution is expected and has already been accounted for. Playmaker, Morningstar, Soulburner… if you wish to survive what's coming, you'll need to evolve beyond your limits. If you don't…_ Under the hood, his eyes gleamed red at the thought. _You'll fall before me and my fellow Enforcers, and everything you know and care about will be lost._

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Jester**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Jester**

As he controls no monsters, Jester Normal Summons Life Wyvern (2000/600/6) without Tributing. As he controls a "Life" monster, Jester Special Summons Life Drago (600/2000/3) in Attack Position. Since a "Life" monster was Summoned, Life Wyvern's effect increases Jester's LP by 800 (Jester: 4000→4800 LP). As he gained LP by the effect of a different "Life" monster, Life Drago's effect activates, increasing Jester's LP by 800 (Jester: 4800→5600 LP). Jester uses Life Drago and Life Wyvern to Link Summon Life Force Amphitere (1000/2/↓↘) to the left Extra Monster Zone. While Jester's LP are higher than Morningstar's, Amphitere gains ATK equal to the difference (Amphitere: 1000→2600). Jester activates Amphitere's effect, letting him inflict damage to Morningstar equal to half the difference between their LP, or 800 (Morningstar: 4000→3200 LP) (Amphitere: 2600→3400). Jester Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. As he controls no monsters, he Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) in Attack Position. As Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Kid to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Kid (300/200/1). Morningstar uses Kid to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Kid was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can target and destroy 1 face-up card on Jester's field. He attempts to target and destroy Amphitere, but Jester activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Life Protection, which prevents "Life" monsters he controls from being destroyed by Morningstar's card effects. Morningstar activates Cacophonic Caller's effect, letting him Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck in Attack Position, but it cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2) to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller to Link Summon Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant (1000/1/↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar uses Dancer and Swordsman to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→) to Kooky Kommandant's Link Marker. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon Thrilled Tunneler, it gains 600 ATK (Thriled Tunneler: 1600→2200). As it is linked to a Cyberse Link Monster, Morningstar activates Kooky Kommandant's effect, Tributing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) from his GY in Attack Position with its effects negated to Thrilled Tunneler's right Link Marker, then add Cyspirit Digital Dragoon and Cyspirit Ritual from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Emblem, which lets him send 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to the GY and then Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster with the same Level from his Deck in Attack Position. Morningstar sends Cyspirit Pilot to the GY and Special Summons Cyspirit Teleporter (500/1500/3) in Attack Position to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker. Morningstar activates the Ritual Spell Card Cyspirit Ritual, Tributing his Level 3 Swordsman and Level 3 Teleporter on his field and Level 2 Saver in his hand to Ritual Summon Cyspirit Digital Dragoon (2500/2000/8) in Attack Position to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker. Morningstar Sets 1 card.

Digital Dragoon attacks Amphitere. As it is battling an opponent's Link Monster, Morningstar activates the effect of Digital Dragoon, reducing that monster's ATK to 0 until the end of the turn (Amphitere: 3400→0), and as it is battling a monster in the Extra Monster Zone, that monster's effects are negated until the End Phase. Amphitere is destroyed (Jester: 5600→3100 LP). Thrilled Tunneler attacks Jester directly (Jester: 3100→900 LP). Morningstar ends his turn. During the End Phase, as Amphitere was sent to the GY by Morningstar's card, Jester can Special Summon a different "Life" monster from his GY with its effects negated. Jester Special Summons Life Wyvern (2000/600/6) in Attack Position.

 **Turn 3: Jester**

Jester draws. He Normal Summons Life Wurm (100/100/1). Jester tunes Level 1 Life Wurm to Level 6 Life Wyvern to Synchro Summon Power Tool Dragon (2300/2500/7) to the left Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Jester activates Power Tool Dragon's effect, letting him reveal 3 Equip Spell Cards from his Deck, then have Morningstar randomly add 1 of them to Jester's hand. Jester reveals 3 copies of Life Reincarnation. Morningstar picks the 2nd one, adding it to Jester's hand. Jester activates the Equip Spell Card Life Reincarnation, letting him Special Summon 1 "Life" monster from his GY with its effects negated and equip Life Reincarnation to it. He Special Summons Life Wurm (100/100/1) in Attack Position. Jester tunes the Level 1 Life Wurm to Level 7 Power Tool Dragon to Synchro Summon Life Stream Dragon (2900/2400/8) to the left Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. As Life Stream Dragon was Synchro Summoned, Jester can make his LP become 4000 (Jester: 900→4000 LP). As it was used to Synchro Summon a Level 7 or higher Synchro Monster, Life Wurm's effect activates, increasing Jester's LP by 800 (Jester: 4000→4800 LP). As the monster equipped with Life Reincarnation was used to Synchro Summon a Dragon monster, Life Stream Dragon can make 2 attacks against Morningstar's monsters this turn.

Life Stream Dragon attacks and destroys Thrilled Tunneler (Morningstar: 3200→2500 LP). Life Stream Dragon attacks and destroys Digital Dragoon (Morningstar: 2500→2100 LP). As a "Cyspirit" Ritual Monster he controls was destroyed by battle, Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Ritual in his GY, banishing it and Digital Dragoon to Special Summon 1 Link-3 or lower "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his Extra Deck and treat it as having been Link Summoned. He Special Summons Cyspirit Winning Wrestler (2500/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Jester ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Normal Summons Cyspirit Sorceress (1400/400/4). As Sorceress was Normal Summoned, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position. He Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2). Morningstar uses Dancer and Sorceress to Link Summon Cyspirit Idealistic Idol (1500/2/←↑) to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker. As Dancer was used to Link Summon Idealistic Idol, it gains 600 ATK (Idealistic Idol: 1500→2100). Morningstar activates the Spell Card Link Treasure, drawing 1 card for each Link Monster on the field. He draws 2 cards. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Gift, sending the Cyspirit Coder in his hand to the GY to draw 2 cards. Morningstar activates the effect of the Cyspirit Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) to Winning Wrestler's bottom-right Link Marker in Defense Position. Morningstar then activates the effect of Cyspirit Coder in his GY, banishing it and targeting Idealistic Idol. Until the end of the turn, Idealistic Idol is treated as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating. As it is treated as pointing to 2 monsters, Morningstar activates Idealistic Idol's effect, targeting Winning Wrestler. Winning Wrestler is the only monster that can make an attack this turn, and it can make up to 3 attacks on Jester's monsters. Morningstar activates the Equip Spell Card Cyspirit Twin Shield, equipping it to Life Stream Dragon and preventing it from being destroyed by battle twice per turn. Morningstar Sets 1 card.

Winning Wrestler attacks Life Stream Dragon. As Winning Wrestler points to 2 monsters and attacked Jester's Special Summoned monster, Winning Wrestler lowers that monster's ATK by half the ATK of 1 "Cyspirit" monster Winning Wrestler points to. Winning Wrestler lowers Life Stream Dragon's ATK by half of Idealistic Idol's ATK (Life Stream Dragon: 2900→1850). The attack continues, and Life Stream Dragon is not destroyed due to Twin Shield's effect (Jester: 4800→4150 LP). Winning Wrestler attacks Life Stream Dragon again, with its effect activated (Life Stream Dragon: 1850→800). The attack continues, and Life Stream Dragon is not destroyed due to Twin Shield's effect (Jester: 4150→2450 LP). Winning Wrestler attacks Life Stream Dragon again, with its effect activated (Life Stream Dragon: 800→0). As his opponent's monster declared an attack while he controls a "Life" monster, Jester activates the effect of Life Protection, sending it to the GY to halve the damage from this battle. Jester then activates the effect of Life Stream Dragon, preventing its destruction by banishing 1 Equip Spell Card from his GY. He banishes Life Reincarnation. The attack continues, but the damage is halved, and Life Stream Dragon is not destroyed (Jester: 2450→1200 LP). During the End Phase of the turn Life Protection was sent to the GY by its effect, its effect activates, letting Jester send 1 monster Morningstar controls to the Graveyard. He sends Winning Wrestler to the GY. Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Jester**

Jester draws. He activates the Spell Card Rank-Up-Magic Synchro Force, targeting Life Stream Dragon. He uses Life Stream Dragon as Xyz Material to Xyz Summon an Xyz Monster whose Rank is equal to Life Stream Dragon's Level+1. He performs a Synchro Xyz Change to Xyz Summon Life Force Dragon (3400/2900/9) to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Synchro Force is then attached to Life Force Dragon as an Overlay Unit and all monsters on the field, except the Summoned monster, lose 1000 ATK (Idealistic Idol: 2100→1100) (Swordsman: 1200→200). As the equipped monster left the field, Twin Shield is sent to the GY. Jester Sets 1 card.

Life Force Dragon attacks Idealistic Idol, but Morningstar activates his Set Trap Card Assemble Link, which lets him Link Summon using monsters he controls on the field. Morningstar uses Swordsman and Link-2 Idealistic Idol to Link Summon Cyspirit Quixotic Queen (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Life Force Dragon attacks and destroys Quixotic Queen (Morningstar: 2100→1000 LP). Since the monster Special Summoned by Assemble Link was sent to the GY, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster from his Deck, but that monster cannot attack or change its battle position. He Special Summons Cyspirit Armorer (1200/2000/6) in Attack Position. Since his "Life" monster destroyed an opponent's Link Monster by battle, Jester activates his Skill, Anti-Life, to gain LP equal to the destroyed monster's Link Rating times 600 (Jester: 1200→3000 LP) and deal damage to Morningstar equal to half of that amount (Morningstar: 1000→100 LP). Jester ends his turn.

 **Turn 6: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He attempts to use his Skill Hurricane Heavensgate but fails to do so. He then performs a Skill Switch and activates his Skill Cyspirit Reincarnation, letting him banish 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY, then Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his Extra Deck with an equal or lower Link Rating and treat it as having been Link Summoned. He banishes Thrilled Tunneler to Special Summon Jubilant Jester (1800/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. He then activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Burial from a Different Dimension, which lets him return up to 3 banished monsters to the GY. He returns Coder, Teleporter, and Thrilled Tunneler to his GY. Morningstar activates the effect of Armorer, targeting Jubilant Jester. Armorer is sent to the GY, and Morningstar can Special Summon Cyspirit Armor Tokens, equal to Jubilant Jester's Link Rating. Morningstar Special Summons 2 Cyspirit Armor Tokens (0/0/2 each) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses 2 Armor Tokens to Link Summon Cyspirit Zany Zealot (1300/2/↗→) to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker. Since Jubilant Jester points to 1 monster, all "Cyspirit" monsters Morningstar controls gain 400 ATK/DEF (Jubilant Jester: 1800→2200) (Zany Zealot: 1300→1700). Since it is co-linked with a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates Zany Zealot's effect to Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position with its effects negated. Since Morningstar activated the effect of a monster on the field, Jester activates his Set Trap Card Destruction Impulse, which changes Zany Zealot's effect to "target 1 monster your opponent controls and destroy it." Morningstar targets Life Force Dragon with Zany Zealot's effect, but Jester activates Life Force Dragon's effect, detaching 1 Overlay Unit (Life Force Dragon: 2 OU→1 OU) to negate Zany Zealot's effect, destroy it and inflict 1000 damage to Morningstar. Since he would take damage from a card effect, Morningstar activates his Set Counter Trap Card Link Restart, negating the activation of that effect, and then Special Summoning 1 Link Monster from his GY. He Special Summons Cacophonic Caller (500→900/1/↓). Zany Zealot's effect resolves, but the monster summoned by Synchro Force can't be destroyed by card effects. Morningstar uses the Link-2 Jubilant Jester, Cacophonic Caller, and Zany Zealot to Link Summon Cyspirit Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl (2800/4/↖↙↘↗) to the Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates the effect of Coder in his GY, banishing it and targeting Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl. Until the end of the turn, Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl is treated as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating.

Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl attacks Life Force Dragon. Since it is treated as pointing to at least 2 monsters and is battling a monster in the Extra Monster Zone, Morningstar activates Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl's effect, halving Life Force Dragon's ATK until the end of the Damage Step (Life Force Dragon: 3400→1700). Since Morningstar's monster declared an attack, Jester activates the effect of Destruction Impulse in his GY, banishing it to inflict the damage from this battle to his opponent. Since it is treated as pointing at least 1 monster and Jester activated an effect from the GY, Morningstar activates Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl's effect, negating the effect of Destruction Impulse and preventing Jester from activating cards with the same original name as Destruction Impulse. The attack continues and Life Force Dragon is destroyed (Jester: 3000→1900 LP). Since Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl attacked an opponent's monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck and is treated as pointing to at least 3 monsters, its effect activates, inflicting damage to Jester equal to Life Force Dragon's original ATK (Jester: 1900→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Life Wyvern  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Dragon/Effect] ATK 2000 DEF 600 Level: 6  
_ _If you control no monsters, or all monsters yo control are "Life" monsters, you can Normal Summon this card without Tributing. If a "Life" monster is Normal or Special Summoned to your field, except "Life Wyvern": You can gain 800 LP. You can only use this effect of "Life Wyvern" once per turn._

 _ **Life Drago  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Dragon/Effect] ATK 600 DEF 2000 Level: 3  
_ _If you control a "Life" monster, except "Life Drago", you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). If you gain LP by the effect of a "Life" monster, except "Life Drago": You can gain 800 LP. You can only activate each effect of "Life Drago" once per turn._

 _ **Life Force Amphitere  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Dragon/Link/Effect] ATK 1000 LINK-2_ ↓↘  
 _2 "Life" monsters  
_ _While your LP are higher than your opponent's, this card gains ATK equal to the difference. Once per turn, if your LP are higher than your opponent's: You can inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the difference. During the End Phase of the turn this card was sent from your field to the GY by your opponent's card: You can Special Summon 1 "Life" monster from your GY with its effects negated, except "Life Force Amphitere"._

 _ **Life Wurm  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Dragon/Tuner/Effect] ATK 100 DEF 100 Level: 1  
_ _If this card is used as Synchro Material for the Synchro Summon of a Level 7 or higher Synchro Monster: You can gain 800 LP. You can only activate this effect of "Life Wurm" once per turn._

 _ **Life Force Dragon  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Dragon/Xyz/Effect] ATK 3400 DEF 2900 Rank: 9  
_ _2 Level 9 Dragon monsters  
_ _Once per turn, if this card has no Xyz Materials attached: You can target 1 Synchro Monster in your GY; attach it to this card as Xyz Material. While this card has Xyz Material, any effect that would inflict damage to you makes you gain that much LP, instead. If this card has "Life Stream Dragon" as an Xyz Material, it gains this effect.  
\- If your opponent activates a card effect that targets one of your cards, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card (Quick Effect); negate the activation of that card, destroy it, and if you do, inflict 1000 damage to your opponent. You can only activate this effect of "Life Force Dragon" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2800 LINK-4_ ↖↙↘↗  
 _3+ "Cyspirit" Effect Monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: If your opponent would activate a card or effect from the GY (Quick Effect); you can negate the activation of that card or effect, and if you do, your opponent cannot activate a card or effect with the same original name as that card until the end of the turn.  
_ _-2 or more: If this card battles a monster in the Extra Monster Zone (Quick Effect): You can halve that monster's ATK until the end of the Damage Step.  
_ _-3 or more: After damage calculation, if this card attacked an opponent's monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's original ATK.  
_ _-4: During the Main Phase: You can destroy every monster in the Main Monster Zones. The turn you activate this effect, only this card can declare an attack.  
_ _You can only activate each effect of "Cyspirit Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl" once per turn._

 _ **Life Protection Continuous Trap Card  
**_ " _Life" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects. Once per turn: This card cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effect. If an opponent's monster declares an attack while you control a "Life" monster: You can send this card to the GY; halve the battle damage you take from this battle. During the End Phase of the turn this card was sent to the GY by its effect: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; send it to the GY. You can only control 1 "Life Protection" at a time._

 _ **Life Reincarnation Equip Spell Card  
**_ _Activate this card by targeting 1 "Life" monster in your GY; Special Summon it with its effects negated, and if you do, equip this card to it. When this card leaves the field, destroy that monster. You cannot target a "Life" Link Monster for this card's effect. If the monster equipped with this card is used as Synchro Material for the Synchro Summon of a Dragon monster: That monster can make two attacks against your opponent's monsters this turn._

 _ **Rank-Up-Magic Synchro Force Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 Synchro Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 Xyz Monster with the same Type as that monster you control whose Rank equals the targeted monster's Level +1, by using it as the Xyz Material, and if you do, attach this card to the Summoned monster as additional Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon.) Then, lower the ATK of all monsters on the field, except the monster Summoned by this card's effect, by 1000. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot be destroyed or removed from the field by your opponent's card effects._

 _ **Assemble Link Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Immediately after this effect resolves, Link Summon 1 Link Monster using monster(s) you control as material. If the monster Link Summoned by this card's effect is sent to the GY: You can target 1 Cyberse monster in your Deck; Special Summon that monster, but it cannot attack or change its battle position. You can only activate 1 "Assemble Link" per turn._

 _ **Destruction Impulse Normal Trap Card  
**_ _When an opponent's monster on the field activates its effect: The activated effect becomes "Target 1 monster your opponent control; destroy it". If your opponent's monster declares an attack, you can banish this card from your GY; your opponent takes all battle damage you would take from that battle._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 34 – New Transfer Students. Sachi's first day of school has come! While she goes about her day, Yasutake and Yusaku meet Takeru Homura, another new transfer, who introduces his Ignis Flame and tells them about the destruction of Cyberse World…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

What was the most shocking moment for you in this chapter? Rank-Up-Magic Synchro Force, Jester's control of the Data Storm, Skill Switch, or something else?

* * *

 **Author's Notes & Responses to Reviews**

Thank you to Lyrissa Artemick, HunterHQ, SakushiRyu, bladeWriter3, and ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapter 31. And thank you to jdkeller2000, HunterHQ, ZarcEternal, guardian of the aura Aurasoul, Unknowedz, Frost190, SoulMatter, Average JoJoe, Phantom Flame-98, ClearwingYuta, SakushiRyu, Guest, Ethan Kironus, Fenghuang0296, Lindia Fullmoon, and ThePLOThand for reviewing Chapter 32.

Thank you to SakushiRyu for helping me with Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl. For those curious, "xenodochial" basically means "friendly," while Xiuhcoatl is a god from the Aztec pantheon and was honestly the coolest sounding word that started with "X" I could find.

HunterHQ: Yes, HK-70 is an AI, just like HK-47 was a droid. But he is the _only_ AI on the side of Jester's group, who shall remain nameless for spoiler reasons.

ThePLOThand: I was tired of waiting and wanted to get back to this story, so I decided to change the release to the first Xyz Summon. Plus, I didn't want to get left behind.

SoulMatter: I have never played Kingdom Hearts. I am basing Jester's group off a video game evil organization, but not Organization XIII from Kingdom Hearts.

Ethan Kironus: "Open the gate of evolution, Morningstar!"

Okay, this was the reveal of Jester's Deck and his power. I feel I should apologize to sanedimentio: I asked them to go over the first two turns of the Duel, but at that point, the Life monsters were Warriors and named after military ranks, and I didn't tell them about the rename to avoid spoilers. That aside, he also uses Power Tool Dragon and Life Stream Dragon, which have their OCG/TCG effects since those work better in the setting. And then there's Rank-Up-Magic Synchro Force…

Before I wrote my first fanfic, Academy of Chaos, I had an idea about a ZEXAL fanfic. It would take place after Episode 146, and introduce a fourth world – the Synchro World, governed by the Seven Synchro Lords. They would be the creators of the Rank-Up-Magic and have their own special powers and Numbers to combat Yuma and his friends. Obviously, that never came to fruition, but the idea of Ranking Up a Synchro Monster stuck with me, so I decided to introduce it here, and what better monster to Rank Up than one of the Signer Dragons from 5D's?

His Deck aside, Jester also has control over the Data Storm. I got the idea of manipulating the density of the Data Storm to prevent people from using Storm Access or Skills like it from Episode 42, where the Storm was too dense for Playmaker and Revolver to access it without help. I thought, "What if someone could do that intentionally?" Might be a little cheap, but I feel it adds a new challenge for Playmaker and Morningstar. This ability also let me introduce the Skill Switch.

I shared this idea with SakushiRyu, who also helped me finalize it, so a big thank you for that. His idea was to make Speed Duels more unpredictable, whereas I saw it as a Plan B in case Storm Access or Hurricane Heavensgate ever fails. Either way, it's definitely something I'm glad to show off.

Thank you for reading Chapter 33 of Hidden Memories. What did you think of Jester, Synchro Force, and Skill Switch? Did I surprise you with what happened? I'll be trying to alternate between this story and Fifth Circuit, but honestly, this one is just more fun to write.


	34. Chapter 34: New Transfer Students

**Chapter 34: New Transfer Students**

 **The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his D-Board, followed by Morningstar, and then Soulburner. The clouds part to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS logo appears, and beneath it, the words "HIDDEN MEMORIES" appears.**

 **Yasutake and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them on one side, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He tries to wrap the other arm around Yaustake, who steps to the side and gives Takeru an annoyed look. Then someone wraps their arms around Yasutake's right arm. He glances to the side and sees Sachi wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform, smiling with her eyes closed as she leans her head on his shoulder. Yasutake smiles back at her.**

 **Masako is shown riding in the passenger side of a van, with the window showing an image of Lilith. In the sky above her, an image of Thaumiel appears, holding his hand over the van. Kenshin Hirai is then shown at a café, drinking coffee and reading a book, while an image of Hitomu Hirai appears in the sky facing the opposite direction. Go Onizuka is shown in NEW LINK VRAINS in his new avatar, riding his D-Board with Kenmochi and Yoroizaka on either side. Behind them, Techbane and Sylphid fly on their own D-Boards. As they pass under a ledge, Blue Angel, Galahad, and Persephone are shown looking down at Go with sad and disappointed looks.**

 **Kusanagi is then shown sitting at a picnic bench with Cam, both drinking from cans and laughing. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Cypher looks at the two of them with exasperation and mild contempt. Akira Zaizen and Hayami are then shown standing next to Queen, who is sitting in a pool chair, adjusting her glasses.**

 **Jester is then shown, with two people – a man and a woman – shown standing behind him, shrouded in shadow. The man-in-shadow's eyes glow red. The eyeholes of Jester's mask glow a light blue. Behind them are Life Stream Dragon and Life Force Dragon, shrouded in shadows.**

 **Morningstar and Playmaker ride their D-Boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary and Cyspirit Savage Shogun in front of Morningstar. The two are chased by Techbane and Sylphid. The man directs Cyber Dragon Sieger to fire at Morningstar while the girl commands a red and purple dragon to attack Playmaker. The two are hit with energy attacks but emerge from the smoke unharmed.**

 **The Knights of Hanoi are then shown, with Terminus standing apart from them. Motor Worm Spreader Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps appear, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind Dryanome and roars.**

 **A split screen, showing two figures. The one on the right is a green outline of a short-haired woman wearing a dress and holding a card in her right hand. Behind her is a white outline of a winged figure holding a sword. The left screen shows a red outline of a man wearing armor, with his right hand raised and the fingers curled. Behind him is a black outline of an armored monster with demonic wings.**

 **Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner are then shown back-to-back, with their hands glowing purple, blue, and red respectively. The three face off against Bohman and Trident Hydradrive Lord, Blood Shepard and Battledrone General, and Jester, who raises his arm as a pillar of energy appears behind him. Life Force Dragon emerges from the pillar and roars.**

 **Cyspirts Angelic Avenger, Idealistic Idol, Pied Pikeman, Rapid Revolutionary, and Winning Wrestler are then shown in the air, with Neo Nova racing past them. The five Cyspirit monsters then glow with golden light and merge to form Superior Seraphim, whose light spreads across NEW LINK VRAINS.**

 **Cam, Sachi, Yasutake, Takeru, Kusanagi, and Yusaku are all shown at a picnic table, with them eating hot dogs, and Takeru and Cam are laughing. Three Duel Disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Cypher watches television on Yasutake's tablet. Aoi, Akira, and Emma are in the background, walking past them and smiling at the table.**

 **Yasutake, Cam, and Sachi walk down the street, with Cam having his arms around the other two. All three are smiling. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner sitting on a ledge and smiling into the distance.**

* * *

Yasutake exited the sealed room and leaned on the counter, sighing.

"Tired?" Cypher asked, remaining an eye in the Duel Disk.

"Yeah. Two back-to-back duels, some guy who can control the Data Storm, Ranking Up a Synchro Monster into an Xyz Monster… this was a long day." His stomach growled, making him scowl at it.

"Go get a snack," Cypher suggested. "I'll start sorting through the footage the drones took."

"Alright." Yasutake removed his Duel Disk and hooked it up to the computers. Several screens popped up as Cypher started processing the information within. While he did that, Yasutake headed out into Café Junpei to get a few leftover pastries to eat.

He just grabbed a blueberry turnover when the door opened. Looking up, he saw Cam and Sachi rush into Café Junpei. "You're back already?" Cam said, blinking. "Did you get Kusanagi's brother's data back?"

Yasutake shook his head. "The man who took it retreated into the restricted area, along with an ally. Cypher's downloading the drones' footage now."

Cam nodded and hurried into the back. Yasutake turned to Sachi. "Sachi, you should-."

Before he could finish, she hugged him tightly. Gasping lightly, Yasutake looked at the back of her head. "Sachi?"

"…We couldn't help him," she said softly, sounding close to tears. "We saw that… man… steal Jin's soul and we couldn't do anything. Cam tried to tackle him, but he fell onto a table. We…"

Yasutake slowly put his arms around Sachi. "It wasn't your fault," he said, trying to comfort her. "It's no one's fault but the man who took the data. Playmaker and I will get it back Jin Kusanagi's data back. I promise." Her green hair seemed to shine in the late afternoon light. Yasutake caught a whiff of strawberries.

"…I know," Sachi said, burying her face further in Yasutake's shoulder. He was acutely aware of her hands pressing into his back as she hugged him tighter. "I know you'll succeed. It's what you do."

They stood that way until someone cleared their throat. Yasutake looked back while Sachi looked up to see Cam standing in the doorway to the back room, giving the two teenagers a dry look. "Could you two put your flirting off until later? I could use some help back here."

"Eh!?" Sachi said, jumping back from Yasutake, her face bright red. "W-We aren't flirting! Why would you think that!?"

Yasutake cleared his own throat, his own face as red as Sachi's. "H-He's right though. We do need to get to work."

"R-Right." Sachi nodded and headed into the back room, Cam stepping out of the way to let her pass. Before Yasutake followed her, but not before he saw Cam smirking at him. One of these days he was going to punch the older man. And then Cam would probably punch him back. It would be worth it though.

Sachi sat down in the left chair, her cheeks still tinged red, while Cam sat in the center and Yasutake on the right. Cypher looked up at the three humans. "I've finished uploading the footage from the drones and from your own duels. Which should we watch first?"

"Playmaker's duel," Yasutake said, narrowing his eyes. "Since he stole Kusanagi's brother's consciousness data, he's clearly the biggest concern." Cypher pulled up the video while Cam, Sachi, and Yasutake watched. And there was a lot to watch.

Yasutake was rather impressed by Playmaker's Ritual Summoning. With Cyberse Witch's effect, Cyberse Magician was far easier to summon than Digital Dragoon, and even if its effects weren't as aggressive, it did have more beneficial ones. But he was more concerned by his opponent having Cyberse monsters and a Spell Card with Link Markers.

Cypher started to comment, but Yasutake cut him off. He wanted to watch the rest of the videos first. Though he couldn't hide his surprise on seeing a red and black figure emerge from Soulburner's Duel Disk.

"The Fire Ignis?" Cypher said, blinking. "That's where he was?" The humans didn't comment but continued to watch the duel. Cypher admitted to being impressed by the Salamangreat monsters Soulburner used but was a little peeved at Reincarnation Link Summoning. "Of all the things he could have created, he had to make something that I couldn't develop for the Cyspirits."

After the duel ended, Yasutake glanced at Cypher. "Soulburner's opponents, Bit and Boot; they weren't human, were they?"

Cypher thought about it and shook his head. "Not with that combination sequence of theirs. They reminded me of your records on SOL Technologies' and Hanoi's AI duelists, only far more advanced. Whoever made them must be a genius, even if they lost."

After he said that, Cypher loaded the footage from Morningstar's own duels for Cam and Sachi. The siblings both smiled proudly on seeing Yasutake pull off Hurricane Heavensgate and a Fusion Summon but were shocked at Jester's use of Rank-Up-Magic Synchro Force and how he prevented Morningstar from using his Skill.

When the video ended, Cam sighed. "Well, that was a lot to process. A new enemy with Cyberse monsters and a Link Spell Card, SOL's new bounty hunters, and _another_ foe who can cancel out yours and Playmaker's Skills and use an unorthodox Spell Card." Cam scowled. "Why do these things keep happening in Den City? Can't we have peace after everything that's happened?"

"Peace is boring," Cypher said, shrugging. "I've been itching for something to do the last three months. And now we have something. Though I admit I wasn't expecting our opponents to be so surprising."

"Do you think this 'Bohman' and Jester are working together?" Sachi asked Cypher and Yasutake, who glanced at each other before shaking their heads.

"If Bohman was Jester's ally, he would probably have the same power over the Data Storm that Jester had," Cypher said. "And since Bit and Boot also used Cyberse cards, it stands to reason Jester would have used Cyberse as well."

"And their objectives don't match," Yasutake noted. "Jester wanted Cypher and the Cyspirit data, while Bohman seemed more focused on Playmaker." He narrowed his eyes. "They may have similar objectives, but I don't think they're allies."

"Why would he want the Cyspirits?" Cam asked Yasutake. "You said in the video he was behind Hellsworn. Is there something special about the Cyspirits?"

"Aside from them being a strong Deck and Cyberse cards, no," Cypher shook his head. Then he reconsidered. "Well, there's Superior Seraphim, but I can't see why he'd want that. Its own power aside, it's impossible to summon without the other Cyspirits. And its data prevents it from being used in a Speed Duel."

Yasutake frowned. "Find time to recheck the cards' data," he told Cypher. "I'd like to know why Jester's so interested in them."

Cypher would have raised an eyebrow if he had one. "I don't see the point, but alright. I'll look them over. I'm more interested in Jester was able to manipulate the Data Storm's density. That shouldn't be possible."

"Is it really that hard?" Cam asked. "Revolver could summon the Data Storm and use it as a weapon."

"I don't think you understand just how difficult controlling the Data Storm is," Cypher said, his eyes narrowed. "It is easy for me, Ai, and the other Ignis to bring out, and to disperse it all we have to do is release our control. But that requires a great deal of processing power, and delicate manipulations like Jester demonstrated take up even more. Even we Ignis couldn't handle that. Or at least, we couldn't eight years ago," Cypher admitted, folding his arms. "I didn't think much of it because Ai hadn't changed too much in eight years, but it's possible our brethren were able to evolve to the point they could do so. Even so, the only one I expect could do so might be the Wind Ignis."

"That means Jester must have had contact with the Wind Ignis, right?" Sachi asked.

"Or there's some other answer and we don't have enough information to see it," Yasutake pointed out. "You didn't know about Judgment Arrows or Synchro Force, Cypher. Even you can be surprised."

"True." Cypher sighed. "It's hard realizing you don't know everything." _He could have also had contact with_ her, he thought before shaking his head minutely. _No, that's not possible. She would never help someone hunt me down._

"That tangent aside, we need to focus on all the players, not just Jester," Yasutake said, bringing up images of Bohman, the boy who rescued him, Soulburner, Bit, Boot, Techbane, Sylphid, Jester, and Blood Shepherd.

"No information on Bohman," Cypher said, analyzing the data. "No hint of a real name, no appearances before today. It's like he just sprang up into existence."

"And the boy with him?" Yasutake asked.

"The drone identified his avatar name as Haru," Cam said, frowning. "Other than that, it's the same for Bohman. That Bit and Boot duo are the same; none of them have records or hints to their real identities."

"It's like they're ghosts," Sachi said, frowning as well. "Brought into existence overnight."

"No one just pops into existence," Cypher argued. "There has to be a trail for us to follow."

"There is. Once we gain access to the restricted area, we'll be able to follow it." Yasutake brought up the next person. "Soulburner. No information on him, either."

"Do you think he's from the Lost Incident, like us?" Sachi asked. "He does have an Ignis and Cyberse cards."

"That's the most likely scenario, yes," Yasutake nodded. "It's also possible he captured the Ignis, but let's find out more before we make assumptions. Next up is Techbane."

"This guy we _do_ have information on," Cam noted cheerily. "A mid-tier bounty hunter who first appeared two years ago. Real name is-. Wait, how do we have this guy's real name?"

"Oh, I hacked into SOL Technologies' database," Cypher casually revealed. "They had information on the bounty hunters they hired, so I copied it."

"You broke into SOL's database?" Yasutake repeated, staring at the Ignis. "What if they caught you?"

"Please. Their security isn't good enough to catch me. Even if it was, their bounty hunter list was easy to find with low security."

"…Next time you break into SOL's database, warn us first," Cam said, returning his gaze to the screen. "Okay, Techbane's real name is Yukaro Saiba. He's from Tokyo but came to Den City because of Playmaker's bounty."

"He mentioned he was a fan of Morningstar," Yasutake remembered.

"What did you mean by 'mid-tier,' Cam?" Sachi asked.

"It means he's good, but not as good as Yasu," Cam answered. "I'm a little curious where he got Cyber Dragons from; those aren't very common cards."

"Where he got them from is irrelevant right now," Yasutake said, going on to the girl in a black jacket and shorts. "Sylphid. Her real name is Shizuka Midori, but there's no past dueling history for her or information on her Deck."

"Meaning she's a new bounty hunter," Cypher said. "Huh, looks like she's the same age as you and Sachi."

"Noted." Yasutake frowned. "No information on Sylphid's past, home, or Deck. Real name aside, she's just like Bohman, Haru, and Soulburner; an unknown. I hate unknowns."

"Speaking of unknowns," Cam said, pulling up their information on Jester. "What do we have on this guy?"

"Aside from our duel, not a lot," Yasutake said, eyes narrowed as he read the profile. "There are some rumors about a man called Jester that go back at least thirteen years, before the creation of LINK VRAINS. And SOL suspects his age to be in the late twenties, early thirties."

"Meaning he's a pro," Sachi said softly. "And with a unique Rank-Up-Magic card and control of the Data Storm, he must have some strong backers."

"It doesn't matter what he has," Cypher said. "We beat him this time, so I know we can beat him again."

"No, we can't." The other three residents turned to look at Yasutake as he scowled at the screen. "Or at least not as easily. Not if he duels seriously against us."

"You didn't actually believe him when he said he was taking it easy, did you?" Cypher asked. "He was just trying to psyche us out!"

"No, he wasn't." Yasutake brought up the footage of his duel with Jester and skipped to Jester's second turn. "Look. When he draws the card, there's a slight pause before he adds it to his hand."

"Yeah, so?"

Yasutake skipped ahead to Jester's next turn. "Look what he does with his new card."

"He… added it to his hand." Cypher looked up. "You think he drew Synchro Force earlier and didn't use it until his next turn?"

"He might have been trying to play mind games, but yes, that's what I'm thinking." Yasutake's scowl deepened. "He would have done far more damage if he'd used Synchro Force the turn he drew it. Instead, he held onto it for the next turn. He wasn't playing seriously until the very end." That annoyed Yasutake more than he was willing to admit. He'd been serious from the start, yet Jester had just been playing around with him, treating him like a kid. It was aggravating.

 _And Jester mentioned there was someone even stronger than him,_ Yasutake thought. _Who could that be?_

Cam interrupted Yasutake's thoughts. "Well, whoever he is, we'll just have to wait and find out. Nothing we can do from here."

"Right," Yasutake said, nodding as Sachi opened the last profile. Yasutake narrowed his eyes at the cowboy. "Blood Sheperd."

"The guy Ai blew away?" Cypher asked. "He can't be that dangerous. I mean, Techbane gave us trouble, but not too much."

"Techbane is mid-tier, Blood Shepherd is a pro," Yasutake countered. "Honestly, I was hoping we wouldn't have to face him, but I guess it was inevitable."

"You say that like you're scared of him."

"I'm not scared of him; I know what he's capable of," Yasutake said, glaring at Cypher to make sure he understood. "Blood Shepherd is the single most dangerous bounty hunter out there. He's intelligent, ruthless, meticulous, and worst of all, patient."

"You've met him before, haven't you?" Sachi asked. "Rumors wouldn't make you this concerned about him."

"Yasu's faced Blood Shepherd twice, actually," Cam told her. "Once when he was Hunter, and again a year ago as Morningstar."

"Both times, we were competing on the same hunt," Yasutake said, frowning. "We never dueled, but he beat me the first time. I managed to get the drop on him the second time, but that was only because I was familiar with his tactics. If I wasn't, he would have got the target instead." Yasutake turned to look at the other three. "Make no mistake; in a duel, Blood Shepherd is just as dangerous as Revolver. If we underestimate him, we'll lose."

Cypher scoffed. "Please. There's no way a bounty hunter can beat you and me. We're invincible, aren't we?"

 _Keep thinking like that, and it will already be over,_ Yasutake thought. _No matter how strong we are, we can't underestimate your opponents. Otherwise we'll be in for one nasty surprise after another._

Out loud, he said, "We should share this information with Fujiki and Kusanagi. Is that video setup you and Kusanagi were working on done, Cam?"

"Almost, but there are still a few kinks to work out on both our ends," Cam said, frowning. "Should be ready by tomorrow."

"Good. We'll email them about our enemies, and I can talk to Fujiki at school tomorrow. Which reminds me," he turned to look at Sachi, "you still have some prep work to do tonight. Do you need any help with it?"

"Oh. No, I'm good," Sachi said, giving a reassuring smile. "I looked over the papers before we left earlier, and I know I can complete them on my own."

"Yasutake finished a good deal of it, so you should be done in less than an hour," Cypher told her.

"In that case, why don't we go out to eat?" Cam said, standing up. "We could use a morale boost after…" Cam frowned as he patted down his pockets. "What the…? Where's my-?"

"Excuse me?"

The three humans' eyes widened on hearing the voice from Café Junpei. And on realizing that when they got back, Cam hadn't relocked the front door.

"Stay here," Cam told the other two as he left the back room. Entering the main room, he saw the intruder: a woman with strawberry-blonde hair tied in a French braid and brown eyes, dressed in a dark blue button-up dress shirt under a black jacket with a black knee-length skirt, black stockings, and flat shoes. His eyes widened in surprise. "You're that woman I bumped into earlier!"

The woman smiled. "Yes, I'm well aware of that," she said. When Cam stepped out from behind the counter, she held out something to him. Cam's eyes widened again on realizing it was his wallet. "You dropped this when we met. I had to look inside to find out your name and address. Sorry."

"Oh, don't worry about that. And thank you for returning it," Cam assured her, taking the proffered wallet. He then reached out his other hand. "I'm Cameron Junpei. Though I guess you already know that."

"Emily Garcia," she said, smiling as she shook his hand. "A pleasure to meet you. Can't say I was expecting to crash into someone my first day back in Den City."

"Back? Were you on vacation or are you a foreigner?"

"Foreigner. From San Diego in the United States. I would have thought it was obvious from my name."

"W-Well, 'Cameron' isn't exactly a household name in Japan either, and I didn't want to assume anything…" He then realized she was teasing him. "Oh, very funny. Do all women like seeing men squirm, or are teasing women just naturally drawn to Den City?"

Emily shrugged. "Depends on the man, really. Some are more fun to tease than others."

"I'll have to take your word on that," Cam said as he put his wallet in his back pocket. "Would you like a pastry as thanks? We're closed right now and only have leftovers, but I can whip something fresh up real quick."

"That's kind of you to offer, but…" She glanced at her watch and frowned. "I actually promised to video chat a friend in half an hour, and it will take me about twenty-five minutes to get back to my hotel."

"Well, that's a shame. I feel kind of guilty not thanking you more properly."

Emily thought something over, then smiled. "Well, I'll be working tomorrow until the evening. If you want to thank me more, I noticed a new sushi restaurant near my hotel. I could use some company when I check it out."

Cam's eyes widened as his cheeks turned red. W-Was she asking him out? Someone he just met a few hours ago? This was… this was like the plots of those compressed anime adaptations of light novels he'd introduced Cypher to.

"T-That sounds like… like it would be fun," Cam said, stammering as he tried to order his thoughts. "B-But running a bakery is hard work and I-I'll have to help my sister with her homework and-."

"No worries. I can help her with that."

Cam turned around so fast he got whiplash as he stared at Yasutake, who was standing in front of the back-room door. Sachi was also there, standing behind Yasutake, holding her papers in her arms, and looking Emily over with a curious gaze.

"Y-Yasu? Sachi?" Cam said, panicking. "H-How long were you standing there?"

"We were listening from the door at first, but we've been standing here about forty seconds," Yasutake said, his expression not changing as he turned to Emily. "Sachi and I go to the same high school, so I can help her with her homework. And he needs to get out more. Please take care of him tomorrow night."

Emily smiled at Yasutake and bowed her head. "Don't worry, I'll treat him kindly. I'll come by around seven tomorrow night. See you then, Mr. Junpei." She winked at Cam as she turned and left the bakery.

"Hey wait, I didn't-!" The door closed before Cam could fully protest. Cam stood unmoving for about ten seconds before turning to look at Yasutake. "Why did you do that!? What did I ever do to you to deserve that!?"

Yasutake raised an eyebrow. "Masako Himura."

"…Okay, fair enough," Cam said in a small voice as he facepalmed. "I promise I won't conspire to get you to go on dates again if you give me the same courtesy. Deal?"

"Deal."

"No deal."

Cam and Yasutake looked at Sachi as she smiled excitedly at her brother. "She was very pretty and nice," she said. "You deserve to be happy too, Cam." After saying that, she ran upstairs, papers clutched tight to her chest.

"…I'm really not the best person to criticize you over your social life and relationships with girls, am I?" Cam asked Yasutake.

Yasutake thought about it and shook his head. "No. You're not."

* * *

The next morning, Cam made breakfast while Yasutake and Sachi got ready for school. Yasutake finished quickly and the went to knock on Sachi's door. "Sachi, are you ready yet?" he asked. "Breakfast is done, and we'll be leaving right after."

"Oh, I'm almost ready," she responded through the door. There was a pause, then she said, "Actually, Yasu, can you help me with something? A second opinion would be great."

"On what?"

"Come in and see."

Yasutake opened the door, stood there for a couple seconds, then stepped out, closed the door, leaned against it and facepalmed.

"Huh? Yasu? What's wrong?"

"Sachi," he said, his voice cracking a little. "Why are you in your underwear?"

"Huh? Oh, well I wanted your opinion on what blouse I should wear under my jumper."

"Does it matter? No one's going to see it."

" _I'll_ know it, so of course it matters," Sachi said. Yasutake couldn't see her face, but he just knew she was pouting.

"Sachi, Cam and I have told you before. It is inappropriate for boys and girls our age to see each other in their undergarments."

"But… it's you, Yasu. I know you won't do anything. I trust you completely."

"…That's touching, but it doesn't change the fact that it's inappropriate."

Sachi sighed. "Alright. I'll face-time Aoi and see if she can help."

"Or you could do what I do and choose your own clothes."

"…She was right. Girls only dress up for other girls."

Yasutake raised an eyebrow at Sachi's murmur. Aoi said that? He tried to picture Aoi in a dress, and while it was a nice image, it was rather hard. Sachi in a dress, though… Deep green, clinging to her skin, her hair tied in a ponytail that brushed softly against her back, eyeshadow accentuating her deep blue eyes…

 _I need to spend less time with Cam and Cypher,_ Yasutake thought as he shook his head. _They're starting to corrupt me with their thought processes._

Sachi came out of her room wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform a few minutes later – with a pink necktie to show she was a transfer student – and the three of them sat down to eat. After packing their bags and Yasutake grabbing his Duel Disk, the two left.

"We're going to meet Aoi Zaizen about halfway there, right?" Cypher asked, remaining in eye form in Yasutake's Duel Disk.

"Yes."

"Well then, I'll ask before we meet her: Why did you lock me in your Duel Disk?"

"A security measure," Yasutake said, straight-faced. "In case someone tries to steal you or force you to go somewhere you don't want to go."

"…And it has nothing to do with last night when I took control of the television and turned on Goblin Slayer?"

"Of course not. Why would that have any impact on my decision?" Yasutake asked innocently.

Cypher stared at him and then groaned. "Humans are mean."

Yasutake turned to Sachi. "Zaizen said she would be guiding you around Den Academy today, right?"

Sachi nodded happily. "Aoi wanted to introduce me to some clubs I might want to join. And eat with her for lunch." She looked at Yasutake guiltily. "I… think she wanted lunch to be just me and her…"

"Don't worry. I'll have lunch with Fujiki. I need to talk with him, anyway." Before they turned in for the night, Cam and Yasutake had sent Yusaku and Kusanagi the files they had on Techbane, Sylphid, Blood Shepherd, and Jester. Yusaku had replied with a thanks, concern about Jester's abilities, and a request to talk during school. Ai had also added an addendum agreeing with Cypher that Blood Shepherd wouldn't be a problem. Yasutake was starting to wonder if being overconfident was a general trait for the Ignis and not just exclusive to Cypher.

He hadn't, however, shared any information about Soulburner and the Fire Ignis at Cypher's request. Cypher wanted to be certain about Soulburner's role in things before they alerted Yusaku about him, and he wanted a chance to communicate with the Fire Ignis before they made any assumptions. Yasutake had agreed, if only out of a sense of caution.

To Sachi, he said, "Just make sure you're either with me or Zaizen while at school. You have most of your classes with me, and what ones you don't, you have with her."

Sachi pouted. "I remember. You're almost as protective as Cam is."

 _I am nowhere near as protective as Cam is,_ Yasutake thought. Before they left, Cam had whispered to Yasutake to bring him back the names and pictures of any boy who tried to flirt with, talk to, or otherwise look at Sachi with less than noble intentions. And Yasutake was pretty sure Cam had only been half joking.

They met Aoi soon after, and while she did say hello to Yasutake, she spent most of the walk to school talking to Sachi, telling her about what to expect and which people to avoid. Yasutake found himself interjecting into that part, adding Naoki Shima to that list. Aoi thought about it for a bit, and then agreed with him. She also suggested Sachi think twice if she wanted to join Duel Club.

"What? Why?" Sachi blinked. "You and Yasu are in that club, aren't you?"

"So is Shima," Yasutake pointed out.

"Shima aside, you shouldn't join a club just because your friends are in it," Aoi said. "I'd be glad to be in the same club as you but joining a club should be about what you enjoy and what you want to do, not what your friends want to do."

Yasutake thought for a moment, then said, "Den Academy has a Music Club if I remember correctly. You should check that out first."

"Eh? B-But I haven't sang in-."

"You've sang in front of me and Cam before," Yasutake interrupted. "You're just as good, if not better, than you were before the incident. And I know other people would love to hear you sing."

Aoi smiled encouragingly at Sachi. "What matters is what _you_ want to do. Whatever you choose to do, Narahiko and I will support you. Right, Narahiko?"

"I thought that went without saying."

* * *

Aoi split off from them when they reached school. She headed to their classroom while Yasutake took Sachi to the principal's office to finalize the paperwork. Once that was done, they also headed to the classroom, with the teacher making Sachi wait outside for introductions. When he sat down, Yasutake heard a beep from his Duel Disk. Looking down, he saw Cypher had displayed a message to keep the other students from overhearing anything.

"I got messages from Ai and the Fire Ignis. They want to meet during lunch hour on the steps out back."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. So Soulburner was a student here. A transfer like Sachi, perhaps? Glancing back, he saw Yusaku in the back row of the room, who met his eyes. Yusaku lifted his Duel Disk and nodded. Yasutake nodded back before turning to the front. He did want to meet Soulburner, but that could wait till lunchtime.

A few minutes later, the rest of the class was settled. Yasutake was sitting in the second-to-front row on the left side, with Aoi in the seat behind him, Yusaku in the far back, and Naoki in the middle. The teacher then walked in at the bell.

"Good morning, class. I'm delighted to inform you we have three new transfer students who will be joining us from now on." Yasutake blinked. Three? "Come in, please."

Sachi walked in with a boy and another girl. The boy was about the same height as Yasutake, perhaps a millimeter or two shorter, but the other girl was much shorter, to the point where she looked like she skipped a few grades.

The three stood at the front as the teacher gestured at the boy to go first. He stepped forward and smiled. "Hello. My name is Takeru Homura. Please take care of me." He had straight white hair with red highlights and blue eyes behind green-framed glasses. Glancing over the classroom, Yasutake noticed a few girls looking over Takeru appreciatively. He then looked down as his Duel Disk buzzed.

"That's Soulburner."

Yasutake narrowed his eyes and glanced at the Duel Disk on Takeru's wrist. It had a red body with a yellow circle and a sharp protrusion on the side. It did resemble the Duel Disk Soulburner had used in the footage.

 _Well, this just got interesting,_ Yasutake thought as Takeru listed a few hobbies before the teacher assigned him a seat next to Yusaku in the back.

The other girl stepped forward now. She had black hair that went down to her shoulders and covered her right eye. She wore the same uniform as Sachi, though her tie was green for some reason. She looked forward with her visible green eye and an expression of utter boredom as she said, "My name is Shizuka Midori. Please take care of me."

Yasutake blinked as Sachi looked at the girl with surprise. He couldn't see him, but Yasutake knew Yusaku had narrowed his eyes at the girl. Why did one of SOL's bounty hunters transfer to Den Academy?

"I'm from Hokkaido," Shizuka said emotionlessly. "My favorite hobby is ignoring stupid people."

An uncomfortable silence settled after she said that. _Okay, maybe she isn't so bad,_ Yasutake thought.

"T-Thank you for that, um, interesting introduction, Miss. Midori," the teacher said. "Why don't you take the seat next to Narahiko?" Yasutake suppressed a scowl as the teacher guided Shizuka to the seat next to him. He had wanted Sachi to sit there. And even if she didn't, Shizuka sitting there felt wrong. It was supposed to be Masako's seat, after all.

"And now, let me introduce our final transfer student, who's actually a native of Den City."

Sachi stepped forward nervously and bowed low. "H-Hello. My name is Sachi Junpei. Please take care of me."

As she introduced herself, Yasutake looked around the room, gauging everyone's reactions. Yusaku was looking forward without much interest and Aoi was smiling encouragingly at Sachi, which was expected. Takeru was watching with polite interest, Shizuka was looking down at her tablet, blatantly ignoring everyone else. Naoki was doing the same thing, but Yasutake was sure he was reading some article about Playmaker again. The rest of the class, though…

The girls were divided on their reactions. Some showed the same polite interest as Takeru, while others seemed indifferent. A couple also seemed to have what Cam would call "wingding eyes" as they stared at Sachi. Well, she was cute, so Yasutake supposed that reaction was natural. The rest of the girls were looking at Sachi with mild… was that envy? Looking at the remaining boys, Yasutake could understand why; almost all of them were staring at Sachi, and more than a few were… looking a little south of her face.

Well, he supposed he couldn't blame them. Sachi was an attractive teenage girl, and she had developed rather nicely. Not to the same degree as Masako, but still more than most girls her age. Her waist was also rather narrow, and with her eyes slightly larger than normal, she… Wait, what the hell was he thinking!? His classmates' perversions were rubbing off on him! Away, evil thoughts, away!

…That was it. Yasutake didn't care if Cam had been joking or not. He was going to memorize every boy's face in this class, then report all of them except Yusaku, Takeru, and Naoki to Cam. And he was going to keep an eye on all of them while at school to make sure none of them tried anything on Sachi, both for her sake and theirs, as he knew anything he could do to them paled in comparison to what Cam might do.

While he was contemplating what he'd do, the teacher assigned Sachi to the seat next to Aoi, to both girls' delight. After class, a few other girls started crowding Sachi, much to her distress until Aoi pulled her away to the next class, with Yasutake following some distance behind them. While he did feel protective of Sachi, he knew she was safe as long as Aoi was with her. And he had wider concerns than her first day of school.

* * *

Aoi led Sachi into a room marked "Music Club". "Hello," Aoi said to the senior with short brown hair standing in front of an electric keyboard. He looked up and smiled.

"Ah, hello. I'm Uehara, President of the Music Club. Are you two looking to join?" There were other students in the room fiddling with instruments. A few looked up on seeing Aoi and Sachi and nodded in acknowledgment before returning their attention to their instruments.

"I'm not; I'm already in the Duel Club," Aoi said, shaking her head before gesturing to Sachi. "But I'm helping my friend look at clubs she might like, and she used to sing when she was younger."

"Really?" Uehara asked, looking Sachi up and down. She shifted weight nervously under his scrutiny. "Well, we can always use more talent. Are you interested in joining the Music Club?"

"…I'm not sure," Sachi said softly. "Right now… I'm just looking at options." _I would feel better if Yasu were here,_ she thought. _I always feel like I can do anything when he's next to me._

"Well, that's understandable. You should always have alternatives if things don't work out the way you expect them too. I'm curious, though; did you enjoy singing, when you were younger?"

"…Yes, I did," Sachi said, smiling to herself. "Whenever I sang, people would smile, and sometimes they would cry. It made me feel good to know I had an impact on them."

Uehara shared a glance with another club member, then turned back to Sachi. "If it's not too much trouble, would you be willing to sing something for us?"

"Eh?" Sachi blinked. "R-Right now?"

"Well, I would like to know how good a singer you are," he explained. "Not to mention I'd like to see if you still enjoy it. If you don't want to, you don't have to, but we'd appreciate it a lot."

Sachi looked at Aoi, who gave her an encouraging smile. _The incident took my voice from me for ten years,_ Sachi thought as determination lit up her eyes. _I'll take it and my courage back._

"Alright, I'll sing. Does it matter which song?"

"Not really. We often perform many genres. Could be classical, pop, anime music, whatever you like."

Sachi remembered an anime she and Cypher had watched a month ago. The premise had been questionable at first, but the music made her soul feel alive, particularly the ending. As a result, she had memorized the ending to the point she could sing without sheet music. She handed her bag to Aoi with a smile and then stood next to the piano, her friend and the members of the Music Club all watching her. Sachi closed her eyes and began to sing.

* * *

On the steps behind Den Academy, the boy offered his hand. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Takeru Homura, or Soulburner if you prefer.

Yasutake looked at it for a while and then shook it. "Yasutake Narahiko. Morningstar." He frowned in disappointment.

"Eh?" Takeru blinked. "I-I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?"

"No, I was just looking forward to uncovering your identity by myself like I did with Fujiki," Yasutake said, sitting down next to Yusaku on the steps. "I rather like solving mysteries and puzzles. You revealing yourself from the get-go is bit of a letdown."

"S-Sorry about that," Takeru said, sitting down on Yusaku's other side. The three teenagers were sitting in a quiet corner of the steps, away from everyone else. Yasutake made sure to glance around to make sure no one was watching before returning his attention to the other boys.

"I take it Homura introduced himself to you before classes?" Yasutake asked Yusaku, who nodded.

"He knew my identity already, and presented proof that he was our ally," Yusaku said. Takeru lifted his Duel Disk as a black figure with red lines over its body and yellow eyes emerged.

"We meet for the first time, Morningstar," the Ignis said.

Yasutake narrowed his eyes. "You're the Fire Ignis."

"Indeed I am. But in the human world, I am known as Flame. In kanji, my name means 'indomitable soul dream.' Pronounced 'Flame.'"

"You don't say," Yasutake deadpanned.

"You always did have a flair for the dramatic," Cypher said as he emerged from Yasutake's Duel Disk.

"I know, right?" Ai chipped in.

"…It's been some time, Silver Ignis," Flame said, nodding to Cypher. "I haven't seen you in… eight years, give or take. Truthfully, we thought a human had deleted you."

"It's a long story, and one I'll share with you later. Also, I go by Cypher now."

"Cypher? Hmm. That is a cool name. I'm glad to see you didn't get a cutesy one like certain AIs who shall go unmentioned."

"Who are you referring to?" Ai complained, glaring at Flame.

"…So, Flame is the Ignis based off of you?" Yasutake asked Takeru, who nodded.

"Yeah, he is."

"So you're also…"

"Yes. Like I told Fujiki earlier, I'm also a victim of the Lost Incident. Just like you, too."

Yasutake frowned. "So Flame made contact with you after the Cyberse World was destroyed?"

"Eh?" Ai and Flame said, looking at Yasutake. "You knew about Cyberse World's destruction?"

"I've been hacking into SOL Technologies in my downtime," Cypher told them. "I found a report about Cyberse World's destruction a few weeks ago."

Yusaku frowned at Yasutake. "You knew about Cyberse World being destroyed and you didn't tell me?"

"All I knew was a report had been made about its destruction," Yasutake explained. "I had to consider the possibility it was a fake report made in an attempt to lure out Ai or Cypher. Even if it was true-."

"It was," Flame interjected.

"-the report made no mention of the other Ignis or what drove them from Cyberse World," Yasutake finished, having ignored Flame. "I figured it was best to wait until we found more information before sharing it. That said, I am sorry I didn't tell you about it, Fujiki." Yasutake turned his gaze back to Takeru. "I'm sorry for the interruption. Please continue."

"R-Right," Takeru said, nodding. "Flame came to me after the Tower of Hanoi fell, and he told me the truth of the Lost Incident. The Hanoi are now gone, but a new incident has started. So Flame and I decided to confront my past and forge my new life together."

"A new life together…" Cypher mused. "Well that sounds nice, but more importantly; Flame, you know how Cyberse World was destroyed?"

"Yes, but this isn't the right place to talk. We need somewhere more secure," Flame said. "Somewhere off school grounds."

"Then it will have to wait until after school," Yasutake said. The other two humans and three AIs blinked at him.

"Eh? But this is the fate of our world we're talking about!" Ai protested.

"And today is Sachi's first day of school," Yasutake countered. "I promised her brother I'd walk her home from school."

"Sachi?" Takeru blinked. "Oh, the green-haired girl who also transferred today?"

"Then we should take her with us," Yusaku said. When Flame started to protest, Yusaku said, "Sachi Junpei is also a victim of the Lost Incident. This concerns her as much as it does us."

"I'm seventy percent certain Sachi is the origin of the Gold Ignis," Cypher told Flame. "She needs to know about Cyberse World's fate just as much as Yasutake does."

"…Very well, we'll wait until school's over. But no later than that," Flame conceded. "Where is your friend's sister, anyway?"

"She's searching for clubs with Aoi Zaizen," Yasutake said, standing up. "I should go find her; Zaizen isn't in our next class so I need to guide her."

The other two stood up and Takeru leaned in to whisper to Yusaku. "Is it me, or does he seem overprotective."

"…It isn't you," Yusaku whispered back. "But Sachi Junpei had a far stronger reaction to the Lost Incident than we did. She only started to recover three months ago right before the Tower of Hanoi fell. If Narahiko and Junpei's brother are overprotective, they're very justified in their actions."

Takeru thought about and nodded as the trio walked in. Yasutake led them to the club rooms, at which point Takeru spoke up. "What club would Miss. Junpei be interested in?"

Yasutake opened his mouth, but another voice rang out before he could speak.

 _Ano kaerimichi basu ni yurarete_

 _Kanau hazu mo nai yō na yume o mite_

 _I wanna sleep in your feel_

 _I wanna see you in the deep_

 _Kurikaesu kisetsu ni narenai mama_

The three boys blinked, then Yasutake turned and started walking towards the singing. Takeru and Yusaku fell in behind him, the transfer student mesmerized by the voice.

 _Mō sukoshi kurai otona de iretara_

 _Nan te ietadarō_

The trio finally reached the room the voice was coming out of and noticed that a small crowd had gathered around the door. Yasutake elbowed his way through to the front and found what he had expected to find.

Sachi was standing still, swaying slightly with her hands in front of her, her eyes closed and singing from memory. Aoi was watching her with wide eyes, her mouth opened slightly in awe. There were other students in the room, and all of them had similar expressions on their faces. He saw the same faces when he looked back into the crowd and found himself smiling.

 _Mada tarinakute_

 _Mada kienakute_

 _Kasaneta tenohira kara osana-sa ga_

 _What a good thing we lose_

 _What a bad thing we knew_

 _Sonna fureizu ni nureteku ame no naka_

 _Tada tarinakute_

 _Mada ienakute_

 _Kazoeta hi no yume kara sayonara ga_

 _What a good thing we lose_

 _What a bad thing we knew_

 _Furerarezu ni iretarawaraeta ka na?_

Sachi finished singing and took a deep breath. She started and opened her eyes as everyone began applauding her.

"That was amazing, Sachi!" Aoi said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"I'll say," Uehara said, similarly grinning. "The Music Club hasn't had talent like that since I was a freshman."

"Y-You don't say," Sachi said, turning red and looking embarrassed to be the center of attention. As the other Music Club members came up to ask her questions, Yasutake found he couldn't stop smiling.

He remembered that song; Ref:rain, by Aimer. It served as the ending to an anime called Koi wa Ameagari no You ni that Cypher had found. Yasutake hadn't watched it and Cam had been turned off by the initial premise, but Sachi had found it beautiful, especially the music. She had told him her favorite part was the song's ending phrase: "If we had never touched, would we be smiling now?"

 **(Disclaimer: I do not own Ref:rain, Koi wa Ameagari no You ni, or any intellectual property associated with the anime or manga. Ref:rain and Koi wa Ameagari no You ni are the property of their original creators. Please support the original creators.)**

 **(I do not know if I need to add the above disclaimer, but better safe than sorry.)**

"S-She's amazing," Takeru said softly. Yasutake turned and saw Takeru was blushing softly while looking at Sachi. Yasutake narrowed his eyes.

"Homura." Takeru started and turned to Yasutake who was glaring at him. "What are you staring at?"

"N-Nothing," Takeru said, frantically waving his hands. "Just… appreciating good music."

"…Alright." Yasutake turned back and approached Sachi, who was still surrounded by the Music Club students.

"Sachi," he said, drawing her, and everybody else's attention. "Lunchtime is almost over. We have to get to class."

"Oh, right," Sachi said, blinking. She took her bag back from Aoi and turned to Uehara. "T-Thank you for your time, Mr. Uehara. I'll come by again if I decide to join."

Uehara smiled. "Glad to hear it, Miss. Junpei. Just remember: what's most important is what you want to do. Don't join the Music Club unless _you_ want to." Sachi nodded, then followed Yasutake out of the room. The other students started filing out as well, with Aoi smiling as her friend left.

As they walked to class, Yasutake told Sachi about what he, Takeru, and Yusaku discussed. "We'll be meeting again after school," he said. "I'd like it if you came with us."

Sachi nodded excitedly. "Alright. I'd love to meet another Ignis."

* * *

Shizuka walked down the street from school, bored out of her mind. _They said a lot of interesting things, but nothing I didn't already know,_ she thought. Her classmates were a bit more interesting. That fellow transfer girl was nice enough and had a good singing voice. And the boy she sat next to in homeroom wasn't bad-looking. _He'd be my type if he wasn't so cheery,_ Shizuka thought.

Taking out her phone, Shizuka saw she had a message from Akira Zaizen telling her to be at headquarters in an hour. Apparently, all the bounty hunters will have arrived by then.

As she was pondering whether or not she would need to hit Yukaro again, her phone started to ring. Shizuka narrowed her eyes on seeing the Caller ID but answered it.

"How was school?" the person on the other end asked.

"Boring. You kept me a few years ahead of the curb, remember?" Shizuka said.

"That just means you'll need less time for the homework," the other person teased. "Meet anyone you liked? Any cute boys caught your interest?"

"…One, but I think he's dating another student already."

They sighed. "Such a shame. Ah well, anything to report on the bounty hunting front?"

"We're meeting in an hour."

"Good. Playmaker and his allies will doubtlessly try to breach the restricted zone later today. That'll be your chance. Have fun."

They hung up, leaving Shizuka to sigh. When had her life gotten so complicated?

* * *

"Ah! What a nice view!" Ai pressed his hands and face against the glass of the Ferris Wheel capsule Yusaku, Takeru, Yasutake, and Sachi were sitting in. Ai's and Flame's Duel Disks were strapped to a bar on one side while Cypher's was strapped to the opposite side. "An unbroken view of Den City!" Ai turned to stare at Flame. "This is a place fitting for a serious conversation?"

"No one can eavesdrop here," Flame defended. "A huge wheel that spins in the sky. We should've built one in Cyberse World."

"You just wanted to ride this," Ai accused Flame, who groaned and crossed his arms.

"I can't blame Flame," Cypher said, looking out the other window. "It is a nice view. Though…" He turned to look at Yasutake. "What's Cam going to say when you tell him you took Sachi on a Ferris Wheel ride?"

Yasutake's eyes narrowed at the AI while Sachi blushed. "I'm not going to tell him. And if you do, I'm cutting your Crunchyroll subscription."

"So cruel…"

"What's Crunchyroll?" Flame asked.

"Oh, it's amazing, Flame! It's-."

"Not important," Yasutake interrupted.

"No more joking, you three," Yusaku said. Takeru meanwhile, nodded and smiled at Sachi.

"Hello. I'm Takeru Homura, or Soulburner if you prefer."

Sachi smiled back. "Sachi Junpei. It's nice to meet you." She frowned in sympathy. "Yasutake told me you're from the Lost Incident too."

"Yeah, I am." Takeru turned back to his Duel Disk. "Flame, tell us what happened to the Cyberse World,"

"Very well." Flame turned away from the glass, as did Ai and Cypher. "Ai, we held many discussions after you hid Cyberse World."

"Discussions?" Ai repeated. "About what?"

"The Ignis created technology superior to the human world's," Flame explained. "We discussed whether to trust humans and give our technology so we can live together."

"Your technology is that great?" Takeru asked.

"You'll never know. Your net skills stink," Flame said bluntly.

"You always diss me," Takeru complained while Yasutake rolled his eyes and Sachi looked at her fellow transfer student with sympathy.

"I'm only telling the truth."

"Glad to know you haven't changed in eight years, Flame," Cypher commented. "Out of curiosity, which side of the debate was the Gold Ignis on?"

"She was neutral in the discussions," Flame told him. "Up until she vanished."

"What!?" Cypher said, blinking. "Vanished!? What do you me-?"

"Not now, Cypher," Yasutake said, cutting off the Ignis. "Continue with the story, Flame."

"Right. Our creator, Dr. Kogami, tried to kill us. Even his son, Revolver. That proved humans had the potential to become our enemy."

"Revolver said AI will begin to control people, and people will view AI as the enemy," Yusaku remembered. Yasutake nodded, remembering that as well. "That will cause AI to view humans as the enemy." Yusaku steepled his fingers. "How ironic that Dr. Kogami was the cause."

"A self-fulfilling prophecy," Yasutake muttered, which made Yusaku and Sachi nod.

"But we didn't reach a final conclusion," Flame said. "We were examining many different possibilities. But then two years ago, the Gold Ignis disappeared."

"Two years ago?" Cypher repeated, his eyes wide. "Do you think Revolver was responsible?"

"We don't know," Flame answered. "She left without warning or speaking to any of us, just like you did. But three months ago, a new enemy attacked."

"A new enemy?" Ai repeated.

"The enemy knew our weaknesses and destroyed Cyberse World instantly," Flame said, his melancholy clear.

"The enemy broke through my program?" Ai asked, surprised.

"You created a really lame program," Flame said, glaring at Ai.

"It was not lame! It was the best I could create at the time!" Flame continued staring until Ai shrunk. "It's true…"

"I'm not too surprised that the Gold Ignis got through Ai's program," Cypher interjected. "She was as intelligent and as strong as I was, and she's had eight years to evolve; it would be easy for her to do so. But…"

"Flame, who's the new enemy?" Yusaku asked.

"I can't even guess." Flame spread his arms.

"Not the Hanoi?" Ai asked.

"SOL's report placed the time of the attack during the Tower of Hanoi incident," Yasutake told Ai. "So Hanoi seems to be an unlikely culprit."

"I see…" Ai said, looking down.

"We barely escaped Cyberse World alive," Flame continued.

"What happened to the other four?" Ai asked. "You said the Gold Ignis disappeared two years before the attack, and Cypher was out here with me."

"I'm searching for them!" Flame assured Ai.

"I see…"

"Yasutake and I have also been searching for clues the last few weeks," Cypher said. "We haven't anything either, unfortunately."

"There are eight total Ignis," Yusaku remembered.

"Yeah," Ai said, looking at his partner. "Like Duel Monsters, there are six Attributes. Though Cypher and the Gold Ignis don't follow that pattern."

"What's Kusanagi's brother's Attribute?" Yusaku asked.

"Only the Ignis paired with him knows," Ai answered. "Because we don't need that info. I never believed I'd contact Yusaku."

"What's your Attribute, Cypher?" Yasutake asked. Cypher chuckled in response.

"Technically, the Gold Ignis and I both represent the Divine Attribute," he said. "Realistically, this means we split the six Attributes between us: I got Light, Dark, and Fire, while she got Water, Wind, and Earth. Though I recall Dr. Hirai referring to us as the Ignis of Life and Death."

"Life and Death?" Sachi repeated.

"Yeah," Cypher said, nodding. "I'm the Death Ignis, which is why I can break down any program the others make and then make it better. I effectively 'kill' the program and then 'reincarnate' it."

"You can't break down any Ignis program," Flame said. "I recall the Gold Ignis's programs being too difficult for you."

"They weren't too difficult!" Cypher shouted. "Well… they were harder, yes, but not impossible."

"What do you mean?" Yasutake asked.

Cypher sighed. "Like I said, I can break down any program made by the other Ignis. But as the Life Ignis, the Gold Ignis could create programs beyond that of the rest of us. And it would take me far longer to break her programs down than it would for Ai's programs."

"That's true," Flame nodded. "The Gold Ignis was the one who designed and built Cyberse World's central tower, and that was one of the few structures to withstand the attack. Cypher and the Light Ignis were the only ones who could keep up with her."

"I could eight years ago," Cypher grumbled. "But I spent the last eight years sealed into cards and unable to evolve. Even if my evolution is faster than yours or Ai's, I'm certain she and the Light Ignis now outpace me. How frustrating…" Cypher started muttering under his breath while Yasutake sighed.

"Anyway, due to the current situation, and to create a safe location isolated from the net, I contacted Takeru for the first time," Flame said. "Ai, Cypher, let's search for the others together."

"Yeah! Sure!" Ai agreed.

"I need to find the Gold Ignis anyway," Cypher said, nodding. "I need to know what she's been up to these last eight years."

"Playmaker, Morningstar, will you help us too?" Flame asked Yusaku and Yasutake.

The two glanced at each other then back at Flame. "I understand how you feel, but I have to search for Kusanagi's brother," Yusaku said.

"That's no problem," Flame assured them, to theirs and Sachi's confusion. "The two incidents are linked."

"How so?" Yasutake asked.

"The Link Spell that our opponents used," Flame answered. "Those who attacked Cyberse World also used that card."

"What?" Yusaku asked.

"Kusanagi's brother's kidnappers and those who attacked Cyberse World are the same?" Ai asked.

"High probability," Flame answered.

"Then our priority is to find the escaped duelist," Takeru said.

"Where did they go?" Ai asked.

"Let's ask Kusanagi," Yusaku said. "He should be analyzing that duelist."

"Cam's been helping him with that since last night," Yasutake said. "We can also ask him."

"But isn't Kusanagi depressed?" Ai asked Yusaku.

"Kusanagi is tough," Yusaku assured Ai. "He never loses sight of what must be done."

 _I hope you're right, Fujiki,_ Yasutake thought.

"Then let's get out of this filthy gondola," Flame said, which angered Ai and Cypher.

"You don't get to say that!" they shouted at him.

"Flame," Yasutake said as their capsule started to descend. "Was Judgment Arrows the only weapon the attackers used? Did any use a Rank-Up-Magic card?"

"Rank-Up-Magic?" Flame asked. "No, they didn't. Why?"

Yasutake explained what happened with Jester and his ability to control the Data Storm, shocking Flame and Takeru.

"Ranking Up a Synchro Monster?" Takeru said, his eyes wide. "I've never heard of something like that!"

"Neither have I," Flame said, narrowing his eyes.

"Cypher said Jester's control of the Data Storm shouldn't have been possible," Sachi interjected, looking between the other two Ignis. "He said it would take up too much processing power. But he was sealed for eight years. Do either of you think it's possible?"

Flame and Ai looked at each other. Flame eventually shrugged. "I'm the wrong Ignis to ask; I was never the expert on Data Material. What I can say is that it would definitely require an Ignis program to do so, at least. No human short of Dr. Kogami himself would be capable."

"The Wind Ignis might be able to do it," Ai noted. "Maybe Light or Gold if they put their minds to it. But Flame's right; a human wouldn't be able to do it without the help of an Ignis."

Cypher growled. "How much evolution did I miss while I was trapped in those cards?"

"Trapped in cards?" Takeru blinked. "You mentioned that earlier. What happened to you?"

"He explained to me in messages he sent during school hours," Flame said. "Basically…"

Flame told Takeru about Cypher making Morningstar's Cyspirit monsters and sealing himself in them. Takeru was shocked to learn Yasutake had a Link-5 monster, but he didn't have time to appreciate it before they got off the Ferris Wheel.

"You two head to Café Nagi," Yasutake told Yusaku and Takeru. "Sachi and I need to get back to Café Junpei."

"Is splitting up a good idea?" Takeru asked.

"Cam has a system that should help us work together," Yasutake assured Takeru. "And Sachi needs to get a start on her homework."

Sachi pouted at Yasutake, but he ignored her. "We'll talk later, Homura. Fujiki." The two teenagers nodded and then set off for Café Nagi.

"You don't want me helping you on this, do you?" Sachi asked once they were out of earshot.

Yasutake sighed. "No, I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because Zaizen asked me not to involve you in my extracurricular activities," he answered. When Sachi's frown increased, he sighed. "Sachi, be honest; what are the odds Cam will let you help us with this?"

"…Low," Sachi admitted. She sighed. "Fine. I'll do my homework and video chat with Aoi. But whatever happens, you better tell me all the details."

Yasutake smiled. "Don't worry. I'll tell you everything we find out."

* * *

"All the bounty hunters are finally here," Go Onizuka said, standing in front of Akira Zaizen's desk. Akira was sitting behind his desk while Hayami stood next to him. Yukaro and Shizuka were standing off to the side. Yukaro was looking between Go and Akira curiously while Shizuka had her headphones on and was listening to music. Kenmoichi and Yoroizaka stood on the other side of the room.

"I'll introduce them, Mr. Onizuka," Akira said, smiling.

"Enough with the 'Mister.' I'm always Go Onizuka."

Akira gestured to the man standing behind Go. "Go Onizuka, he's Blood Shepherd."

Go looked over his shoulder and smiled. "I was wondering who you'd be, but I never expected a mummy," he joked.

The pink-and-purple haired man was tall and wore a blue trench coat over a white shirt, white pants, and a brown scarf around his neck that covered the lower part of his face. His eyes were covered by blue reflective sunglasses. "I don't get people who show their real face on the net," he said. "Revealing your identity on the net is a demerit."

Go grunted. "I don't care about that. But I'll say one thing. I'll be the one to defeat Playmaker!"

Blood Shepherd shifted. "You have a grudge against him?"

Go clenched his fist. "He's always ahead of me. I don't like that!"

"I have no interest in that. But I'll also say one thing. Don't order me around. I'll do things my way."

"Now now, there's no need to be hostile to each other, is there?" Yukaro asked, coming between the two men. "We're on the same team, so we should work together, right?"

Blood Shepherd turned to growl at him and paused. "You're Techbane, right? The Kaiser's descendant?"

Yukaro stilled and scowled at Blood Shepherd. "I'd prefer to be known for my achievements and not my ancestor's." Blood Shepherd looked from him to Shizuka.

"And why is a child here?" he asked. "Go back to school and leave this to the grown-ups."

Shizuka ignored Blood Shepherd and continued to listen to her music, annoying him. "Oi, I'm talking to you, little girl!"

Shizuka frowned as she pressed paused. "'Little girl?' I'm the same age as Morningstar," she said, making Blood Shepherd tense up at the name of his rival. "If you work alone, it shouldn't matter who your teammates are. We'll still duel circles around you."

As the bounty hunters kept arguing, Hayami leaned in towards Akira. "Is this okay, Chief?" she asked. "I don't think those four will get along."

Akira smiled and closed his eyes. "I never expected them to." Hayami looked surprised, then smiled and nodded.

Blood Shepherd, fed up with the others, turned back to Akira. "Anyway, do you know who battled Playmaker?" he asked. "If you do, it'll help track down Playmaker."

"Look at this." Akira extended his arm, generating a screen. The screen showed the golden man as his disguise disintegrated, revealing Bohman. "I continue to analyze it. But unfortunately, we haven't found a lead yet."

"Where did he vanish to?" Go asked Akira.

"There's no record of him logging out," Blood Shepherd noted.

"How did you know?" Hayami asked Blood Shepherd, surprised.

"Even I can get that level of info," he told her.

Akira grunted. "He vanished in LINK VRAINS's restricted area."

"Restricted area?" Go repeated.

"Why does LINK VRAINS have a restricted area in the first place?" Yukaro asked, but before anyone could answer his question, Shizuka spoke up.

"What about the guy who forced me to log out? What do you have on him?"

The other three hunters blinked at her as Akira pulled up another screen. This one showed Jester.

"Nothing, I'm afraid. Only a username: Jester. He was somehow able to keep Morningstar from using his Skill to access the Data Storm and had a Spell Card that isn't in our records."

"What?" Go and Blood Shepherd said in surprise as the screen showed Rank-Up-Magic Synchro Force and Life Force Dragon.

"We don't believe this Jester is connected to the man Playmaker was chasing," Akira said. "But still, be very cautious in case he appears."

* * *

Yasutake and Sachi entered Café Junpei and saw the steward robot behind the counter. "Cam must be in the back room," Yasutake whispered to Sachi. "I'll go there, you head upstairs."

Sachi sighed. "Fine. Just don't get into too much trouble, okay?"

"Who, me?"

Sachi rolled her eyes before heading upstairs while Yasutake walked into the back room. Sure enough, Cam was there, putting the finishing touches on his and Kusanagi's project.

"Ah, there you are," Cam said, nodding at him. "How was school? Where's Sachi?"

"She went upstairs to do her homework," he said. "And she wasn't the only transfer student…"

Cam's eyes widened as Yasutake told him about Shizuka and Takeru. "Well, looks like school will get more interesting. But Fujiki and this Homura went to Kusanagi's? Well, that works." Cam turned back to the screens and pressed a button. "Time to test this."

A video feed showed up in the center screen. Kusanagi was on the other end, and the background was the interior of Café Nagi. "Can you hear me?" Cam asked.

"I can hear and see you," Kusanagi said, smiling. "Can you hear and see me?"

"Yep. Looks like the video connection works," Cam said, smiling back. "Is Fujiki back yet? Yasu says he's bringing a friend."

"Yeah, they're back. Hang on a second." Kusanagi typed something and suddenly the view changed. "I connected you to a tablet instead of the main computer," Kusanagi explained as he carried the tablet out. He put the tablet down a picnic table, where Takeru and Yusaku were sitting and their Duel Disks were laid out.

"Hey, guys!" Cam said, waving at everyone. "Nice to meet you, Soulburner. I'm Cameron Junpei."

"Nice to meet you, Cam," Takeru said, smiling at the tablet. "I'm Takeru Homura."

Kusanagi laughed as he repositioned the tablet to one end of the table and then sat down on the other. "I have to admit, I'm surprised Yusaku brought a friend. And one that knows our identities."

"We know your identities," Yasutake pointed out.

"You started out as the enemy. You don't count," Yusaku said bluntly.

"That's hurtful," Cypher commented, though he didn't look bothered.

"Yusaku told me the highlights," Kusanagi said, turning to Takeru. "Welcome, Homura and Flame."

"Don't worry. I'll keep it a secret," Takeru assured him. "I'll keep your secret, too, Mr. Junpei."

"Just call me Cam. Everyone does."

Takeru smiled, then said, "I'm also a victim of the Lost Incident. So I know what Kusanagi's brother and your sister went through."

"I see," Kusanagi frowned. "You also had a rough time. Please find the ones who stole my brother's consciousness. As we let time pass by, what's happening to Jin…"

"I'll do whatever I can to help," Takeru promised. If there's anything I can do, just ask."

"He looks soft, but his core is strong," Flame said, gesturing to his partner, who looked annoyed at the Ignis. "He can sorta duel, so he can be helpful."

"He thinks he's better than me?" Takeru asked rhetorically.

Yasutake answered him anyway. "All the Ignis think they're better than everyone else. Don't let it bother you."

"Hey, I _am_ better than everyone else!" Cypher protested.

"Except the Gold and Light Ignis," Flame bluntly said.

"Shut up!" Cypher shouted through the screen.

Kusanagi, have you found a lead?" Yusaku asked.

"Yusaku, your opponents vanished into LINK VRAINS restricted area." Kusanagi pressed a button on the tablet, splitting the screen in half and showing a map of LINK VRAINS's central structure. Kusanagi pointed to the bottom, labeled "Bottom Security Gate (Tartarus)." "Around here."

"Does that mean SOL Technologies is involved in this incident?" Yusaku asked.

"I don't know," Kusanagi answered. "But there's certainly something there. After checking the surrounding area, Cam and I found a shred of an unknown program. This." He pressed a few more buttons on the tablet, loading an algorithm.

"What is that?" Takeru asked. "This isn't my expertise. Do you know, Fujiki?"

"Don't call him Fujiki," Ai interjected. "Yusaku is fine. Right?"

"I don't mind," Yusaku said.

"Then call me Takeru." The boy looked at the screen. "So, Narahiko…"

Yasutake sighed. "Call me whatever you want. It makes no difference to me."

"Call him Yasu," Cam suggested.

"No," Yasutake said, shutting that down. _Cam and Sachi are the only ones who can call me that._

"Yasutake, then," Takeru said, nodding. The others looked at the algorithm and frowned.

"I've never seen this program, but it's similar to a program in Ai's memories," Yusaku said.

"I've seen something like this when we went through Cypher's programming," Yasutake also noted. The three Ignis looked closer.

"This is…"

"An Ignis program."

"What?" Kusanagi said, surprised at Ai's and Cypher's words.

"It's Wind Attribute," Flame said.

"There's a Wind Ignis there?" Yusaku asked.

"Maybe, maybe not," Ai answered.

"Either way, we need to check that area." After Yusaku said that, he, Takeru, and Kusanagi went into Café Nagi, and Kusanagi transferred the video feed back to the main computer.

"Cam, Kusanagi, did you learn anything?" Yusaku asked.

Kusanagi shook his head. "No, nothing of note."

"So no good," Takeru said.

"But I did receive something interesting," Kusanagi said, alerting the other four.

"What? Something interesting?" Ai asked. Kusanagi opened a file and sent it to Cam. On seeing it, Cam and Yasutake scowled.

"Daddy long legs?" Yasutake read. "Seriously?"

"It's Ghost Girl!" Ai said, surprised.

"It's info about the restricted area," Flame said.

"And how to enter the area," Kusanagi told them.

"Why did she send that?" Takeru asked.

"Because she wants us to clear the way for her," Yasutake answered, still scowling. "This is how she operates; we'll enter the restricted area using her info, distract any safeguards, then she'll come in behind us to steal the treasure. She did the same thing in SOL's databanks."

"So it's a trap!" Ai said, panicking. "She's trying to trick us again!"

Kusanagi frowned. "It says a gate appeared in the restricted area that SOL Technologies hasn't identified."

"A gate? That's where he went?" Yusaku asked.

"No no no!" Ai cried. "Yasutake just said it was a trap! We can't go there!"

"But this info seems real. You can only get this info from SOL Technologies," Kusanagi pointed out.

"So Zaizen is the source?" Yusaku wondered.

Kusanagi narrowed his eyes. "Zaizen wants you to go through the gate and search."

"Exactly."

"But it's definitely a trap," Cam said with a frown. "SOL's bounty hunters will be there waiting for you."

"Yes! I'm right!" Ai said.

"But we have no other lead," Yusaku pointed out. "Only that he vanished in that area. Even if it's a trap, we need to investigate that gate."

Kusanagi frowned. "It's dangerous."

"Yeah!" Ai cheered, latching onto Kusanagi's point.

"I know," Yusaku said.

"Then let's be fair! Decide by majority!" Ai said desperately. "Who's against going? Me!" Ai put up his hand. No one else did.

"It's decided," Yusaku said.

Ai screamed. "Fail!" He turned to look through the screen at Cam and Yasutake. "Why didn't you three back me up? You said it was a trap first!"

"Because it's a trap that needs to be sprung," Yasutake said. "If we want to get Jin Kusanagi's consciousness back, we need to go through that gate."

"…And no matter how much it pains me to admit it, Ghost Girl's info is accurate more often than not," Cam said grudgingly. "Hopefully you can find what you're looking for before she can."

"Why should we be afraid of SOL's bounty hunters?" Cypher asked. "Yasutake and I already defeated one of them. The rest of them can't be that tough!"

"Don't underestimate the enemy," Yasutake warned Cypher. "Especially since they have Blood Shepherd with them."

"Before you go, we need to do something," Kusanagi said, cutting off Cypher's retort. "Yusaku, Yasutake, place your Duel Disks on the counters." The two did so, then Cam and Kusanagi pushed some buttons, making the bottoms of the Duel Disks glow green.

"What's this program?" Yusaku asked as Yasutake looked at Cam curiously.

"It's a trap evasion program that Ghost Girl sent and Cam and I upgraded, along with an updated LVSS," Kusanagi explained.

"If it's a simple trap, the evasion program's stealth function activates," Cam picked up the explanation. "We also added mine and Yasu's communication program and an improved version of Kusanagi's emergency escape program to the LVSS."

"But the escape program only works once," Kusanagi finished. "Use it when you have no other choice."

"Understood," Takeru said, nodding.

"There's a good chance the communication function will stop working if you pass through the gate," Cam said. "Be careful you three." They all nodded. Yasutake and Yusaku entered their sealed rooms while Takeru made do with a chair. The three took their Decks and inserted them into their Duel Disks.

"Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 35 – Light of the Cyberse. Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner are pursued by SOL's bounty hunters. While Soulburner battles Go and Playmaker faces Blood Shepherd, a mysterious person appears before Morningstar…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

If there was a Hidden Memories band, what instruments would everyone play? For me, Sachi and Aoi are singing, Yusaku is on bass, Yasutake is on keyboard, Takeru is on guitar, Cam is on drums, and Kusanagi is DJing.

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to Nirvash Neo, jdkeller2000, HunterHQ, D3lph0xL0v3r, Guest, JaneValentine007, guardian of the aura Aurasoul, SakushiRyu, Phantom Flame-98, ZarcEternal, ThePLOThand, Crossing, Ethan Kironus, Lindia Fullmoon, Average JoJoe, King of the End, and bladeWriter3 for reviewing Chapter 33 of Hidden Memories.

jdkeller2000: I admit it's tempting to put up end credits. I might do it when I reach Episode 71 so I can cover glory, but I'm still unsure.

SakushiRyu: Right now, Jester's the only one who gets one.

Crossing: …I'll be honest, some of your comments hurt. But I did ask for constructive criticism, so I suppose I shouldn't complain. But to answer your specific complaints, well… I suppose I added more characters because the VRAINS cast is rather small, so I wanted to add more. It is my story after all, and I would like to take it in interesting directions. If you don't want to read it, that's your decision, but I'll still tell the story I want to tell. As for Morningstar being special, there is a reason for this in-story, but it will take a while to get to. We aren't done with Yasutake's backstory yet. As for so many people using summoning methods… I guess I wanted to raise the stakes. On a side note, you should read SakushiRyu's story VRAINS Overdrive. It's really entertaining to read and has a few more ridiculous summoning methods than I do. Why did I re-use Galaxy-Eyes, Cyber Dragons, and Life Stream Dragon? There are in-story and my own reasons for using them. Galaxy-Eyes? Nebula is a new player, and thus I feel, would want to use a famous Deck she knows is powerful. Cyber Dragons? My reason is because they have new additions I want to show off, but Techbane's reason is he's a descendant of Ryo Marufiji, and the cards have been passed down in his family, which I'll go into in the next chapter. As for Life Stream Dragon? Well, there's something I should have said that I forgot to last chapter: when I thought up the Synchro Lords for my ZEXAL fic, I imagined six of them using the Signer Dragons and then Ranking them Up into Numbers. Life Force Dragon was originally a Number monster, but I decided not to make it one since the Numbers aren't in this story. Why don't I use SPYRAL? I DID, in Chapter 3. They were used by a man named Watcher, who Morningstar hunted.

Average JoJoe: I do message with SakushiRyu quite a bit and I do ask for his opinion quite a bit.

bladeWriter3: I think you pronounce "Xenodochial Xiuhcoatl" like this: Zee-No-dock-ee-ul Zee-uh-coat-ul. I can't say if it's right or now, but it's how I pronounce it.

No duels this chapter, which is a first for Hidden Memories. I did think up a duel between Yasutake and Sachi that would be done on a mat, but it wasn't necessary for the story so I cut it. Yasutake would use Mekk-Knights and I was thinking Sachi would use Elemental Heroes, if for no other reason than I could show off Xtra Hero Wonder Driver. But I did cut that duel, so instead we got Sachi singing, along with a disclaimer tag. I don't know if I needed that, but better safe than sorry. Once again, I do not own Ref:rain or any part of it, and I only used it because it's a good song. Please support the original creator.

On that note, I also used Ref:rain because I _love_ Aimer, and I imagine Sachi as having a similar voice to her, only a little higher. We were also introduced to Emily Garcia, who will be a recurring character. And, since I know people will speculating, I'll just say this now: the next chapter will be the first duel with the Cyangels. Who will use them? You'll have to wait and see.

Lastly, a quick note on Cypher: Yes, he is one of the smarter Ignis, but he's also been sealed away for eight years. That means he's somewhat behind the other Ignis in terms of evolution, which annoys him to no end. This means the Light Ignis, and particular the Gold Ignis, are much stronger than him. While he may be superior to Ai, the gap is much smaller than it would be if Cypher hadn't been sealed. On a scale of 1 to 10 of power and intelligence among the Ignis, I'd say Ai, Windy, Flame, Aqua, and Earth are about 6, Cypher is 7, and Lightning and the Gold Ignis are 9 and 10, respectively. You can imagine how upset Cypher is by this scaling.

Thank you for reading Chapter 34 of Hidden Memories. I won't be releasing the next Hidden Memories Profile until later today, so sorry. I hope you enjoyed Sachi's singing.


	35. Chapter 35: Light of the Cyberse

**Chapter 35: Light of the Cyberse**

 **The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his D-Board, followed by Morningstar, and then Soulburner. The clouds part to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS logo appears, and beneath it, the words "HIDDEN MEMORIES" appears.**

 **Yasutake and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them on one side, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He tries to wrap the other arm around Yaustake, who steps to the side and gives Takeru an annoyed look. Then someone wraps their arms around Yasutake's right arm. He glances to the side and sees Sachi wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform, smiling with her eyes closed as she leans her head on his shoulder. Yasutake smiles back at her.**

 **Masako is shown riding in the passenger side of a van, with the window showing an image of Lilith. In the sky above her, an image of Thaumiel appears, holding his hand over the van. Kenshin Hirai is then shown at a café, drinking coffee and reading a book, while an image of Hitomu Hirai appears in the sky facing the opposite direction. Go Onizuka is shown in NEW LINK VRAINS in his new avatar, riding his D-Board with Kenmochi and Yoroizaka on either side. Behind them, Techbane and Sylphid fly on their own D-Boards. As they pass under a ledge, Blue Angel, Galahad, and Persephone are shown looking down at Go with sad and disappointed looks.**

 **Kusanagi is then shown sitting at a picnic bench with Cam, both drinking from cans and laughing. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Cypher looks at the two of them with exasperation and mild contempt. Akira Zaizen and Hayami are then shown standing next to Queen, who is sitting in a pool chair, adjusting her glasses.**

 **Jester is then shown, with two people – a man and a woman – shown standing behind him, shrouded in shadow. The man-in-shadow's eyes glow red. The eyeholes of Jester's mask glow a light blue. Behind them are Life Stream Dragon and Life Force Dragon, shrouded in shadows.**

 **Morningstar and Playmaker ride their D-Boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary and Cyspirit Savage Shogun in front of Morningstar. The two are chased by Techbane and Sylphid. The man directs Cyber Dragon Sieger to fire at Morningstar while the girl commands a white and purple dragon to attack Playmaker. The two are hit with energy attacks but emerge from the smoke unharmed.**

 **The Knights of Hanoi are then shown, with Terminus standing apart from them. Motor Worm Spreader Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps appear, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind Dryanome and roars.**

 **A split screen, showing two figures. The one on the right is a green outline of a short-haired woman wearing a dress and holding a card in her right hand. Behind her is a white outline of a winged figure holding a sword. The left screen shows a red outline of a man wearing armor, with his right hand raised and the fingers curled. Behind him is a black outline of an armored monster with demonic wings.**

 **Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner are then shown back-to-back, with their hands glowing green, blue, and red respectively. The three face off against Bohman and Trident Hydradrive Lord, Blood Shepard and Battledrone General, and Jester, who raises his arm as a pillar of energy appears behind him. Life Force Dragon emerges from the pillar and roars.**

 **Cyspirts Angelic Avenger, Idealistic Idol, Pied Pikeman, Rapid Revolutionary, and Winning Wrestler are then shown in the air, with Neo Nova racing past them. The five Cyspirit monsters then glow with golden light and merge to form Superior Seraphim, whose light spreads across NEW LINK VRAINS.**

 **Cam, Sachi, Yasutake, Takeru, Kusanagi, and Yusaku are all shown at a picnic table, with them eating hot dogs, and Takeru and Cam are laughing. Three Duel Disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Cypher watches television on Yasutake's tablet. Aoi, Akira, and Emma are in the background, walking past them and smiling at the table.**

 **Yasutake, Cam, and Sachi walk down the street, with Cam having his arms around the other two. All three are smiling. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner sitting on a ledge and smiling into the distance.**

* * *

Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner traveled down LINK VRAINS's central pillar towards the restricted area.

"Be careful," Ai said, alerting them. "Security camera ahead on the left."

"Okay," Playmaker said. The three of them grabbed pieces of debris and used them to prevent the camera from seeing them as they traveled passed it. Once out of sight, they ditched the debris.

"Are you able to transmit to Kusanagi?" Playmaker asked Ai.

"Yeah. I'm sending everything I see."

"I'm doing the same for Cam," Cypher told Morningstar. "But like he said, we may lose contact once we go through the gate."

"Noted," Morningstar nodded.

As the trio reached the gate, Playmaker said, "Start stealth program." Their D-Boards glowed blue as blue spheres wrapped around them. They hit the restricted area and Morningstar grit his teeth at the drag of the red field, but they eventually passed through and deactivated their programs.

"Ghost Girl really wants us to go to the gate," Playmaker noted.

"She'll probably expect us to deal with any traps in the way," Morningstar said.

"Like those?" Soulburner asked, pulling up alongside them and pointing backwards. The other two looked back as three people in green and blue uniforms riding D-Boards appeared behind them. Morningstar only recognized the one in front.

"Playmaker! Found you!" Go Onizuka shouted.

"I told you it was a trap!" Ai said, annoyed.

"So did Morningstar," Cypher reminded his fellow Ignis. "This was expected."

 _Expected, but still annoying,_ Morningstar thought.

"Let's go!" Playmaker said. "We'll shake them off!" The trio increased their speed, but so did the hunters.

"That's Go Onizuka," Ai said, looking back at the hunters. "He got a job with SOL Technologies?"

"I did hear about that, but I dismissed it as a rumor," Morningstar said, frowning to himself. "He never struck me as the bounty hunter type." _Clearly, I was wrong,_ he thought, looking back. _What happened to you, Go Onizuka?_

"Playmaker!" Go shouted with a smile. "I'm happy you came back to LINK VRAINS!"

"Humph! But I'm disappointed!" Ai said, looking away from Go.

"Kenmochi! Yoroizaka!" Go said, glancing at his teammates. "Surround him from both sides! Don't let him escape!"

"Roger!" they said and advanced on either side. _Kenmochi? Yoroizaka?_ Morningstar thought. _I've never heard of those two. They must be new._

"Let's battle, Playmaker!" Go shouted. "We'll settle things today!" _Settle things?_

"Playmaker, shall we duel him?" Ai asked.

"No time for that," Playmaker responded. "Let's shake them off!"

"There ya go!" Ai waved at Go.

"I won't let you escape!" Go rammed Playmaker's D-Board, but the hacker managed to stay onboard.

"Hey! That was dangerous!" Ai complained.

"Stay with them! Go!" Kenmochi and Yoroizaka rushed ahead of Go, eager to fight.

Morningstar scowled. They didn't have time for this. "Cypher," he said. "Set the Data Anchor to Non-Duel Mode and Binary Mode."

"Eh? What are you-?" Cypher looked from Morningstar to Kenmochi and Yoroizaka and laughed. "Oh, you evil human! Alright!" The Duel Disk's circle changed color to blue briefly, signifying the changes. "Want to try Target Lock?"

"Better safe than sorry." Morningstar pointed his Duel Disk outward at the two newbies and waited until Cypher gave the okay. He then lashed out his arm, releasing two blue cords from his Duel Disk that latched onto Kenmochi's and Yoroizaka's wrists.

"What the-?" the two said in surprise. Morningstar accelerated and yanked the cords as hard as he could, pulling the two hunters off their D-Boards. The two screamed before hitting a piece of debris, forcing a logout. Morningstar smirked. Giving the Data Anchor a mode that didn't force a duel had been Sachi's idea, while sending out two cords at once and locking onto the targets before firing had both been Cypher's ideas.

"Hehe! That was easy!" Ai cheered.

"But you didn't do anything," Flame pointed out to Ai's annoyance.

"Just as always. Some things never change," Cypher commented, annoying Ai more.

"It's too early to feel safe," Soulburner said, glancing back at Go, who seemed angrier than before.

"Oh! Onizuka is fired up!" Ai said.

"Playmaker, Morningstar, will you let me handle this?" Soulburner asked to their surprise.

"What?"

"Why?"

"Either of you against Go Onizuka is a very appealing match for me," Soulburner said with a smile that turned into a frown. "But I don't want you two to fight him. Because you're all heroes that fought for LINK VRAINS."

"I'm not a hero," Morningstar said, shaking his head. "Heroes don't get paid. I _did_ get paid for stopping the Tower."

"Eh? You got paid for that?" Ai asked, surprised and jealous. "Why didn't _we_ get paid?"

Playmaker ignored the two and nodded at Soulburner. "Okay. I leave this to you."

"Don't take him lightly," Morningstar warned Soulburner.

"Good luck!" Flame said.

"Yeah! You too!" Ai responded.

"I wasn't talking to you," Flame said, eyes half-lidded.

"So annoying!" Ai complained. Cypher sighed in exasperation at his fellow Ignis. Soulburner turned his D-Board around and charged Go Onizuka, drawing his attention.

Morningstar watched as Go and Soulburner got further away before turning to Playmaker. "Onizuka won't be the only bounty hunter we'll encounter here," he said. "Blood Shepherd will definitely be here, and it won't surprise me if we run into Techbane or Sylphid."

"Any advice for Blood Shepherd?" Playmaker asked.

"He's an expert at anti-Link tactics," Morningstar answered. "I noticed you used Ritual Summoning in your duel with Bohman. That'll be your best chance against him. But don't assume it will be enough."

"Understood," Playmaker nodded as the two headed further down the pillar. They passed through another barrier, blue this time, and reached the lower half, where they were buffeted by winds from a Data Storm.

"It's rough going," Ai said, guarding his eyes.

"That's the lower area," Playmaker said, looking beneath them at a new bright blue sphere.

"We should reach the gate through there," Morningstar said, remembering what Cam and Kusanagi had said. Then he narrowed his eyes.

"Do you feel that?" Cypher asked.

"Ah! I'm spooked!" Ai said, hugging himself.

"Yeah, I sense something bad," Playmaker said, narrowing his own eyes.

"And I know exactly what it is," Morningstar muttered as he looked around. His eyes widened in surprise. "Move, Playmaker!"

The two of them swerved as a yellow laser blast went through the air. They realigned on the pillar as Blood Shepherd rode in on his D-Board, his right arm glowing with energy.

"I've caught the bounty," he said. He started firing more laser blasts at the two as they swerved to avoid them.

"Hey! He's shooting!" Ai panicked.

"He does that," Morningstar said, gritting his teeth.

Ai growled. "I'll use my secret weapon! Release the Data Storm!" A tornado of Data Material solidified in front of Blood Shepherd as Ai laughed. "I'll chase you away like last time-."

Blood Shepherd sent three blasts into the tornado, blowing it apart and making Ai panic again. "I'm sorry!"

"I wasn't expecting that," Cypher said, narrowing his eyes. "Perhaps you were right about Blood Shepherd being dangerous."

"When it comes to bounty hunters, you should definitely listen to me," Morningstar nodded.

"Yasu, can you hear me?"

Morningstar frowned as Cam's voice came over his earpiece. "We're in the middle of something, Cam. It's Blood Shepherd."

"Ah, hell… Listen, the two of you are in an unstable location. You need to get back to the center soon, otherwise you'll drown in data."

"He'll destroy us before then!" Ai screamed. Evidently Kusanagi had told Playmaker the same thing.

"Calm down! He's trying to intimidate you!" Morningstar shouted at Ai. "He can't take you or Cypher unless he wins a duel, remember?"

The two continued to avoid Blood Shepherd's blasts as they headed back towards the pillar. Morningstar narrowed his eyes further. "Oh crap," he muttered.

Sylphid and Techbane were waiting for the two of them. As they drew closer, Morningstar turned to Playmaker. "We need to split up," he told him. "I'll meet you at the gate!"

"Right!" Playmaker nodded. He turned to head to the right as Morningstar turned downwards. Out of the corners of his eyes, he noted Sylphid and Techbane turning to follow him while Blood Shepherd continued to pursue Playmaker.

"We meet again, Morningstar!" Techbane shouted after him as the three entered a trench on the ridge of the sphere. "You surprised me last time with your Skill, but you won't escape a second time."

"Hey, we agreed I'd get to duel him this time," Sylphid protested. "Wait your turn. Techy."

"Techy?" Techbane asked, confused.

Cypher growled. "Dueling you two is pointless. Release the Data Storm!" Cypher pointed and generated a Data tornado in front of them, trying to log them out like Ai did to Blood Shepherd.

Unfortunately, these two were smarter than Cypher thought. "Sylphid?" Techbane asked.

"Got it." Sylphid pressed a button on her Duel Disk, making the spear on her D-Board glow and fire a beam of orange light at the Data Storm, breaking it apart.

"Are you kidding me!?" Cypher protested, annoyed. "First Jester, then Blood Shepherd, now these two!? When do I get to blow someone away?"

"Not today, Ignis," Techbane answered, getting closer to Morningstar. "Sylphid has first crack at you, but you're a fool if you think you can-."

A bright light interrupted his words, causing all three to wince and look up. An eight-pointed star made of white light had appeared above them. Before any of them could comment, a burst of light separated from the star and headed towards them. The light fell off the woman on the D-Board as she spun and repositioned herself so she was alongside Morningstar.

Morningstar blinked at the woman. She was young, but it was difficult to tell her exact age. She wore a white flowing sleeveless dress with a skirt that went down to her ankles and a slit on the left side that exposed dark green tights and light green high-heeled shoes tied with dark green ribbons. She also wore a dark green vest that went down to her waist over the dress, and he noticed a drawing of golden wings on her back. Her arms were covered by white fingerless gloves that extended past her elbows and had green eight-pointed stars on the back of the hands. She had white hair with short bangs spread to the sides of her face, short sides, and a ponytail that extended to the back of her neck. White earrings in the shapes of eight-pointed stars hung from her ears, and an ivory necklace with an emerald eight-pointed star rested against her collarbone. Her bright green eyes glanced at the two bounty hunters before she turned to Morningstar.

"Morningstar," she said, her voice soft. "I am Cassiel. Whether you believe me or not, I am your ally. I'll handle one of them, while you handle the other."

Morningstar stared at her. Something about her… he was sure he knew her. But from where?

"Morningstar!" Morningstar blinked and looked ahead at Cypher's words. The trench split into two paths ahead, with the one on the left angled downwards.

"…Alright," he said, thinking quickly, to Cassiel. "I'll take the left and you take the right."

She nodded and turned back to the hunters. "I am Cassiel!" she declared. "I'll take one of you on!"

Techbane grit his teeth. "You have first crack at Morningstar," he told Sylphid. "I'll handle the new girl."

"Gotcha."

Morningstar turned and went down the left path, which turned into a hole, with Sylphid following him. Cassiel and Techbane, however, took the right path.

"You'll want to turn around once you reach the bottom, Yasu," Cam said over the com. "There's another hole that leads straight to the center."

"Good to know… There's another duelist here. A woman named Cassiel. She lured Techbane away."

"Cassiel? Never heard of her. I'll see what I can find."

* * *

Cassiel led Techbane down the trench, giving him a good chance to look her over. She was pretty, he guessed, but it was difficult to tell how old she was. Her D-Board was mostly white and elongated, with green edges, two golden prongs, and gold and dark green guards on the sides with light green extensions. Her Duel Disk was a custom model and circular, divided into six sections, with two white and four green ones. That the center was unlit told Techbane something important.

"Why are you helping Morningstar?" he asked her. "You don't have an Ignis, so you aren't our target."

"I'm repaying a debt," she answered. She looked ahead at a sharp turn. "The one who makes that turn first decides who goes first?"

"Sounds good to me," Techbane said, nodding. His Cyber Dragon Deck worked best if he went second, and though he didn't know what Deck this girl was using, he expected she knew going second would be more to her favor.

The two accelerated as they reached the corner, Techbane on the inside. But suddenly, Cassiel pushed a button, making the guards on her D-Board go downwards and extend outwards. Doing so made her D-Board much faster, and while she took the turn hard, she passed it first.

Techbane grit his teeth as her D-Board's guards returned to normal. "What was that?"

"High-Speed Mode," she answered as she raised her Duel Disk, light green lines on it lighting up. "I'll take the second turn."

"Fine."

"Speed Duel!"

 **Cassiel: 4000 LP**

 **Techbane: 4000 LP**

Techbane looked at his cards. Hmm. While he disliked taking the first turn, he could work with this. "I activate the effect of Cyber Dragon Nächster! By discarding the original Cyber Dragon, I can Special Summon Nächster!" A small silver dragon with white circles on its body appeared and roared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon Nächster ATK 200 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Nächster's monster effect! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a Machine monster from my Graveyard, so long as it has 2100 attack points or 1600 defense points. Resurrect, Cyber Dragon!" The mechanical white dragon roared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5**

"And since I Special Summoned Cyber Dragon, I can Special Summon Cyber Dragon Vier in Defense Position!" A silver segmented dragon with purple parts in its body appeared and roared.

 **Cyber Dragon Vier ATK 1100 DEF 1600 LVL: 4**

"Vier's monster effect! Every monster named 'Cyber Dragon' I control gains 500 attack and defense points. And due to the effects of Nächster and Vier, both are treated as Cyber Dragon while on the field or in the Graveyard."

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100→2600 DEF 1600→2100**

 **Cyber Dragon Nächster ATK 200→700 DEF 200→700**

 **Cyber Dragon Vier ATK 1100→1600 DEF 1600→2100**

"Appear! The circuit of mechanical evolution!" The Link portal appeared as Techbane's hand glowed blue. "Arrowheads confirmed. The summoning conditions are two Machine monsters, one of which must be Cyber Dragon. I set Cyber Dragon and Nächster in the Link Markers!" Said monsters became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left and bottom arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyber Dragon Sieger!" The mechanical dragon with blue circles on its body emerged from the portal, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 2100 LINK-2** ←↓

"Due to Vier's effect, Sieger gains 500 attack points!"

 **Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 2100→2600**

"I Set one card. I end my turn." _Sieger's effect can be activated during mine or her Battle Phase,_ Techbane thought. _While it cannot target Vier because Vier's attack points are less than 2100, I can increase Sieger's attack points to 4700 during the Battle Phase at the cost of not inflicting any damage._

A green circle appeared around Cassiel's Duel Disk as a card materialized. "My turn! Draw!" Cassiel drew, looked over her cards for several seconds, then selected one. "I Special Summon Cyangel Cupbearer in Attack Position!" A golden light appeared on her field. That golden light reformed into a young man with golden skin wearing a golden robe. The young man had golden hair that seemed to glow of its own accord and solid blue eyes. Several cybernetic implants wrapped around his left eye and traveled down his neck. A pair of small golden wings made of mechanical feathers unfolded from the young man's back and a silver goblet appeared, suspended above its outreached hands.

 **Cyangel Cupbearer ATK 1400 DEF 700 LVL: 3**

Techbane gasped. "Cyangel?" He quickly looked at the card's info. "This card is Cyberse Type? Where did you get a card like this?"

Cassiel ignored him and said, "I can Special Summon Cupbearer if there are no 'Cyangel' monsters in my Graveyard. And now I Tribute Cupbearer to Tribute Summon Cyangel Prophet!" Cupbearer glowed as its shape changed. The glow faded, revealing a different monster. Prophet was an older golden-skinned man, wearing golden robes and a golden keffiyeh over his body and head respectively. He had golden hair tucked under the keffiyeh and a golden beard that went down to the middle of his chest, solid blue eyes, and cybernetic implants trailing down the right side of its face. A set of mechanical golden wings – larger than Cupbearer's – sprouted from Prophet's back, and he wielded a golden staff topped by a bar and circle.

 **Cyangel Prophet ATK 2200 DEF 700 LVL: 6**

"Cupbearer's effect activates!" Cassiel declared. "Since it was sent to the Graveyard, it is shuffled back into my Deck, and then I can add a different 'Cyangel' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyangel Priest to my hand." Cassiel added her new card to her hand then chose a different one. "I Set one card."

Cassiel gestured to her field. "Prophet's monster effect! If there are no 'Cyangel' monsters in my Graveyard, I can halve the attack points of one monster you control until the end of the turn!" Techbane gasped. "I halve Sieger's attack points!" Prophet extended his staff and zapped Sieger with golden light, making it cry out in pain.

 **Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 2600→1300**

"Battle!" Cassiel declared. "Cyangel Prophet, attack Cyber Dragon Sieger!" Prophet shot golden lightning out of its staff at Sieger as Techbane gestured to his field.

"Trap activate! Impenetrable Attack! With this card, I can either prevent a monster on the field from being destroyed by battle or card effects this turn or I can take no battle damage this turn. I choose to prevent Sieger's destruction!" The lightning struck Sieger and Techbane winced, but the monster remained.

 **Techbane: 4000→3100 LP**

Cassiel narrowed her eyes. "I end my turn. And with the End Phase, Prophet's effect ends, and Sieger's attack points return to their previous amount."

 **Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 1300→2600**

Cassiel looked back at Techbane. "Why do you use them?" she asked, surprising him.

"Use what?"

"Cyber Dragons. They're famously the cards of the legendary duelist Kaiser Ryo Marufuji. Are you a fan of his?"

Techbane scowled. "No. I have my own reasons for following the Cyber Style. Which you don't need to understand." _Maybe you would understand it, but I don't want your understanding of this feeling,_ he thought. _The feeling of not being powerful enough to save the people you love, so you take the power you need even if it isn't earned…_

* * *

 _10 years ago…_

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Yukaro cried out as he landed on his back.

"Hmm. You did better this time," his grandfather said as the monsters and Duel Disk blades disappeared. "You managed to call Cyber Dragon out properly and kept it on the field for more than a turn."

Yukaro growled as he sat up. "It still wasn't enough, though. The Kaiser could do far more than this at my age, couldn't he?" He turned to look at the picture on the wall of the dojo. It showed a man with layered blue hair and a proud look on his face.

"Do not compare yourself to our ancestor, Yukaro. He was the Style's greatest practitioner, but that was because he understood his Deck on a level few duelists can reach." His grandfather shook his head as Yukaro stood up properly. "I do not expect you to become the next Ryo Marufuji. I expect you to make the Cyber Style your own."

* * *

 _2 years ago…_

"So your father does have it?"

"Yes. It's the same disease as his father. If he doesn't receive treatment, he may die within two or three years."

"Can we afford it?"

Yukaro's mother shook her head. "Not on our salary. You just took out a mortgage, so we shouldn't ask the bank for a loan…"

Yukaro scowled from outside the kitchen as he headed to his room. His grandfather was dying. He didn't know what disease it was, but that didn't matter; there was a treatment, but they needed money. And to get money…

Yukaro browsed websites, looking for a way to earn money quickly. He was smart enough to note which were scams and weren't, until he came across a bounty hunter forum. There was a discussion about a hunter calling himself Morningstar, who seemed divisive to many of his fellow hunters. Some called him a goody-two-shoes who wasn't a real hunter while others said he was good for their image. Either way, all of them agreed he was powerful and dangerous.

Yukaro couldn't find a video of Morningstar but hearing about this hunter gave him an idea. _I can do that,_ he thought. _Bounty hunting. It could help me pay for grandfather's surgery. But if I want to be a serious hunter, then I'll need power. I'll need…_

Yukaro frowned. He would need the Cyber Style. His grandfather had told him he wasn't ready yet to wield the Deck's power, but what mattered more? His grandfather's life, or his status as heir?

It was surprising easily to obtain the Cyber Dragon Deck from the dojo. But when his grandfather found out what he did, he disowned him. He told him that the Deck had to be earned to truly wield its power, and Yukaro hadn't earned it yet. His grandfather wasn't afraid to die, but he was proud of their family's legacy, and to him, Yukaro becoming a bounty hunter was a dishonor that insulted the entire family. His words had hurt, but Yukaro hadn't cared; he had done what he did to save his grandfather's life, and the fact he could berate Yukaro made him happy. He simply moved away and sent any extra money he earned to his family to help pay for his grandfather's treatments.

One day, he would receive a notice from SOL Technologies in Den City about a bounty on the hero called Playmaker. The bounty was enough to pay for both his grandfather's last treatments and his parents' medical bills. And Den City was the home of Morningstar, whose stories had shown Yukaro that there was honor in being a bounty hunter. It was an easy decision to make…

* * *

 _Present day…_

"I use Cyber Dragons, and became a bounty hunter, for more than myself," Techbane said as he and Cassiel turned into another trench. "I know what people think; that bounty hunters are selfish. But I am not! I fight for another who means the world to me! My turn! Draw!" Techbane glanced at his card, then played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyber Repair Plant! Since Cyber Dragon is in my Graveyard, I can add a Light Machine monster from my Deck to my hand."

Techbane took a new card from his Duel Disk, then played it. "I summon Cyber Dragon Core!"

 **Cyber Dragon Core ATK 400 DEF 1500 LVL: 2**

"Core's monster effect! Since it was Normal Summoned, I can add a 'Cyber' Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand." Techbane took his new card and stared at it. _This was the last card grandfather showed me how to use before I left._

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Cyberload Fusion!" Cassiel's eyes widened on seeing Techbane's card. "This lets me Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster that lists a 'Cyber Dragon' monster as material by shuffling the listed materials, from either my field or Banished Zone, back into my Deck. I shuffle Core, Sieger, and Vier back into my Deck to Fusion Summon!"

Said monsters disintegrated into red, blue, and green particles respectively and swirled together into a vortex. Three whirlwinds of energy burst from the vortex before merging into a purple whirlwind as Techbane chanted.

"The mechanical dragon that rules the world. Become one with your brethren and take flight! Fusion Summon! Rise! Cyber End Dragon!" A silver dragon, as large as Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon, emerged from the whirlwind. This dragon had three mechanical heads on the ends of three long necks and massive wings, with blue orbs at the top of said wings. All three heads roared from the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyber End Dragon ATK 4000 DEF 2800 LVL: 10**

Cassiel grit her teeth. "4000 attack points… Not good."

"Cyberload Fusion's effect prevents my monsters besides Cyber End Dragon from declaring an attack," Techbane continued. "But that doesn't matter." He gestured to his field. "Battle! Cyber End Dragon, attack Cyangel Prophet! Eternal Evolution Burst!"

Cyber End Dragon fired three streams of energy at Prophet as Cassiel gestured to her field. "Trap activate! Cyangel Shield!" The card showed a white pentagonal shield with a symbol of golden wings on it. "Since your monster attacked a Light Cyberse monster, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle this turn!"

"But you still take damage!" Techbane reminded her. Cassiel winced as the attack struck Prophet and sent her D-Board fumbling backwards behind Techbane.

 **Cassiel: 4000→2200 LP**

Cassiel recovered quickly and then gestured to her field as the wings on her back, stars on her hands, and jewelry all glowed green. "I activate my Skill! Angel's Glory! Since I took damage from a battle involving a 'Cyangel' monster, I can Special Summon a 'Cyangel' monster from my hand, or Deck if there are none in my hand." Cassiel tapped a card in her hand. "But fortunately, there is one in my hand. I summon Cyangel Priest!" A golden-skinned bald man in golden robes with a white collar around his neck emerged in Defense Position. He had small golden wings, solid blue eyes, cybernetic implants beneath his left eye, and carried a rosary in his right hand.

 **Cyangel Priest ATK 1600 DEF 700 LVL: 4**

Techbane hesitated, and then laughed. "Looks like you made a mistake, Cassiel!" he said, surprising her. "I activate my Skill! Cyber Strike! Since my Level 8 or higher Machine monster inflicted battle damage, that monster can attack again! And if Cyber End Dragon attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage!"

Cassiel gasped as Cyber End Dragon blasted Priest with energy. She quickly gestured to her field. "Priest's monster effect! When I have no 'Cyangel' monsters in the Graveyard, Priest cannot be destroyed by battle once per turn, and all battle damage I take involving it is halved!" The blast struck and she cried out in pain, but she stayed on her D-Board and Priest remained on the field.

 **Cassiel: 2200→550 LP**

Techbane grit his teeth. Damn it. "I end my turn."

"And with the end of the Battle Phase, Cyangel Shield's effect lets me draw one card," Cassiel said as she drew, glanced at her card, then added it to her hand.

"My turn! Draw!" Cassiel drew and smiled at her card. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Cyangel Sanctum!" The card showed a massive golden building laid out over a mountain, with various golden, winged monsters flying around it. "While Sanctum is active, all Light Cyberse monsters I control gain 300 attack and defense points."

 **Cyangel Priest: 1600→1900 DEF 700→1000**

 **Cyangel Prophet ATK 2200→2500 DEF 700→1000**

"I activate Sanctum's effect! Once per turn, I can shuffle a card in my hand back into my Deck to add a Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I shuffle Bound Link into my Deck to add Cyangel Disciple to my hand, which I'll now summon!" Cyangel Disciple was a gold-skinned man in brown robes and a golden cloak with solid blue eyes, small golden wings, and brown hair in a bowl cut. Cybernetic implants twisted up his neck and beneath his right eye.

 **Cyangel Disciple ATK 1000→1300 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 3**

"Disciple's monster effect! Since I have no 'Cyangel' monsters in the Graveyard, I can shuffle up to three cards in either Graveyard back into our Decks. And for each shuffled card, I gain 300 Life Points."

Techbane grit his teeth as Cassiel continued. "I shuffle my Cyangel Shield, and your Cyber Repair Plant and Cyberload Fusion back into our Decks to increase my Life Points by 900!"

 **Cassiel: 550→1450 LP**

Cassiel looked from her field to Techbane. "You said you fight for another. We are the same in that regard. I fight to repay a debt."

"To who? To Morningstar? What did he do for you?"

"Three months ago, he saved me."

Techbane gasped. "Three months ago? Then… you were one of the people the Tower of Hanoi absorbed?"

A small smile crossed Cassiel's lips, but she didn't answer. Instead golden energy formed around her right hand as she raised it high. "Appear! The circuit of infinite light!" The bolt of golden light struck the space above them, creating the Link portal. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Light Cyberse monsters. I set Disciple, Priest, and Prophet in the Link Markers!" Her three monsters became whirlwinds of golden energy and entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows, turning them red.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Cyseraph Blazing Uriel!"

A golden figure, three times the size of Cassiel's previous monsters, emerged from the portal. Four red and gold wings made of mechanical feathers sprouted from its back as formfitting ornate crimson and gold armor covered its chest, arms, legs, and feet. Its face was human, but more beautiful and terrifying than any face Techbane had ever seen. Uriel had blazing red hair tied back into a ponytail that extended to the back of its neck and solid blue eyes with gold light in the centers. A beautiful ornate red and gold longbow formed in Uriel's left hand as he beat his wings from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyseraph Blazing Uriel ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

Techbane grit his teeth. "Is this her ace monster…?"

"Cyangel Sanctum's effect! Blazing Uriel, as a Light Cyberse monster, gains 300 attack points!"

 **Cyseraph Blazing Uriel ATK 2500→2800**

"Furthermore, since they were sent to the Graveyard, the effects of Cyangel Disciple, Priest, and Prophet all activate!" Cassiel continued, said cards materializing in front of her. "All three are shuffled back into my Deck, and then their secondary effects activate. Prophet's effect increases the attack points of one of my monsters by 1000 while Priest's effect lowers the attack points of one of your monsters by 800!" Techbane grit his teeth again as Blazing Uriel and Cyber End Dragon both glowed.

 **Cyseraph Blazing Uriel ATK 2800→3800**

 **Cyber End Dragon ATK 4000→3200**

"Finally, the effect of Disciple lets me target a Link Monster I control. I target Blazing Uriel!" The cards disappeared as Cassiel gestured to a different card on her field. "Cyangel Sanctum's final effect activates! If a Cyberse monster in my Graveyard is shuffled back into my Deck, I can target a Cyberse Link Monster I control, and until the end of the turn, that monster cannot be targeted or destroyed by your card effects. Once again, I target Blazing Uriel!"

Cassiel smirked as Techbane grit his teeth. "I take it I don't have to explain what happens now? Battle! Blazing Uriel attacks Cyber End Dragon! Holy Fire!" Blazing Uriel held up its bow and grabbed the bowstring, pulling it back and generating an arrow made of fire. Blazing Uriel pulled it back as far as it would go, then released the arrow, shooting it at Cyber End Dragon. The arrow of fire pierced the mechanical dragon through the chest, leaving a massive hole before it exploded, making Techbane wince.

 **Techbane: 3100→2500 LP**

"Blazing Uriel's monster effect!" Cassiel declared, making Techbane look up. "When Blazing Uriel destroys your monster by battle and I have no 'Cyangel' monsters in my Graveyard, you take damage equal to Cyber End Dragon's Level times 200!" Her eyes narrowed at her next words. "And because the monster targeted by Disciple's effect destroyed your monster by battle, you take 1000 points of damage!" Techbane gasped. "Cyber End Dragon was Level 10. That means you take 3000 points of damage! This is the end!"

Blazing Uriel spread his wings wide as his arms caught fire. He met them above his head, with his bow melting into red energy that gathered into a massive ball he held above him. "Go, Blazing Uriel! Heavenly Blaze!" Uriel brought his arms down and launched the fire ball at Techbane. When the ball struck him, he fell off his D-Board, screaming.

 **Techbane: 2500→500→0 LP**

 _Grandpa… I'm sorry,_ Techbane thought as he was forcibly logged out.

Cassiel watched as he did so, then looked at her Duel Disk. _This was my first victory with these cards,_ she thought as she smiled. _Yes!_

"Good luck, Morningstar," she whispered before logging out.

* * *

Morningstar fell down the hole and spun around at the bottom, with Sylphid right behind him. "Looks like the floors are like corridors. If you find another hole, it will take you closer to the center. That aside, it's a straight path," Cam said over the com.

"Which means it will be impossible to ditch this girl," Cypher surmised, annoyed at Sylphid for destroying his Data tornado. "We're going to have to duel her."

" _I'll_ have to duel her," Morningstar corrected the AI. " _You'll_ be watching and making smart comments."

"When you say smart, do you mean sarcastic or intelligent?"

"Yes."

"…Why did I get the human who thinks he's funny?" Cypher wondered rhetorically.

Sylphid pulled up alongside Morningstar. "That AI of yours is very chatty," she said, smiling at him. "You sure you don't want me to take him off your hands? Earn you some peace and quiet?"

"If I want peace and quiet, I just have to mute him," Morningstar retorted. "And I have a friend who's fond of Cypher, so I can't give him to you."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Cypher protested, glaring at Sylphid. "You might be smarter than I thought, but you're still up against me and Morningstar! Your chances of victory are less than five percent!"

"So still a chance then," Sylphid noted, smirking at the Ignis. "Let's see if I can change that prediction of yours." She raced her D-Board ahead of Morningstar and looked back, her smirk becoming challenging.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Sylphid: 4000 LP**

The two duelists looked at their hands before Sylphid said, "I'll take the first turn. I summon Dragunity Aklys!" A thin red dragon wearing white armor with a spear attached to its head appeared and roared at Morningstar.

 **Dragunity Akyls ATK 1000 DEF 800 LVL: 2**

Morningstar blinked. "Dragunity?"

"With a name like 'Sylphid,' I was expecting Harpies or something. Not Dragunity." Cypher narrowed his eyes. "That Deck focuses on equipping themselves to other Dragunity monsters and also incorporates Synchro Summoning."

"Glad to know you're a fan," Sylphid teased Cypher before gesturing to her field. "Aklys's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon another 'Dragunity' monster from my hand and then equip Aklys to it. Come, Dragunity Militum!" A humanoid in blue armor with blue wings wielding a sword and dagger appeared in Defense Position.

 **Dragunity Militum ATK 1700 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

"And now Aklys equips itself to Militum!" Aklys glowed with energy before turning into a spear that replaced the sword in Militum's right hand. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "She… didn't do what I expected," Cypher admitted, looking Sylphid over with a calculating gaze. "Militum's effect lets her Special Summon a 'Dragunity' monster that's in her Spell & Trap Zone."

"Aklys is also a Tuner monster," Morningstar said. "Meaning she could have Synchro Summoned with Militum's effect but didn't."

"Why wouldn't she Synchro Summon? Aren't Synchro Monsters the ace monsters of the Dragunity Deck?"

"They are, so her not using Militum's effect is strange. Unless she's going for Aklys's effect." _If the equipped Aklys is sent to the Graveyard, one card on the field is destroyed,_ Morningstar thought. _That's certainly one reason to keep Militum and Aklys around._

"Are you going to make a move, Morningstar?" Morningstar started as Sylphid addressed him, looking back at him with amusement. "Or is this your way of saying you surrender?"

Morningstar scowled and placed his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!" Looking at his card, he played it. "I summon Cyspirit Teleporter!" The skeleton in gray armor wielding a baton appeared.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"Morningstar, we should end this quickly," Cypher said. "I'm interested in fighting a Dragunity Deck, but we can't afford to waste time, right?" Morningstar nodded and gestured upwards.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Teleporter in the Link Marker!" His monster became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom arrow, turning it red. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" A skeleton in a business suit emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker in Attack Position, but that monster cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Come, Cyspirit Dancer!" A skeleton in a leotard appeared at Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon this card. Come forth, Cyspirit Valkyrie!" A white skeleton in white female armor gilded with silver appeared in Attack Position. It wore a silver war helmet over its head as a blonde ponytail extended down to the midpoint of its back. In one hand she held a sword made of light, and in the other an axe. Her right red eye gleamed from beneath the helmet.

 **Cyspirit Valkyrie ATK 2100 DEF 400 LVL: 5**

"Appear again, the circuit between light and darkness! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Cacophonic Caller, Dancer, and Valkyrie in the Link Markers!" His three monsters turned into energy and entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom arrows, turning them red. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!" A skeleton in a blue trench coat emerged from the portal. It spun its twin black pistols as its eyes gleamed under its silver tricorne hat. Rapid Revolutionary spread its wings from the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Yes! Rapid Revolutionary!" Cypher cheered. "This one was always my favorite!"

"If it was your favorite, why didn't you store your code in it?" Morningstar asked.

"Dr. Hirai was the one who chose the cards, not me," Cypher reminded Morningstar. Then the Ignis turned to Sylphid. "Since Dancer was used to Link Summon Rapid Revolutionary, it gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2800**

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cyspirit Full Link!" The card showed Cyspirit Winning Wrestler with Cyspirits Armorer, Battler, and Lancer behind it. All four monsters were glowing blue and connected by glowing blue lines. "Once per turn, Full Link's effect lets me target a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster I control. Until my next Standby Phase, that monster is treated as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating and can make two attacks this turn." Sylphid's eyes widened in shock. "However, the turn I activate Full Link's effect, no other monster I control can declare an attack, and if I control no 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters during my Standby Phase, Full Link's effect destroys itself."

"Yes!" Cypher cheered. "With Rapid Revolutionary treated as pointing to three monsters, it will gain 500 attack points when battling Militum and be able to inflict piercing battle damage. The first attack will deal 2300 points of damage, while the second direct attack will end this!"

"Are you sure about that?" Sylphid asked while smirking, surprising Morningstar. She gestured to her field. "Continuous Trap activate! Dominance Link!"

"What? Dominance Link?" Cypher asked as Sylphid's Trap flipped up. The card showed a monster Morningstar recognized as Agave Dragon watching over a line of other monsters in chains. "What does that do?"

"Quite a bit," Sylphid said. "Since I don't control a monster in the Extra Monster Zone, I can target your Link Monster for its effect. And while Dominance Link is active, that monster cannot attack, its effects are negated, and it cannot be used as Link Material."

Morningstar's eyes widened. "Heh?" Cypher said, just as surprised as his partner. "An anti-Link card? Seriously?"

"SOL's records of you list Link Summoning as an essential part of your strategy," Sylphid told Morningstar. "If I want to defeat you, then I need to restrict your Link Summoning." She smirked at him again. "This may not be as effective as Blood Shepherd's tactics from the records, but it works. I target Rapid Revolutionary with Dominance Link's effect!" A red glowing circle appeared underneath Rapid Revolutionary. The monster cried out as an invisible pressure was placed on it, forcing it to one knee. Morningstar grit his teeth.

"… Well that's annoying," Cypher said, his eyes narrowed at Sylphid. "First Techbane and his Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon and now her and this Dominance Link. You really know how to pick them, don't you, partner?"

"Shut up. I Set one card. I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Sylphid grinned at her new card but then gestured to her field. "Dominance Link's secondary effect! Once while it's on the field, I can Link Summon a Link Monster from my Extra Deck with a lower Link Rating than your monster. Rapid Revolutionary is Link-3, so I Link Summon the Link-2 Dragunity Knight – Romulus!" A large green-scaled dragon with blue and green wings appeared on Sylphid's field. A silver-armored figure armed with a spear rode on its back. The dragon roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Dragunity Knight – Romulus ATK 1200 LINK-2** ↙↘

"A Dragunity Link Monster…" Cypher muttered, narrowing his eyes at the dragon.

"Romulus's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned, I can add a 'Dragunity' Spell or Trap Card, or the Field Spell Card: Dragon Ravine from my Deck to my hand." Sylphid took a card and added it to her hand before picking a new one. "I summon Dragunity Phalanx!" An orange and blue dragon appeared and roared.

 **Dragunity Phalanx ATK 500 DEF 1100 LVL: 2**

Morningstar's eyes narrowed. "That monster is…"

"Level 2 Phalanx tunes Level 4 Militum!" Sylphid declared as threads of orange energy spread outwards from her body. Her monsters disintegrated into green data before reforming into two rings, one green and one darker green. The rings turned blue and merged together before splitting into six blue rings in a stack. Several blue-green rectangles circled the rings as a screen appeared in front, saying "2 + 4" before changing to "6." A stream of light went through the rings as Sylphid chanted.

"Dragon of war! Embody the hero's spear and impale your enemies! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 6! Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg!" A large white-armored dragon with purple skin and wings emerged from the rings. Its rider also had white and purple armor and wielded a gold and white trident. The dragon roared from Romulus's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg ATK 2000 DEF 1100 LVL: 6**

"First Jester Synchro Summoned, and now she did," Cypher muttered. "At least this one is weaker."

"Aklys's monster effect!" Sylphid declared, surprising Cypher. "Since it was sent to the Graveyard while equipped, one card on the field is destroyed."

Cypher laughed. "If you're trying to destroy Rapid Revolutionary, forget it! Since Cyspirit Valkyrie was used to Link Summon it, it cannot be destroyed by your card effects!"

"You're an unimaginative AI," Sylphid teased Cypher. "I'm destroying your Set card!" Morningstar grit his teeth as said card was destroyed.

"Next, I activate the Equip Spell Card: Dragunity Divine Lance! By equipping it to Gae Bulg, my monster gains attack points equal to its Level times 100 and is unaffected by Trap effects!" Gae Bulg's trident turned into a massive golden lance with dragon wings in the middle.

 **Dragunity Knight Gae Bulg ATK 2000→2600**

"600 more attack points isn't enough to defeat Rapid Revolutionary!" Cypher reminded her.

Sylphid raised an eyebrow. "Are you bragging about something I already know? I can't tell if you're cute or annoying."

"I am neither!" Cypher shouted. "I am strong and intelligent!"

"Stop that," Morningstar told the Ignis, making him pout.

Sylphid gestured to her new card. "I activate Divine Lance's effect! During my Main Phase, I can equip one Dragon 'Dragunity' Tuner monster from my Deck to Gae Bulg. I equip Dragunity Brandistock to Gae Bulg!" A blue armored dragon appeared before changing shape into a spear. Gae Bulg took hold of Brandistock in its left hand. "While Brandistock is equipped to Gae Bulg, Bae Bulg can attack twice!"

Morningstar's eyes widened. Sylphid was going to attempt the same trick he did: destroy his monster with the first attack and then attack directly to win. But…

"Battle! Gae Bulg, attack Rapid Revolutionary!" The dragon rider charged Rapid Revolutionary, with Cypher narrowing his eyes.

"This girl was smart enough to have a countermeasure to Link Summoning. There must be more to her plan than just two attacks."

"Oh. Guess you weren't just bragging about being intelligent." Sylphid gestured to her field. "Gae Bulg's monster effect! If it attacks or is attacked, I can banish a Winged Beast monster from my Graveyard to increase Gae Bulg's attack points by that monster's attack points!" Morningstar gasped. "I banish Militum to increase Gae Bulg's attack points by 1700!"

 **Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg ATK 2600→4300**

"Continue your attack, Gae Bulg! Spear of Ulster!" Gae Burg's lance and spear lit up with yellow energy, which it fired at Rapid Revolutionary. Morningstar gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Revolution in the Graveyard!" Morningstar declared, surprising Sylphid.

"In the Graveyard?" She repeated. A card appeared as she gasped. "That's the card I destroyed!" Morningstar's Trap Card showed Rapid Revolutionary standing on the battlements of a castle, its right hand and pistol raised, inciting a massive crowd down below.

"It is, and like my Half-Guard, I can activate its effect by banishing it from the Graveyard. Since you attacked my 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle this turn!" The blast hit Rapid Revolutionary, who cried out in pain but remained on the field. Morningstar in turn winced from the attack.

 **Morningstar: 4000→2500 LP**

"After the battle ends, since I control a Link-3 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or higher 'Cyspirit' monster from the Graveyard and reduce its Level by 1. Resurrect, Cyspirit Valkyrie!" The woman with two spears of light reappeared at Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Valkyrie ATK 2100 DEF 400 LVL: 5→4**

"So, are you going to make your second attack?" Cypher asked Sylphid, who scowled. Gae Bulg could attack and destroy Valkyrie or attack Rapid Revolutionary. But doing so would not defeat Morningstar and would only bring his Life Points to 300 or 1000. Which meant he could use his Skill.

"I end my turn," she finally said. "And Gae Bulg's attack points return to normal."

 **Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg ATK 4300→2600**

"We reduced the damage, but that was still a clever move," Cypher noted. Morningstar, meanwhile, was glaring at Sylphid with suspicion. Something about this girl…

Sylphid stared back at him and smirk. "You're looking at me with such intensity, Morningstar. Oh! Are you perhaps falling for me?"

"Don't flatter yourself. My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, then pointed upwards, his hand glowing blue. "Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 4 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Valkyrie in the Link Marker!" Valkyrie became a whirlwind and entered the top arrow, turning it red. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Hallowed Healer!" A skeleton in white robes with a halo over its head emerged from the Link portal, summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Hallowed Healer ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↑

"Hallowed Healer's monster effect! Once per turn, while co-linked with a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I gain Life Points equal to half that monster's original attack points! Sacred Healing!"

 **Morningstar: 2500→3600 LP**

"The turn Hallowed Healer activates its effect, you take no effect damage," Cypher told Sylphid.

"Appear once more! The circuit between light and darkness!" Morningstar hand glowed again as the Link portal appeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' Link Monster. I set Hallowed Healer in the Link Marker!" Said monster became a tornado of energy and entered the bottom-left arrow, turning it red. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant!" A skeleton in a silver officer's uniform emerged from the portal, summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↘

Sylphid narrowed her eyes. "What's this one do?" she muttered to herself.

"Kooky Kommandant's monster effect! Since it is linked to a Cyberse Link Monster, I can Tribute Kooky Kommandant to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated, then I can add a Level 8 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster and one 'Cyspirit' Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. Resurrect, Cyspirit Dancer!" Kooky Kommandant disintegrated as Dancer was summoned to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"And now, I add Cyspirit Samurai and Cyspirit Fusion to my hand!" Sylphid gasped at his words. Cyspirit Fusion? Samurai?

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal appeared above Morningstar. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Dancer in the Link Marker!" Dancer entered the bottom-left arrow, turning it red. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!" A skeleton in overalls carrying a power box emerged from the portal at Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600 LINK-1** ↙

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Fusion!" Morningstar declared, the lines on his suit, the stars on his hands, and the wings on his back glowing violet. "I fuse monsters in my hand or on my field to summon a 'Cyspirit' Fusion Monster. I fuse Samurai in my hand, and Egregious Electrician and Rapid Revolutionary on my field!" A skeleton in red and black armor appeared on Morningstar's field. It didn't stay for long as it disintegrated into red particles, with Egregious Electrician and Rapid Revolutionary disintegrating into blue and green particles respectively. The particles swirled together into a vortex of light before three tornados burst forth. The tornados combined, forming a single violet tornado.

"The supreme blade that cleaves the wind! Resurrect the ancient legend!" Morningstar gestured to his field. "Fusion Summon! Come out! Cyspirit Savage Shogun!" A silver katana split the tornado, revealing a large skeleton in black and silver ridged plate armor over a black shitagi and hakama. Its head was covered by a black helmet with a golden crest and silver wings spread from its back. Savage Shogun sheathed its katana as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 2800 DEF 2300 LVL: 8**

Sylphid grit her teeth. "Because Rapid Revolutionary left the field, Dominance Link's effect destroys itself." Her card shattered at her words.

"Very good, Morningstar," Cypher praised. "Since you used two Link Monsters to summon Savage Shogun, it can attack twice, and since both of her monsters were Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, Savage Shogun will gain 1000 more attack points when it attacks. She'll lose most of her Life Points!"

"No, she'll lose all of them," Morningstar said, taking a card from his hand. "I summon Cyspirit Lancer!" A skeleton in white armor wielding a lance and shield appeared.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Lancer's monster effect! While it is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points! Digital Charge!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 2800→3100**

Sylphid grit her teeth again. _With Savage Shogun's effect, I'll take 2900 points of damage from an attack against Romulus and 1500 points of damage from an attack against Gae Bulg. And since it can attack twice…_

"I Set one card," Morningstar said before pointing to his monster. "Battle! Savage Shogun attacks Romulus!" Savage Shogun unsheathed its katana and charged Romulus, but Sylphid smirked.

"That's not good enough!" she declared, activating a card from her hand. "I activate the effect of the Dragunity Darksword in my hand!" The card showed a black-skinned four-limbed dragon with blue and black wings and blades attached to its head, fists, and tail. "By discarding it, your attack target changes to Gae Bulg!" _I don't have a Winged Beast monster in my Graveyard, so I can't use Gae Bulg's effect,_ she thought. _But I can reduce the damage!_

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "In that case, Savage Shogun, attack Gae Bulg! And since Savage Shogun is battling a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, it gains 1000 attack points during damage calculation!"

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 3100→4100**

"Continue, Savage Shogun! True Termination Slash!" Savage Shogun's sword glowed silver as it slashed outwards, creating an arc of energy that struck Gae Bulg, destroying it in an explosion and making Sylphid wince.

 **Sylphid: 4000→2500 LP**

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 4100→3100**

"Even if we inflicted less damage, we now can-."

"You can't," Sylphid interrupted Cypher. "The second part of Darksword's effect ends the Battle Phase!"

Morningstar grit his teeth as Cypher complained about unfair bounty hunters. "I end my turn," he said. He narrowed his eyes as he glared at her. She smirked back at him as she descended another tunnel. Cypher shook around, getting slight vertigo from the sensation.

"You're almost there," Cam said over the com. "Just one more level and…"

Morningstar frowned. "Cam?"

"Oh, sorry. Uh, I need to step away for a while. There's a commotion in the shop. I'll send the schematics to Cypher."

"Huh? A commotion?" Cypher asked. "Unruly customers?"

"I'll find out and get this over with. Sending the schematics… now." Cypher's eyes glowed, then he nodded in confirmation. "Alright, I'll try to get back as soon as possible. Good luck, you two."

"Thanks," Morningstar said as the tunnel ended, and they entered a corridor identical to the last one.

Sylphid turned to look at Morningstar. "I gotta admit, you're really good. Definitely better than I was expecting. Though seeing as you're 'the Devil of LINK VRAINS,' perhaps I shouldn't have underestimated you." She smiled wide, revealing her teeth. "Guess that means I'll have to go all out. My turn! Draw!" She looked at her card, then said, "Ooh, lucky me! I activate the Spell Card: Link Treasure Ticket! This card lets me draw cards equal to Romulus's Link Rating, but then I must send an equal number of cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard."

She drew two cards then sent two cards to the Graveyard. Meanwhile, Morningstar was frowning. "She acts differently from other bounty hunters I've met, including Techbane," he noted aloud.

"Eh? How so?" Cypher asked.

"She talks too much. Most pros I've met are like Blood Shepherd; they only use as many words as needed. The only ones who talk as much as Sylphid does tend to be amateurs. Except her tactics aren't amateurish. In fact, her skill level is rather high." Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "If I didn't know better, I'd say she's only pretending to be a bounty hunter."

"Maybe bounty hunters are more varied than you're used to?" Cypher suggested. "They can't all be stone-cold like you."

"I am _not_ stone-cold. But it's not just her behavior. Something about her feels… off. I'm just getting a general sense that there's more to her than there appears."

"…I don't get that feeling from her," Cypher said. "Maybe you're just being paranoid."

"…Maybe."

"Hey! Stop talking amongst yourselves!" The two started and looked up to see Sylphid glaring at them. "Don't you know it's rude to ignore a girl? Especially in the middle of a duel!" Sylphid played one of the cards she drew. "I summon Dragunity Dux!" A bird-headed warrior with white and purple wings wielding a whip appeared on her field.

 **Dragunity Dux ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"Dux gains 200 attack points for each 'Dragunity' card I control," Sylphid continued. "I control two, so it gains 400 attack points!"

 **Dragunity Dux ATK 1500→1900**

"Furthermore, when Dux is Normal Summoned, I can equip a Level 3 or lower Dragon 'Dragunity' monster from my Graveyard to Dux. I equip Phalanx from the Graveyard to Dux." Phalanx reappeared, granting Dux 200 more attack points. Dux itself leapt onto Phalanx's back.

 **Dragunity Dux ATK 1900→2100**

"I activate the effect of the equipped Phalanx! Once per turn, while it is equipped to a monster, I can Special Summon it!" Dux dismounted from Phalanx as Phalanx moved to the Main Monster Zones in Attack Position.

 **Dragunity Phalanx ATK 500 DEF 1100 LVL: 2**

"She's doing it again, isn't she?" Cypher asked, his exasperation evident.

Sylphid smirked as she said, "Level 2 Phalanx tunes Level 4 Dux!" Her monsters disintegrated into green particles before reforming into two green rings, one of which was larger and a darker shade. The rings turned blue and merged before splitting into six rings in a tower, circled by blue-green rectangles. A screen displayed "2 + 4" before changing to "6" as light surged through the rings.

"Spear of the heavens! Transform into the dragon of lightning!" Sylphid chanted. "Synchro Summon! Descend, Level 6! Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana!" A large orange-armored dragon with purple skin emerged from the rings. Like Gae Bulg, it had a rider, but its rider wore orange armor and wielded a spear instead of a trident. The dragon roared from Romulus's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana ATK 1900 DEF 1200 LVL: 6**

Morningstar narrowed his eyes as Sylphid kept talking. "Vajrayana's monster effect! When it is Synchro Summoned, I can equip a Level 3 or lower Dragon 'Dragunity' monster to Vajrayana. I equip the Dragunity Partisan I discarded with Link Treasure Ticket!" A purple-skinned dragon with a sword attached to its head appeared that morphed into a spear with a blade for a tip. Vajrayana's rider wielded the spear in its left hand.

"Romulus's monster effect!" Sylphid continued. "Since a monster from the Extra Deck was Special Summoned to Romulus's Link Marker, I can Special Summon a Dragon or Winged Beast monster from my hand in Defense Position with its effects negated until the end of the turn. Come forth, Dragunity Senatus!" A humanoid bird in black, pink, and white robes with four large white wings and carrying a green staff appeared on Sylphid's field.

 **Dragunity Senatus ATK 1800 DEF 600 LVL: 4**

"Hmm. Why would she summon that monster if its effects are negated and it's in Defense Position?" Cypher wondered.

Morningstar thought it over. "Vajrayana is Level 6… and Senatus is Level 4…" Morningstar's eyes widened in realization. "Could it be? Does Partisan-?"

Sylphid pouted. "Ah, you spoiled the surprise, Morningstar." Her pout morphed into a smirk. "But yes. While Partisan is equipped, Vajrayana is treated as a Tuner monster!"

"Eh!? Seriously?" Cypher asked, wide-eyed.

"Level 6 Vajrayana tunes Level 4 Senatus!" Sylphid declared as her monsters disintegrated into green particles. Two green rings, one larger and a lighter shade than the other, appeared before turning blue and merging. Ten blue rings then appeared, stacked in a tower as they were circled by small blue-green rectangles. A screen displayed "6 + 4" before changing to "10" as light surged through the rings.

"Weapons of the gods! Reside in the golden dragon and ignite the future!" Sylphid chanted. "Synchro Summon! Take flight, Level 10! Dragunity Knight – Ascalon!" A massive serpentine golden dragon emerged from the rings. It had eight massive wings and a humanoid bird on its neck, wielding a spear. The dragon's body was so long Morningstar had to swerve to avoid hitting it before it settled behind Sylphid at Romulus's left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Dragunity Knight – Ascalon ATK 3300 DEF 3200 LVL: 10**

"Level 10?" Cypher said, surprised at such a powerful monster.

"The same Level as Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon," Morningstar noted, narrowing his eyes. Great.

"They may be the same Level, but personally, I think Ascalon is stronger than Megafleet Dragon," Sylphid said, catching his words. "It may have fewer attack points than Techbane's monster had, but it has a much deadlier effect." Sylphid gestured to her monster. "Ascalon's monster effect! By banishing a 'Dragunity' monster from my Graveyard, I can banish one of your monsters!" Morningstar's eyes widened in shock. "I banish Militum to banish Savage Shogun! Vanishing Force!" Golden energy gathered in Ascalon's mouth, which it fired at Savage Shogun. The monster cried out in pain before disintegrating into nothingness.

Cypher growled. "Cyspirit Fusion lets us Special Summon a Link-3 or lower 'Cyspirit' Link Monster if Savage Shogun is sent to the Graveyard. But since it was banished, that means we can't use its effect."

"It's worse than that," Morningstar said, making Cypher look up. "That effect of Ascalon isn't a 'once per turn' effect. She can use it so long as she has 'Dragunity' monsters in her Graveyard."

"Glad to see you catch on quick," Sylphid said, winking at Morningstar. "So let's do this again! I banish Dux from my Graveyard to banish Cyspirit Lancer! Vanishing Force!" Ascalon fired another burst of golden energy, this time at Lancer, who disintegrated from the force of the blow, leaving Morningstar defenseless.

"Looks like things end here, Morningstar," Sylphid said. "Battle! Romulus, attack Morningstar directly!" The Dragunity Link Monster gathered blue energy in its mouth, which it fired at Morningstar. The former bounty hunter cried out in pain as the attack hit him and knocked him back a few feet.

 **Morningstar: 3600→2400 LP**

"Your turn, Ascalon! Attack Morningstar directly! Imperial Turbulence!" Golden energy gathered in both the dragon's mouth and in the tip of its rider's spear. The two fired at the same time, with the energy intertwining. Morningstar, gritting his teeth, gestured to his field.

"Trap activate!" he declared. "Cyspirit Suppression!" The card showed Cyspirit Prisoner in chains in the center of a dungeon, with several other skeletons pointing rifles at it. "By banishing a 'Cyspirit' monster from the Graveyard, the damage is reduced by that monster's attack points. I banish Kooky Kommandant to reduce the damage by 1000!" The blasts struck Morningstar, making him cry out again, but he stayed on his D-Board.

 **Morningstar: 2400→100 LP**

Sylphid grit her teeth. "He could have activated that card with my first attack, but he chose to wait," she muttered before smiling begrudgingly. "He played me so he could use his Skill."

"Cyspirit Suppression has one more effect," Morningstar said, drawing her attention. "After damage calculation, I can place a 'Cyspirit' monster whose attack points are less than the damage I took on the top of my Deck. I place Cyspirit Swordsman on the top of my Deck." A card popped out of his Duel Disk, which he took and then placed back in, this time on top.

Sylphid's smile widened a little. "You two are really stubborn. Are you that opposed to being separated?"

"Of course we are!" Cypher shouted at her. "Morningstar is my partner, my Origin! We are connected by pain and suffering, but that forged an unbreakable bond between us! Someone like you wouldn't understand!"

"…Connected by pain, huh?" Sylphid muttered, thinking back to that day…

* * *

 _2 years ago…_

Screams. Screams rent the air as the world swayed around the girl. Her vision was blurry. Where was she? For a second, her sight cleared, and she saw the inside of a car. Oh right. She, mommy, and daddy had gone out to dinner. But then the lights turned off.

She groaned as she tried to sit up. Her head hurt. The girl reached up and touched her forehead. Her hand came away covered in blood. The world was spinning again. She couldn't see a meter in front of her. And why were her ears ringing?

"Mommy?" she said haltingly. She tried to focus on the chair in front of her. She could make out two outlines in the seats in front of her, but they weren't moving. "Daddy? What's going-?" She winced as her head started to throb again. What was happening? Why wouldn't her parents answer her?

She was suddenly aware of a breeze on her face. How…? Oh, the door had opened. And a woman was standing there, reaching in for her. "I've got you," she said soothingly as she undid the girl's safety belt. "It will be alright." The woman's voice was hitched, tight with emotion. Trying to focus on her face, the girl saw tears were pouring from the woman's eyes. Why was she crying? Did something happen?

The girl winced on the increase of noise. That was when she realized that she had been taken out of the car, and the woman was holding her in a bridal carry. She was carrying her away from her parents. "No…" she muttered. "Mommy. Daddy." The woman looked down at her and shook her head. Why was her face so blurry?

"I'm sorry, young one," she said. "I'm so sorry. This… this is too far." The woman started muttering to herself. The girl didn't catch most of the words. She thought she heard "Adam" and "distraction," but what did that mean? What did she care? She was stuck swimming in an ocean of pain. Why was the world still spinning?

"What's your name?" the woman suddenly asked. It took a few seconds for the question to register in her mind. She was feeling very sleepy. She wanted to go to bed. But the woman had asked for her name. It was rude not to give someone your name, wasn't it?

"Sh-Shizuka," the girl muttered, closing her eyes. It was comfortable in the woman's arms. Shizuka was small for her age. That just made her parents dote on her more.

"It'll be alright, Shizuka," the woman said, smiling down at her. That smile was all she could see. Everything else was turning to black. And now the smile was getting fuzzy. Shizuka closed her eyes, thinking that she needed to rest. When she woke up, she'd feel better. That always happened when she got sick. All she needed was sleep.

It wasn't until she woke up in a hospital several hours later that Shizuka learned the truth of what happened: a terrorist named Issei Kamakura had turned off the public safety systems. Self-driving cars, traffic lights, trains, hospital generators, all of them had been turned off. The systems had restarted after an hour, but the damage had already been done. Dozens had died in car crashes, more had died when two subways collided, and at least a hundred people on hospital life support or in critical operations at the time ended up dying for lack of support. Shizuka's parents had survived hitting one car, but another car colliding into the side had killed them. Shizuka had suffered a concussion, but thanks to that woman, she had survived.

Shizuka didn't remember the time after waking up and hearing the news very well. She knew Issei Kamakura had been caught and more than a few were clamoring for the death penalty, despite it having been outlawed years ago. She knew that the hospitals were overflowing with patients. But after hearing what happened to her parents, she just sat in her hospital bed, staring outwards, feeling like her world had shattered.

Her first clear memory after finding out about her parents' deaths had been realizing the woman who saved her was standing next to her hospital bed, giving her a sad smile.

"I'm so sorry, Shizuka," she said. "For you… for everyone to suffer like this because of someone's selfish desires… it's nothing short of unforgivable."

"…Why are you here?" Shizuka asked. Her voice surprised her. She was pretty sure there was supposed to be emotion in her voice. But there wasn't. It sounded flat. Dead.

"I wanted to make sure that the person I saved survived," the woman answered, sitting down in a chair next to Shizuka. Shizuka looked her up and down. Long black hair that went down to the middle of her back. A trench coat. Sunglasses indoors. Was she trying to hide her identity or was she sensitive to the lights? That's right. It was too bright in this hospital room.

"Get me out of here," Shizuka said, staring forward. The woman only stared at her.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Shizuka nodded. "You don't have any relatives to go to?"

"No."

The woman frowned. "I wasn't planning on adopting anyone when I came to Osaka. But… I can use some help. There's something I'm trying to accomplish. Something I need help with. But it won't be easy. Are you really sure you want to come with me?"

Shizuka nodded again. What else could she do? She had no one else in the world to cling to.

The woman smiled at her. "Alright, then. I'll adopt you. We'll have to go to the courthouse to finalize it." She stood up, then said, surprise in her voice, "Oh, I never introduced myself, did I? I'm Diana. I hope we get along, Shizuka."

Diana indeed took Shizuka out of the hospital and to the courthouse and officially adopted her. She then took her from Osaka to a town in Hokkaido. Shizuka was home-schooled from that point on, and while Diana did travel now and then, she always came back to that town to check in on Shizuka. But a year after her parents' deaths…

* * *

 _1 year ago…_

Shizuka gasped as her body solidified on a skyscraper. Looking down, her eyes grew wide as she looked the digital city over. "Wow…"

"Impressive, isn't it?" Shizuka turned to see Diana standing next to her. "This is LINK VRAINS. It's normally accessible only in Den City, but I was able to get an extension to Hokkaido. It's a cyberspace where people can take on avatars and duel."

"Avatars?" Shizuka asked, feeling curiosity for the first time in a while. Diana pressed a button on the Duel Disk she wore. Her body glowed, and when the light faded, a different person was standing in front of Shizuka.

"In LINK VRAINS, you can be anyone. You can choose a look that reflects you on the inside, or a persona that's completely different from yourself."

Shizuka's eyes widened again. She could be… anybody? She could be someone who hadn't lost everything? For some reason… that thought made her smile. For the first time in a year. "What kind of person can I be?" she asked excitedly. Diana smiled on seeing the fifteen-year-old girl's joy.

"Anyone you want. Personally, I would suggest acting like a different person than you're used to. Doing so will make it harder for people to identify you. But before that, you'll need a name. You can use your real one in LINK VRAINS, but I wouldn't recommend it."

Shizuka nodded and turned to look over the city. She felt a slight breeze brush over her face. It felt more real than any sensation she'd felt in the last year. She remembered the myths and stories her mother would tell her to help her sleep. About spirits of the earth and air who watched over them. She remembered a kind of spirit whose name she'd always liked.

Shizuka's smile broadened. "Sylphid," she said.

* * *

 _Present day…_

"I end my turn," Sylphid said, pulling herself out of her memories. "If you two have such a strong bond, then why don't you show it to me?"

"With pleasure!" Cypher shouted.

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar drew, then said, "Since I don't control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, Full Link's effect destroys itself." His card shattered as he glanced at Cypher. "Let's do it, Cypher!"

"Right! Come, Data Storm!" Morningstar's D-Board accelerated as the purple tornado formed around them. Morningstar reached out, seeing the gate in his mind. And with Cypher's help, one of the monsters on the other side became crystal clear.

"Now! Open the gate of evolution, Morningstar!"

"I activate my Skill!" Morningstar declared. "Hurricane Heavensgate!" The lines on his suit glowed a light green as blue Data Material gathered in his outstretched hand, turning green. He clasped the card, pulling it free of the Data Storm as the tornado dissipated around them.

"Yes! We got it!" Cypher cheered as Sylphid narrowed her eyes.

"Since you control monsters and I do not, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" A skeleton warrior in blue armor wielding two futuristic swords appeared, summoned in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Swordsman's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned by its effect, I can add a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand." Morningstar took a card from his Deck, then played it. "I summon Cyspirit Resonator!" A legless dwarf skeleton appeared on Morningstar's field. It wore black tattered robes with a dark blue centerpiece emblazoned with a silver eight-pointed star. A pair of metal silver wings sprouted from its back and its head was gray, with pink membranes spread outwards. A single red eye glowed in its right eye socket and it wielded a tuning fork and mallet in its hands.

 **Cyspirit Resonator ATK 1000 DEF 1000 LVL: 2**

Sylphid's eyes widened. "That monster is-!"

"Resonator's monster effect!" Morningstar declared. "When it is Normal Summon, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position with its effects negated, and then I can change that monster's Level to between 1 and 4. Resurrect, Cyspirit Samurai as a Level 3 monster!" The skeleton in black and red armor with two swords attached to its hip reappeared, its Level changed.

 **Cyspirit Samurai ATK 1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 4→3**

"Level 2 and two Level 3s," Sylphid muttered. "He's going to-!"

"Level 2 Cyspirit Resonator tunes Level 3 Cyspirit Samurai and Level 3 Cyspirit Swordsman!" Morningstar declared, a bolt of silver lightning striking behind him as the world grayed out. His three monsters disintegrated into particles of green data that reformed into three circles, one being green and composed of two concentric rings, while the other two were silver and composed of three concentric rings. The circles turned blue before merging, and then forming eight blue rings stacked in a tower, circled by blue-green rectangles. A screen displayed "2 + 3 + 3" appeared before changing to "8." A light surged through the rings as Morningstar raised his hand above his head.

"Power of the stars!" he chanted, the lines on his suit, the stars on the back of his hands, and the wings on his back all glowing green. "Reside in the champion's blade and part the darkness!" He brought his hand down so he gestured to his field. "Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 8! Cyspirit Cosmic Crusader!"

A massive white skeleton, the same size as Cyspirit Winning Wrestler, emerged from the light. The skeleton wore heavy silver plate armor that covered it from head to toe. A white eight-pointed star overlaid by a red cross was emblazoned on its breast plate, and ruby gems were embedded in its kneecaps and shoulder guards. A blood red cape with a white eight-pointed star painted on unfurled from its shoulders. Its skull was bald and covered by a silver helmet with a red plume atop it. Blue and red eyes gleamed behind its visor and mouthguard. It wielded a large white elongated hexagonal shield in its left hand, with the same symbol from its breastplate in its center. A silver sword with a black hilt was sheathed in the back of the shield. Large wings made of silver spread from its back as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Cosmic Crusader ATK 2800 DEF 2300 LVL: 8**

"First Fusion, now Synchro," Sylphid said, gritting her teeth.

"Cosmic Crusader's monster effect!" Morningstar declared.

"When Cosmic Crusader is Synchro Summoned, we can banish a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from the Graveyard," Cypher said. "And until the end of the turn, Cosmic Crusader gains half that monster's attack points!" Sylphid's eyes widened.

"I banish Rapid Revolutionary!" Morningstar said. The monster briefly appeared as Cosmic Crusader glowed.

 **Cyspirit Cosmic Crusader ATK 2800→3900**

"The turn it is Synchro Summoned, Cosmic Crusader must attack the monster you control with the most attack points," Morningstar continued before gesturing to his field. "Battle! Cosmic Crusader, attack Dragunity Knight – Ascalon!" Cosmic Crusader unsheathed its sword from the shield, then charged Ascalon, the blade glowing with white light. Sylphid only smirked.

"That's what I was waiting for!" she declared, the green lines on her jacket lighting up. "I activate my Skill! Dragon's Power! Since my Dragon monster was targeted for an attack, its attack points become equal to its original attack points, and then it gains attack points equal to its Level times 100! Ascalon is Level 10, so it gains 1000 attack points!"

 **Dragunity Knight – Ascalon ATK 3300→4300**

"The difference in attack points is 400!" Sylphid said, clenching her fist. "I win!"

"Are you sure about that?" Sylphid's eyes widened at Morningstar's words. "Since my 'Cyspirit' monster is attacking, I activate the effect of Hallowed Healer in my Graveyard! By banishing it, my 'Cyspirit' monster gains 1000 attack points until the end of the turn!"

"What!?" Sylphid watched with shock as Hallowed Healer briefly appeared and Cosmic Crusader glowed again, getting stronger.

 **Cyspirit Cosmic Crusader ATK 3900→4900**

"The attack continues! Cosmic Crusader, destroy Ascalon! Stardust Stream!" Cosmic Crusader lifted its sword one-handed above its head as starlight seemed to enter the blade, making it glow white. Cosmic Crusader brought the sword down, then swung it upwards at an angle, swung downwards at another angle, then spun around with a horizontal slash. Four slashes of cosmic energy struck Ascalon and its rider, making it cry out in pain as it exploded, making Sylphid wince.

 **Sylphid: 2500→1900 LP**

Sylphid grit her teeth. "I'm not finished yet!" she declared as she gestured to her field. "Ascalon's secondary effect! When it is destroyed by your card, I can Synchro Summon a 'Dragunity' Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck with 3000 or less attack points! On my next turn, I'll-!"

"There won't be a next turn," Morningstar interrupted as he pointed to his own Synchro Monster. "Cosmic Crusader's monster effect! If you activate a card or effect during the Battle Phase, I can banish a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from the Graveyard to negate the activation of that effect!" Sylphid gasped as Morningstar took Cacophonic Caller from his Graveyard and removed it. "In addition, Cosmic Crusader can then attack twice!"

Morningstar's eyes narrowed. "This is the end! Go, Cosmic Crusader! Attack Romulus! Nova Shield!" Cosmic Crusader hefted its shield in front of itself as the red cross and white star glowed. The points of the stars shot small lasers to a point in front of the cross, generating a ball of white energy. The cross then released its own red energy, sending a combined beam of red and white energy hurtling at Romulus. The blast struck, wiping the dragon from existence.

As the blast continued and struck Sylphid, she smiled to herself. _Diana was right about his strength,_ she thought. _We can only hope he's strong enough to defeat_ them.

 **Sylphid: 1900→0 LP**

When the light from Cosmic Crusader's attack faded, Sylphid had disappeared as a result of the forced logout. Cypher sighed in relief as Morningstar's Synchro Monster vanished. "Well, that was tiresome. Let's hope we don't run into anyone else while we're here."

Morningstar remained silent as they continued down the corridor. Until they turned a corner and almost crashed into Playmaker and Soulburner.

"Woah!" Ai screeched as the three duelists quickly reoriented themselves. "That was too close! What's wrong with you two?"

"We lost track of you guys," Cypher answered. Morningstar glanced at Soulburner.

"You defeated Go Onizuka?" Morningstar asked. Soulburner smiled and nodded. "And that means you handled Blood Shepherd?" he asked Playmaker.

"It was a piece of cake thanks to Playmaker's new Fusion Monster," Ai bragged, startling Cypher.

"Fusion Monster? When did you give Playmaker a Fusion Monster?"

"This morning," Ai answered. "Guess you aren't the only one who can do that." Cypher glared at Ai.

"What about those two bounty hunters after you?" Playmaker asked Morningstar.

"I defeated Sylphid, but… another duelist appeared and challenged Techbane," he answered, surprising everyone except Cypher.

"Eh? Another duelist?" Ai repeated.

"Who were they?" Flame asked.

"A woman named Cassiel," Cypher said. "We haven't run into Techbane, so I'm guessing she defeated him. I'd like to know what her Deck is and why she helped us, though."

"We'll have time to find out later," Morningstar assured his Ignis.

"Well, with the bounty hunters gone, no one will interfere," Soulburner said. "Let's hurry!"

The corridor eventually ended, and the three duelists ended up in a vast central space with several hexagons of data floating around.

"What is this place?" Ai wondered. "Is our target still further ahead?" No one answered him as they kept flying. Eventually, Cypher made out something ahead.

"Look there!" The humans and Ignis turned and saw a green spot on the horizon. Getting closer, they saw it resembled a whirlpool with a bright spot in the center.

"Is that the gate?" Ai asked.

"Bohman must've gone through that," Playmaker surmised. "Let's go!" Playmaker led the way through the gate as Morningstar and Soulburner followed him. Once the trio were through, two more D-Boards approached the gate. One of the riders was Ghost Girl. The other was a teenager in a white, blue, and pink one-piece outfit, blue fingerless gloves, dark blue stockings, and blue boots. Her dark blue hair was short and parted to the side.

"Is Playmaker further ahead?" the girl asked.

"They probably went through that gate already," Ghost Girl said. "We're going too!" The two women accelerated and passed through the gate.

A few seconds passed before a stealth program was deactivated. A skeletal red figure appeared, riding a black and red D-Board. An intricate rifle with a long barrel and a scope was attached to the figure's back. Its eyes gleamed red as it raised its left wrist to where its mouth should have been. Its eyes flickered as it spoke into the rust red circular Duel Disk on its wrist.

"Transmission: I have arrived at the gate, master," HK-70 reported.

"Received," the voice over the comm responded. "You will lose contact with us when you enter. Until you leave, focus on elimination of the targets."

"Confirmation: Understood. I shall begin with Morningstar, then work my way down. I will complete the task you have given me with absolute precision, Master Zahhak."

* * *

 **Cassiel vs Techbane**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Techbane**

Techbane activates the effect of Cyber Dragon Nächster in his hand, discarding Cyber Dragon to Special Summon itself (200/200/1) in Attack Position. As Nächster was Special Summoned, its effect activates, letting Techbane target 1 Machine monster in his GY with 2100 ATK or DEF and Special Summon it. He Special Summons Cyber Dragon (2100/1600/5) in Attack Position. As Cyber Dragon was Special Summoned, Techbane activates the effect of Cyber Dragon Vier in his hand, Special Summoning it (1100/1600/4) in Defense Position. So long as Vier is face-up, all Cyber Dragons Techbane controls gain 500 ATK/DEF (Cyber Dragon: 2100→2600/1600→2100) (Nächster (200→700→200→700) (Vier: 1100→1600/1600→2100). Techbane uses Cyber Dragon and Nächster to Link Summon Cyber Dragon Sieger (2100→2600/2/←↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Techbane Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Cassiel**

Cassiel draws. Since she has no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY, she Special Summons Cyangel Cupbearer (1400/700/3) in Attack Position. Cassiel Tributes Cupbearer to Tribute Summon Cyangel Prophet (2200/700/6). Since Cupbearer was sent from the field to the GY, Cassiel activates its effect, shuffling it back into her Deck, and then adding 1 different "Cyangel" monster from her Deck to her hand. She adds Cyangel Priest. Cassiel Sets 1 card. She then activates Prophet's effect. Since there are no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY, Cassiel can halve the ATK of 1 monster Techbane controls until the end of the turn. She targets Sieger (Sieger: 2600→1300).

Prophet attacks Sieger, but Techbane activates his Set Trap Card Impenetrable Attack, choosing the first effect and targeting Sieger. Sieger cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn. The attack continues but Sieger is not destroyed (Techbane: 4000→3100 LP). Cassiel ends her turn, and Sieger's ATK returns to normal (Sieger: 1300→2600).

 **Turn 3: Techbane**

Techbane draws. As Cyber Dragon is in his GY, he activates the Spell Card Cyber Repair Plant, which lets him add 1 LIGHT Machine monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyber Dragon Core. He Normal Summons Cyber Dragon Core (0/1500/2). Since Core was Normal Summoned, Techbane can add 1 "Cyber" Spell/Trap Card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyberload Fusion from his Deck to his hand. Techbane activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyberload Fusion, which lets him Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster that lists a "Cyber Dragon" monster as material by shuffling the Fusion Materials, that he controls or are banished, back into his Deck. He shuffles Core, Sieger, and Vier into his Deck and Extra Deck to Fusion Summon Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800/12) to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. The effect of Cyberload Fusion prevents other monsters Techbane controls from attacking for the rest of the turn.

Cyber End Dragon attacks Prophet, but Cassiel activates her Set Trap Card Cyangel Shield, which prevents Prophet's destruction by battle for the rest of the turn (Cassiel: 4000→2200 LP). As she took battle damage from a battle involving a "Cyangel" monster, Cassiel activates her Skill, Angel's Glory, which lets her Special Summon 1 "Cyangel" monster from her hand, or her Deck if she has no "Cyangel" monsters in her hand. She Special Summons Cyangel Priest (1600/700/4) from her hand in Defense Position. As his Level 8 or higher Machine monster inflicted battle damage this turn, Techbane activates his Skill, Cyber Strike, which lets that Machine monster make a 2nd attack this turn. Cyber End Dragon attacks Priest. Since Cassiel has no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY, Priest's effect prevents its destruction by battle once per turn and halves all battle damage Cassiel takes from battles involving it. Priest is not destroyed, but Cyber End Dragon inflicts piercing battle damage (Cassiel: 2200→550 LP). At the end of the Battle Phase, Cyangel Shield's effect lets Cassiel draw 1 card. Techbane ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Cassiel**

Cassiel draws. She activates the Field Spell Card Cyangel Sanctum, which increases the ATK/DEF of all Light Cyberse monsters she controls by 300 (Priest: 1600→1900/700→1000) (Prophet: 2200→2500/700→1000). Once per turn, Sanctum lets Cassiel shuffle 1 card in her hand back into her Deck, then add 1 Cyberse monster from her Deck to her hand. She shuffles Bound Link back into her Deck and adds Cyangel Disciple to her hand. Cassiel Normal Summons Cyangel Disciple (1000→1300/700→1000/3). As she has no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY, Cassiel activates Disciple's effect to target up to 3 cards in the GY and then shuffle them back into the owners' Decks. She targets and shuffles Cyangel Shield, Cyber Repair Plant, and Cyberload Fusion back into her and Techbane's Decks. Disciple then increases Cassiel's LP by 300 for each card shuffled (Cassiel: 550→1450 LP). Cassiel uses Disciple, Priest, and Prophet to Link Summon Cyseraph Blazing Uriel (2500→2800/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Disciple, Priest, and Prophet were sent to the GY, their effects activate, shuffling all 3 back into Cassiel's Deck. Their secondary effects then activate. Disciple's effect lets Cassiel target 1 Link Monster she controls, and if that monster destroys Techbane's monster by battle, she can inflict 1000 damage to either player. Priest's effect lets her target 1 monster Techbane controls and lower its ATK by 800 until the end of the turn. Prophet's effect lets Cassiel target 1 monster she controls and increase its ATK by 1000 until the end of the turn. She targets Uriel for Disciple's and Prophet's effects, and Cyber End Dragon for Priest's (Cyber End Dragon: 4000→3200) (Uriel: 2800→3800). Since her Cyberse monster was shuffled into her Deck, Cassiel activates Sanctum's effect, letting her target a Cyberse Link Monster she controls. Until the end of the turn, Techbane cannot target that monster with card effects and it cannot be destroyed by card effects. Cassiel targets Uriel.

Uriel attacks and destroys Cyber End Dragon (Techbane: 3100→2500 LP). As Uriel destroyed a monster by battle and Cassiel has no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY, Uriel's effect activates, inflicting damage to Techbane equal to Cyber End Dragon's Level x 200 (Techbane: 2500→500 LP). Since the monster targeted by Disciple's effect destroyed a monster by battle, Techbane takes 1000 damage (Techbane: 500→0 LP). Cassiel wins.

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Sylphid**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Sylphid**

Sylphid Normal Summons Dragunity Aklys (1000/800/2). Since Aklys was Normal Summoned, Sylphid can Special Summon 1 "Dragunity" monster from her hand and equip Aklys to it. She Special Summons Dragunity Militum (1700/1200/4) in Defense Position and equips Aklys to it. Sylphid Sets 1 card. She ends her turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Normal Summons Cyspirit Teleporter (500/1500/3). He uses Teleporter to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. He activates Cacophonic Caller's effect to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to its Link Marker, but it cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. He Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2) in Attack Position. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Valkyrie (2100/400/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Cacophonic Caller, Dancer, and Valkyrie to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200/3/↙↑↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Since Dancer was used to Link Summon Rapid Revolutionary, it gains 600 ATK (Rapid Revolutionary: 2200→2800). Morningstar activates the Continuous Spell Card Cyspirit Full Link. Once per turn, he can target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster he controls, treat it as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating until his next Standby Phase and allow it to attack twice, but the turn he activates this effect, only that monster can declare an attack, and if Morningstar controls no "Cyspirit" Link Monsters during his Standby Phase, Full Link is destroyed. Sylphid activates her Set Continuous Trap Card Dominance Link, targeting Rapid Revolutionary. Rapid Revolutionary cannot declare an attack, its effects are negated, and it cannot be used as Link Material. If Rapid Revolutionary leaves the field, then Dominance Link is destroyed. Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Sylphid**

Sylphid draws. She activates the effect of Dominance Link, letting her Special Summon 1 Link Monster from her Extra Deck with a lower Link Rating then Rapid Revolutionary and treat it as having been Link Summoned. Sylphid Link Summons Dragunity Knight – Romulus (1200/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Romulus was Link Summoned, Sylphid can add 1 "Dragunity" Spell/Trap Card or Dragon Ravine from her Deck to her hand. She adds Dragunity Divine Lance from her Deck to her hand. Sylphid Normal Summons Dragunity Phalanx (500/1100/2). She tunes Level 2 Phalanx to Level 4 Militum to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg (2000/1100/6) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Since Aklys was sent to the GY while equipped to a monster, its effect activates, and Sylphid must select a card on the field and destroy it. She selects and destroys Morningstar's Set Cyspirit Revolution. Sylphid activates the Equip Spell Card Dragunity Divine Lance, equipping it to Gae Bulg. Bae Bulg gains ATK equal to its Level x 100 (Gae Bulg: 2000→2600) and is unaffected by Trap effects. Sylphid activates the effect of Divine Lance to equip 1 Dragon "Dragunity" Tuner monster from her Deck to the equipped Gae Bulg. She equips Dragunity – Brandistock to Gae Bulg. While Brandistock is equipped to a monster, that monster can attack twice during the Battle Phase.

Gae Bulg attacks Rapid Revolutionary. Since Gae Bulg attacked, Sylphid activates its effect to remove 1 Winged Beast monster from her GY to have Gae Bulg gains its ATK until the End Phase. She banishes Militum (Gae Bulg: 2600→4300). Since his "Cyspirit" Link Monster was attacked, Morningstar activates the effect of the Trap Card Cyspirit Revolution in his GY, banishing it to prevent Rapid Revolutionary's destruction by battle this turn (Morningstar: 4000→2500 LP). And since he controls a Link-3 "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar can then Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY and reduce its Level by 1. He Special Summons Cyspirit Valkyrie (2100/400/5→4) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position. Sylphid ends her turn, and Gae Bulg's effect ends (Gae Bulg: 4300→2600).

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He uses Valkyrie to Link Summon Cyspirit Hallowed Healer (1000/1/↑) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker. Since Hallowed Healer is co-linked, Morningstar activates its effect to gain LP equal to half of Rapid Revolutionary's original ATK (Morningstar: 2500→3600 LP), but Sylphid takes no effect damage this turn. Morningstar uses Hallowed Healer to Link Summon Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant (1000/1/↘) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom Link Marker. Since its linked to a Cyberse Link Monster, Morningstar activates Kooky Kommandant's effect, Tributing it to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position with its effects negated, then add 1 Level 8 or lower "Cyspirit" monster and 1 "Cyspirit" Spell Card from his Deck to his hand. He Special Summons Dancer (1000/200/2) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker and adds Cyspirit Samurai and Cyspirit Fusion from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar uses Dancer to Link Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600/1/↙) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker. Dancer's effect activates (Egregious Electrician: 600→1200). Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Fusion, fusing Samurai in his hand with Egregious Electrician and Rapid Revolutionary on his field to Fusion Summon Cyspirit Savage Shogun (2800/2300/8) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Savage Shogun's number of attacks per turn is equal to the number of Link Monsters used to summon it, but since it was Special Summoned, no other monsters can declare an attack this turn. Since Rapid Revolutionary left the field, Dominance Link is sent to the GY. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4). As Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100) (Savage Shogun: 2800→3100). Morningstar Sets 1 card.

Savage Shogun attacks Romulus. Sylphid activates the effect of Dragunity Darksword from her hand. If her "Dragunity" monster would be attacked, she can discard Darksword to change that attack target to a different monster she controls. She redirects Savage Shogun's attack to Gae Bulg. Since Savage Shogun is battling a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, it gains 1000 ATK during damage calculation (Savage Shogun: 3100→4100). Gae Bulg is destroyed (Sylphid: 4000→2500 LP) (Savage Shogun: 4100→3100). The second effect of Darksword ends the Battle Phase. Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Sylphid**

Sylphid draws. She activates the Spell Card Link Treasure Ticket, targeting Romulus for its effect. She draws cards equal to Romulus's Link Rating, but then she must send an equal number of cards from the top of her Deck to the GY. She draws 2 cards, then sends Dragunity Partisan and Foolish Burial to the GY. She summons Dragunity Dux (1500/1000/4). Dux gains 200 ATK for each "Dragunity" card Sylphid controls (Dux: 1500→1900). Since Dux was Normal Summoned, Sylphid can equip 1 Level 3 or lower Dragon "Dragunity" monster in her GY to Dux. She equips Phalanx (Dux: 1900→2100). Sylphid activates the effect of the equipped Phalanx, Special Summoning itself (500/1100/2) in Attack Position. Sylphid tunes Level 2 Phalanx to Level 4 Dux to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana (1900/1200/6) to Romulus's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Since Vajrayana was Synchro Summoned, Sylphid can equip 1 Level 3 or lower Dragon "Dragunity" monster in her GY to it. She equips Partisan to Vajrayana. While Partisan is equipped, Vajrayana is treated as a Tuner monster. Since a monster was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck to Romulus's Link Marker, its effect activates, letting Sylphid Special Summon 1 Dragon or Winged Beast monster from her hand in Defense Position with its effects negated until the end of the turn. She Special Summons Dragunity Senatus (1800/1600/4). Sylphid tunes the Level 6 Vajrayana to the Level 4 Senatus to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight – Ascalon (3300/3200/10) to Romulus's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Sylphid activates Ascalon's effect, banishing 1 "Dragunity" monster from her GY to banish 1 monster Morningstar controls. She banishes Militum to banish Savage Shogun. Sylphid activates Ascalon's effect again, banishing Dux to banish Lancer.

Romulus attacks Morningstar directly (Morningstar: 3600→2400 LP). Ascalon attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates his Set Trap Card Cyspirit Suppression, which lets him banish 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY to reduce the battle damage by that monster's ATK, then place 1 "Cyspirit" monster with less ATK than the damage taken in his Deck on top of his Deck. Morningstar banishes Kooky Kommandant to reduce the damage by its 1000 ATK (Morningstar: 2400→100 LP) and place the 1200 ATK Cyspirit Swordsman on the top of his Deck. Sylphid ends her turn.

 **Turn 6: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. Since he doesn't control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Full Link destroys itself. Since his LP are 1000 or less, Morningstar activates his Skill, Hurricane Heavensgate, and adds Cyspirit Cosmic Crusader from the Data Storm to his Extra Deck. Since Sylphid controls a monster and he does not, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Swordsman (1200/900/3) in Attack Position. Since Swordsman was Special Summoned by its own effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Resonator to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Resonator (1000/1000/2). Since Resonator was Normal Summoned, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Defense Position with its effects negated, and then change its Level to between 1 and 4. He Special Summons Cyspirit Samurai (1800/1000/4) and changes it to Level 3 (Samurai: 4→3). Morningstar tunes Level 2 Resonator to Level 3 Samurai and Level 3 Swordsman to Synchro Summon Cyspirit Cosmic Crusader (2800/2300/8) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Since Cosmic Crusader was Synchro Summoned, Morningstar can banish 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY and increase Cosmic Crusader's ATK by half that monster's ATK until the end of the turn. Morningstar banishes Rapid Revolutionary (Cosmic Crusader: 2800→3900). Since Cosmic Crusader was Synchro Summoned, it must attack the monster Sylphid controls with the highest ATK first.

Cosmic Crusader attacks Ascalon. Since her Dragon monster was attacked, Sylphid activates her Skill, Dragon's Power, targeting Ascalon. Ascalon's ATK is made equal to its original ATK, and it then gains ATK equal to its Level x 100 (Ascalon: 3300→4300). Since his "Cyspirit" monster declared an attack, Morningstar activates the effect of Hallowed Healer in his GY, banishing it to increase Cosmic Crusader's ATK by 1000 until the End Phase (Cosmic Crusader: 3900→4900). Ascalon is destroyed (Sylphid: 2500→1900 LP). Since Ascalon was destroyed by Morningstar's card, its effect activates, letting Sylphid Special Summon 1 "Dragunity" Synchro Monster with 3000 or less ATK from her Extra Deck. Since Sylphid activated a card effect during the Battle Phase, Morningstar activates Cosmic Crusader's effect, banishing Cacophonic Caller from his GY to negate the activation of that effect and let Cosmic Crusader make 2 attacks during the Battle Phase. Cosmic Crusader attacks and destroys Romulus (Sylphid: 1900→0 LP). Morningstar wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyangel Cupbearer  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1400 DEF 700 Level: 3  
_ _If you have no "Cyangel" monsters in your GY: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand). If this card is sent to the GY: You can shuffle this card into your Deck, then you can add 1 "Cyangel" monster from your Deck to your hand, except "Cyangel Cupbearer". You can only activate each effect of "Cyangel Cupbearer" once per turn._

 _ **Cyangel Prophet  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 2200 DEF 700 Level: 6  
_ _If you have no "Cyangel" monsters in your GY: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; until the end of this turn, halve that monster's ATK. If this card is sent to the GY: You can shuffle this card into your Deck, then you can target 1 monster you control; increase that monster's ATK by 1000 until the end of the turn. You can only activate each effect of "Cyangel Prophet" once per turn._

 _ **Cyangel Priest  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1600 DEF 700 Level: 4  
_ _If you have no "Cyangel" monsters in your GY: This card cannot be destroyed by battle once per turn, and all battle damage you take involving this card is halved. If this card is sent to the GY: You can shuffle this card into your Deck, then you can target 1 monster your opponent controls; decrease that monster's ATK by 800 until the end of the turn. You can only activate this effect of "Cyangel Priest" once per turn._

 _ **Cyangel Disciple  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1000 DEF 700 Level: 2  
_ _If you have no "Cyangel" monsters in your GY: You can target up to 3 cards in the GY; shuffle them into the owners' Deck(s). For each card targeted by this effect, you gain 300 LP. If this card is sent to the GY: You can shuffle this card into your Deck, then you can target 1 Link Monster you control; if that monster destroys your opponent's monster by battle, you can inflict 1000 damage to either player. You can only activate each effect of "Cyangel Disciple" once per turn._

 _ **Cyseraph Blazing Uriel  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2500 LINK-3_ ↙↑↘  
 _2+ LIGHT Cyberse monsters  
_ _Once per turn, if this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and you have no "Cyangel" monsters in your GY: You can inflict damage to your opponent, equal to the destroyed monster's Level/Rank/Link Rating x 200. If this card points to a "Cyangel" monster, all damage this card inflicts to your opponent with this effect is doubled. If this card is sent from the field to the GY by an opponent's card: You can shuffle this card into your Extra Deck, then target up to 2 "Cyangel" monsters in your Deck; Special Summon them in Defense Position. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot activate their effects the turn they are Special Summoned. You can only activate this effect of "Cyseraph Blazing Uriel" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Valkyrie  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 2100 DEF 400 Level: 5  
_ _If you control a "Cyspirit" monster: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand). A "Cyspirit" monster that was Link Summoned using this card as material cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects._

 _ **Dragunity Darksword  
**_ _Attribute: WIND Type: [Dragon/Tuner/Effect] ATK 800 DEF 400 Level: 2  
_ _If your opponent's monster declares an attack against your "Dragunity" monster: You can send this card from your hand to the GY; change the attack target to a different monster you control. At the end of the Damage Step, end the Battle Phase. While this card is equipped to a monster, that monster cannot be destroyed by card effects._

 _ **Cyspirit Resonator  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Tuner/Effect] ATK 1000 DEF 1000 Level: 2  
_ _When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your GY in Defense Position with its effects negated, then declare a Level from 1 to 4; that monster becomes that Level until the end of the turn. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Resonator" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Cosmic Crusader  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Synchro/Effect] ATK 2800 DEF 2300 Level: 8  
_ _1 "Cyspirit" Tuner monster + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters  
_ _When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster in your GY; banish it, then increase this card's ATK by half the banished monster's ATK. The first attack this monster makes the turn it is Synchro Summoned must be on the monster your opponent controls with the highest ATK (either, if tied). When your opponent activates a card or effect during the Battle Phase (Quick Effect): You can banish 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from your GY; negate the activation, also, this card can make a second attack during each of your Battle Phases this turn. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Cosmic Crusader" once per turn._

 _ **Cyangel Shield Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If your opponent's monster attacks a LIGHT Cyberse monster: that monster cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, and at the end of the Battle Phase, draw 1 card. You can only activate 1 "Cyangel Shield" per turn._

 _ **Cyangel Sanctum Field Spell Card  
**_ _All LIGHT Cyberse monsters you control gain 300 ATK/DEF. Once per turn: you can shuffle 1 card in your hand back into your Deck; add 1 Cyberse monster from your Deck to your hand. If a Cyberse monster in your GY is shuffled back into your Deck: You can target 1 Cyberse Link Monster on your field (Quick Effect); your opponent cannot target that monster with card effects until the end of the turn, and it cannot be destroyed by card effects until the end of the turn. You can only activate this effect of "Cyangel Sanctum" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Full Link Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _During your Main Phase: You can target 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster you control; treat it as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating until your next Standby Phase, also it can make up to two attacks during each Battle Phase this turn. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Full Link" once per turn. The turn you activate this effect, monsters you control, except the targeted monster, cannot declare an attack. During your Standby Phase, if you do not control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: Destroy this card._

 _ **Dominance Link Continuous Trap Card  
**_ _If you do not control a monster in the Extra Monster Zone: Activate this card by targeting 1 Link monster your opponent controls; It cannot be used as Link Material, also it cannot attack, and its effect(s) are negated. Once, while face-up on the field: You can Special Summon 1 Link Monster with a lower Link Rating than the targeted monster's Link Rating from your Extra Deck to the Extra Monster Zone (This Special Summon is treated as a Link Summon). When the monster targeted by this card's effect leaves the field, destroy this card._

 _ **Cyspirit Revolution Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If your opponent's monster declares an attack against your "Cyspirit" Link Monster: That monster cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, and if that monster is Link-3, then you can target 1 Level 4 or higher "Cyspirit" monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your zone a "Cyspirit" Link Monster points to, and if you do, its Level is reduced by 1. If this card is in your GY, you can activate the above effect by banishing this card from the GY. You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspirit Revolution" per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Suppression Normal Trap Card  
**_ _When your opponent's monster declares an attack: Banish 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your GY; reduce the battle damage you would take by the banished monster's ATK, then choose 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your Deck with less ATK than the damage taken and place it on top of your Deck._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 36 – The AI Assassin. Playmaker, Morningstar, and Soulburner have arrived at the gate. Meeting the Wind Ignis, they learn more about the situation and then encounter Blue Girl and Ghost Girl. But an unknown threat now has them in its sights…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

What is your first impressions of the Cyangel Deck and its owner Cassiel?

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to guardian of the aura Aurasoul, ZarcEternal, tsukikami02, Phantom Flame-98, SakushiRyu, Ethan Kironus, SolanaLeonhart, Hunter HQ, Guest, D3lph0xL0v3r, ThePLOThand, Lindia Fullmoon, NewComer1, and jdkeller2000 for reviewing Chapter 34.

ZarcEternal: Shizuka is very emo.

HunterHQ: Cypher has seen Grand Blue. His favorite character is Chisa, because she is the only sane person there.

NewComer1: Yes, I do accept OC cards. I cannot guarantee they'll appear in Hidden Memories, but I'll try to incorporate them.

jdkeller2000: Not in this chapter. Spoilers.

Okay, this was a _long_ chapter. Thank you to sanedimentio for Ascalon's attack name. Point by point, we have Cassiel, the Cyangels, Yukaro Saiba's past, Shizuka Midori's backstory, and finally Morningstar's first Synchro Monster. So to go down the list…

Who do you believe Cassiel is? Is she an already established character or a completely new one? Either way, she'll be a major character from now on. As for the Cyangels, I want to establish their strategy: all the Cyangels have an effect that requires none of them be in the Graveyard and another effect that activates if sent to the Graveyard that shuffles them back into the Deck with a bonus, like giving a monster more attack points. The Link Monsters are called Cyseraphs, and I got the idea for this from Specter's Sunvine and Sunavalon monsters. Because of this, the Cyangel summoning conditions are more lenient than the Cyspirits. On a side note, I would appreciate it if people could help me come up with names for more Cyangel cards. Not effects, just names, as that's the part I'm having trouble with the most.

The other big thing in this chapter is the reveals of Yukaro's and Shizuka's pasts. I shared Yukaro's with ThePLOThand, and he compared it to Takeshi Akino's, what with making money for a sick relative. Personally, I compared Yukaro to Yasutake for that same reason, but Yukaro being a foil to Takeshi works better. But more importantly, we have Shizuka's backstory. Two years ago, she lost her parents in the Breaking of Osaka, the incident that Lilith put a stop to. And after that, she was adopted by a woman named Diana, who was the woman she talked to last chapter. So why is Shizuka playing the part of bounty hunter? Wait and see.

Finally, there's Morningstar's Synchro Monster, Cosmic Crusader, and his Tuner monster Cyspirit Resonator. I'm a little curious how many of you expected me to use a "Resonator" monster instead of a "Synchron." Personally, I think Resonator worked better with the Cyspirit style. As for Cosmic Crusader, I based its appearance off of medieval knights and Heathcliff from Sword Art Online. I also based its first attack off of Kirito's Starburst Stream, only renamed Stardust to serve as a mythology gag, which is also why the second attack is called Nova Shield.

Oh right, we also had another name drop: Zahhak. Who is that? You'll have to wait to find out.

Thank you for reading Chapter 35 of Hidden Memories. I'm trying to get the duels for the next few chapters nailed down before I release Chapter 36. I'll be doing the same thing for Fifth Circuit. Also, I'm working on a little side project right now, so it may be a while before I update. Until then, have a good day everyone.


	36. Chapter 36: The AI Assassin

**Chapter 36: The AI Assassin**

 **The sky appears, full of clouds. Playmaker races through the clouds on his D-Board, followed by Morningstar, and then Soulburner. The clouds part to reveal NEW LINK VRAINS. The Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS logo appears, and beneath it, the words "HIDDEN MEMORIES" appears.**

 **Yasutake and Yusaku are walking down the street to school. Naoki runs past them on one side, a large smile on his face. Aoi walks past them on the other side, smiling lightly and blushing at Yusaku. Then Takeru walks up behind them and wraps one arm around Yusaku. He tries to wrap the other arm around Yaustake, who steps to the side and gives Takeru an annoyed look. Then someone wraps their arms around Yasutake's right arm. He glances to the side and sees Sachi wearing the Den Academy girls' uniform, smiling with her eyes closed as she leans her head on his shoulder. Yasutake smiles back at her.**

 **Masako is shown riding in the passenger side of a van, with the window showing an image of Lilith. In the sky above her, an image of Thaumiel appears, holding his hand over the van. Kenshin Hirai is then shown at a café, drinking coffee and reading a book, while an image of Hitomu Hirai appears in the sky facing the opposite direction. Go Onizuka is shown in NEW LINK VRAINS in his new avatar, riding his D-Board with Kenmochi and Yoroizaka on either side. Behind them, Techbane and Sylphid fly on their own D-Boards. As they pass under a ledge, Blue Angel, Galahad, and Persephone are shown looking down at Go with sad and disappointed looks.**

 **Kusanagi is then shown sitting at a picnic bench with Cam, both drinking from cans and laughing. Flame and Ai are shown arguing in Café Nagi, while Cypher looks at the two of them with exasperation and mild contempt. Akira Zaizen and Hayami are then shown standing next to Queen, who is sitting in a pool chair, adjusting her glasses.**

 **Jester is then shown, with two people – a man and a woman – shown standing behind him, shrouded in shadow. The man-in-shadow's eyes glow red. The eyeholes of Jester's mask glow a light blue. Behind them are Life Stream Dragon and Life Force Dragon, shrouded in shadows.**

 **Morningstar and Playmaker ride their D-Boards next to each other, with Cyberse Witch and Cyberse Magician in front of Playmaker, and Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary and Cyspirit Savage Shogun in front of Morningstar. The two are chased by Techbane and Sylphid. The man directs Cyber Dragon Sieger to fire at Morningstar while the girl commands a red and purple dragon to attack Playmaker. The two are hit with energy attacks but emerge from the smoke unharmed.**

 **The Knights of Hanoi are then shown, with Terminus standing apart from them. Motor Worm Spreader Queen, Helixx Necro Darwin, and Dark Mummy Surgical Forceps appear, with Sunavalon Dryanome behind them. Borreload Savage Dragon then rises from behind Dryanome and roars.**

 **A split screen, showing two figures. The one on the right is Cassiel, holding a card in her right hand. Behind her is a white outline of a winged figure holding a sword. The left screen shows a red outline of a man wearing armor, with his right hand raised and the fingers curled. Behind him is a black outline of an armored monster with demonic wings.**

 **Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner are then shown back-to-back, with their hands glowing silver, blue, and red respectively. The three face off against Bohman and Trident Hydradrive Lord, Blood Shepard and Battledrone General, and Jester, who raises his arm as a pillar of energy appears behind him. Life Force Dragon emerges from the pillar and roars.**

 **Cyspirts Angelic Avenger, Idealistic Idol, Pied Pikeman, Rapid Revolutionary, and Winning Wrestler are then shown in the air, with Neo Nova racing past them. The five Cyspirit monsters then glow with golden light and merge to form Superior Seraphim, whose light spreads across NEW LINK VRAINS.**

 **Cam, Sachi, Yasutake, Takeru, Kusanagi, and Yusaku are all shown at a picnic table, with them eating hot dogs, and Takeru and Cam are laughing. Three Duel Disks are shown on the table, with Flame lecturing Ai while Cypher watches television on Yasutake's tablet. Aoi, Akira, and Emma are in the background, walking past them and smiling at the table.**

 **Yasutake, Cam, and Sachi walk down the street, with Cam having his arms around the other two. All three are smiling. The scene then switches to NEW LINK VRAINS, with Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner sitting on a ledge and smiling into the distance.**

* * *

"How far does this go?" Ai asked. Playmaker, Morningstar, and Soulburner were traveling through the gate, with green data passing by them on all sides. "Are we safe?"

"We can't go back anymore," Playmaker responded.

"Exactly. You'll understand when we get there," Flame said.

Morningstar and Playmaker both looked up, their eyes widening slightly. Noticing their reactions, Soulburner asked, "Is the exit nearby?" Looking forward, they noticed a bright light.

"This is it," Cypher said. His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Hold on!" Before they could ask what he meant, the tunnel ended, and they were suddenly buffeted by winds.

Morningstar grit his teeth as he looked around. They had emerged in some kind of large canyon. The trio raised their D-Boards' tips to offer some protection from the wind, but it wasn't much.

"This wind is dangerous!" Ai screeched.

"Are you scared?" Flame asked.

"I'm fine!"

The three humans fought against the wind and managed to avoid striking the cliff faces. "Stay focused," Flame said. "If you crash into the cliff, you'll be hurt!"

"I know!" Soulburner said.

"I recognize this programming!" Cypher shouted over the wind. "This is the Wind Ignis's work! It's a lot more advanced than I remember!"

"I'll be sure to praise the Wind Ignis after I recover from being a stain on the cliffside," Morningstar responded.

"Don't joke about that!" Ai protested. "It's only a matter of time until we fall!" Then Ai's eyes lit up. "Flame! Cypher! I have an idea!"

They looked at Ai as he put his arms forward and a purple light appeared. "Oh! I see!" The other two Ignis imitated Ai as all three called the Data Storm, shielding the humans from the wind.

"I'm bracing so hard that I'm about to fart," Ai commented.

"We don't have that function," Flame pointed out.

"Why would we ever need a function like that?" Cypher asked.

"You're using the Data Storm to negate the wind," Playmaker realized. "I see. That's a good idea."

"Ai does have them on occasion," Cypher commented.

"Right! Praise me- hey! I heard that, Cypher!" Morningstar sighed.

"You said this wind is the Wind Ignis's programming, Cypher?" Morningstar asked.

Cypher nodded. "Yes. I'd recognize it anywhere."

"Does that mean the Wind Ignis is here?" Soulburner asked.

"Most likely," Flame answered.

"What's the Wind Ignis like? Personality-wise?" Morningstar asked.

"He's an asshole," Cypher responded.

The three humans blinked at the Silver Ignis. "That's not something you should say about your friend," Soulburner admonished him.

"No, he's right; the Wind Ignis isn't a pleasant individual," Flame said.

"I don't like talking bad about the others, but the Wind Ignis is…" Ai trailed off.

"He's flighty and a prankster," Cypher explained. "Ai has always been the least serious of us, but his jokes only ever endangered himself. The Wind Ignis also liked to play jokes, but they were on the rest of us."

"He's also short-tempered. Your continuous comments on his height never helped," Flame told Cypher.

"What? He _is_ the shortest of us. What's wrong with stating a fact?"

"Nothing. But repeatedly bringing it up and calling him a 'pipsqueak' were uncalled for."

"'Pipsqueak?'" Morningstar asked, frowning at his partner. "Really?"

"Hey, you'll understand when you see him," Cypher said. Then he seemed to stumble. "Oh no."

"Not good," Ai said. He looked like he was straining. So was Flame.

"I'm at my limits too!"

Cypher growled. "I have a little more power than you two, but it isn't enough."

"This is bad," Playmaker said, eyes narrowed.

"We'll be caught in the storm again?" Soulburner asked. A gust of wind and dirt hit them as all three shields disintegrated, with Cypher's lasting a split second longer.

"Sorry! That's all I had!" Ai cried as the three tumbled around. Then just as suddenly, the wind disappeared entirely.

"Eh?" Ai said, blinking. "The wind…"

"It stopped blocking us?" Playmaker asked.

Cypher narrowed his eyes. "The master of this world knows we're here."

"And he wants us to reach him," Morningstar said, following Cypher's train of thought. The other four all nodded at that as they continued flying through the canyon. After flying further, they gasped. Embedded in a distant cliffside was what appeared to be a massive stone building surrounded by trees.

"What's that?" Soulburner asked.

"There's something there," Ai said as the canyon ended. The three humans and their partners touched down at the base of the building, in front of a damaged staircase and several pillars. Looking up, Morningstar frowned.

"This place resembles ancient temples and palaces from older civilizations like Greece and Egypt," he noted.

The other two humans frowned. "It's quiet," Soulburner said.

"Yeah. Too quiet," Playmaker agreed.

Cypher sighed. "Why did you have to say that?" he asked Playmaker. "Now that you've said that, something bad will happen."

"You worry too much," Ai admonished Cypher as the trio started up the stairs.

They reached the top and found themselves facing a forest. Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He had the feeling they were being watched.

"Someone's here!" Playmaker said, looking around too. At the sound of rustling branches, they turned forward as a large black _thing_ with one eye appeared on the other side of the trees. Ai screamed as the others gasped. The monster had a ribcage on the outside of its stomach, yellow claws, and a single red eye. It roared at them as Flame stared at it.

"T-This monster is…" Flame stuttered. "The monster that destroyed Cyberse World!"

"What?" Playmaker said in surprise.

"This guy?" Ai asked.

The monster's mouth widened as energy gathered, making everyone tense up... until somebody started laughing. The trio stared as the energy disappeared and a small light green figure floated in front of the monster's mouth.

"I tricked you!" it gloated. "I'm so happy!" Its voice was masculine, and looking closer, Morningstar noted red eyes and darker green patterns on its screen. It was…

"You were-?" Ai asked, but he was interrupted by Cypher.

"You!" Cypher shouted, his eyes narrowed. "Pipsqueak!"

The figure stopped moving and glared down at them. "Who said that!? Oh." Its eyes narrowed on seeing Cypher. "You. I thought a human deleted you."

"As if a human could delete me," Cypher rolled his eyes.

"Cypher, is that…?" Morningstar asked.

"It's the Wind Ignis," Ai said, answering for Cypher, who was still glaring.

The Wind Ignis turned and looked at the others. "Oh, you two!" He then turned to Playmaker. "Yes, I'm the Wind Ignis." Looking behind him, he said, "Echo, you can come back." The monster glowed green and turned into a humanoid in light blue and dark blue robes. The Wind Ignis stood on its left wrist.

"Well? Was my Ignis joke funny?"

"You went too far!" Ai said. "Flame was so scared that he farted!"

"No, that was you," Flame countered.

"It was about as funny as your other jokes," Cypher said, arms crossed and glaring at the Wind Ignis.

The Wind Ignis sighed. "You never had much of a sense of humor." Ai nodded at that. "And seriously? You were scared by that? You've hung out with humans for so long that your senses are out of whack."

"Shouldn't you be looking for your Lost Incident partner?" Flame asked, changing the subject.

"I can't trust humans like you do," the Wind Ignis responded. "I don't want to be captured like this guy here." He pointed at Cypher as he said that.

Flame grunted. "You're no fun."

"I wasn't captured," Cypher interrupted. "I left the Cyberse World voluntarily."

"Eh!? You what!?" The Wind Ignis glared at Cypher. "Why would you _want_ to leave our home!?"

"I was planning on returning eventually," Cypher said. "But I received an offer and I couldn't turn it down."

"An offer from a human? You always were too trusting, Silver Ignis."

"And you were always too flighty. And I go by Cypher now."

"Wind Ignis, did you create this world?" Playmaker interrupted, preempting an argument.

"Wind Ignis?" The green figure placed its hand on its chin. "That name is a bit lacking. But the Ignis' real names are too hard for humans. But I don't want a weird name… So call me Windy!"

"Windy?" Ai asked, looking doubtful. Cypher had a similar expression.

"This is Echo," Windy said, pointing at the humanoid whose wrist he was standing on. "A program I created."

"I'm Echo. A program created by Master Windy," the humanoid said with a masculine voice.

"Windy, what are you doing here?" Playmaker asked.

Windy gave the hacker an evaluating gaze. "So you're Playmaker. The hero who saved LINK VRAINS." He turned to look at the other two. "And you two are Soulburner and Morningstar." Windy's eyes narrowed in consideration… and something else. "Well! No point standing around talking here. Follow me."

They followed Windy through the forest. Along the way, Ai told Windy his and Flame's names, while Windy and Cypher pointedly ignored each other. "You really don't like him, do you?" Morningstar whispered to his partner.

"Eh, Windy was alright most days," Cypher admitted. "We mostly just had disagreements about responsibilities, priorities, how small Data Material particles would have to be to go through the head of a needle, that sort of thing."

Morningstar blinked. The head of a needle? Setting that thought aside, Morningstar asked, "If he's the Wind Ignis, then he might be able to tell us about Jester."

"And his abilities? Well, he's more likely to know something than me, Flame, or Ai, at least. As much as I dislike him, Windy has always had the most control over the Data Storm. If anyone could write a program to manipulate its density like Jester did, it would be Windy."

The four Ignis and three humans crossed a small bridge over a stream when Flame said, "Windy, I'm glad you're okay, but answer that question. We're in a hurry."

"About why I created this world? And what I'm doing here?" Windy paused as he considered the questions, then said, "For the first question, I was waiting for my friends to show up."

Ai perked up. "You were waiting for us?"

"Yeah," Windy confirmed. "If I connected a world of wind to LINK VRAINS, I thought you'd eventually sniff it out and come here." They all stopped under a stone gazebo at the center of the garden.

"I see," Flame said.

"Sure enough, you came. If we're all together, we can rebuild Cyberse World."

"Rebuild Cyberse World…" Ai mused.

"Not a bad idea," Flame said approvingly.

"Secondly, I wanted to lure the enemy here. If you can sniff this place out, the one who destroyed Cyberse World will too."

"What'll you do after luring the enemy?" Ai asked.

"Fight 'em, of course," Windy said. "They must atone for destroying Cyberse World. Even I – who's always calm and collected – feels resentment."

"I didn't know you had such passion," Flame said.

"I do," Windy said defensively. "It's just harder to tell than you."

"But you'll fight?" Ai asked. "You've never been that strong."

"That's why I created this world. Strong winds created from Data Material make this place a trap. I control Data Material better than anyone. But it did take time to gather the Data Material scattered throughout the network."

"That's why this world only appeared now," Playmaker said.

"Exactly."

"Windy, we're after someone. His name is Bohman. He stole my acquaintance's brother's consciousness data. If we don't retrieve it, he'll be asleep forever."

"He had the same card as the one who destroyed Cyberse World," Flame said.

"Oh? That's very interesting," Windy said. "But I don't know anyone named Bohman."

"Seriously?" Ai asked. "He fled into this world. You didn't notice?"

"Lots of people come here, but most of them self-destruct to the trap. My security's perfect. I can't watch every little thing." Morningstar's eyes narrowed. Something about the Ignis's words… something felt off to him.

Windy then cocked his head. "Wait a sec. I once sensed a strange presence at the edge of this world."

"That's it!" Ai said.

"Is there a chance that someone created a new world by going through this world?" Flame asked.

"And use my trap as a cover?" Windy inferred. "That's smart."

"Smart," Echo repeated.

"Will you help us?" Playmaker asked.

"Please, Windy. For my sake," Ai begged.

Windy narrowed his eyes in contemplation. Eventually, he said, "I refuse."

Ai almost face-faulted. "You're refusing?"

"You said your target came here. And that they created a new world. But those are only assumptions. If you want my help, you need to bring evidence." Ai growled at Windy, who relaxed. "But forget that and live here instead. Instead of helping humans, we can rebuild Cyberse World quicker if the Ignis come together."

"Well…"

"It's true that the Ignis wish to rebuild the Cyberse World," Flame admitted.

"Flame…" Soulburner said, glancing at his partner.

"Right?" Windy said.

"But I'll pursue the culprit," Flame said. "I want to know the truth about Cyberse World's destruction." Soulburner smiled, glad to know his partner wouldn't leave him.

"I feel the same for now," Ai said.

Windy growled low in his non-existent throat. "So I'm being premature…"

"That's right," Flame said. "We'll uncover the whole truth and rebuild Cyberse World."

"I see. I'm just happy to know you're okay." Windy turned to Cypher. "What about you, Cypher? I know you and I don't get along that well, but surely you want to rebuild Cyberse World?"

"Yes, I do," Cypher agreed, nodding and folding his arms. "I left three years before Ai hid it away. I missed the heights of its glory. I want to see that glory remade and be part of it. But at the same time, I want answers to my questions regarding who attacked it, and I don't feel like leaving Morningstar yet." A small smile crossed Morningstar's face for a second.

"But more than wanting answers, I need to find the Gold Ignis. You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?"

"I do not, sadly," Windy answered. "A shame, too; she was one of the smartest of us. Having her help would speed up rebuilding even faster than if any of you helped." Windy turned to regard the group as a whole. "You seem set in your choice, so I'll help a little. I'll weaken the Data Storm leading to that strange area."

"That's plenty," Flame said. "We'll do the rest on our own."

"But I have one condition," Windy said.

"What condition?" Ai asked.

"Do something about them!" Windy snapped his fingers, making a screen appear. Morningstar narrowed his eyes on seeing the two women on it, their D-Boards protected by blue-green shield programs.

"Ghost Girl!" Playmaker said, surprised.

"I told you she would follow us," Morningstar said with a frown.

"Who's the other?" Soulburner asked.

"They're tougher than I thought," Windy said. "I think they'll make it here. Can you chase them away? If you defeat them in a duel, they'll be ejected from this world."

"Do it yourself," Ai said.

"No way! I don't want to reveal myself, and I don't want to risk putting myself in danger."

"You're very cautious." _Or cowardly,_ Morningstar thought.

"Weaken the winds around them," Playmaker said. "If you do, we'll take care of them."

"Hey!" Ai protested.

"We fought the Hanoi together, so I'm on good terms with Ghost Girl. We can talk and work it out."

"And you're an old friend of hers too, aren't you, Morningstar?" Soulburner asked. "She'll listen to you, won't you?"

"'Friend' might not be the right word, but yes, she will listen to me," Morningstar said, frowning at the screen. Or rather the blue-haired girl. Why did she look familiar…?

"Negotiations complete," Windy said.

"No, not yet." Everyone turned to look at Cypher. "There's another matter we need to discuss. Windy, have you had any contact with anyone named Jester?"

"Jester?" Windy's eyes formed a frown. "I haven't had contact with anyone save you and the people who get stuck in my traps. Why?"

Cypher told him about his and Morningstar's encounter with the "Enforcer." Windy was shocked to hear about a human able to manipulate the Data Storm like Jester did.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yes. He increased the Data Storm's density to the point we nearly got shredded. And before that, he dispersed the Data Storm." Cypher's eyes narrowed. "I didn't believe such a program was possible, but I've been out of contact for the last eight years. And as you said, no one controls Data Material better than you. Do you have any idea who could have made Jester's program?"

Windy narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms in thought. "Well… I'm sure I could make a program like that easily if I wanted, but I've never done so. And with Dr. Kogami dead, no human understands Data Material well enough to write one. Perhaps the Light or Gold Ignis made one? They'd have a harder time than me, but I think they'd be smart enough to manage it."

Cypher sighed. "That is what I feared. I can match the Light Ignis in intelligence, but not his speed. And the Gold? I can't see either of them cooperating willingly with a human who intended to capture me, and the thought of a human who could either trick or force one of them to help them is…"

"…Yeah," Windy agreed. "It is an unsettling thought. But we won't know the truth until we hear from either of them, yes? So maybe there's another explanation." Windy's eyes narrowed again. "Or maybe we didn't know the Gold Ignis as well as we thought we knew her. She did leave Cyberse World two years before it was destroyed. She might have had a hand in its destruction."

"She wouldn't!" Cypher shouted angrily, surprising everyone else. "Gold loved Cyberse World more than any of us! She loved her creations more than the rest of us! Even if she could be cold, she was never the type to betray us!"

"You only knew her for two years," Windy reminded Cypher. "We knew her for ten; How could you claim to know what she may or not do?"

"He may have known her for less time, but he was the closest to her," Flame interjected, his arms crossed. "And I knew her just as long as you, Windy. I agree with Cypher; the Gold Ignis wouldn't have betrayed us."

"Flame's right," Ai agreed. "The thought of any of us betraying Cyberse World is ludicrous. If the Gold Ignis was responsible for Jester's program, then she must be captured. We'll have to rescue her!"

"…Then I wish you luck in that," Windy said, still pondering Ai's previous statement. "Well, there isn't anything any of us can do about the Gold Ignis right now. For now, you lot deal with those two intruders, and I'll ease the Data Storm so you can find this Bohman."

"Thank you, Windy," Playmaker said. Morningstar and Soulburner nodded as the trio headed out on their D-Boards. Left alone, Windy crossed his arms.

"Those three aren't ready yet to join us, but hopefully turning them on humans will help convince them," he mused. Then his eyes narrowed. "Still, this Jester… With the Water Ignis captured, we knew the Gold Ignis would be the biggest threat. Is she responsible for Jester, or is there something we've missed?"

Windy thought to himself until he sensed something. Looking back towards the canyon the three humans and their Ignis had gone back down, Windy chuckled. "Well, looks like there's another party here. I wonder what they're here for… and how these humans will react to it."

* * *

Once they left, Morningstar fell a little behind and spoke softly to Cypher. "Did you get the feeling Windy was hiding something?"

"As expected, you caught that, too." Cypher was back in eye form and said eye narrowed. "I admit, I do find it strange that Bohman came here and Windy didn't sense him. That little troll is flighty, but not stupid."

"So how much of what he said was outright lies and how much were lies of omission?"

"Impossible to say without more information. I do believe him about Jester, though; if Jester had the help of an Ignis, then it wasn't Windy."

Morningstar glanced down at his Duel Disk. "Cypher… I know you're worried about the Gold Ignis, but I need you focused on the now. Don't let your concerns distract you."

"Yeah, I know Morningstar. Incidentally, we should keep our worries about Windy to ourselves. Ai and Flame are far closer to him than I am, and I don't want to cause unnecessary friction in case we're wrong."

"Agreed. But we should keep an eye on Windy just in case."

"I was going to do that anyway. That pipsqueak was always my least favorite friend."

A few moments later, the trio intercepted Ghost Girl and her partner, repositioning themselves so that Playmaker was on the right while Soulburner and Morningstar were on their left, with Morningstar ahead of Soulburner.

"Long time no see, Playmaker, Morningstar," the girl with blue hair said, surprising the hacker and former hunter.

"Long time no see?"

Morningstar blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "You're Blue Angel, aren't you?" he asked. "Between the color scheme and that voice…"

She smiled at him. "I am, but I go by Blue Girl in this avatar." She pressed a button on her Duel Disk, causing her shield to disintegrate.

"Woah! You seem pretty different," Soulburner said excitedly, looking Blue Girl up and down. "But your new avatar is cool! Maybe I'll change my avatar too."

"What's the point?" Flame asked. "No one knows you." Soulburner pouted at his partner.

"So you're Soulburner," Ghost Girl said, making her own shield disintegrate and the fire duelist to perk up.

"Seems we're unexpectedly famous," Soulburner said, glancing down at his partner, who ignored him.

"I'm the Fire Ignis, Flame."

"So you're also a victim of the Lost Incident?" Ghost Girl asked.

"Yes," Soulburner confirmed.

"And I'm the Silver Ignis," Cypher said, reemerging from Morningstar's Duel Disk. "You can call me Cypher."

"Cypher? That's a cool name." Ghost Girl smiled at the Ignis. "What did Morningstar and his friend tell you about me?"

"I'm not sure I can repeat what Morningstar's friend said about you. There are times and places for certain words, after all."

Ghost Girl sighed. "So he hasn't forgiven me, eh? Well, I admit I deserve it." She then looked at the hunter. "What about you, Morningstar? Have you forgiven me?"

"I don't hold a grudge anymore, but I still don't trust you," he replied.

Ghost Girl nodded. "Fair enough." She then glanced at the others and frowned. "The Knights of Hanoi – who caused the Lost Incident – are gone. So why are you three with Ignis teaming up?"

"We only want to retrieve stolen consciousness data," Playmaker answered.

"Consciousness data…" Ghost Girl repeated, surprised. "That means he's…"

"Why are you here?" Playmaker asked.

"You're gonna use us again, aren't you?" Ai asked.

"Her being here is proof she already did use us," Morningstar said, frowning. "The real question is if you're here for your own curiosity or for SOL Technologies?"

Ghost Girl shrugged. "No point hiding it, I guess, so I'll tell you. We came to find the Ignis."

"For SOL Technologies?" Playmaker assumed while Morningstar's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah," Ghost Girl confirmed.

"So SOL Technologies didn't only hire rough-looking hunters," Soulburner said.

Ghost Girl smiled at that. "Didn't expect to see such beauties?"

"Never said you were beauties," Flame said.

"I've heard many words to describe you, but 'beauty' wasn't one of them," Cypher said.

"Seems Ignis aren't attracted to me," Ghost Girl remarked dejectedly.

"SOL- I mean, my brother can help you," Blue Girl said. Morningstar doubted that. Akira Zaizen likely held good intentions; that was the kind of person he was. But the higher-ups…

"You don't understand," Soulburner said, to Blue Girl's confusion. "The Lost Incident made us suffer for a long time. SOL Technologies was also responsible for that. Entrust our future to them?"

"Not a chance," Ai said dismissively.

"I believe you when you say your brother can help us," Morningstar said, looking back at Blue Girl. "But he is only one man in SOL, and we cannot trust his superiors."

"Thanks for willing to help, but we'll solve our own problems," Playmaker said.

"In that case, those Ignis were originally under SOL Technologies' control," Blue Girl said aggressively. "Give them back."

"Huh? That's crazy," Soulburner said.

"I'm no one's property! I'm Morningstar's partner!" Cypher protested.

"Blue Girl!" Ghost Girl scolded.

"If we get their Ignis, we may learn the other Ignis' location," Blue Girl explained. "If you won't accept our help…"

"You'll settle this in a duel?" Soulburner asked.

"That's right!"

Ghost Girl sighed. "What's with her? We can get along without dueling."

"I take it that means you don't want to challenge me?" Morningstar asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ghost Girl shook her head. "I still remember what happened during our last duel. I-." Ghost Girl's eyes widened on seeing a red dot on Morningstar's back. "Morningstar!"

"What?" Morningstar's eyes widened as Ghost Girl suddenly rammed his D-Board with hers, unbalancing him and sending him several feet away.

"Hey, what's the-?"

BANG!

"AAAHHH!"

Ghost Girl's scream overshadowed Cypher's complaint as she fell to her knees, gripping her left shoulder.

"Ghost Girl!" everyone shouted, surrounding her. Looking at her shoulder, Morningstar's eyes widened on seeing a small hole in her arm. Golden light traveled across her skin from the bullet hole.

"A bullet wound?" Blue Girl said, surprised.

Looking up towards the cliff faces, Morningstar's eyes widened. "Everyone! Look out!" They all turned around as someone stood up on the ledge holding a large rifle. They then jumped down as a black and red D-Board materialized beneath them. They sped up and quickly caught up with the other five, who all gasped on seeing what they were.

"Annoyed Query: Why did you get in the way of my shot, female meatbag?" The shooter was a bipedal machine painted rust red, a skeletal body with a thicker torso, a domed head, and glowing red eyes. The machine compacted its sniper rifle as it stowed it on its back. "You are not one of my targets."

"An AI duelist?" Blue Girl said, surprised.

"Yeah. But different from the ones we've seen before," Morningstar frowned. "Who are you?"

"Answer: I am HK-70, an AI Duel Assassin in service to my master," the machine answered. "My master commanded me to come to this world to duel and defeat the meatbags known as Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner."

"AI Duel Assassin?" Playmaker repeated.

"What does that mean?" Ai asked.

"Answer: I challenge duelists to PK duels. Player Kill. Any who lose against me lose their accounts and are forbidden from accessing LINK VRAINS ever again." Ghost Girl's and Morningstar's eyes widened at the machine's words. "My shot was meant to lock Morningstar into a duel with me, but since you interrupted, female meatbag, I must defeat you first."

Ghost Girl looked at her arm as the hole and the pain faded, but the golden lines remained. "So that shot was like my Data Anchor," Morningstar surmised. "Who's your master, AI duelist? Who sent you after us?"

"Refusal: My master has ordered me not to reveal his identity to you, as he wishes to do so himself," HK said. "He did, however, ask me to congratulate you on your victory against his cohort. Even is he was holding back, a victory against Jester is no small feat."

Morningstar's eyes widened. "Jester? Then, your master is Jester's partner?"

"Clarification: Cohort or co-worker is perhaps a better word. But enough time has been wasted." HK turned to Ghost Girl and raised its left wrist, showing a rust red Duel Disk. "I cannot cancel my Duel Lock program, so I will defeat you first, female meatbag. Once I have deleted your account, I shall fulfill my master's directive and eliminate Morningstar."

Ghost Girl frowned at the droid. "'Female meatbag?' I have a name; it's Ghost Girl."

"Statement: Your identification is irrelevant. Over the last two years, I have completed 342 assassination contracts on my master's behalf. My success rate is 100%. Your chances of victory are less than 1%."

Ghost Girl smirked at that. "Are they? Well, I rather like those odds." She turned to look at Blue Girl. "I'll take care of this AI duelist. You do what you have to do."

Blue Girl nodded and turned back to Soulburner. "If Ghost Girl has this handled, then shall we continue?"

Soulburner nodded. "Yes."

"Ghost Girl…" Morningstar said, frowning. She smiled at him.

"Don't tell me you're worried for me?" she said teasingly. More seriously, she said, "I'll be fine, Morningstar. Like I told Blue Girl, do what you have to do."

"…Right!"

"Good luck, Ghost Girl," Playmaker said as he and Morningstar took a turn and went down a different path. Soulburner and Blue Girl continued on ahead, while Ghost Girl and HK-70 took a left turn. As they departed, Morningstar released two drones from his Duel Disk and ordered them to follow Soulburner and Ghost Girl.

Ghost Girl, who was in the lead, turned to look back at HK and smirked. "I may not be on Morningstar's level, but I'd like to think I know what I'm doing."

"Boast: It does not matter how skilled you are. You will fall before my Deck, female meatbag." HK then materialized a small pistol and aimed behind them. Pulling the trigger, an energy blast hit Morningstar's drone, destroying it. "No cameras allowed."

"Speed Duel!"

 **Ghost Girl: 4000 LP**

 **HK-70: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn!" Ghost Girl said. "I summon Altergeist Marionetter!" A female humanoid monster with a round green apparatus attached to her waist appeared, giggling as she did so.

 **Altergeist Marionetter ATK 1600 DEF 1700 LVL: 4**

"Marionetter's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Set an 'Altergeist' Trap Card from my Deck. I Set Altergeist Haunted Rock." A Set card appeared. "Since Haunted Rock was Set by the effect of an 'Altergeist' card, I can activate it! And when Haunted Rock is activated, I must send an 'Altergeist' monster from my hand to the Graveyard."

Ghost Girl sent a copy of Altergeist Silquitous to the Graveyard, then gestured to her field. "I activate the effect of the Altergeist Multifaker in my hand! Since I activated a Trap Card, I can Special Summon Multifaker!" A pink and purple female humanoid monster with six bent golden legs appeared in Attack Position. It giggled at HK.

 **Altergeist Multifaker ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 3**

"Multifaker's additional effect! When it is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a different 'Altergeist' monster from my Deck in Defense Position. Come, Altergeist Meluseek!" A dark purple female mermaid monster appeared.

 **Altergeist Meluseek ATK 500 DEF 300 LVL: 1**

"Open before me! The circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe!" The Link portal appeared in front of Ghost Girl. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Altergeist' monsters. I set Meluseek and Multifaker in the Link Markers!" Her monsters entered the bottom and right arrows. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Altergeist Hexstia!" A dark brown-and-gold skinned monster with six legs and a large tail emerged from the portal, summoned to the left Extra Monster Zone.

 **Altergeist Hexstia ATK 1500 LINK-2** ↓→

"Since Meluseek was sent to the Graveyard, its effect activates! I add one 'Altergeist' monster from my Deck to my hand." Ghost Girl added Altergeist Kunquery to her hand, then gestured to her field again. "Marionetter's additional effect! By sending an 'Altergeist' card I control to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon an 'Altergeist' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position!" Haunted Rock disintegrated at her words. "Resurrect, Altergeist Silquitous!" A light brown monster with six wings on each arm emerged from a portal at Hexstia's bottom Link Marker.

 **Altergeist Silquitous ATK 800 DEF 1500 LVL: 2**

"Due to Hexstia's effect, it gains the original attack points of the 'Altergeist' monsters next to its Link Markers!"

 **Altergeist Hexstia ATK 1500→2300**

"I Set one card. I end my turn." Ghost Girl's eyes narrowed. _With Hexstia and Silquitous on my field and Kunquery in my hand, I'm prepared for anything this machine might throw at me._

"Analysis: The female meatbag has set up a defensive formation, aimed at disrupting the opponent's moves," HK-70 said. "Conclusion: It is for naught, as my victory is a mathematical certainty. Declaration: Draw!"

HK drew, then said, "Statement: I summon Mechassassin Hunter!" A humanoid machine covered in silver armor wielding a compact rifle appeared.

 **Mechassassin HNT-3R ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Statement: Since there is a Level 4 or lower 'Mechassassin' monster on my field, I can Special Summon Mechassassin Sniper!" Another humanoid machine, this one with brown armor and two straps across its chest, wielding a sniper rifle in its arms appeared in Attack Position.

 **Mechassassin 5N-PR ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

Ghost Girl narrowed her eyes at Hunter's and Sniper's effects. Looks like she needed to act earlier than she anticipated.

"Silquitous's monster effect!" she declared. "By returning an 'Altergeist' card to my hand, I return one of your cards to your hand. I return Marionetter to my hand to return Sniper to yours!" Said monsters burst into light and disappeared at her words.

"Taunt: You act in haste to prevent what you realize can hurt you," HK-70 said. "As expected of a meatbag. Hunter's monster effect! By paying 500 Life Points and skipping my Battle Phase, one of your face-up monsters is destroyed. I'll destroy your Link Monster!"

 **HK-70: 4000→3500 LP**

"Not happening!" Ghost Girl said. "Hexstia's monster effect! Since an effect was activated, I can Tribute Silquitous at Hexstia's Link Marker and negate that effect and then destroy your monster!" HNT-3R and Silquitous both disintegrated at her words.

 **Altergeist Hexstia ATK 2300→1500**

"Since Silquitous was sent from the field to the Graveyard, its effect activates, and I add an 'Altergeist' Trap Card from my Graveyard to my hand." Ghost Girl added Haunted Rock to her hand.

"Statement: Now you have lost your preventive measures. Therefore, I can go all out." HK touched another card in its hand. "Since you control a monster, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand. Come, Mechassassin Drone!" A small silver machine with a raised head and a single blue ocular lens, with two wings and blasters attached to said wings, appeared in Attack Position.

 **Mechassassin DR-N3 ATK 800 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

"Continuation: In addition, when Drone is Summoned by its effect, I can Special Summon one 'Mechassassin' monster from my hand with its effects negated. Return, Mechassassin Sniper!" The brown-armored machine reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Mechassassin 5N-PR ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

"Statement: Drone's monster effect! Once per turn, I can pay 500 Life Points to add a 'Mechassassin' card from my Deck to my hand, but I cannot conduct my Battle Phase this turn." HK-70 took a card from its Duel Disk.

 **HK-70: 3500→3000 LP**

HK pointed upwards as its hand glowed blue. "Appear! The circuit of assassination!" The Link portal materialized above it. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Mechassassin' monster. I set Drone in the Link Marker!" Its monster became a whirlwind of energy and entered the bottom arrow. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Mechassassin Spotter!"

Another bipedal machine emerged from the portal. This one had a silver frame with brown armor on its chest, back, upper arms, and lower legs. It didn't have any eyes, instead having a line of red lights in the center of its head. An antenna was attached to its back, and it carried a compact rifle in its hand. Spotter hefted the rifle as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Mechassassin 5P0-T3R ATK 800 LINK-1** ↓

"Statement: I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Mechassassin's Factory!" The card showed an assembly line with multiple robotic arms creating several light brown skeletal robots. "Once per turn, by paying 1000 Life Points, I can target a Link Monster and Special Summon Mechassassin Tokens up to its Link Rating. In addition, you cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect." Ghost Girl grit her teeth at HK's words.

"Continuation: I target Hexstia for Mechassassin's Factory's effect!" The card glowed as two compacted light brown machines appeared on its field in Defense Position. The machines unfolded into skeletal robots with thin limbs and elongated heads with black dots for eyes.

 **HK-70: 3000→2000 LP**

 **Mechassassin Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1 x 2**

"Appear! The circuit of assassination! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Mechassassin' monsters. I set Sniper and two Mechassassin Tokens in the Link Markers!" Its monsters entered the left, top, and right arrows. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Mechassassin Commander!"

A dark green humanoid machine with silver inner workings and lower legs emerged from the portal. IT had two prongs for toes and four fingers, along with yellow lines on its chest and upper legs and red eyes set far apart. It brought out a sniper rifle as it was summoned to Spotter's Link Marker.

 **Mechassassin C0M-D3R ATK 2400 LINK-3** ←↑→

Ghost Girl's eyes narrowed. "This must be its ace monster…"

Declaration: Spotter's monster effect! Once per turn, I can inflict damage to you equal to half the attack points of one 'Mechassassin' monster it points to. Commander's attack points are 2400, so you take 1200 points of damage!" Ghost Girl winced as Spotter fired bursts of red energy at her.

 **Ghost Girl: 4000→2800 LP**

"Continuation: In addition, Spotter's effect destroys one of your Spell or Trap Cards." Ghost Girl's Set Card then gestured to its ace monster. "Commander's monster effect! When you take damage from the effect of a 'Mechassassin' monster it points to, I gain Life Points equal to the inflicted damage."

 **HK-70: 2000→3200 LP**

 _It inflicted damage and gained Life Points at the same time,_ Ghost Girl thought, her eyes narrowed. _This isn't good._

"Statement: Commander's additional effect! Since the linked Spotter destroyed your card with an effect, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Mechassassin' monster from my Graveyard to Commander's Link Marker and then inflict 800 points of damage. Resurrect, Mechassassin Hunter!" The silver-plated droid reappeared, then Commander fired a blast from its sniper rifle at Ghost Girl, who cried out in pain and stumbled a little.

 **Mechassassin HNT-3R ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

 **Ghost Girl: 2800→2000 LP**

"Statement: Hunter's monster effect! By paying 500 Life Points, one of your face-up monsters is destroyed! Hunter destroys Hexstia with its effect!"

 **HK-70: 3200→2700 LP**

Hunter fired several rounds at Hexstia, but Ghost Girl gestured to her field. "I activate the effect of the Altergeist Camouflage in my Graveyard!" she declared. "If my 'Altergeist' card would be destroyed, I can banish Camouflage instead!" The lasers hit a barrier in front of Hexstia.

"Deduction: Altergeist Camouflage was the Set card Spotter's effect destroyed," HK-70 said. "Statement: The effects of Drone and Spotter prevent me from conducting my Battle Phase. In addition, while Commander is in my Main Monster Zone, I cannot conduct my Battle Phase. I Set one card. I end my turn.

"Taunt: The next turn will be your last, meatbag. Please struggle as hard as you can; it makes my victory, and splattering your data over the side of the cliff, so much more enjoyable."

Ghost Girl narrowed her eyes. _I think I've got a handle on its strategy now,_ she thought. _It pays Life Points to destroy my cards and swarm its field, then uses its Link Monsters to inflict effect damage and heal itself. And since its monsters' effects require skipping its Battle Phase, that means Kunquery can't stop them. Still, I can't give up!_

"My turn! Draw!" Ghost Girl looked at her card and frowned. She didn't have a lot of options right now. "I summon Altergeist Marionetter!" Her monster appeared at Hexstia's bottom Link Marker.

 **Altergeist Marionetter ATK 1600 DEF 1700 LVL: 4**

"Hexstia's monster effect! It gains attack points equal to the original attack pointes of all 'Altergeist' monsters it points to."

 **Altergeist Hexstia ATK 1500→3100**

"Marionetter's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Set an 'Altergeist' Trap Card from my Deck." She did so, then said, "I Set another card."

Ghost Girl gestured to her field. "Battle! Marionetter attacks Spotter!" Marionetter let loose a ball of blue lightning as HK gestured to its field.

"Declaration: Continuous Trap activate! Mechassassin's Array!" The card showed a bunker with a rectangular satellite dish on top of it, with two Mechassassin Hunters standing guard in front of the entrance. "When my 'Mechassassin' monster battles, I can pay 500 Life Points to negate the battle damage. And since I control a Link-3 'Mechassassin' monster, you cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect!" Ghost Girl grit her teeth as Spotter was destroyed, but HK took no damage.

 **HK-70: 2700→2200 LP**

"The battle continues! Hexstia attacks Commander!" Hexstia blasted Commander with golden energy as HK gestured to its field.

"Statement: I activate Mechassassin's Array's effect!"

 **HK-70: 2200→1700 LP**

Commander was destroyed, but HK-70 escaped the damage. "Condescension: Perhaps you would have better luck dueling a preschooler? I hear they're a lot stronger than they look."

Ghost Girl narrowed her eyes. "I end my turn."

"Statement: This will be my final turn, female meatbag. My turn! Draw!" HK drew, then gestured to its field. "Hunter's monster effect! I pay 500 Life Points to destroy Hexstia!"

 **HK-70: 1700→1200 LP**

"Hexstia's monster effect! I Tribute Marionetter to negate Hunter's effect and destroy it!" Marionetter and Hunter both disintegrated at her words.

"Statement: With Marionetter no longer on the field, Hexstia's attack points return to normal."

 **Altergeist Hexstia ATK 3100→1500**

"Amused Statement: Now with Marionetter off the field, I do not have to worry about Hexstia's effect. I activate the Spell Card: Mechassassin's Repair Shop!" The card showed the interior of a store, with Mechassassins Hunter, Sniper, Spotter, and Drone all lined up against a wall and in various stages of disrepair. "This card lets me Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Mechassassin' monster in Defense Position with its effects negated from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Hunter!"

 **Mechassassin HNT-3R ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Statement: In addition to bringing back Hunter, Repair Shop also prevents you from activating cards or effects in response to the effects of my 'Mechassassin' monsters for the rest of the turn." Ghost Girl grit her teeth as HK gestured upwards. "Declaration: Appear! The circuit of assassination! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Mechassassin' monster. I set Hunter in the Link Marker!" Its monster entered the bottom arrow. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Mechassassin Spotter!" Another copy of Spotter emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Mechassassin 5P0-T3R ATK 800 LINK-1** ↓

"Statement: Mechassassin's Factory's effect activates! Once again, I pay 1000 Life Points to target your Hexstia and Special Summon two Mechassassin Tokens!" Two more light brown skeletal machines appeared in Defense Position.

 **HK-70: 1200→200 LP**

 **Mechassassin Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1 x 2**

"Declaration: Appear again! The circuit of assassination! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two 'Mechassassin' monsters. I set two Mechassassin Tokens in the Link Markers!" Said tokens became whirlwinds of energy and entered the left and right arrows. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Mechassassin Mechanic!"

A new bipedal machine emerged from the portal. This one had bronze armor and darker brown internal wiring, with extended shoulders and a lower head. It had a single blue lens in the center of its head and two blue orbs on its chest. The machine held a small pistol as it was summoned to Spotter's Link Marker.

 **Mechassassin M3C-N1C ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"Statement: Mechanic's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon one 'Mechassassin' Link Monster from my Graveyard to its Link Marker. In addition, I gain Life Points equal to that monster's Link Rating times 600. Resurrect, Mechassassin Commander!" The green-armored machine reappeared at Mechanic's right Link Marker.

 **Mechassassin C0M-D3R ATK 2400 LINK-3** ←↑→

 **HK-70: 200→2000 LP**

"Declaration: Your end begins now, meatbag! Spotter's monster effect! I inflict damage to you equal to half of Mechanic's attack points and destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards at the cost of skipping my Battle Phase!" HK pointed to one of her Set cards. "I shall destroy the one you did not Set with Marionetter's effect!" Spotter fired several bursts of energy, hitting Ghost Girl and her Set Altergeist Haunted Rock and making her wince.

 **Ghost Girl: 2000→1200 LP**

"Declaration: Mechanic's additional effect! Once per turn, when a 'Mechassassin' monster inflicts effect damage, Mechanic inflicts an additional 600 points of damage!" Mechanic charged its pistol and then blasted Ghost Girl with yellow energy.

 **Ghost Girl: 1200→600 LP**

"Statement: Commander's monster effect! Since the linked Mechanic inflicted effect damage, I gain Life Points equal to that damage."

 **HK-70: 2000→2600 LP**

"Declaration: This is the end! I activate my Skill! Assassin's Snipe!" The edges of HK-70's chassis and its eyes glowed a bright red. "By paying 800 Life Points, you take damage equal to the number of 'Mechassassin' cards in my Graveyard times 300!"

 **HK-70: 2600→1800 LP**

"There are five 'Mechassassin' cards in my Graveyard, so you take 1500 points of damage. Farewell, meatbag!" HK-70 unslung its rifle from its back and pointed it at Ghost Girl, firing a shot at her.

Ghost Girl gestured to her field as the lines on her suit glowed pink. "I activate my own Skill! Secret Cure! I draw cards until I find a Monster Card. Every card before that monster is sent to the Graveyard while that monster is added to my hand, and then both of us gain Life Points equal to that monster's attack points!"

"Query: You are gambling, meatbag? Such a desperate maneuver will not save you."

Ghost Girl narrowed her eyes and placed her hand on her Deck. _The last time I used Secret Cure, it backfired,_ she thought, remembering her Duel with Revolver. _I can't afford mistakes this time. Not with my account on the line!_

"Draw!" Ghost Girl looked at her card. "I drew Mistaken Arrest, so I draw again!" She drew and smiled on seeing her card. "I drew Altergeist Multifaker! That means Multifaker is added to my hand, Mistaken Arrest is sent to the Graveyard, and we both gain Life Points equal to Multifaker's attack points!"

 **Ghost Girl: 600→1800 LP**

 **HK-70: 1800→3000 LP**

HK's shot finally hit Ghost Girl, making her cry out in pain and fall to one knee.

 **Ghost Girl: 1800→300 LP**

"Disappointment: Why must you prolong your suffering, meatbag?" HK-70 asked. "With 3000 Life Points and Mechassassin's Array in play, you cannot defeat me."

Ghost Girl looked up and smirked. "You're pretty confident. Why don't I change that?" She gestured to her field. "Continuous Trap activate! Altergeist Emulatelf!"

"Analysis: That is the card Set by Marionetter's effect."

"It is, and when Emulatelf is activated, it Special Summons itself as an Effect Monster!" A yellow-skinned female humanoid monster with large arms connected to its thighs appeared in Attack Position.

 **Altergeist Emulatelf ATK 1400 DEF 1800 LVL: 4**

"And since I activated a Trap Card, I can Special Summon Multifaker from my hand!" The multi-legged female humanoid Altergeist reappeared in Attack Position, summoned to Hexstia's bottom Link Marker.

 **Altergeist Multifaker ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 3**

"Multifaker's additional effect! Since it was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon an 'Altergeist' monster from my Deck in Defense Position. Come, Altergeist Silquitous!" Another copy of the winged Altergeist appeared.

 **Altergeist Silquitous ATK 800 DEF 1500 LVL: 2**

"Hexstia's monster effect! It gains Multifaker's attack points!"

 **Altergeist Hexstia ATK 1500→2700**

"Analysis: The female meatbag has filled her field with monsters, one of which has a card-removal effect." HK dipped its head. "This could be troublesome. I Set one card. I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" Ghost Girl looked at her card and smiled. "This Duel is over, AI duelist! Open before me, the circuit that connects to the unknown parallel universe!" The Link portal appeared in front of her. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Altergeist' monsters. I set Emulatelf and Link-2 Hexstia in the Link Markers!" Said monsters entered the bottom, right, and bottom-right arrows.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3 Altergeist Primebanshee!" A massive snake-like black and burgundy monster emerged from the portal. It had four arms that ended in snake heads and a long body. It laughed from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Altergeist Primebanshee ATK 2100 LINK-3** ↓→↘

"Statement: This is the ace monster of the 'Altergeist' Deck," HK-70 said.

"Are you sure about that?" Ghost Girl asked, making the AI duelist look up as she gestured to her field. "Since Hexstia was sent to the Graveyard, its effect activates, and I add an 'Altergeist' card from my Deck to my hand." She took another copy of Marionetter from her Deck, then gestured to her field again. "Silquitous's monster effect! I return Altergeist Multifaker to my hand to return Mechassassin's Array to your hand!" Said cards both disintegrated, to HK's annoyance.

"With that card out of the way, I can damage you," Ghost Girl pointed out. "Primebanshee's monster effect! By Tributing an 'Altergeist' monster, I can Special Summon another 'Altergeist' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker. I Tribute Silquitous and Special Summon Altergeist Fifinellag!" A red and orange female monster with a horn and pointed legs was summoned to Primebanshee's bottom-right Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Altergeist Fifinellag ATK 0 DEF 1000 LVL: 2**

HK-70 started. "Surprised Statement: That monster is a Tuner monster!"

"She is, but you're getting ahead of yourself," Ghost Girl chided. "I summon Marionetter!"

 **Altergeist Marionetter ATK 1600 DEF 1700 LVL: 4**

"Marionetter's monster effect! I Set a 2nd copy of Haunted Rock from my Deck. In addition, since it was Set by the effect of an 'Altergeist' card, I can activate Haunted Rock!" Ghost Girl smiled. "When Haunted Rock is activated, I must send an 'Altergeist' monster from my hand to the Graveyard. I discard Altergeist Kunquery."

She then gestured to her field again. "Marionetter's additional effect! By sending Haunted Rock to the Graveyard, I can resurrect Hexstia from the Graveyard!" Hexstia reappeared, summoned to Primebanshee's bottom Link Marker.

 **Altergeist Hexstia ATK 1500 LINK-2** ↓→

Ghost Girl held her index and middle finger up in front of her. "It's time to show off my own evolution! Level 2 Altergeist Fifinellag tunes Level 4 Altergeist Marionetter!" The world grayed out as she spread her arms and two light blue flames appeared on either side of her. The flames joined together and enveloped her in fire before striking the two monsters. Fifinellag and Marionetter disintegrated into blue data before reforming into two rings, one green and one purple, with tags labeled "2" and "4" attached to each ring respectively. The rings turned blue and merged together.

"The legendary evil spirit!" Ghost Girl chanted as the blue ring separated into six circled by blue-green blocks. "Surpass eternal time and show yourself!" A screen in front of the rings said "2 + 4" then changed to "6." A surge of purple light went through the rings.

"Synchro Summon!" Ghost Girl declared. "Appear! Level 6! Altergeist Dragvirion!" A large dark blue, light blue, and white Altergeist emerged from the rings. It had four clawed arms and held a staff in its right arm. It stood on two hind-legs with three raised tails behind it and had a mane of green hair on its head. The Synchro Monster roared from Hexstia's right Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Altergeist Dragvirion ATK 2200 DEF 1200 LVL: 6**

"Surprised Statement: Synchro Summoning…" HK mused. "This is… unexpected."

"Hexstia's monster effect! It gains attack points equal to Dragvirion's attack points!"

 **Altergeist Hexstia ATK 1500→3700**

"Battle! Dragvirion attacks Spotter!" Dragvirion's tails extended in length and lashed out at Spotter, but HK only lowered its head.

"Statement: This is what I was waiting for. Trap activate! Mechassassin's Shielding!" The card showed Mechassassin Commander standing in the middle of a light blue sphere as small explosions bounced off the shield. "Mechassassin's Shielding prevents my monster's destruction by this battle and then ends the Battle Phase."

"I won't let you! Hexstia's monster effect! I Tribute Dragvirion to negate your Trap Card and destroy it!" Dragvirion and the Trap Card both disintegrated.

"Statement: With your monster's disappearance, Hexstia loses attack points."

 **Altergeist Hexstia ATK 3700→1500**

"Statement: With Hexstia's attack points returned to normal, you do not have the strength to destroy Commander. On my next turn, I only need to attack either of your monsters, and victory will be mine."

"Are you sure about that?" Ghost Girl asked while smirking, confusing HK-70. "Dragivirion's monster effect! If it is Tributed and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon it!" Her Synchro Monster reappeared at Hexstia's Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Altergeist Dragvirion ATK 2200 DEF 1200 LVL: 6**

"Hexstia's monster effect!"

 **Altergeist Hexstia ATK 1500→3700**

"…Unnecessary Statement: It would seem I made an error in my calculations."

"That's one way to put it," Ghost Girl, not losing her smirk as she gestured to her field. "The battle continues! Dragvirion, attack Spotter!" Dragvirion's tails lashed out and skewered Spotter, destroying it.

 **HK-70: 3000→1600 LP**

"Now Primebanshee's turn! Attack Mechanic! Venom Duct!" One of Primebanshee's arms lashed out and struck the machine, destroying it and making HK's D-Board wobble.

 **HK-70: 1600→1100 LP**

"Looks like this is your end! Bye bye!" Ghost Girl winked at HK. "Hexstia, attack Commander!" Hexstia gathered golden energy in its hands and then threw it at Commander, destroying it in an explosion and knocking HK-70 off its D-Board.

 **HK-70: 1100→0 LP**

"Depressed Statement: I failed you, Master Zahhak…" HK muttered as the lights in its eyes died and it disintegrated into red data. Ghost Girl frowned downwards before turning.

"Blue Girl and Soulburner's Duel should be over soon. I should find my partner."

* * *

It didn't take her long to locate the duo. Unfortunately, she arrived just in time to watch Soulburner's Salamangreat Violet Chimera destroy Blue Girl's Trickstar Band Sweet Guitar and send Blue Girl hurtling down the cliff, where she landed on a ledge.

"Blue Girl!" Ghost Girl said, shocked as she raced towards her partner. Unfortunately, Blue Girl disintegrated into blue data before she reached her, so she spoke to Soulburner. "What did you do to her?"

Soulburner turned around, blinked in surprise and smiled. "Oh, Ghost Girl! I'm glad you're safe. As for Blue Girl, I had her log out." Ghost Girl's eyes widened. He could force a log out from this place? Soulburner suddenly wobbled and fell to one knee.

Ghost Girl looked him up and down. He wasn't in good shape; even though he'd won, it looked like Blue Girl had made him work for it. "I'd challenge you to a duel, but you're in no condition for that," she said. "And I lost my partner, so I'll withdraw for today."

"Then use this," Flame said, holding up an orb of purple data.

"What's this?" Soulburner asked, taking the orb.

"A copy of the escape program I received from Ghost Girl," Flame answered.

"Here," Soulburner said, throwing Ghost Girl the program. She caught it and smiled.

"You might be cuter than Ai," she told Flame, winking at him. The Ignis blushed i as she turned to Soulburner. "In exchange, take this." She loaded a blue orb of data from her Duel Disk and gave it to Soulburner. "It's the duel data from my match with that AI duelist; it destroyed Morningstar's drone, so he could use that. Please give it to him."

Soulburner nodded. "Don't worry. I will."

Ghost Girl smiled. "I'll withdraw for today! Let's meet again someday." She looked up and caught sight of the drone Morningstar had following Soulburner. Winking at it, she logged out.

Flame finally got his voice back. "She's a goddess!" he said while blushing.

"Don't be serious!" Soulburner said in disbelief, glaring at the Ignis.

* * *

Playmaker and Morningstar flew their D-Boards over the clouds. They had long since left the canyons behind and were currently flying over a sea of yellow clouds. Looking at his Duel Disk, Morningstar frowned.

"What is it?" Playmaker asked.

"That AI duelist shot down the drone I had following it and Ghost Girl," Morningstar explained.

"She'll be alright. She's strong," Playmaker said.

"Not as strong as us, but I agree with Playmaker," Cypher said. "Oh!"

"What?"

"Look!"

Cypher brought up the signal from the other drone. Morningstar's eyes widened as he saw Blue Girl disappear and Ghost Girl appear in front of Soulburner.

"It looks like she won her duel. And Soulburner won his," Morningstar said.

"That's good. It means we can focus on finding Bohman," Playmaker said. Morningstar nodded at that.

A few minutes later, Ai popped out of Playmaker's Duel Disk and pointed. "There's the edge of the wind field!" The two humans narrowed their eyes on seeing the pillars and the light between them.

"Yeah. Seems so," Playmaker said. "That's where he is."

Morningstar's eyes narrowed further. "It's time to finish this and save Kusanagi's brother."

* * *

 **Ghost Girl vs. HK-70**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Ghost Girl**

Ghost Girl Normal Summons Altergeist Marionetter (1600/1700/4). Since Marionetter was Normal Summoned, Ghost Girl can Set 1 "Altergeist" Trap Card from her Deck in her Spell & Trap Zone. She Sets Altergeist Haunted Rock. Since Haunted Rock was Set by the effect of an "Altergeist" card, it can be activated the turn it was Set. Ghost Girl activates the Continuous Trap Card Altergeist Haunted Rock. Since Haunted Rock was activated, Ghost Girl must send 1 "Altergeist" monster from her hand to her GY. She sends Altergeist Silquitous to the GY. Since she activated a Trap Card, Ghost Girl activates the effect of Altergeist Multifaker in her hand, Special Summoning it in Attack Position (1200/800/3). Since Multifaker was Special Summoned, Ghost Girl can Special Summon 1 "Altergeist" monster from her Deck in Defense Position. She Special Summons Altergeist Meluseek (500/300/1). Ghost Girl uses Meluseek and Multifaker to Link Summon Altergeist Hexstia (1500/2/↓→) to the left Extra Monster Zone. Since Meluseek was sent from the field to the GY, Ghost Girl can add 1 "Altergeist" monster from her Deck to her hand. She adds Altergeist Kunquery to her hand. Ghost Girl activates the effect of Marionetter to send 1 "Altergeist" card she controls to the GY and Special Summon 1 "Altergeist" monster from her GY in Defense Position. She sends Haunted Rock to the GY and Special Summons Altergeist Silquitous (800/1500/2) at Hexstia's bottom Link Marker. Hexstia gains ATK equal to the original ATK of each "Altergeist" monster it points to (Hexstia: 1500→2300). Ghost Girl Sets 1 card (Altergeist Camouflage). She ends her turn.

 **Turn 2: HK-70**

HK draws. It Normal Summons Mechassassin HNT-3R (1600/0/4). Since it controls a Level 4 or lower "Mechassassin" monster, HK Special Summons Mechassassin 5N-PR (2000/0/5) in Attack Position. Ghost Girl activates the effect of Silquitous, returning Marionetter to her hand and targeting 5N-PR. 5N-PR is returned to HK's hand. HK activates HNT-3R's effect, paying 500 LP (HK-70: 4000→3500 LP) to target and destroy 1 face-up monster Ghost Girl controls, but it cannot conduct its Battle Phase the turn it activates this effect. HK targets Hexstia, but Ghost Girl activates the effect of Hexstia, Tributing Silquitous to negate the activation of HNT-3R's effect and destroy it (Hexstia: 2300→1500). Since Silquitous was sent from the field to the GY, Ghost Girl can add 1 "Altergeist" Trap in her GY to her hand. She adds Haunted Rock to her hand. Since Ghost Girl controls a monster, HK activates the effect of Mechassassin DR-N3 in its hand, Special Summoning it (800/0/2) and 5N-PR (2000/0/5) with its effects negated, both in Attack Position. HK activates the effect of DR-N3, paying 500 LP (HK-70: 3500→3000 LP) to add 1 "Mechassassin" card from its Deck to its hand, but it cannot conduct its Battle Phase this turn. It adds Mechassassin's Factory to its hand. HK uses DR-N3 to Link Summon Mechassassin 5P0-T3R (800/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. HK activates the Continuous Spell Card Mechassassin's Factory. HK activates the effect of Mechassassin's Factory, targeting Hexstia and paying 1000 LP (HK: 3000→2000 LP). HK can then Special Summon Mechassassin Tokens up to Hexstia's Link Rating. HK Special Summons 2 Mechassassin Tokens (0/0/1 each) in Defense Position. HK uses 2 Mechassassin Tokens and 5N-PR to Link Summon Mechassassin C0M-D3R (2400/3/←↑→) to 5P0-T3R's Link Marker.

HK activates the effect of 5P0-T3R, targeting C0M-D3R. Ghost Girl takes damage equal to half of C0M-D3R's original ATK, then 1 of her Spell/Trap Cards is destroyed. Ghost Girl takes 1200 damage (Ghost Girl: 4000→2800 LP) and HK destroys her Set Altergeist Camouflage. Since Ghost Girl took damage from the effect of a "Mechassassin" monster C0M-D3R points to, HK gains LP equal to that damage (HK: 2000→3200 LP). Since Ghost Girl's card was destroyed by the effect of a "Mechassassin" monster it points to, C0M-D3R's additional effect activates, letting HK Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Mechassassin" monster from its GY to C0M-D3R's Link Marker and inflict 800 damage to Ghost Girl. HK Special Summons HNT-3R (1600/0/4) to C0M-D3R's left Link Marker in Attack Position (Ghost Girl: 2800→2000 LP). HK activates the effect of HNT-3R, targeting Hexstia and paying 500 LP to destroy it (HK-70: 3200→2700 LP). Since her "Altergeist" card would be destroyed by a card effect, Ghost Girl banishes Altergeist Camouflage from her GY instead. HK Sets 1 card. It ends its turn.

 **Turn 3: Ghost Girl**

Ghost Girl draws. Ghost Girl Normal Summons Marionetter (1600/1700/4) to Hexstia's bottom Link Marker (Hexstia: 1500→3100). Marionetter's effect activates, and Ghost Girl Sets Altergeist Emulatelf directly from her Deck. Ghost Girl Sets 1 card.

Marionetter attacks 5P0-T3R. HK activates its Set Continuous Trap Card Mechassassin's Array. If its "Mechassassin" monster battles, HK can pay 500 LP to negate the damage from that battle (HK-70: 2700→2200 LP). Marionetter destroys 5P0-T3R. Hexstia attacks and destroys C0M-D3R, but HK activates the effect of Mechassassin's Array (HK-70: 2200→1700 LP). Ghost Girl ends her turn.

 **Turn 4: HK-70**

HK draws. It activates the effect of HNT-3R, paying 500 LP to target and destroy Hexstia (HK-70: 1700→1200 LP). Ghost Girl activates Hexstia's effect, Tributing Marionetter to negate HNT-3R's effect and destroy it (Hexstia: 3100→1500). HK activates the Spell Card Mechassassin's Repair Shop, which lets him Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Mechassassin" monster from its GY in Defense Position with its effects negated. In addition, the turn Repair Shop is activated, Ghost Girl can't activate cards or effects in response to the effects of "Mechassassin" monsters. It Special Summons HNT-3R (1600/0/4). HK uses HNT-3R to Link Summon Mechassassin 5P0-T3R (800/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. HK activates the effect of Mechassassin's Factory, targeting Hexstia (HK: 1200→200 LP). HK Special Summons 2 Mechassassin Tokens (0/0/1 each) in Defense Position. HK uses 2 Mechassassin Tokens to Link Summon Mechassassin M3C-N1C (1600/2/←→) to 5P0-T3R's Link Marker. HK activates the effect of M3C-N1C to Special Summon 1 "Mechassassin" Link Monster from its GY to its Link Marker, then gain LP equal to its Link Rating x 600, but HK cannot conduct its Battle Phase this turn. HK Special Summons Mechassassin C0M-D3R (2400/3/←↑→) to M3C-N1C's right Link Marker (HK: 200→2000 LP).

HK activates the effect of 5P0-T3R, targeting M3C-N1C. Ghost Girl takes damage equal to half of M3C-N1C's ATK, then 1 of her Spell/Trap Cards is destroyed (Ghost Girl: 2000→1200 LP). The Set Altergeist Haunted Rock is destroyed. Since Ghost Girl took effect damage from the effect of a "Mechassassin" monster, the effect of M3C-N1C inflicts 600 damage (Ghost Girl: 1200→600 LP). Since Ghost Girl took damage from the effect of a "Mechassassin" monster C0M-D3R points to, HK gains LP equal to the damage (HK-70: 2000→2600 LP). HK activates its Skill, Assassin's Snipe. By paying 800 LP (HK-70: 2600→1800 LP), it can inflict 300 damage to Ghost Girl for each "Mechassassin" card in its GY. There are 5 "Mechassassin" cards, so Ghost Girl takes 1500 damage. Ghost Girl activates her Skill, Secret Cure, which lets her excavate cards from her Deck until a Monster Card is revealed. That monster is then added to her hand, all non-Monster Cards are sent to the GY, and both players gain LP equal to that monster's ATK. Ghost Girl excavates Mistaken Arrest, then excavates Altergeist Multifaker. Mistaken Arrest is sent to the GY, Multifaker is added to Ghost Girl's hand, and both players gain 1200 LP (Ghost Girl: 600→1800 LP) (HK-70: 1800→3000 LP). HK's Skill resolves (Ghost Girl: 1800→300 LP). Ghost Girl activates the Continuous Trap Card Altergeist Emulatelf, which Special Summons itself as an Effect Monster (1400/1800/4) in Attack Position. Since Ghost Girl activated a Trap Card, she Special Summons Multifaker (1200/800/3) from her hand in Attack Position to Hexstia's bottom Link Marker (Hexstia: 1500→2700). Since Multifaker was Special Summoned, Ghost Girl can Special Summon 1 "Altergeist" monster from her Deck in Defense Position. She Special Summons Silquitous (800/1500/2) in Defense Position. HK Sets 1 card. It ends its turn.

 **Turn 5: Ghost Girl**

Ghost Girl draws. Ghost Girl uses Emulatelf and Link-2 Hexstia to Link Summon Altergeist Primebanshee (2100/3/↓→↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Hexstia was sent to the GY, its effect activates, and Ghost Girl can add 1 "Altergeist" card from her Deck to her hand. She adds Altergeist Marionetter to her hand. Ghost Girl activates the effect of Silquitous, returning Multifaker to her hand and targeting Mechassassin's Array. Array is returned to HK's hand. Ghost Girl activates Primebanshee's effect, Tributing Silquitous to Special Summon 1 "Altergeist" monster from her Deck to its Link Marker. Ghost Girl Special Summons Altergeist Fifinellag (0/1000/2) to Primebanshee's bottom-right Link Marker in Attack Position. Ghost Girl Normal Summons Marionetter (1600/1700/4). Since Marionetter was Normal Summoned, Ghost Girl Sets Altergeist Haunted Rock from her Deck. Since Haunted Rock was Set by the effect of an "Altergeist" card, Ghost Girl can activate it. Ghost Girl activates the Continuous Trap Card Altergeist Haunted Rock, which lets her send 1 "Altergeist" monster from her hand to the GY. She sends Kunquery to the GY. Ghost Girl activates Marionetter's effect, sending Haunted Rock to the GY to Special Summon Hexstia (1500/2/↓→) from the GY. Ghost Girl tunes Level 2 Fifinellag to Level 4 Marionetter to Synchro Summon Altergeist Dragvirion (2200/1200/6) to Hexstia's right Link Marker in Attack Position (Hexstia: 1500→3700).

Dragvirion attacks 5P0-T3R. HK activates its Set Trap Card Mechassassin's Shielding, which would prevent 5P0-T3R's destruction by battle and end the Battle Phase. Ghost Girl activates Hexstia's effect, Tributing Dragvirion to negate the activation of Shielding and destroy it (Hexstia: 3700→1500). Since Dragvirion was Tributed and sent to the GY, its effect activates, and Ghost Girl Special Summons it (2200/1200/6) to Hexstia's right Link Marker (Hexstia: 1500→3700). Dragvirion attacks and destroys 5P0-T3R (HK-70: 3000→1600 LP). Primebanshee attacks and destroys M3C-N1C (HK-70: 1600→1100 LP). Hexstia attacks and destroys C0M-D3R (HK-70: 1100→0 LP). Ghost Girl wins.

* * *

 _ **Mechassassin HNT-3R (Hunter)  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Machine/Effect] ATK 1600 DEF 0 Level: 4  
_ _Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls and pay 500 LP; destroy that monster. The turn you activate this effect, you cannot conduct your Battle Phase._

 _ **Mechassassin 5N-PR (Sniper)  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Machine/Effect] ATK 2000 DEF 0 Level: 5  
_ _If you control a Level 4 or lower "Mechassassin" monster: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only activate this effect of "Mechassassin 5N-PR" once per turn. Once per turn: You can target 1 Set card your opponent controls and pay 500 LP; destroy that card, then you can Set 1 "Mechassassin" card from your Deck. The card Set by this effect cannot be activated the turn it is Set. The turn you activate this effect, you cannot conduct your Battle Phase._

 _ **Mechassassin DR-N3 (Drone)  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Machine/Effect] ATK 800 DEF 0 Level: 2  
_ _If your opponent controls a face-up monster: You can Special Summon this card and 1 "Mechassassin" monster, except "Mechassassin DR-N3" (from your hand) with its effects negated. You can only activate this effect of "Mechassassin DR-N3" once per turn. Once per turn: You can pay 500 LP; add 1 "Mechassassin" card from your Deck to your hand. The turn you activate this effect, you cannot conduct your Battle Phase._

 _ **Mechassassin 5P0-T3R (Spotter)  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Machine/Link/Effect] ATK 800 LINK-1_ ↓  
 _1 "Mechassassin" monster  
_ _Once per turn: You can target 1 "Mechassassin" monster this card points to; inflict damage to your opponent equal to half that monster's original ATK, and if you do, you can destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this effect. You can only Special Summon "Mechassassin 5P0-T3R" once per turn._

 _ **Mechassassin C0M-D3R (Commander)  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Machine/Link/Effect] ATK 2400 LINK-3_ ←↑→  
 _2+ "Mechassassin" monsters  
_ _If your opponent takes effect damage from the effect of a "Mechassassin" monster this card points to: You can gain LP equal to that damage. If your opponent's card is destroyed by the effect of a "Mechassassin" monster this card points to: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower "Mechassassin" monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your zone this card points to, then inflict 800 damage to your opponent. You can only activate this effect of "Mechassassin C0M-D3R" once per turn. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase if this card is in your Main Monster Zone._

 _ **Mechassassin M3C-N1C (Mechanic)  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Machine/Link/Effect] ATK 1600 LINK-2_ ←→  
 _2 "Mechassassin" monsters  
_ _You can target 1 "Mechassassin" Link Monster in your GY; Special Summon it to your zone this card points to, then gain LP equal to its Link Rating x 600. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this effect. If your opponent takes damage by the effect of your "Mechassassin" monster, except "Mechassassin M3C-N1C", inflict 600 damage to your opponent. You can only activate each effect of "Mechassassin M3C-N1C" once per turn._

 _ **Mechassassin's Factory Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can target 1 Link Monster on the field and pay 1000 LP; Special Summon "Mechassassin Token" (Machine/DARK/ Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) up to that monster's Link Rating. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect's activation. You cannot Special Summon other monsters the turn you activate this effect, except for "Mechassassin" monsters._

 _ **Mechassassin's Array Continuous Trap Card  
**_ _During your opponent's Battle Phase: If your "Mechassassin" monster battles, you can pay 500 LP; you take no damage from that battle. If you control a Link-3 or higher "Mechassassin" monster, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect's activation._

 _ **Mechassassin's Repair Shop Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 Level 4 or lower "Mechassassin" monster in your GY; Special Summon it in Defense Position with its effects negated. The turn this card is activated, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to the activation of the effects of your "Mechassassin" monsters. You can only activate "Mechassassin's Repair Shop" once per turn._

 _ **Mechassassin's Shielding Normal Trap Card  
**_ _When your "Mechassassin" monster battles: Your monster cannot be destroyed by that battle, then end the Battle Phase. You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 "Mechassassin" monster you control; gain LP equal to half its ATK. You cannot activate this effect the turn this card is sent to the GY._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-OH! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 36 – Stolen Memories. Playmaker and Morningstar locate Bohman and Haru above the clouds. Engaging the duo in a Tag Duel, the hacker and hunter rely on teamwork and their own raw power to face the siblings' deadly combination…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

What is your opinion of the Mechassassin cards? I got the idea of them from Blood Shepherd's Drone monsters, but there are differences.

* * *

 **Author's Notes & Responses to Reviews**

Thank you to guardian of the aura Aurasoul, HunterHQ, D3lph0xL0v3r, Nirvash Neo, Sanctum of Spectrum, G57steve, Frost190, Guest, jdkeller2000, ZarcEternal, Unknowedz, Ethan Kironus, NewComer1, Fenghuang0296, Lindia Fullmoon, tsukikami02, ThePLOThand, Phantom Flame-98, King of the End, and bladeWriter3 for reviewing Chapter 35.

Sanctum of Spectrum: I admit I did see the connotations behind Cosmic Crusader's name, but I couldn't think up a better name.

G57steve: I have said this before, but I shall say it again: The names of all Cyspirit Extra Deck monsters and Ritual Monsters, including Xyz Monsters, are alliterative. I am not making any exceptions to this rule. Therefore, I can't make a monster called Cyspirit Overlay Nova. It would have to be something like Overlay Overlord or Nebulous Nova.

ZarcEternal: I forgot to mention this about Sylphid in the last chapter, so thank you, you gave me a chance to clarify this: Shizuka Midori has an extreme case of both PTSD and escapism; the trauma of her parents' deaths and the events in Osaka left her, as you put it, "super emo," in real life as a coping mechanism. But when she's in LINK VRAINS, she can get away from that pain and allow herself to have fun. Think of it as a more extreme variant of Aoi Zaizen's relationship with Blue Angel in season 1.

Unknowedz: I won't say who Cassiel is, but I will say she is not Terminus. That would be weird.

Fenghuang0296: Thank you for the suggestions, but unlike the Cyspirits, the Cyseraph monsters aren't alliterative. They are instead based on archangels. As for Zahhak and "hack" … No, it was not intentional, and I only caught it when you pointed it out. Thanks for that.

pokemonking0924: You didn't review Chapter 35, but I'll answer your questions here. At this point in time, I have no plans for Morningstar to learn Pendulum Summoning. Partly because I'm not sure how it would work in his Deck, but also because I want to wait. And no, Morningstar does not have a bike program.

bladeWriter3: The Cyangels gimmick reminds me more of the Madolches, but Raphael and his Guardians is a good comparison, too.

I'll break down this chapter into three parts: the meeting with Windy, the Mechassassin cards, and the duel between Ghost Girl and HK-70.

First, we met Windy. While Ai and Flame have no real issue with him (yet), Cypher and Windy don't get along, partly because Windy pulls pranks but also because Cypher makes fun of his height. At this point in the story, Windy is the Ignis Cypher gets along with the least. We'll learn more about Cypher's relationships with the other Ignis in later chapters. We also found out that Windy wasn't responsible for Jester's program. He's telling the truth on this; Jester, HK-70, and HK-70's master are part of a different faction.

Moving on, we had the duel, and the debut of the Mechassassin archetype. A huge thank you to OPFan37 and ThePLOThand, for helping me make the archetype. Mechassassin Mechanic is originally ThePLOThand's creation, but the archetype evolved a lot, so I changed the effects around. The Mechassassins focus on a combination of paying Life Points to activate effects, mostly revolving on swarming and destruction, then inflicting effect damage to the opponent and self-healing. Like I said, I got the idea for them off of Blood Shepherd's drones but decided for them to focus exclusively on effect damage with effects that skip the Battle Phase. As for the appearances, each of them is based off a Star Wars droid, mostly from the Knights of the Old Republic and The Old Republic video games. If anyone wants to get a better picture of them, I'll include a list of which droids they look like at the end.

As for why HK-70 dueled Ghost Girl… I was originally planning to have him duel Morningstar, but then I realized that I had not written a Ghost Girl duel yet. I felt like I should write at least one, so I decided to have her intercept HK-70's shot and face him instead. This also allowed me to free up Morningstar for something that's been long in the waiting: A Tag Duel with Playmaker, and their opponents are Bohman and Haru. I did consider two separate duels, with Morningstar against Haru, but I felt a Tag Duel would work better story-wise. It will have a lot of similarities to the canon duel, but that's only because I'm using that duel as a template and because I really liked it.

Thank you for reading Chapter 36 of Hidden Memories. As I said, here is a list of the Mechassassin monsters and which Star Wars droids they're based on. If you want a picture, you can find them on Wookieepedia, the Star Wars fandom website.

Mechassassin Hunter: Sentinel droid

Mechassassin Sniper: Warbot

Mechassassin Drone: Municipal patrol droid Mark I

Mechassassin Spotter: BAF-600 Warfare Droid

Mechassassin Commander: Assassin droid/Legends (Its picture is listed under the "Appearances" tab, with the caption "An assassin droid in 3653 BBY")

Mechassassin Mechanic: BAF-320 Repair Droid

Mechassassin Token: B1 battle droid


	37. Chapter 37: Stolen Memories

**Previous Chapter Updates**

I went back to Chapter 35 and changed Blazing Uriel's effect. Originally, its effect to Special Summon up to 2 "Cyangel" monsters would activate if it left the field. I changed it so that it only activated if it left the field because of an opponent's card.

* * *

 **Chapter 37: Stolen Memories**

 **Per NewComer1's suggestion, I've decided I'll only post my opening when a change occurs in it. Also, I would like to announce that after I reach Episode 73, I'll make a new opening, and possibly an ending. If anyone would like to offer suggestions for either of them, please post them in a review. That aside, please enjoy Chapter 37.**

* * *

"Playmaker is approaching, and Bohman's memory transfer is complete."

Haru looked up at the shadowy figure he was kneeling in front of. "You want me to observe their Duel as before?"

"That was the plan originally, but there's an unexpected participant." Haru raised an eyebrow. "The former bounty hunter Morningstar is with Playmaker, as is the Silver Ignis."

Haru's eyes narrowed. He remembered what he had been taught of the Ignis. And just how dangerous the Silver Ignis was. "You want me to battle him?"

"Not exactly," Haru's master said, the amusement in his voice clear. "I've decided to make an alteration to the current plan. One I think you'll enjoy."

* * *

Morningstar and Playmaker rode their D-Boards among the pillars they'd noticed at the edge of Windy's world.

"No one's here," Ai noted. Looking around, the two duelists both frowned.

"Wait," Cypher said, his eyes narrowed. "I feel-."

The Ignis was cut off as a rumbling sound came from below them. Looking around, the duo's eyes widened as the pillars all tumbled down, some smashing into each other and breaking before falling down into the clouds.

"What's going on?" Ai asked in a panic. Then he screeched as a giant stone hand emerged from the clouds and tried to grab Morningstar and Playmaker.

"What?" Playmaker said as he narrowly rode over the hand's fingers, escaping it. Morningstar, meanwhile, turned to the left and dodged it. The hunter's eyes widened as another giant hand shot up and tried to grab him.

"The other way!" Cypher shouted. Morningstar grit his teeth and dodged along the side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Playmaker dodge another hand and traveled back to his friend.

"Someone's either trying to capture us or guide us somewhere," he said to the hacker.

Before Playmaker could respond, a giant stone statue popped out of the clouds in front of them. The statue wore armor that Morningstar recognized as Roman and had one hand on a planted sword. Haru was relaxing on the statue's helmet, while on its plume-.

"I've been waiting for you, Playmaker!" Morningstar recognized the speaker as Bohman, the same enemy Playmaker defeated before. But he'd changed outfits; now he wore black armor with yellow linings over white pants, and several yellow four-pointed stars on his chest, arms, and knees.

"Bohman!" Playmaker said, glaring at the man.

"He showed up!" Ai said, surprised. Then he turned confused. "But he seems different than before."

"Last time you fought him, he wore a jumpsuit. Now he's wearing armor," Cypher noted. "Is it symbolic, or…?"

"Bohman, give back Kusanagi's brother's consciousness data!" Playmaker demanded.

"Fine," Bohman agreed as the hunter and hacker ascended to his height. "But if I win…"

"You get to have me, right?" Ai asked, pointing to himself.

Bohman smirked. "I have no interest in you," he said.

"What? You don't want me?" Ai said disbelievingly.

"Of course he doesn't," Cypher said. "Why would he when I'm here?"

"I have no interest in you either, Silver Ignis," Bohman said, and Cypher doubled over like he'd been stabbed in the heart. "What I need is… You'll find out when our match ends, Playmaker."

Ai sunk to his knees. "I can't believe my boom is already over," he bemoaned.

"I know," Cypher said, sinking to a similar position. "My boom didn't even start, and already it's over."

"…Please stop that," Morningstar told his partner. "It's weird."

The four turned as another stone statue rose from the clouds to stand opposite Bohman's. The statues raised the hands that weren't on their swords so they were facing flat against each other. They watched as a Duel Field materialized between the statues.

"That's…"

"A Master Duel field," Playmaker said, finishing Ai's statement.

Bohman pointed at Playmaker. "Follow me, Playmaker! Let's duel!" Bohman jumped down and landed on the statue's arm, then leapt to its hand.

"He was fleeing last time, but he really wants to duel this time," Ai said. "How suspicious."

"Cypher, are you sensing anything weird from him?" Morningstar asked.

"…I'm not sure. I wasn't close enough to him before to feel anything. But senses aside, his personality seems to have changed significantly."

"Even if he has changed, I expected him to challenge me," Playmaker said. "That's why I'll end it here!"

"Then why don't we make it more interesting?"

The duo, along with Bohman and the Ignis, turned to Haru as he stood up. "Morningstar, we weren't expecting you to come here," he said. "So why don't we duel, too?"

"No, Haru!" Bohman said, glaring up at his brother. "I won't let my brother face someone like him. I'll take Morningstar on as well!"

"I didn't mean he and I should duel each other," Haru clarified. "I meant a Tag Duel."

Morningstar's and Playmaker's eyes widened. "Tag Duel?" the hunter repeated.

"Yes," Haru nodded. "Me and my brother against both of you. We'll share fields, Life Points, and Graveyards, while alternating each turn."

 _This wasn't the original plan,_ Haru thought. _But Morningstar may be just as dangerous as Playmaker, and this is a good way to not only judge his abilities, but also for me to gain some experience myself._

Morningstar and Playmaker looked at each other. The hunter knew the hacker's thoughts followed his own. In terms of skill, he knew the two of them were about equal. And they'd each seen several of the other's duels, so they both had a good feel for each other's Decks and strategies. In fact, Morningstar was willing to bet no one knew Playmaker's Deck better than him except maybe Kusanagi or Revolver.

The only problem they might have was that all of Morningstar's Link Monsters required a specific archetype, while Playmaker had no monsters from that archetype. While it wouldn't slow them down too much, it would still be a potential problem. And Morningstar was willing to bet that if he was suggesting this, Haru's Deck was either the same as Bohman's, or similar enough that it didn't matter.

"I have no objections to this arrangement," Playmaker finally said.

Morningstar smiled in response. "Neither do I. Let's go!"

"Yes! We get to fight together, Cypher!" Ai cheered. "With all four of us against those two, we'll win for sure!"

"Hmm. I'm sixty-four percent certain Morningstar and I could defeat both of them by ourselves," Cypher mused. "But your partner is just as intelligent as mine, so this might be fun."

The two of them flew over to the other statue and jumped off their D-Boards, landing on the statue's outspread hand. "We accept this match!" Playmaker said.

Haru jumped down to stand next to Bohman. "Haru, if you're really going to do this, then please be careful," Bohman requested before looking at Playmaker. "Today, I'll stain your disrespectful face in the color of despair!"

Haru smirked as his Duel Disk activated. _I'll get a first-hand seat to see the power given to Bohman,_ he thought. Out loud, he said, "Get ready!"

"This ends here!" Morningstar declared.

"Here I go!" Bohman readied his Duel Disk.

"Bring it!" Playmaker said.

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Playmaker & Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Bohman & Haru: 4000 LP**

"I go first," Bohman declared. Playmaker gasped as Morningstar's eyes narrowed. "I Special Summon Hydradrive Booster from my hand in Attack Position!" A mechanical monster that resembled a gold and silver dragonfly appeared.

 **Hydradrive Booster ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"I can Special Summon it from my hand when none of us have monsters in our Main Monster Zones," Bohman continued. "Appear! The circuit that connects the truth!" Lightning arced over his body as the Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Booster in the Link Marker!" His monster became a gold whirlwind and entered the bottom arrow.

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Burn Hydradrive!" A red and orange segmented mechanical dragon emerged from the portal, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Burn Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"When there is a Fire monster on your field, this card can attack you directly," Bohman said.

"There it is, Playmaker!" Ai said. "A fire one this time!"

"Yeah," Playmaker said. "If it matches our Attribute, his monster can attack us directly."

"He had Water and Wind monsters before, and his Hydradrive Booster was Earth," Morningstar noted. "Perhaps that means he doesn't have Dark or Light Hydradrive monsters?"

"Well then, that gives us an advantage since all Cyspirit monsters are Light," Cypher said smugly. Morningstar meanwhile looked at Playmaker, noticing his frown.

"What is it?"

"His Deck; it's the same one as before?" Playmaker said. Morningstar, Ai, and Cypher all looked at him questioningly. "When he chose to go first," he explained. "I thought he'd use a different Deck."

"Why?" Ai asked. "Oh, I see!" He pounded his fist in his open hand in comprehension. "You can't attack if you go first. So it's better to go second and see what we do so that he can match our Attribute."

"But he knows that," Morningstar mused. "He must be using a different strategy than your first duel."

"That, or he's setting up the board for Haru," Cypher pointed out. Morningstar nodded, conceding the point.

"Try to figure out my strategy, Playmaker!" Bohman taunted. "Next, I summon Hydradrive Booster!" Another copy of his monster appeared.

 **Hydradrive Booster ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Appear again! The circuit that connects the truth! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning condition is one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Booster in the Link Marker!" His monster entered the bottom arrow. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Coolant Hydradrive!" Another segmented mechanical dragon, this one light blue and gray and instead of red and orange, emerged from the portal, summoned to Burn Hydradrive's Link Marker.

 **Coolant Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"This field becomes a place to judge and expose your crimes!" Bohman declared.

"My crimes?" Playmaker asked, confused.

"I'm assuming he's not talking about illegal hacking and possession of a stolen program," Cypher said softly to Morningstar, who rolled his eyes.

"From my hand, I activate the Link Spell Card: Judgment Arrows!" The Spell Card appeared and glowed at Coolant Hydradrive's Link Marker.

 **Judgment Arrows** ↖↑↗

"There's his Link Spell!" Playmaker said, gritting his teeth. Morningstar frowned and narrowed his eyes at the card.

"When the Link Monster linked to this card battles, its attack points are doubled!" Bohman reminded Playmaker.

"With that card, his monsters' attack points are essentially 2000," Cypher noted.

"Here comes the main event!" Bohman declared. "Appear! The circuit that connects the truth! The summoning conditions are two 'Hydradrive' Link Monsters! I set Burn and Coolant Hydradrive in the Link Markers!" Said monsters became blue and red whirlwinds and entered the left and right arrows.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Twin Hydradrive Knight!" The monster that emerged from the portal was humanoid and wore silver and golden armor. An orange plume flowed from its helmet and it wielded two longswords in its hands. The monster crossed its blades as it was summoned to Judgment Arrows' top-left Link Marker.

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 1800 LINK-2** ←→

"A Link-2 monster!" Playmaker said in surprise.

"Whoa! I've never seen that before!" Ai said.

"He chose this monster over two monsters that could attack directly," Cypher said. "He must have a reason."

"When Twin Hydradrive Knight is Link Summoned, its Attributes can become the same as its Link Materials," Bohman continued. "Let the two powers reside in your swords!" Blue and red serpents ran down the monster's swords before disappearing, leaving the swords glowing red and blue. "Twin Hydradrive Knight becomes Fire and Water Attribute!"

"Fire and Water. A monster with two Attributes," Playmaker noted.

"I Set two cards," Bohman said before pointing at Playmaker. "Playmaker, Morningstar, I'll let you know this: These two Set cards will decide the outcome of this duel!" Morningstar and Playmaker narrowed their eyes. "But you can't defeat me! Because Playmaker, I know your thoughts like they're my own! I end my turn. Bring it, Playmaker!"

"His dueling was sloppy last time, but he's prepared this time," Ai said. "Hey, Playmaker. His Set cards may be trouble."

"No doubt," Playmaker agreed. "One is definitely Property Spray."

"I remember that card from the video," Morningstar said. "It lets him change our monsters' Attributes while he also regains Life Points."

"So he already Set it," Cypher mused.

"Even if Property Spray isn't out, he's making us wary of it," Playmaker said.

"Did he really plan all that?" Ai asked. "That's totally different than before!"

Playmaker regarded Bohman for a moment longer before turning to his partner. "Morningstar, allow me to take the first turn." The hunter nodded. "My turn! Draw! I summon Flame Bufferlo!" A black mechanical bull with blue flaming horns and tail appeared.

 **Flame Bufferlo ATK 1400 DEF 200 LVL: 3**

"I activate Catche Eve L2's effect from my hand! By lowering the Level of my Level 3 or higher monster by 2, I can Special Summon it! I lower Flame Bufferlo to Level 1 to Special Summon Catche Eve L2!" I woman with cat paws and a tail wearing a blue poncho, white skirt, and blue hat appeared in Attack Position.

 **Flame Bufferlo Level: 3→1**

 **Catche Eve L2 ATK 800 DEF 600 LVL: 2**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal materialized above Playmaker. "The summoning condition is one Level 1 monster. I set Flame Bufferlo in the Link Marker!" Said monster entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Linkuriboh!" The small blue monster appeared at the Extra Monster Zone.

"Kuri kuri ku!" it cheered.

 **Linkuriboh ATK 300 LINK-1** ↓

"Get fired up, Linkuriboh!" Ai told his friend. The monster turned around and cheered back at Ai.

"Flame Bufferlo's monster effect!" Playmaker continued. "When it leaves the field, I discard a Cyberse monster from my hand to draw two cards." He drew, then said, "I Special Summon Cyberse White Hat!" A cowboy in a white coat with black armor on his chest and legs appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyberse White Hat ATK 1800 DEF 2400 LVL: 6**

"White Hat can be Special Summoned if I control at least two monsters with the same Type. Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" The Link portal appeared again. "The summoning conditions are two Level 2 or higher Cyberse monsters. I set Catche Eve L2 and Cyberse White Hat in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top and left arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Update Jammer!" A red-eyed boy with blue hair wearing a green coat over a black jumpsuit emerged from the portal. He wore a mask over his mouth and carried a large white metal backpack over his shoulders. Update Jammer was summoned to Linkuriboh's Link Marker.

 **Update Jammer ATK 2000 LINK-2** ←↑

Bohman looked at Update Jammer's information. "A Wind Attribute monster," he mused.

"So he avoided Fire and Water," Haru said.

"White Hat's monster effect!" Playmaker declared. "When it is sent to the Graveyard as Link Material, all monsters on my opponent's field lose 1000 attack points until the end of the turn!"

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 1800→800**

"Battle! Update Jammer attacks Twin Hydradrive Knight!"

"The Link Spell, Judgment Arrows' effect!" Bohman declared. "It doubles the attack points of a monster next to its Link Marker!"

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 800→1600**

"That's pointless!" Ai taunted. "Go get 'em, Playmaker!"

"Not yet."

Ai briefly fell over. "For real?" Morningstar turned to raise an eyebrow at Playmaker.

"Update Jammer's monster effect! When a Cyberse monster battles, all other effects on the field are negated, and the battling monsters' attack and defense points return to their original attack and defense points! So the Link Spell's effect is negated!" Update Jammer pressed a button on a small tablet.

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 1600→1800**

"Now it's attack points are higher than before," Cypher noted. Morningstar remained silent however, knowing Playmaker had a plan.

"Go, Update Jammer!" A radar dish extended from Update Jammer's backpack and released blue waves of energy at Twin Hydradrive Knight, destroying it and making Bohman wince.

 **Bohman & Haru: 4000→3800 LP**

"Update Jammer's additional effect! When your monster is destroyed by battle, you take 1000 points of damage!" Update Jammer released more blue waves. Bohman stepped in front of Haru, taking the full force of the attack and wincing.

 **Bohman & Haru: 3800→2800 LP**

"With Update Jammer's effect, the damage is higher than it would have been otherwise," Cypher realized.

"Next, Linkuriboh attacks you directly!" The small blue monster smacked Bohman in the chest, making him stumble backwards a few steps.

 **Bohman & Haru: 2800→2500 LP**

"I Set one card. I end my turn."

Bohman smirked. "You used Update Jammer to stop Judgment Arrows' effect. But you won't be able to stop what comes next."

"Yes," Haru said, stepping forward as Bohman stepped back. "My turn! Draw!" Haru looked at his cards.

"Haru," Bohman said, making the boy look back. "Be careful."

Haru smiled. "I will, brother." Looking forward again, Haru said, "I summon Hydradrive Booster!"

 **Hydradrive Booster ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Appear! My circuit! The summoning condition is one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Booster in the Link Marker!" Haru's monster entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Coolant Hydradrive!" Another light blue mechanical dragon emerged from the portal at Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker.

 **Coolant Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"So he also uses Hydradrives," Cypher nodded.

"I figured he would when he suggested a Tag Duel," Morningstar said. Playmaker nodded in agreement.

"I activate the Spell Card: Hydradrive Rebuild!" Haru continued. "This card destroys Coolant Hydradrive!" His Link Monster disintegrated at his words.

"Eh? Why would he destroy his own monster?" Ai asked.

"The destroyed Coolant Hydradrive's effect activates! When its destroyed, I can Special Summon a Hydradrive Token!" A small mechanical bug with the Hydradrive crest on its face appeared in Defense Position.

 **Hydradrive Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Since the effect of the destroyed Coolant Hydradrive was activated, Hydradrive Rebuild's effect Special Summons Coolant Hydradrive back to my field!" The Link Monster reappeared.

 **Coolant Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"The Special Summoned Coolant Hydradrive cannot attack, its effects are negated, and it is destroyed during the End Phase," Haru said.

"I think that answers your question, Ai," Cypher said.

"Eh? How?"

"Appear! My circuit! The summoning condition is one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Token in the Link Marker!" The token entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Flow Hydradrive!" A bipedal green and dark blue dragon emerged from the portal and roared from Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker.

 **Flow Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"Eh? Now he has Water and Wind?" Ai said.

"This is what I meant," Cypher explained. "He's going to do what Bohman did."

"Appear once more! My circuit! The summoning conditions are two 'Hydradrive' Link Monsters. I set Coolant and Flow Hydradrive in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Twin Hydradrive Knight!" Haru's own armored knight emerged from the portal, summoned to Judgment Arrows' top-left Link Marker.

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 1800 LINK-2** ←→

"Twin Hydradrive Knight, let Water and Wind reside in your swords!" Blue and green serpents circled the monster's swords before dissipating into blue and green auras.

"Its Attributes are Water and Wind this time!" Ai said.

"Twin Hydradrive Knight's monster effect!" Haru declared. "When it's on the field, your monsters with the same Attribute as it has their effects negated! Update Jammer is Wind Attribute, so its effects are negated!" Haru's monster swung its glowing right sword, releasing a burst of energy that struck Update Jammer. A cocoon of wind materialized around the monster. Playmaker grit his teeth.

Haru smirked as he continued his turn. "I activate the Spell Card: Hydradrive Continuation!" The card showed Burn Hydradrive and Twin Hydradrive Knight, with the former and the latter's left-handed sword glowing red. "This card lets me target a 'Hydradrive' Link Monster, then Special Summon a 'Hydradrive' Link Monster from the Graveyard with the same Attribute as that monster. I target Twin Hydradrive Knight, who is Water and Wind Attribute. Resurrect, the Wind Attribute Flow Hydradrive!" The green mechanical dragon reappeared at Judgment Arrow's top Link Marker.

 **Flow Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"The monster Special Summoned by Hydradrive Continuation is destroyed during the End Phase." Haru gestured to the field. "Battle! Since you control a Wind monster, Flow Hydradrive can attack you directly!" A ball of wind formed in front of the monster and launched itself at Playmaker. "Judgment Arrows' effect activates! The linked Flow Hydradrive's attack points are doubled!"

 **Flow Hydradrive ATK 1000→2000**

Playmaker remained calm and gestured to his field. "Linkuriboh's monster effect! When your monster declares an attack, I can Tribute Linkuriboh to make your monster's attack points 0!" Linkuriboh disintegrated, as did the ball of wind.

 **Flow Hydradrive ATK 2000→0**

"Yes! Way to go, Linkuriboh!" Ai cheered.

Haru smirked. "But now you can't stop my other monster from attacking," he said, making Playmaker grit his teeth. "My Battle Phase continues! Twin Hydradrive Knight attacks Update Jammer!" The knight's swords glowed blue and green again. "Judgment Arrows' effect activates!"

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 1800→3600**

"3600 attack points!?" Ai shouted. "Oi, Playmaker, isn't there something you can do?" Playmaker just narrowed his eyes.

The Knight swung its swords, generating two energy slashes that tore Update Jammer apart. The slashes struck Playmaker, knocking him backwards, but Morningstar caught him before he fell.

 **Playmaker & Morningstar: 4000→2400 LP**

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 3600→1800**

"Are you alright. Playmaker?" Ai asked worriedly.

"…Yeah, I'm fine," Playmaker said, wincing softly as Morningstar helped him stand up straight.

"I Set two cards," Haru said. "I end my turn. And during my End Phase, Hydradrive Continuation's effect destroys Flow Hydradrive." The green dragon disintegrated, then Haru gestured to his field. "Flow Hydradrive's monster effect! When it is destroyed, a Hydradrive Token is Special Summoned!" The token materialized in Defense Position.

 **Hydradrive Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

Haru smirked. _I may not be able to improve like Bohman can, but I can still fight against these two!_

Playmaker scowled. "I'm sorry, Morningstar. I wasn't able to keep Update Jammer on the field."

The hunter raised an eyebrow. "To serve as a counter to Judgment Arrows?" The hacker nodded. "It's alright. Twin Hydradrive Knight removed Update Jammer's advantage anyway."

"Besides," Cypher said. "We have our own methods to deal with the Link Spell. Ready to show them how it's done, partner?"

"Yeah." Morningstar stepped forward, his hand on his Deck. "My turn! Draw!" Looking at his card, Morningstar chose a different one. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Gift! By discarding a 'Cyspirit' card, I draw two cards." He discarded Cyspirit Wanderer, drew, then said, "I Special Summon Cyspirit Armorer!" The blacksmith skeleton appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Armorer ATK 1200 DEF 2000 LVL: 6**

"Armorer can be Special Summoned when only my opponent controls a Link Monster," Morningstar explained. But before he could make another move, Haru gestured to his field.

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Hydradrive Remix!" He declared. The card showed Twin Hydradrive Knight, clawing its way out of a grave. "When you Special Summon a Cyberse monster, I can Tribute Hydradrive Token to Special Summon a 'Hydradrive' Link Monster with its effects negated, so long as it is the same Attribute as my Token. Resurrect, the Earth Attribute Twin Hydradrive Knight!" Bohman's knight reappeared alongside Haru's, summoned to Judgment Arrows' top-right Link Marker.

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 1800 LINK-2** ←→

"Now he has two of them!" Ai noted.

"Then, Hydradrive Remix increases my Life Points by Twin Hydradrive Knight's attack points."

 **Bohman & Haru: 2500→4300 LP**

Morningstar narrowed his eyes but continued his turn. "Because there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a prisoner's uniform appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"Armorer's monster effect! By sending it to the Graveyard and targeting a Link Monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Armor Tokens equal to that monster's Link Rating. I target your first Twin Hydradrive Knight!" Armorer disintegrated and two dwarf skeletons in blacksmith clothes appeared in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Armor Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 2 x 2**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal materialized above Morningstar. "The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Prisoner in the Link Marker!" Said monster entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" The skeleton in a business suit emerged, summoned to the left Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

Haru frowned. _All the 'Cyspirit' monsters are Light Attribute. They won't be affected by Twin Hydradrive Knight's effect._

"Prisoner's effect activates! When it is used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, I can add a 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand." Morningstar took a card from his Deck and smirked. Seeing what the card was, Cypher started chuckling while Morningstar gestured to his field. "Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker, but it is destroyed during the End Phase. Come, Cyspirit Dancer!" The skeleton in a leotard materialized in Attack Position at Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Appear again! The circuit between light and darkness! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set one of Armor Tokens and Dancer in the Link Markers!" Said monsters entered the top and right arrows, turning them red.

Playmaker's eyes widened, realizing he hadn't seen a Cyspirit monster with those Link Markers before. "That's-!"

"Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Gallant Gunwoman!" A feminine silver skeleton emerged from the portal and was enveloped in light. When the light faded, the skeleton was wearing a tight dark red leather corset and red skirt with maroon frills over leather pants. A dark red cape with maroon lining hung from the skeleton's shoulders, and two flintlock pistols were holstered in two dark brown leather holsters on its hips. Silver wings sprouted from the skeleton's back and red hair hung from its skull. Said hair had been tied into a braid and then wrapped around its head. The skeleton's right red eye briefly glowed brighter than its left blue one as it was summoned to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Gallant Gunwoman ATK 1900 LINK-2** ↑→

Haru blinked. "A new 'Cyspirit' Link Monster? This card wasn't in the data…"

"Hey, Playmaker, doesn't that monster…?" Playmaker remained silent in response to Ai's query and kept watching.

"Dancer's effect activates! Since it was used to Link Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, that monster gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Gallant Gunwoman ATK 1900→2500**

"600 more attack points won't protect you from Judgment Arrows," Haru said smugly. He was surprised when Morningstar smirked right back.

"I know." He gestured to his field. "Gallant Gunwoman's monster effect! Once per turn, when it points to at least one monster, I can activate a 'Cyspirit' Spell or Trap Card from my hand." Morningstar played the card he'd gained from Prisoner's effect. "I activate the Trap Card Cyspirit Code Jamming!" The card showed Cyspirit Coder sitting at a computer on a desk, its jaws unhinged in a cackle. "Since I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, Code Jamming can negate the effects of your Spell or Trap Card until the end of the turn!"

"What!?" Haru said in surprise. Beside him, Bohman blinked in surprise.

"I negate Judgment Arrows' effect!" Code Jamming's card glowed and then disintegrated into energy that traveled into Gallant Gunwoman's right pistol. She drew it, then pointed it at Judgment Arrows. She fired it, and as the bullet struck the card, Judgment Arrows turned to stone.

"Yes! Way to go, Morningstar!" Ai cheered. "Now we don't have to worry about Judgment Arrows' effect!" Haru's face morphed into a scowl at the hunter.

"Stopping Judgment Arrows is nice, but we can go further," Cypher said.

"I summon Cyspirit Sorceress!" A skeleton in a black dress wielding a staff appeared.

 **Cyspirit Sorceress ATK 1400 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

"Sorceress's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyspirit Dancer!" The monster reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set my last Armor Token and Dancer in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" A skeleton with a large drill for a right arm emerged, summoned to Gallant Gunwoman's right Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"Dancer's monster effect!"

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→2200**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!"

"Link Summoning four times in a turn!?" Haru said in surprise.

"The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Sorceress and Cacophonic Caller in the Link Markers!" Said monsters entered the top and bottom arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Mad Mongrel!" A massive skeleton dog with a missile launcher and a net launcher attached to its back. The dog howled from the left Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↑↓

"Oh! I remember that pooch!" AI cheered. "Too bad those two don't have a monster at its Link Marker, otherwise it would point to two monsters."

"Battle! Mad Mongrel attacks the first Twin Hydradrive Knight!" Mad Mongrel launched several missiles at the monster, destroying it. Before the backlash hit, Bohman stepped in front of Haru and took the brunt of the attack.

 **Bohman & Haru: 4300→4100 LP**

"Brother!" Haru said, surprised.

"I won't let you get hurt if I can help it, Haru," Bohman said. "I'll take their attacks."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes but gestured to his field. "Gallant Gunwoman attacks the second Twin Hydradrive Knight!" The skeleton unholstered both of her pistols and blasted Haru's monster with multiple bolts of blue energy, but Haru smirked and gestured to his field.

"Trap activate! Hydradrive Tolerance! When your monster declares an attack, I can target a 'Hydradrive' monster that was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard this turn. The damage is reduced by its Link Rating times 300, and then I don't take battle or effect damage until the End Phase!"

Playmaker and Morningstar shared a glance. The former nodded. Morningstar gestured to his field. "Counter Trap activaste!" he declared, surprising Haru. "Arrow Break! Since you activated a Trap Card while I control a Link Monster, that Trap Card's activation is negated, and it is destroyed!" Haru gasped as Hydradrive Tolerance disintegrated. "Continue your attack, Gallant Gunwoman!" The energy blasts struck the monster, destroying it. Once again, Bohman blocked the attack, but winced from the damage.

 **Bohman & Haru: 4100→3400 LP**

"Gallant Gunwoman's additional effect! When it destroys your monster by battle and points to two monsters, we gain Life Points equal to the destroyed monster's attack points!"

 **Playmaker & Morningstar: 2400→4200 LP**

"Yahoo!" Ai cheered. "We have more Life Points now, and a direct attack from Thrilled Tunneler will leave them with 1200 Life Points!"

Bohman and Haru glanced at each other, but Haru shook his head. Scowling, Bohman stepped aside as Haru gestured to his field. "Hydradrive Remix's additional effect activates! When the monster Special Summoned by its effect is sent to the Graveyard by your card, I can banish Hydradrive Remix and gain Life Points equal to that monster's attack points!"

 **Bohman & Haru: 3400→5200 LP**

Cypher narrowed his eyes. "Haru raised their Life Points even higher than before. Even so, Thrilled Tunneler can still attack!"

"Go! Thrilled Tunneler attacks directly! Cyber Drill!" The monster charged as Bohman stepped in front of Haru again. The man in armor screamed as the drill impacted with his armor. After the monster relented, Bohman fell to one knee.

 **Bohman & Haru: 5200→3000 LP**

"I Set one card. I end my turn. And during the End Phase, Code Jamming's effect ends." Judgment Arrows unfroze as Morningstar frowned.

"I'm sorry, Playmaker," he said. "They ended up with more Life Points than before."

"Maybe. But they also have no monsters, and all of Haru's cards were destroyed," Playmaker refuted. "Furthermore, you restored our own Life Points. No matter how you see it, we have the advantage."

"Playmaker's right, partner," Cypher nodded. "Now we just have to push that advantage."

"Brother!" Haru said worryingly as he helped Bohman stand up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Haru," Bohman said, standing up fully. He looked up and regarded Morningstar with interest. "Morningstar is able to bring out monsters more quickly than Playmaker. Even if Playmaker's individual monsters have more power, Morningstar can overwhelm us with sheer numbers." He smirked. "Even so… he will not stop my next attack!"

Bohman placed his hand above his Duel Disk as a red circle appeared. "My turn! Draw!" Looking at his field, Bohman said, "This card will let me attack you directly. Continuous Trap activate! Property Spray!"

"There it is!" Ai said. "A card that can change our monsters' Attributes!"

"By Tributing my monster, I regain Life Points equal to its attack points. Then your monster's Attribute becomes the same as the Tributed monster's until the end of the turn."

"We expected that!" Cypher declared.

"Counter Trap activate!" Morningstar declared. "Royal Surrender! The activation of your Continuous Trap Card is negated and then destroyed!" Property Spray disintegrated at Morningstar's words.

"Oh! A Trap Card that deals with Continuous Trap Cards!" Ai said.

"After watching your last duel with Bohman, we added this card so as to help counter Property Spray," Cypher said.

Bohman smirked. "I knew you'd do that." Morningstar raised an eyebrow at that. "Your thought process is very similar to Playmaker's. That lets me anticipate your moves as well."

Bohman closed his eyes. "The two of you are also concerned about my other Set card. But when Property Spray was activated, you had no choice but to activate your Counter Trap. But I told both of you that this card would decide the outcome of this duel. Continuous Trap activate! Hydradrive Cycle! I can activate this card when my Spell or Trap Card is destroyed." Morningstar and Playmaker gasped in surprise.

Haru smirked. _I knew he anticipated Property Spray being destroyed, but this is still incredible!_

"Regret your own foolishness, Morningstar! Playmaker!" Bohman declared. "Now, I'll show you Hydradrive Cycle's power."

"What's he gonna do?" Ai wondered.

"I return a 'Hydradrive' Link Monster in my Graveyard to my Extra Deck to draw cards equal to its Link Markers. I return Twin Hydradrive Knight to draw two cards."

"Well, that explains why Haru didn't use it," Cypher commented.

"What do you mean?" Ai asked.

"Hydradrive Cycle activates when Bohman's Spell or Trap Card is destroyed," Playmaker explained as he scowled. "But Morningstar used my Arrow Break to destroy Haru's Trap Card last turn."

"Meaning Haru could have activated Hydradrive Cycle, but by the rules of the Tag Duel, if he had, he would have drawn cards instead of Bohman," Morningstar continued, his face also twisted into a scowl. "So he held back on using it, and counted on me destroying Property Spray so Bohman could use its effects."

Bohman drew, then said, "Then I Special Summon a 'Hydradrive' monster from my Graveyard by lowering its attack points to 0. Resurrect, Burn Hydradrive!" The red mechanical dragon reappeared.

 **Burn Hydradrive ATK 1000→0 LINK-1** ↓

"Hydradrive Cycle's additional effect! I pay 400 Life Points to Special Summon a Hydradrive Token to the turn player's field with either Fire, Wind, Water, or Earth Attribute! I Special Summon an Earth Hydradrive Token!" A token with an orange aura appeared in Defense Position.

 **Bohman & Haru: 3000→2600 LP**

 **Hydradrive Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"So he gained monsters and drew new cards," Morningstar said.

"Hydradrive Cycle and Property Spray were both Set on the first turn," Playmaker said.

"That means he anticipated either of you destroying Property Spray?" Ai asked.

Cypher growled. "We played right into his hands!"

"You two are incapable of anticipating my plans," Bohman boasted. "You can't escape me anymore! Appear! The circuit that connects the truth! The summoning condition is one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Token in the Link Marker!" The token entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Flow Hydradrive!" Another green dragon appeared at Judgment Arrows' top-left Link Marker.

 **Flow Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"Appear again! The circuit that connects the truth! The summoning conditions are two 'Hydradrive' Link Monsters. I set Burn and Flow Hydradrive in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear again! Link-2! Twin Hydradrive Knight!" The Link monster reappeared at Judgment Arrows' top-left Link Marker.

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 1800 LINK-2** ←→

"Twin Hydradrive Knight, let Fire and Wind reside in your swords!" Red and orange snakes wrapped around the monster's swords before turning into red and orange lights.

"Our monsters are all Light Attribute," Cypher reminded him. "Meaning you can't negate their effects!"

"I don't need to negate them," Bohman said. "All I need to do is pressure you more! Battle! Twin Hydradrive Knight attacks Gallant Gunwoman!"

"Judgment Arrows will double his monster's attack points to 3600," Cypher reminded Morningstar, who gestured to his field.

"Gallant Gunwoman's monster effect!" he declared.

"Eh?" Haru blinked. "You can use that effect during our turn!?"

"I activate the Trap Card: Cyspirit Guard Block from my hand!" Morningstar said. The card showed Cyspirit Winning Wrestler standing in front of Cyspirit Idealistic Idol, blocking a sword with its wrists. "By Tributing a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can negate your attack and end the Battle Phase! I Tribute Mad Mongrel!" The large dog disintegrated.

"Way to go, Morningstar!" Ai cheered.

"No. That's pointless," Bohman declared. "I discard Break Hydradrive to activate its effect! It negates Guard Block's effect and deals you 800 points of damage!"

"What?" Morningstar said in surprise. He gritted his teeth as a white circle materialized around him and made him wince.

 **Playmaker & Morningstar: 4200→3400 LP**

"Nice!" Haru cheered. "You stopped their strategy again!"

Cypher growled. "I was very proud when I made that card! To see it be stopped so easily…"

"The Link Spell: Judgment Arrows' effect!" Bohman declared. "Twin Hydradrive Knight's attack points are doubled!"

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 1800→3600**

"…This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

Morningstar nodded at Cypher's question. "Probably."

"Be gone, Morningstar and Playmaker!" Bohman shouted. Twin Hydradrive Knight launched two slashes of fiery energy that destroyed Gallant Gunwoman. The slashes struck the hunter and hacker and sent both flying backwards, where they hit the statue's wrist.

 **Playmaker & Morningstar: 3400→2300 LP**

 **Twin Hydradrive Knight ATK 3600→1800**

"Are you okay, Morningstar?" Cypher asked worryingly.

Ai turned from where he was similarly fretting over his partner. "What's with him?" he asked. "How can he be stronger this quickly?"

"…It's more than that," Playmaker said, still wincing in pain. "His moves were designed specifically to counter us."

"Yes," Morningstar nodded. "You noticed that too."

"Noticed what?" Cypher asked.

"His Break Hydradrive's effect activates with any Tributing effect," Morningstar explained. "Not just a Trap Card."

"That card was meant to handle Linkuriboh and its effect," Playmaker agreed. "And even if it was you who destroyed Property Spray, I had a card meant to counter it as well, but it was used earlier. He's anticipating and making plays that counter both of our strategies."

"That… and you and I have very similar playstyles," Morningstar admitted. "It lets us work together well, but it also makes it easier to fight against both of us." After saying that, the two of them started to push themselves back up.

"I Set one card. I end my turn," Bohman said. He smirked on seeing them struggle. "You look pathetic, Playmaker, which fits you. Continue the duel and fight to the end! You know-nothing fake!"

"Fake?" Playmaker repeated in confusion.

Ai gave voice to everyone's question. "What's he talking about?"

"I know your thoughts as if they're mine. There's no way you can defeat me. Because I'm you, and you're me!"

Morningstar and Playmaker finally stood up. "What do you mean?" Playmaker asked. "Bohman, who are you?"

Bohman closed his eyes. "I'm a victim of the Lost Incident ten years ago."

Their eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"Eh? He was in a separate room during the incident, like Spectre?"

"I'm talking about the Dark Ignis," Bohman said while smiling. "A truth even you don't know." Seeing their confusion, he said, "Playmaker, you said you're a victim of the Lost Incident. But is that actually true?"

"What do you mean?" Playmaker asked again while Morningstar narrowed his eyes.

"I told you. I'm you, and you're me. Ten years ago, you said you were kidnapped and locked up. And by observing you, that Ignis was created. Your data, feelings, thoughts, experience; everything during that time was backed up. That backup was another you created digitally."

"What do you mean?" Ai asked. Cypher blinked in confusion.

"But due to an accident, that backup changed places with the real one."

"W-What?" Playmaker said, his eyes wide with shock.

"No way! Seriously?" Ai asked.

"In other words, I'm the real one," Bohman said. "And you're the fake backup, Playmaker!"

"That can't be true!" Playmaker insisted, but Morningstar caught a slight waver in his voice.

Bohman laughed. "That's why I know your thoughts and how you duel! Me – sealed away in the digital world – was waiting for this chance! The day I'd defeat the fake and regain my body!" Bohman pointed at Playmaker. "I'll defeat you in this duel! And become you!"

"…Then what are you?" Morningstar asked, turning to Haru. "You two call each other brothers. Are you actually related or is there another meaning?"

Haru scowled. "We really are brothers! I lost my brother ten years ago, and now I'll have him back!" He pointed at Playmaker. "Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused!?" he shouted.

Haru closed his eyes. "I was very young when the Lost Incident occurred. It was just me and my big brother. Then, he disappeared. For six months, I was left alone. I didn't know what to do." Haru clenched his fists and opened his eyes, glaring at Playmaker. "And then the Incident ended. And I thought I would have my brother back. But then I saw your eyes. And… I just knew. I knew you weren't my brother. That you had replaced him. That you were a fake!"

"If he's a fake who took your place, then how did you escape?" Cypher asked Bohman. "You would have gone after him sooner if you hadn't escaped recently. Who let you out?"

Bohman smirked. "I'll leave that to your imagination. But once I win this, I'll get my body back, Playmaker!"

"…"

Morningstar glanced at Playmaker, who was silently glaring at Bohman. "Playmaker, do you think he's telling the truth?" he asked.

"…There's no way to say for certain," Playmaker admitted. "I don't have any memories from before the Lost Incident. It is possible he's telling the truth. Well," he added. "I have one memory from before the Lost Incident. But…"

"I see. In that case, let me ask you this." Playmaker turned to look Morningstar in the eye as said eyes narrowed. "Does it really matter?"

"…No," Playmaker said, a small smile crossing his face. "No, I suppose it doesn't. Either way, whichever one of us wins this duel is likely the real one." Playmaker turned back to Bohman. "I'll continue the duel! My turn! Draw! I summon Widget Kid!" A kid in a dark blue jumpsuit and white jacket wielding a small laser in his right hand appeared.

 **Widget Kid ATK 1500 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Widget Kid's monster effect! I can Special Summon a Cyberse monster in Defense Position. Come, RAM Clouder!" A ram with light green fur and mechanical legs, tail, and horns appeared.

 **RAM Clouder ATK 1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"RAM Clouder's monster effect! By Tributing a monster, I can Special Summon a Cyberse monster from my Graveyard. I Tribute Widget Kid to Special Summon Update Jammer!" The kid disintegrated as Playmaker's Link Monster reappeared.

 **Update Jammer ATK 2000 LINK-2** ←↑

Haru blinked. "He's trying to seal Judgment Arrows again?"

"That's pointless," Bohman reminded Haru. "Twin Hydradrive Knight negates the effects of your Fire and Wind monsters!" A cocoon of wind materialized around Update Jammer.

"…Hey, Cypher?" The Silver Ignis turned to look at Ai, who was messaging him silently in the Ignis language. "Whose side should I take?"

"…What?" Cypher asked flatly.

"I mean, if Bohman's my real origin, shouldn't I side with him? I mean, both have bad personalities, but…"

"…Ai. If Bohman wins, I'll probably get stolen or deleted," Cypher reminded him. "Do you want me to go through that?"

"No! No!" Ai assured him. "Well, I suppose I at least know Playmaker. So I choose him!"

"Good." Cypher nodded. "Because if you didn't, I would have to tell Morningstar. And he would tell Playmaker."

"Eh! No! Please don't tell Morningstar!"

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker's hand glowed as the link portal appeared. "The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse monsters. I set RAM Clouder and Link-2 Update Jammer in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left, right, and bottom-left arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Detonate Deleter!" A purple humanoid monster wearing a blue vest with multiple batons in it emerged from the portal, summoned to Thrilled Tunneler's right Link Marker.

 **Detonate Deleter ATK 2100 LINK-3** ←↙→

"Detonate Deleter is Dark Attribute, so Twin Hydradrive Knight can't negate its effects!" Ai revealed to Bohman.

"I activate Update Jammer's effect from my Graveyard," Playmaker continued. "The monster that used it as Link Material can attack twice this turn."

"Attack twice?" Bohman repeated, confused.

"That's pointless," Haru said. "With Judgment Arrows in play, Twin Hydradrive Knight will have 3600 attack points."

"Battle!" Playmaker declared, surprising Haru. "Detonate Deleter attacks Twin Hydradrive Knight!" Detonate Deleter drew two of its batons. "Detonate Deleter's monster effect! The monster it attacks is destroyed without calculating damage!"

"What?" Bohman said, surprised.

"I see! If there's no damage, Judgment Arrows' effect doesn't matter!" Ai cheered.

"It looks like Update Jammer wasn't Playmaker's only way around Judgment Arrows," Cypher assessed.

Detonate Deleter threw its batons at Twin Hydradrive Knight, which then detonated on impact. Bohman winced as his monster was destroyed.

"Good! Now Bohman has no monsters to defend with!"

"And since Detonate Deleter can attack again, along with Thrilled Tunneler, this duel is over," Cypher said in response to Ai's remark.

"Detonate Deleter attacks you directly!" Playmaker declared.

"I won't let you!" Bohman declared. "Trap activate! Hydradrive Tolerance!"

Playmaker's and Morningstar's eyes widened. "That's the Trap Card Haru played earlier!" Ai said.

"The battle damage is reduced by the destroyed Twin Hydradrive Knight's Link Rating times 300!" Detonate Deleter and the Trap Card both glowed as the monster pulled a knife. It slashed Bohman, who winced from the attack.

 **Bohman & Haru: 2600→1100 LP**

"Hydradrive Tolerance then prevents me from taking further damage for the rest of the turn," Bohman said, wincing lightly.

Ai growled. "He had a defensive card ready."

"Even so, those two only have 1100 Life Points left," Morningstar said. "So long as nothing unexpected happens, we're likely to win."

"I Set one card," Playmaker said. "Then, I activate the effect of Cyspirit Code Jamming in the Graveyard. By banishing a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Set Code Jamming." A screen appeared above Playmaker's Duel Disk, showing several cards. Glancing at Morningstar, he pointed at one. At the hunter's nod, he pressed the monster. "I banish Cyspirit Armorer and reset Code Jamming!" A Set card materialized on Playmaker's field. "I end my turn."

"Smart thinking, Playmaker," Cypher said. "Code Jamming can negate Judgment Arrows' effect so long as we have a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster. And we have the 2200-attack-point Thrilled Tunneler here."

Haru scowled. "You think that's enough to stop us, faker? You think you can keep my brother and I from defeating both of you? Let me show you how wrong you are! My turn! Draw!" Haru looked at his card, then gestured to his field. "I activate Hydradrive Cycle's effect! I pay 400 Life Points to Special Summon an Earth Hydradrive Token!" A token formed in Defense Position.

 **Bohman & Haru: 1100→700 LP**

 **Hydradrive Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Appear! My circuit! The summoning condition is one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Token in the Link Marker!" Said monster entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Burn Hydradrive!" Another red dragon emerged from the portal at Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker.

 **Burn Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Property Changer!" A gauntleted arm was on the card, its fingers spread wide and surrounded by six bubbles. Said bubbles were colored purple, red, blue, yellow, orange, and green. "And equip it to Thrilled Tunneler!"

Morningstar blinked. "My monster?"

"Property Changer lets me declare an Attribute and change your monster to that Attribute," Haru explained. "I declare Fire and make Thrilled Tunneler a Fire monster." A red aura appeared around Thrilled Tunneler.

"Since Thrilled Tunneler is now Fire Attribute, Burn Hydradrive can attack directly," Cypher noted.

"Yes, but since we have Code Jamming-."

"That's pointless," Haru interrupted Ai. "While I have a 'Hydradrive' monster whose Attribute is the same as the equipped monster, Property Changer prevents you from targeting my Spell or Trap Cards with your card effects!" Playmaker's eyes widened.

"Ah! If we can't target his cards, then we can't negate Judgment Arrows or Property Changer!" Ai said, panicking.

"No, you can't," Haru agreed before playing his last card. "I activate the Equip Spell Card: Hydradrive Impact and equip it to Burn Hydradrive. While equipped with Hydradrive Impact, Burn Hydradrive must attack, and if it attacks directly while you control a monster, the damage from that attack is doubled!"

"Eh? Doubled!?" Ai screeched. "That would mean-."

"Judgment Arrows raises Burn Hydradrive's attack points to 2000," Cypher said. "Double that is 4000."

"You realize what that means, right?" Haru asked, sneering. "It's over, faker! Battle! Burn Hydradrive attacks you directly!" The red dragon released a blast of red fire at Playmaker, who only gestured to his field.

"Trap activate!" he declared to Haru's surprise. "Cynet Refresh! Since a Cyberse monster attacked, all monsters in the Main Monster Zones are destroyed!"

"What!?" Haru said as Burn Hydradrive, Detonate Deleter and Thrilled Tunneler all disintegrated. Haru grit his teeth. "Since Burn Hydradrive was destroyed, I can Special Summon a Hydradrive Token!" Another token materialized in Defense Position.

 **Hydradrive Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Furthermore, Property Changer's effect activates! When the equipped monster is destroyed by a card effect, I can banish Property Changer to draw one card and inflict 1000 damage to you!"

"What?" Playmaker said before feeling a sudden pressure, making him wince.

 **Playmaker & Morningstar: 2300→1300 LP**

Haru drew, then said, "Appear! My circuit! The summoning condition is one 'Hydradrive' monster. I set Hydradrive Token in the Link Marker!" His monster entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Coolant Hydradrive!" The blue mechanical dragon materialized at Judgment Arrows' top-left Link Marker.

 **Coolant Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"I Set one card. I end my turn."

"During the End Phase, Cynet Refresh's effect Special Summons every Cyberse Link Monster that was destroyed by its effect to the owners' fields." Burn Hydradrive reappeared at Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker while Thrilled Tunneler and Detonate Deleter reappeared in their previous positions on Playmaker's and Morningstar's field.

 **Burn Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

 **Detonate Deleter ATK 2100 LINK-3** ←↙→

"Now it's my turn," Morningstar said, stepping forward. "My turn! Draw!" He looked at his card, but before he could make a move, Playmaker spoke up.

"Morningstar." The hunter looked back at the hacker. "Do you remember anything from before the incident?"

"…Yes, I do," Morningstar said, thinking about the priest who took him in and saved his life.

"…I see." Playmaker frowned to himself but didn't say anything more, so Morningstar returned to the duel.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in my Graveyard! By shuffling it into my Deck, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Graveyard!"

"Cyspirit Wanderer?" Haru blinked. "When was that-?" His eyes widened. "That was the monster you sent to the Graveyard with Cyspirit Gift on your first turn!"

"Yes. Resurrect, Cyspirit Gallant Gunwoman!" The skeleton in a corset and cape reappeared.

 **Cyspirit Gallant Gunwoman ATK 1900 LINK-2** ↑→

"Since I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Valkyrie!" A feminine skeleton in white armor appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Valkyrie ATK 2100 DEF 400 LVL: 5**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness!" The Link portal materialized in the air above Morningstar. "The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Valkyrie, Thrilled Tunneler, and the Link-2 Gallant Gunwoman in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left, right, top-left, and top-right arrows, turning them red.

Haru's eyes widened again. "Link-4!?"

"Circuit combine! The galaxy's rage that breaks all limitations! Link Summon! Take flight! Link-4! Cyspirit Neo Nova!" A large black mechanical dragon with dark silver armor emerged from the portal. It spread its midnight-black wings and roared from Detonate Deleter's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500 LINK-4** ←↖↗→

"Neo Nova?" Haru repeated, taking a few steps back.

"I don't know if you're telling the truth," Morningstar told Bohman. "And I don't care. Playmaker is Playmaker!" Morningstar gestured to his field. "Neo Nova's monster effect! When it points to one monster, I can draw a card for each monster it points to. Orbital Gain!"

Morningstar drew one card for Detonate Deleter, then gestured to his field again. "Trap activate! Cyspirit Code Jamming! Since I control a 'Cyspirit' Link Monster, Judgment Arrows' effect is negated!"

Haru grit his teeth. "Since Code Jamming was Set by its effect, it is now banished. I summon Cyspirit Lancer!" A skeleton in white armor with a lance and shield appeared at Neo Nova's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Lancer's monster effect! When it is in Attack Position, all 'Cyspirit' monsters gain 300 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Lancer ATK 1800→2100**

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500→2800**

"Well done, Morningstar," Cypher praised his partner. "Our three monsters will be more than enough to end this duel."

"Battle! Neo Nova attacks Burn Hydradrive!"

Haru gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Hydradrive Burst!" The card showed Burn Hydradrive, roaring and covered in flames. "With this, I can destroy one 'Hydradrive' Link Monster I control and one Link Monster you control!"

"That's pointless!" Cypher shouted. "Since we used Cyspirit Valkyrie to Link Summon Neo Nova, it cannot be destroyed by card effects!"

"But Detonate Deleter can be!" Haru countered as Coolant Hydradrive and Detonate Deleter both exploded. Morningstar and Playmaker grit their teeth. "Hydradrive Burst has one more effect. Since we have less than 1000 Life Points, we gain Life Points equal to their combined Link Ratings time 600."

"Coolant Hydradrive was Link-1, and Detonate Deleter was Link-3," Ai noted.

"That means they gain 2400 Life Points," Cypher finished, annoyed.

 **Bohman & Haru: 700→3100 LP**

"Coolant Hydradrive's effect activates! Since it was destroyed, I Special Summon a Hydradrive Token!" Said token appeared in Defense Position.

 **Hydradrive Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

Morningstar grit his teeth. "The battle continues! Neo Nova attacks Burn Hydradrive! Cosmic Cannon!" Neo Nova opened its mouth and gathered white energy in its maw. It then blasted said energy at Burn Hydradrive. Before the attack hit, Bohman stepped in front of Haru again. The blow struck, destroying Burn Hydradrive and making Bohman grit his teeth in pain.

 **Bohman & Haru: 3100→1300 LP**

"When Burn Hydradrive is destroyed, a Hydradrive Token is Special Summoned!" Another token appeared in Defense Position.

 **Hydradrive Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Cyspirit Lancer attacks Hydradrive Token!" Lancer struck one of the tokens, destroying it. "I Set one card. I end my turn. And during the End Phase, Neo Nova's effect requires me to send the top card of my Deck to the Graveyard." Morningstar sent Cyspirit Mongrel to the Graveyard.

Cypher growled. "Now our Life Points are equal, but with Neo Nova on our field, we have the advantage."

Bohman fell to one knee next to Haru. "Brother!" Haru kneeled next to Bohman, a hand on his shoulder. "Pull yourself together!"

Bohman grit his teeth and glared at Playmaker. "We won't lose," he told Haru. "To win, I must remember those hellish days!"

His eyes narrowed at Playmaker. "Ten years ago, I saw you rescued. Afterwards, I continued to live in despair. All alone in eternal darkness. Forever… Forever!" Bohman clenched his fist. "I will never forgive you!"

The sky darkened as Bohman stood up. Looking around in surprise, Haru backed away from his brother as yellow flashes appeared in the clouds beneath them.

Morningstar and Playmaker looked around in surprise. "What's happening?" Ai asked.

Tendrils of yellow lightning burst out from the clouds and struck Bohman as he shouted at the top of his lungs. Haru backed further away so he wouldn't be struck. But the lightning soon faded as Bohman glared at Playmaker.

"I'm the emissary of revenge," Bohman said. "I won't fall until I defeat you! My turn! Draw!"

"This is a shocking turn of events," Ai said.

"…That was a terrible pun," Cypher replied.

"I activate the effect of Hydradrive Cycle to Special Summon an Earth Hydradrive Token!" A token with an orange light around it materialized on Bohman's field in Defense Position.

 **Bohman & Haru: 1300→900 LP**

 **Hydradrive Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"When a 'Hydradrive' monster is Special Summoned, Break Hydradrive's effect activates from the Graveyard. I can Special Summon it in Defense Position." A dark red four-legged monster with a gray head in the shape of a triangle appeared.

 **Break Hydradrive ATK 800 DEF 800 LVL: 1**

"He was willing gave up Life Points to get more monsters, so…"

"Something's coming," Playmaker said, confirming Ai's suspicions. "He hasn't given up."

"That's to be expected," Morningstar replied.

"The requirement has now been met!" Bohman declared.

"Requirement?" Playmaker repeated in confusion.

"Come, Data Storm!"

A tornado of Data Material appeared on the horizon. Everyone braced themselves against the forces of the winds generated by the Data Storm. Everyone except Bohman.

"What? What's happening?" Ai asked.

"I… don't know," Cypher admitted.

"What are you planning to do, brother?" Haru asked. He had grabbed onto the statue to keep from being blown away.

The star on Bohman's armor was glowing. "Witness my power, Playmaker!" he declared.

"This wind… He has 900 Life Points…Can it be?"

Morningstar's eyes widened as he caught Playmaker's train of thought. "But… that should be impossible!"

The tornado finally reached Bohman, who held out his right hand. "When I have 1000 or lower Life Points, I can get a random Cyberse Link Monster from the Data Storm!"

"That's-!" Ai said.

"I activate my Skill! Storm Access!" Bohman's right hand glowed with golden light, then with purple winds as a blue card formed. The light dissipated, revealing a card, which Bohman grabbed.

"Wow!" Haru said as the winds died down. Bohman smirked at Playmaker and Morningstar.

"It's possible to use a Skill during a Master Duel?" Playmaker asked.

"I can't create a Data Storm this powerful from nothing!" Ai said. "So how could he?"

"I want to say that what he did was impossible," Cypher admitted. "But Jester did something impossible just yesterday." He growled. "Why do the antagonists always get the cheat codes?"

"Brace yourselves," Morningstar said. "He's not done yet."

"Appear, my three circuits!" Three Link portal appeared above Bohman. His three monsters each entered the bottom arrows of the portals. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Burn, Flow, and Coolant Hydradrive!" The red, green, and blue dragons emerged from the portals, summoned to Judgment Arrows' top-left, top, and top-right Link Markers respectively.

 **Burn Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

 **Flow Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

 **Coolant Hydradrive ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"Three 'Hydradrive' monsters with different Attributes!" Playmaker exclaimed.

"Prepare yourselves, Playmaker and Morningstar! Appear! The circuit that connects the truth!" The Link portal appeared above Bohman. "The summoning conditions are three 'Hydradrive' Link Monsters. I set Burn, Flow, and Coolant Hydradrive in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left, bottom, and right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear, the emissary of revenge! Link-3! Trident Hydradrive Lord!" A humanoid monster in gold and white armor with a blue cape emerged from the portal. It wielded a gold and black scepter that reminded Morningstar of an axe. Bohman summoned his new Link Monster to Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker.

 **Trident Hydradrive Lord ATK 2300 LINK-3** ←↓→

Morningstar grit his teeth. "That must be the monster he obtained from Storm Access."

"That's it!" Cypher growled. "I'm going to find out how to use Hurricane Heavensgate in a Master Duel. If our opponents can cheat, so should we!"

"…There's something wrong with what you just said," Ai told Cypher.

"When Trident Hydradrive Lord is Link Summoned," Bohman said, "it can gain the Attributes of the monsters used to Summon it." Three snakes, colored blue, red, and green, appeared with their tails tied around Trident Hydradrive Lord's staff.

"That means Trident Hydradrive Lord is Fire, Water, and Wind Attribute," Playmaker noted.

"As long as Hydradrive Lord is on the field, your monsters with those Attributes have their effects negated!"

"Lancer and Neo Nova are both Light Attribute!" Cypher rebutted. "So your Link Monster can't negate their effects!"

"Too bad!" Ai said.

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Hydradrive Accelerator and equip it to Hydradrive Lord!"

"An Equip Spell Card?" Morningstar asked.

"Hydradrive Accelerator's effects depend on the Attribute of the monster equipped with it. When that monster is Wind, I can negate the effect of your card that targets my cards, except the equipped monster, once per turn. If it is Water, it is unaffected by your Trap Cards. And if it is Fire, your Spell Cards can't affect it!" Hydradrive Lord's staff glowed with multicolored energy.

"That monster's defense is too strong!" Ai protested. Morningstar and Playmaker grit their teeth.

"Battle! Hydradrive Lord attacks Cyspirit Lancer!"

"Trap activate!" Morningstar declared. "Cyspirit Offering!" The card showed Cyspirit Shieldmaiden laying down on an altar while Cyspirit Angelic Avenger stood above it, a knife in its raised hands. "By Tributing a Level 8 or lower monster, I can increase a 'Cyspirit' monster's attack points by that monster's ATK until the end of the turn. I Tribute Lancer and grant its attack points to Neo Nova!" Lancer disintegrated as Neo Nova glowed.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2800→4900→4600**

"Well done," Cypher complimented his partner. "Judgment Arrows will raise Hydradrive Lord's attack points to 4600 if it attacks; any battle this turn will end in a draw."

"Are you sure about that?"

Morningstar's eyes widened at Bohman's words. "Resume the battle! Hydradrive Lord attacks Neo Nova!"

Bohman revealed the last card in his hand. "I activate the effect of the Assault Hydradrive in my hand!" The card showed a monster similar in appearance to Hydradrive Booster, except the color of its faceplate and markings were reversed and there was a small cannon attached to its underside. "When my 'Hydradrive' Link Monster battles, I can discard Assault Hydradrive to give that monster 1000 attack points until the end of the Damage Step!"

 **Trident Hydradrive Lord ATK 2300→3300**

"Judgment Arrows' effect! Hydradrive Lord's attack points are doubled!"

 **Trident Hydradrive Lord ATK 3300→6600**

"6600 attack points!?" Ai screeched. "That's bad! We can't survive that!"

Cypher and Morningstar growled. Playmaker grit his teeth.

"It's the end! Vanish, Playmaker! Morningstar!" Hydradrive Lord's staff glowed with energy, which it sent hurtling through Neo Nova. The dragon was bisected in a massive explosion that lit up the shadowed world.

As the light started to fade, Haru cheered. "Yes! We won, brother!"

"Yes, Haru," Bohman agreed, smiling. "Now, give me back my body, Playmaker! And Morningstar, you can stay here in this virtual prison as well!"

The smoke cleared, revealing Playmaker and Morningstar. The latter was barely standing, having an arm wrapped around the other's shoulders.

"Not yet!" Playmaker said, gritting his teeth.

 **Playmaker & Morningstar: 1300→100 LP**

 **Trident Hydradrive Lord ATK 6600→2300**

"What?" Bohman said in surprise. Haru likewise blinked at the duo. "How are you still standing? How do you still have Life Points?"

Morningstar smirked as he removed his arm from Playmaker's shoulders. "Cyspirit Offering has one more effect," he explained. "The turn it is activated, all battle damage is reduced by the Level of the Tributed monster times 200. Lancer was Level 4, so the damage was reduced by 800, to 1200."

Bohman scowled. "How insolent."

"I prefer stubborn to insolent," Morningstar responded as he and Playmaker glared at Bohman.

Bohman smirked. "You're down to 100 Life Points, but you both still have your fighting spirit. No wonder you're my copy, Playmaker. And you, Morningstar, who has undergone the same pain as me; of course you would be this strong."

Bohman pointed at them. "But your fight is in vain. I'll bury both of you along with those Ignises!"

Cypher growled. "You will never get the chance to bury me!"

"Do your best, Playmaker!"

"…Morningstar, I have another question," Playmaker said, ignoring Ai.

"What's that?"

"Do you remember what happened before the Lost Incident? Before you woke up in that room?"

Morningstar opened his mouth, then closed it. He did remember that day. He remembered it all too well…

* * *

 _Ten years ago…_

A small boy ran down the street, holding the bread in his hands close to his chest. He had gone shopping with Father Narahiko, and the priest had run into an old friend. The priest had asked him to run back to the church with the communion bread while they chatted. The boy didn't mind; he knew the way from the church to the bakery and back.

But just as he turned a corner, he ran into someone, knocking both of them down. "Ouch," he muttered. Looking up, he blinked. The person he ran into was a girl his age, with green hair tied into two braids over her shoulders.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the boy said, looking down and picking up his bread. He also saw several cards on the ground and started picking them up. "Are these… Duel Monster cards?"

The girl blinked as she started picking the cards up too. "Yes, they are. Do you have your own Deck?"

"Yes! Father bought some for me a week ago." He had overheard some people talk about the card game after one of Father Narahiko's services and had asked the priest about it. Father Narahiko had bought him some cards, which quickly became his most prized possession.

"Do you want to duel?" The girl asked excitedly. "My brother says I'm really good!"

"Sure!" the boy nodded.

"Excuse me." The boy and girl looked up and saw a tall man had approached without them noticing. A tall man with black hair and silver highlights. "The two of you look lost. Do you need help getting home?"

* * *

 _Present day…_

"Yeah, I do," he said. "I met a girl, and then a strange man asked if he could guide us home. Next thing I knew, I woke up in the white room."

"…Thank you, Morningstar," Playmaker said with a smile. When Morningstar looked at him with a raised eyebrow, Playmaker addressed Bohman. "I have one question for you as well. Who kidnapped you in the Lost Incident?"

Bohman smirked. "That's what you're asking? Dr. Kogami, of course!"

Playmaker closed his eyes with a relieved smile. "After hearing that, I'm convinced." He opened his eyes. "You're not my copy!"

"Of course. You're the copy!" Lightning flashed at Bohman's words.

"Wrong. The memories you have… I have no memories of my body and consciousness being replaced! You must be imprinted with fake memories!"

"That's nonsense!" Bohman responded. "I have clear memories. You're the one imprinted with fake memories!"

Morningstar blinked. "Is that possible, Cypher? To give someone fake memories?"

"…It's as possible as a digital copy of a person switching places with the original," Cypher replied.

"Fair point."

"But which one of them is right?" Ai asked, clutching his head. "There's no way to check memories."

"Exactly. There's no way to check." Morningstar blinked and Ai looked at Playmaker in confusion. "If someone can imprint fake memories, there's a chance my memories were replaced too. No one can prove which of us is real! But I still believe I'm the real one!"

Morningstar looked at him in consideration. "You asked me about my last memory before the Lost Incident. Earlier you said you only had one memory from before the incident. What was it?"

"Meeting a person. We talked about Duel Monsters, and he invited me to his house. That person was Revolver." Morningstar's eyes widened in realization. "That's why he couldn't stand his wrongdoings and became our voice of hope."

 _Three things,_ Morningstar thought. _Think of three things._

"That's the truth inside me!" Playmaker held up a hand. "One: I promise to win this duel! Two: I'll retrieve Kusanagi's brother's consciousness data from you! Three: I'll uncover your identity and the one controlling you!"

" _We'll_ do those three things, Playmaker," Morningstar interjected. "You're still terrible at teamwork."

Playmaker smirked. "Look who's talking."

"How dare a copy speak nonsense!" Bohman said, clenching a fist. "I'll make sure you can't talk again!"

"That won't happen!" Playmaker declared. "Because thanks to Morningstar, I'll defeat you this turn! My turn! Draw!"

Playmaker looked at his card, then played it. "I summon Draconnet!" A white mechanical dragon with blue lines covering its body appeared.

 **Draconnet ATK 1400 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"Draconnet's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Normal Monster from my hand or Deck in Defense Position. Come, from my Deck, Bitron!" A small white monster with six fins and electronic blue eyes appeared.

 **Bitron ATK 200 DEF 2000 LVL: 2**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future! The summoning condition is one Normal Monster! I set Bitron in the Link Marker!" Bitron entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Link Spider!" A blue mechanical spider emerged, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Link Spider ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↓

"Link Spider's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my hand to its Link Marker. Come, Protron!" A small blue and white monster with smaller blue eyes materialized at Link Spider's Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Protron ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1**

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Guard Block in the Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Link-3 or lower 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from the Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyspirit Gallant Gunwoman!" The feminine skeleton reappeared, guns cocked and skirt twirling around her.

 **Cyspirit Gallant Gunwoman ATK 1900 LINK-2** ↑→

"Gallant Gunwoman cannot attack or be used as Link Material this turn."

Morningstar blinked. "Playmaker, what are you planning?"

"I'm planning to win this," Playmaker answered. "With both of our powers. Appear! The circuit that leads to the future! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters. I set Draconnet and Link Spider in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the bottom and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Clock Spartoi!" A mechanical warrior with red skin and silver and gold armor emerged from the portal. It swung its weapon, a futuristic spear, from the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Clock Spartoi ATK 800 LINK-2** ↓↘

Haru blinked in confusion. This Link Monster has less attack points than Link Spider and Draconnet."

"What are you planning?" Bohman asked.

"Clock Spartoi's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned, I can add Cynet Fusion from my Deck to my hand."

"What?" Haru gasped.

"That's a Fusion card!" Bohman said. "Can it be…?"

"Well, looks like we're about to see Playmaker's newest ace," Cypher said, his eyes narrowed while Morningstar smiled.

"I activate Linkuriboh's effect from my Graveyard! By Tributing a Level 1 monster, it Special Summons itself!" Protron disappeared as Linkuriboh reappeared, cooing from Clock Spartoi's bottom Link Marker.

 **Linkuriboh ATK 300 LINK-1** ↓

"Clock Spartoi's additional effect! When a monster is Special Summoned to its Link Marker, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated to its Link Marker. Appear, Clock Wyvern!" A mechanical blue and purple dragon appeared and roared from Clock Spartoi's bottom-right Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Clock Wyvern ATK 1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

Haru blinked. "When did that monster go to the Graveyard?"

"Was it back then?" Haru looked at his brother, whose eyes had gone wide with shock. "He sent it to the Graveyard on the second turn!" Haru gasped, remembering Flame Bufferlo's effect. "Playmaker! You expected all this from the start!?"

Morningstar smirked. "A fake like you can't anticipate my plans!" Playmaker declared. "I activate the Spell Card: Cynet Fusion! I fuse Clock Wyvern, Gallant Gunwoman, and Clock Spartoi!"

The lines on Playmaker's suit glowed violet as Clock Wyvern, Gallant Gunwoman, and Clock Spartoi broke apart into red, blue, and green particles respectively. The particles swirled together in a vortex as Playmaker chanted.

"The strong ones gather before its grand wings! Become a new legend! Fusion Summon!" Streams of red, blue, and green energy erupted upwards before merging into a pillar of purple energy. "Come out! Cyberse Clock Dragon!" The dragon that emerged from the violet storm was primarily purple in color with pink lines running across its body. It had black armor on its thighs, lower arms, shoulders, and the back of its neck and tail. Its hands and feet were pink with white claws, and its wings were split into six golden sections. Four blue eyes gleamed as the dragon was summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyberse Clock Dragon ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 7**

"It's a Dark Attribute Fusion Monster!" Ai said.

"So that's Ai's Fusion Monster," Cypher mused, looking the dragon up and down. "It has fewer attack and defense points and a lower Level than Savage Shogun, but I can sense a great deal of power within it."

"Cyberse Clock Dragon's monster effect! For every Fusion Material's Link Marker, I send a card from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard. And for each sent card, it gains 1000 attack points! I send four cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard."

"Cyberse Clock Dragon gains 4000 attack points!" Ai cheered. The dragon roared as it glowed red.

 **Cyberse Clock Dragon ATK 2500→6500**

Bohman gasped. "6500 attack points!"

"This is bad!" Haru grit his teeth. "We can't survive an attack from that!"

Cypher laughed. "So that's why he used Gallant Gunwoman. Do you see, Bohman? This is the strength of my partner's friendship with Playmaker!"

"…Did you really just say that?" Morningstar asked, giving the Ignis a weird look.

Ai did the smart thing and ignored Cypher. "Destroy him and Hydradrive Lord, Playmaker!"

"I won't let you!" Bohman declared. "I activate Hydradrive Cycle's effect! I pay 400 Life Points to Special Summon a Fire Hydradrive Token to your field in Defense Position!" A Hydradrive Token with a red aura appeared on their field.

 **Bohman & Haru: 900→500 LP**

 **Hydradrive Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

Playmaker gasped. "Why our field?" Ai asked.

"Hydradrive Lord's monster effect! Until the end of the turn, all your monsters become the same Attribute as the targeted monster! I select Hydradrive Token!" Hydradrive Lord pointed its scepter at said Token.

"I see!" Haru smiled. "If Clock Dragon is changed to Fire Attribute, its effects will be negated by Hydradrive Lord's effect."

"No!" Ai panicked. "Clock Dragon's attack points will return to 2500!"

"I told you that I know everything about your dueling, Playmaker!" Bohman boasted.

Playmaker smiled in response. "Are you sure about that?" Bohman lost his smirk at Playmaker's words. "Clock Dragon's additional effect! When there's a Link Monster on my field, you can only target Clock Dragon for attacks and effects!"

"What? We have a Link Monster?" Ai gasped on seeing the small blue monster jumping up and down.

"Kuri kuri ku!"

"You did! Linkuriboh!"

"Hydradrive Lord can only select Clock Dragon's Dark Attribute!" Playmaker continued. "You can't negate my effect!" Bohman grit his teeth. "Battle! Clock Dragon attacks Trident Hydradrive Lord!"

"Judgment Arrows' effect! Hydradrive Lord's attack points are doubled!"

 **Trident Hydradrive Lord ATK 2300→** 4600

"That's pointless!" Playmaker declared. "Go! Pulse Pressure!" Purple lightning gathered across Clock Dragon's wings and upper body and gathered in its mouth. The dragon launched the energy at Hydradrive Lord in a stream, destroying it. Bohman and Haru yelled as they were sent flying backwards.

 **Bohman & Haru: 500→0 LP**

"We did it! We win!" Ai cheered.

"As if mine and Morningstar's presence can have any other outcome," Cypher said. Morningstar smiled at that.

Bohman groaned from where he laid on the statue's hand. "We lost?"

Haru groaned next to him as he pushed himself into a sitting position against the statue's sleeve. "I really thought we were strong enough…"

Playmaker took a step towards Bohman, but cracks suddenly appeared on the statues. The hacker and hunter gasped as the statues started falling to the sides. Realizing the statues were collapsing, Morningstar and Playmaker summoned their D-Boards and jumped on them.

Haru looked up at them and grit his teeth. "Playmaker!" he shouted. "My brother will come back! Stay tuned!" The statues fell beneath the clouds at his words, leaving the hunter, hacker, and their Ignis the only ones around.

Or so they thought. "Are you two okay?" They turned as Soulburner approached them on his D-Board.

"Soulburner!" Playmaker exclaimed.

"What took you so long?" Morningstar asked. The drone he had sent to monitor Soulburner reached him and receded into his Duel Disk.

"The whole Wind World is destabilizing!" Flame warned them.

They watched as the clouds, and everything beneath them, started to disappear into blue data. "The world is vanishing!" Ai panicked.

"We'll be in trouble if we stay here," Cypher warned them.

"Let's use the escape program to log out!" Soulburner did just that after he said it.

"Our turn," Cypher said. Morningstar nodded as he logged out. Left alone, Playmaker looked over the world.

 _Bohman…_ he thought. _Who is he? And who is the one who controls him? I swear I'll find out who!_ The hacker logged out a second later.

* * *

On an island in LINK VRAINS, a cloaked man watches a recording on his Duel Disk. He doesn't speak as he watches his ally lose to the person he least expected.

"So HK-70 lost?"

The cloaked man turned as Jester walked up to him.

"Yes."

"Was any other result actually expected?" Jester asked mockingly. "Morningstar is strong, certainly strong enough to defeat your pet AI duelist."

"I did expect Morningstar to win, but HK's main goal was to observe his adaptability; to see how he handled facing a different kind of opponent." The man turned back to the recording and pressed a button. "But it wasn't Morningstar who defeated HK."

Jester watched silently as Ghost Girl intercepted HK's shot, then used a Synchro Monster to defeat it.

"Well… that was unexpected," Jester admitted. "I did not foresee the mercenary woman giving us any trouble."

"Neither did _it_ ," the cloaked man admitted. "A good reminder that even a supposed God can make mistakes."

"What did it not see? That this Ghost Girl would oppose us, or that she would use Synchro Summoning?"

"Both. But those are not the only mistakes we've made."

The man rewound the video to before the duel. To the duel HK-70 observed between Blood Shepherd and Playmaker. Jester didn't say anything as Playmaker Fusion Summoned a monster whose attack points reached 7500 and defeated the bounty hunter.

"…Playmaker's victory was expected, as was him learning Fusion Summoning," Jester said softly. "But it would seem we underestimated how powerful said Fusion Summoning would be."

"HK also detected Ritual Summoning from the one called Soulburner, and Synchro Summoning from Morningstar," the cloaked man said as he ended the recording. "And before his defeat, his scanners detected two bursts of Fusion Summoning. The locations correlate to Soulburner and the one identified as Blue Girl, who seems to be another avatar for Blue Angel."

"Hmm. It would seem our opposition is learning and evolving at a faster rate than we anticipated," Jester mused. Then he chuckled. "Well, that certainly makes things more interesting."

Before the cloaked man could answer, his Duel Disk beeped. Seeing he had a call, and seeing who it was from, he pressed a button. "It is me."

"Enforcer No. I." The voice on the other end was scrambled, as it always was. "Has the data from HK-70 been processed?"

"Yes. Sending it now." The man sent the data and waited a few minutes as the one on the other end watched it.

"…Interesting. I did not anticipate this Ghost Girl interfering."

"Should we adjust our plains for her interference? As well as this Blue Girl?" Jester asked.

"…No, Enforcer No. XIII," the voice answered. "They are only strong enough to slow us down, not stop us. The first stage is already in motion. What of the Ignis?"

"HK detected the Wind Ignis in the world, and a low-powered scan detected traces of the Light Ignis as well," the cloaked man answered.

"…So the Light and Wind Ignis are in concert. And their world?"

"Disappeared. The connection between it and LINK VRAINS was cut."

"Very well. Jester, you have new orders. Search for the missing Ignis, but don't engage them. Simply relay their location and keep tabs on them. I will engage them personally when the time comes."

"Understood," Jester said, slightly bowing his head before teleporting away.

"Zahhak," the voice said, addressing the cloaked man. "Continue your observations of Playmaker, Morningstar, Soulburner, and their Ignis. But there is an additional task for you."

"And that is?"

"We have received word from an agent within SOL Technologies. The bounty hunter Techbane reported fighting an unknown ally of Morningstar. A woman named Cassiel. And she used the Cyangel archetype."

"…So, the Cyangels have finally appeared," Zahhak said softly. The barest trace of excitement could be heard in his voice. "You want me to engage Cassiel?"

"Not yet. What files we have of the Deck are lacking in information. Add Cassiel to your list of observation targets for now. Once we have a solid understanding of the Cyangel Deck, you are to engage and retrieve the Deck's data."

"Very well."

"There is one more thing," the voice said, almost as an afterthought. "I admit to some concern regarding the tasks you face. I do not doubt your capabilities, but you and Jester are still human, and thus can only do so much by yourselves. I am sending reinforcements to alleviate your burden."

"Who?"

"Enforcer No. V has finished his task in Brussels. Once he finishes his report, I will assign Merlin to the Final Ascension Plan. He shall arrive within two weeks' time."

"Hmm. Merlin does solid work. His aid will be appreciated."

"Good. Until he arrives, continue your assigned task. And remember," it added, "if you observe Morningstar using the Link-5 Cyspirit, you are to engage him immediately and commence retrieval. That is an order, Zahhak."

"I am fully aware." Zahhak ended the call after that.

He signed and placed a hand on his hip. "Morningstar, when I first heard the Cyspirits had been found, I thought you would be a worthy foe. But you've shown me nothing I haven't seen before. There is nothing of interest about you."

Zahhak looked over LINK VRAINS, a soft red glow under his cloak. "Work to become stronger, and fight to achieve your full power. Otherwise, I might have to give you a push. And that push just might destroy you."

* * *

 **Playmaker & Morningstar vs. Bohman & Haru**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel. Morningstar & Playmaker share a field, GY, and LP while Bohman & Haru share a field, GY, and LP.

 **Turn 1: Bohman**

As there are no monsters in the Main Monster Zones, Bohman Special Summons Hydradrive Booster (0/0/1) in Attack Position. Bohman uses Hydradrive Booster to Link Summon Burn Hydradrive (1000/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Bohman Normal Summons Hydradrive Booster (0/0/1). Bohman uses Hydradrive Booster to Link Summon Coolant Hydradrive (1000/1/↓) to Burn Hydradrive's Link Marker. Bohman activates the Link Spell Card Judgment Arrows (↖↑↗) at the Spell & Trap Zone Coolant Hydradrive's Link Marker points to. Bohman uses Burn Hydradrive and Coolant Hydradrive to Link Summon Twin Hydradrive Knight (1800/2/←→) to Judgment Arrows' top-left Link Marker. As Twin Hydradrive Knight was Link Summoned, Bohman activates its effect to change its Attribute to that of the original Attributes of the Link Monsters used for its Link Summon, in this case both Fire and Water. Monsters with the same Attribute as Twin Hydradrive Knight have their effects negated. Bohman Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He Normal Summons Flame Bufferlo (1400/200/3). Playmaker activates the effect of Catche Eve L2 in his hand, reducing the Level of a Level 3 or higher monster he controls by 2 to Special Summon Catche Eve L2. He reduces the Level of Flame Bufferlo (Flame Bufferlo: 3→1) and Special Summons Catche Eve L2 (800/600/2) in Attack Position. Playmaker uses Flame Bufferlo to Link Summon Linkuriboh (300/1/↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Flame Bufferlo left the field, Playmaker activates its effect, discarding a Cyberse monster to draw 2 cards. He discards Clock Wyvern. As Playmaker controls two or more monsters with the same Type, he Special Summons Cyberse White Hat (1800/2400/6). Playmaker uses Cyberse White Hat and Catche Eve LV2 to Link Summon Update Jammer (2000/2/←↑) to Linkuriboh's Link Marker. As Cyberse White Hat was sent to the GY as material for a Link Summon, Playmaker activates its effect, reducing the ATK of all monsters Bohman and Haru control by 1000 (Twin Hydradrive Knight: 1800→800).

Update Jammer attacks Twin Hydradrive Knight. As a Link Monster it points to battled, the effect of Judgment Arrows doubles its ATK during damage calculation (Twin Hydradrive Knight: 800→1600). As a Cyberse monster battled, Playmaker activates the effect of Update Jammer, negating the effects of all other cards on the field, and returning the ATK/DEF of the battling monsters to their original ATK/DEF, then if Bohman's monster is destroyed by that battle, Update Jammer inflicts 1000 damage to Bohman and Haru (Twin Hydradrive Knight: 1600→1800). The attack continues and Twin Hydradrive Knight is destroyed (Bohman & Haru: 4000→3800 LP). As Bohman's monster was destroyed by battle, the effect of Update Jammer inflicts 1000 damage to Bohman and Haru (Bohman and Haru: 3800→2800 LP). Linkburiboh attacks Bohman and Haru directly (Bohman and Haru: 2800→2500 LP). Playmaker Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Haru**

Haru draws. He Normal Summons Hydradrive Booster (0/0/1). Haru uses Booster to Link Summon Coolant Hydradrive (1000/1/↓) to Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker. Haru activates the Spell Card Hydradrive Rebuild, which destroys 1 "Hydradrive" monster he controls. Haru destroys Coolant Hydradrive. Since Coolant Hydradrive was destroyed, its effect Special Summons 1 Hydradrive Token (0/0/1) in Defense Position. Since the monster destroyed by Hydradrive Rebuild activated its effect in the GY, Haru can Special Summon 1 "Hydradrive" monster from his GY, but it cannot attack, its effects are negated, and it is destroyed during the End Phase. Haru Special Summons Coolant Hydradrive (1000/1/↓). Haru uses Hydradrive Token to Link Summon Flow Hydradrive (1000/1/↓) to Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker. Haru uses Coolant Hydradrive and Flow Hydradrive to Link Summon Twin Hydradrive Knight (1800/2/←→) to Judgment Arrows' top-left Link Marker. As Twin Hydradrive Knight was Link Summoned, Haru activates its effect to change its Attribute to that of the original Attributes of the Link Monsters used for its Link Summon, in this case Water and Wind. Monsters with the same Attribute as Twin Hydradrive Knight have their effects negated. Update Jammer's effects are negated. Haru then activates the Spell Card Hydradrive Continuation and targets Twin Hydradrive Knight for its effect. Haru can Special Summon 1 "Hydradrive" Link Monster from his GY with the same Attribute as Twin Hydradrive Knight, but it will be destroyed during the End Phase. Haru Special Summons Flow Hydradrive (1000/1/↓) to Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker.

As Playmaker controls a Wind Attribute monster, Flow Hydradrive can attack directly. Flow Hydradrive attacks Playmaker directly, with the effect of Judgment Arrows activating (Flow Hydradrive: 1000→2000). As an opponent's monster attacked, Playmaker activates Linkuriboh's effect, Tributing it to lower Flow Hydradrive's ATK to 0 until the end of the turn (Flow Hydradrive: 2000→0). A replay occurs and Haru cancels his attack. Twin Hydradrive Knight attacks Update Jammer. The effect of Judgment Arrows activates (Twin Hydradrive Knight: 1800→3600). Update Jammer is destroyed (Playmaker & Morningstar: 4000→2400 LP). Haru Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn, and Flow Hydradrive is destroyed by the effect of Hydradrive Continuation. As Flow Hydradrive was destroyed by a card effect, it Special Summons 1 Hydradrive Token (0/0/1) in Defense Position.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Gift, which lets him discard 1 "Cyspirit" card to draw 2 cards. Morningstar discards Cyspirit Wanderer. As Haru controls a Link Monster and he does not, he Special Summons Cyspirit Armorer (1200/2000/6) in Attack Position. As his opponent Special Summoned a Cyberse monster, Haru activates his Set Quick-Play Spell Card Hydradrive Remix, which lets him Tribute 1 "Hydradrive" monster to Special Summon 1 different named "Hydradrive" monster from his GY with its effects negated and then gain LP equal to that monster's ATK. Haru Tributes Hydradrive Token to Special Summon Twin Hydradrive Knight (1800/2/←→) to Judgment Arrows' top-right Link Marker (Bohman & Haru: 2500→4300 LP). As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar activates the effect of Armorer, sending it to the GY and targeting 1 Twin Hydradrive Knight, allowing Morningstar to Special Summon Cyspirit Armor Tokens equal to its Link Rating. Morningstar Special Summons 2 Cyspirit Armor Tokens (0/0/2 each) in Defense Postiion. Morningstar uses Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the left Extra Monster Zone. As it was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Prisoner's effect lets Morningstar add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Code Jamming from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar activates Cacophonic Caller's effect, letting him Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck in Attack Position to its Link Marker, but it is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2). Morningstar uses Armor Token and Dancer to Link Summon Cyspirit Gallant Gunwoman (1900/2/↑→) to Cacophonic Caller's bottom Link Marker. As it was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Dancer's effect increases Gallant Gunwoman's ATK by 600 (Gallant Gunwoman: 1900→2500). As it points to 1 monster, Morningstar activates Gallant Gunwoman's effect, letting him activate 1 "Cyspirit" Spell/Trap Card from his hand. He activates the Trap Card Cyspirit Code Jamming. As he controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Code Jamming lets him target 1 face-up Spell/Trap Card his opponent controls. Until the end of the turn, the effects of that Spell/Trap Card are negated. Morningstar targets Judgment Arrows. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Sorceress (1400/400/4). As Sorceress was Normal Summoned, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position. He Special Summons Dancer (1000/200/2). Morningstar uses Dancer and Armor Token to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→) to Gallant Gunwoman's right Link Marker. Dancer's effect activates (Thrilled Tunneler: 1600→2200). Morningstar uses Sorceress and Cacophonic Caller to Link Summon Cyspirit Mad Mongrel (2000/2/↑↓) to the left Extra Monster Zone.

Mad Mongrel attacks and destroys the 1st Twin Hydradrive Knight (Bohman & Haru: 4300→4100 LP). Gallant Gunwoman attacks the 2nd Twin Hydradrive Knight. As Morningstar's monster attacked, Haru activates his Set Trap Card Hydradrive Tolerance, which lets him target 1 "Hydradrive" Link Monster that was sent to the GY this turn and reduce the battle damage by that monster's Link Rating times 300, then he takes no damage for the rest of the turn. As Haru activated a Trap Card while he controls a Link Monster, Morningstar activates Playmaker's Set Counter Trap Card Arrow Break, which negates the activation of Hydradrive Tolerance and destroys it. The attack continues and Twin Hydradrive Knight is destroyed (Bohman & Haru: 4100→3400 LP). Since Gallant Gunwoman destroyed a monster in battle while it pointed to 2 monsters, Morningstar gains LP equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK (Playmaker & Morningstar: 2400→4200 LP). Since the monster Special Summoned by Hydradrive Remix was sent to the GY by Morningstar's card, Haru activates its effect, banishing it to gain LP equal to the destroyed monster's ATK (Bohman & Haru: 3400→5200 LP). Thrilled Tunneler attacks Haru directly (Bohman & Haru: 5200→3000 LP). Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, and the effect of Code Jamming ends.

 **Turn 5: Bohman**

Bohman draws. He activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Property Spray. Since Bohman activated a Continuous Trap Card, Morningstar activates his Set Counter Trap Card Royal Surrender, which negates the activation and effects of Property Spray and destroys it. As Bohman's Spell/Trap Card was destroyed, Bohman activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Hydradrive Cycle. As Hydradrive Cycle was activated, its effect activates, returning a "Hydradrive" Link Monster from his GY to his Extra Deck, then drawing cards equal to that monster's Link Rating and Special Summoning a "Hydradrive" monster from his GY with its ATK reduced to 0. Bohman returns Twin Hydradrive Knight, draws 2 cards, and Special Summons Burn Hydradrive (1000→0/1/↓). Bohman activates the other effect of Hydradrive Cycle, paying 400 LP (Bohman & Haru: 3000→2600 LP) and declaring an Attribute between Earth, Water, Fire, or Wind to Special Summon a Hydradrive Token to the turn player's field with that Attribute. He Special Summons an Earth Hydradrive Token (0/0/1) in Defense Position. Bohman uses a Hydradrive Token to Link Summon Flow Hydradrive (1000/1/↓) to Judgment Arrows' top-left Link Marker. Bohman uses Burn Hydradrive and Flow Hydradrive to Link Summon Twin Hydradrive Knight (1800/2/←→) to Judgment Arrows' top-left Link Marker. As Twin Hydradrive Knight was Link Summoned, its effect activates, changing its Attribute to both Fire and Wind.

Twin Hydradrive Knight attacks Gallant Gunwoman. As it points to at least 1 monster, Morningstar activates Gallant Gunwoman's effect to activate 1 "Cyspirit" Spell/Trap Card from his hand. He activates the Trap Card Cyspirit Guard Block, which lets him Tribute 1 "Cyspirit" monster he controls to negate that attack and end the Battle Phase. Morningstar Tributes Mad Mongrel. As Morningstar activated an effect by Tributing a monster while Bohman controls a "Hydradrive" monster, Bohman activates the effect of Break Hydradrive in his hand, sending it to the GY to negate the activation of Guard Block and inflict 800 damage to Morningstar (Playmaker & Morningstar: 4200→3400 LP). A replay occurs and Twin Hydradrive Knight attacks Gallant Gunwoman. As a Link Monster it points to battled, the effect of Judgment Arrows doubles its ATK during damage calculation (Twin Hydradrive Knight: 1800→3600). Gallant Gunwoman is destroyed (Playmaker & Morningstar: 3400→2300 LP) (Twin Hydradrive Knight: 3600→1800). Bohman Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 6: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. Playmaker Normal Summons Widget Kid (1500/900/3). As Widget Kid was Summoned, Playmaker can Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster from his hand in Defense Position. Playmaker Special Summons RAM Clouder (1800/1000/4). Playmaker activates RAM Clouder's effect to Tribute 1 monster and Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster in his GY. Playmaker Tributes Widget Kid to Special Summon Update Jammer (2000/2/←↑). Playmaker uses RAM Clouder and Link-2 Update Jammer to Link Summon Detonate Deleter (2100/3/←↙→) to Thrilled Tunneler's right Link Marker. As Update Jammer was used to Link Summon, its effect activates, letting Detonate Deleter attack twice this turn.

Detonate Deleter attacks Twin Hydradrive Knight. At the start of the Damage Step, as Detonate Deleter is attacking Bohman's monster, Playmaker activates its effect, destroying Twin Hydradrive Knight. Detonate Deleter attacks Bohman directly. As Playmaker's monster declared an attack, Bohman activates his Set Trap Card Hydradrive Tolerance, which reduces the damage from that battle by the destroyed Twin Hydradrive Knight's Link Rating times 300 (Bohman & Haru: 2600→1100 LP). The secondary effect of Hydradrive Tolerance prevents Bohman from taking any further battle or effect damage until the End Phase. Playmaker Sets 1 card. He activates the effect of Cyspirit Code Jamming in the GY, banishing Cyspirit Armorer to Set it in his Spell/Trap Zone. Playmaker ends his turn.

 **Turn 7: Haru**

Haru draws. He activates the effect of Hydradrive Cycle, paying 400 LP (Bohman & Haru: 1100→700 LP) to Special Summon 1 Earth Attribute Hydradrive Token (0/0/1) in Defense Position. Haru uses Hydradrive Token to Link Summon Burn Hydradrive (1000/1/↓) to Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker. Haru activates the Equip Spell Card Property Changer, which he equips to Thrilled Tunneler. Haru can declare 1 Attribute, and that monster becomes the declared monster. In addition, if Haru controls a "Hydradrive" monster with the same Attribute as that monster, Playmaker cannot target his Spell/Trap Cards with card effects. Haru declares Fire Attribute, changing Thrilled Tunneler to Fire. Haru then activates the Equip Spell Card Hydradrive Impact, equipping it to Burn Hydradrive. Burn Hydradrive must attack if able, and if Playmaker controls a monster, any battle damage Burn Hydradrive inflicts via a direct attack is doubled.

Since Playmaker controls a Fire monster, Burn Hydradrive attacks Playmaker directly. As a Cyberse monster declared an attack, Playmaker activates his Set Trap Card Cynet Refresh, which destroys as many monsters in the Main Monster Zones as possible. Burn Hydradrive, Thrilled Tunneler, and Detonate Deleter are destroyed. Since Burn Hydradrive was destroyed, its effect activates, Special Summoning 1 Hydradrive Token (0/0/1) in Defense Position. Because the monster equipped with Property Changer was destroyed by a card effect, Haru activates its effect, banishing it from his GY to draw 1 card and inflict 1000 damage to Playmaker (Playmaker & Morningstar: 2300→1300 LP). Haru uses Hydradrive Token to Link Summon Coolant Hydradrive (1000/1/↓) to Judgment Arrows' top-left Link Marker. Haru Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, the effect of Cynet Refresh Special Summons as many Cyberse Link Monsters among the destroyed monsters as possible. Burn Hydradrive (1000/1/↓) is Special Summoned to Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker, while Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→) and Detonate Deleter (2100/3/←↙→) are Special Summoned to Playmaker's field.

 **Turn 8: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the effect of Cyspirit Wanderer in his GY, shuffling it back into his Deck to Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster from his GY, but it cannot attack. He Special Summons Gallant Gunwoman (1900/2/↑→). Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Valkyrie (2100/400/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Valkyrie, Thrilled Tunneler, and Link-2 Gallant Gunwoman to Link Summon Cyspirit Neo Nova (2500/4/←↖↗→) to Detonate Deleter's left Link Marker. As it points to 1 monster, Morningstar activates Neo Nova's effect to draw 1 card for every monster it points at, but during the End Phase, he must send an equal number of cards to the GY. Morningstar draws 1 card. As he controls a "Cyspirit" Link Monster, Morningstar activates the Trap Card Cyspirit Code Jamming, targeting Judgment Arrows. Until the End Phase, Judgment Arrows' effects are negated. Code Jamming is banished by its own effect. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Lancer (1800/0/4) to Neo Nova's left Link Marker. While Lancer is in Attack Position, all "Cyspirit" monsters gain 300 ATK (Lancer: 1800→2100) (Neo Nova: 2500→2800).

Neo Nova attacks Burn Hydradrive. Haru activates his Set Trap Card Hydradrive Burst, which lets him destroy 1 "Hydradrive" monster he controls to destroy 1 Link Monster his opponent controls, then Haru gains LP equal to their combined Link Ratings times 600. Haru destroys Coolant Hydradrive and Detonate Deleter (Haru: 700→3100 LP). Since Coolant Hydradrive was destroyed, Haru Special Summons a Hydradrive Token (0/0/1) in Defense Position. A replay occurs, and Neo Nova attacks and destroys Burn Hydradrive (Bohman & Haru: 3100→1300 LP). Burn Hydradrive's effect activates and Special Summon a Hydradrive Token in Defense Position (0/0/1). Lancer attacks and destroys 1 Hydradrive Token. Mornngstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, Morningstar sends Cyspirit Mongrel from the top of his Deck to the GY via Neo Nova's effect.

 **Turn 9: Bohman**

Bohman draws. He activates the effect of Hydradrive Cycle, paying 400 LP (Bohman & Haru: 1300→900 LP) to Special Summon 1 Earth Hydradrive Token (0/0/1) in Defense Position. As a "Hydradrive" monster was Special Summoned to Bohman's field, he activates the effect of Break Hydradrive in his GY, Special Summoning it (800/800/1) in Attack Position, but it is banished when it leaves the field. As his LP is 1000 or lower, Bohman activates his Skill Storm Access, randomly accessing a card within the Data Storm. Bohman obtains Trident Hydradrive Lord and adds it to his Extra Deck. Bohman uses Break Hydradrive to Link Summon Burn Hydradrive (1000/1/↓), Hydradrive Token to Link Summon Flow Hydradrive (1000/1/↓), and Hydradrive Token to Link Summon Coolant Hydradrive (1000/1/↓) to the top-left, top, and top-right Link Markers of Judgment Arrows. Bohman uses Burn Hydradrive, Coolant Hydradrive, and Flow Hydradrive to Link Summon Trident Hydradrive Lord (2300/3/←↓→) to Judgment Arrows' top Link Marker. As Trident Hydradrive Lord was Link Summoned, Bohman activates its effect to change its Attribute to that of the original Attributes of the Link Monsters used for its Link Summon, in this case Fire, Water, and Wind. The effect of Trident Hydradrive Lord negates the effects of all monsters Morningstar controls with the same Attribute as Trident Hydradrive Lord. Bohman activates the Equip Spell Card Hydradrive Accelerator, equipping it to Trident Hydradrive Lord. Trident Hydradrive Lord is Fire, Water, and Wind, so Hydradrive Accelerator makes Trident Hydradrive Lord unaffected by Morningstar's Spell and Trap effects, and if Morningstar activates a card or effect that targets a card Bohman controls, except for Trident Hydradrive Lord, Hydradrive Accelerator can negate that card or effect once per turn.

Trident Hydradrive Lord attacks Lancer. Morningstar activates his Trap Card Cyspirit Offering, which lets him Tribute 1 Level 8 or lower monster he controls, then target 1 "Cyspirit" monster, and increase that monster's ATK by the Tributed monster's ATK until the end of the turn. Morningstar Tributes Lancer and targets Neo Nova (Neo Nova: 2800→4900→4600). A replay occurs and Trident Hydradrive Lord attacks Neo Nova. During damage calculation, Bohman activates the effect of Assault Hydradrive in his hand, discarding it to increase Trident Hydradrive Lord's ATK by 1000 (Trident Hydradrive Lord: 2300→3300). The effect of Judgment Arrows activates (Trident Hydradrive Lord: 3300→6600). Neo Nova is destroyed, but the effect of Cyspirit Offering reduces the battle damage by Lancer's Level times 200 (Playmaker & Morningstar: 1300→100 LP) (Trident Hydradrive Lord: 6600→2300). Bohman ends his turn.

 **Turn 10: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He Normal Summons Draconnet (1400/1200/3). As Draconnet was Normal Summoned, Playmaker can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower Normal Monster from his hand or Deck in Defense Position. Playmaker Special Summons Bitron (200/2000/2) from his Deck. Playmaker uses Bitron to Link Summon Link Spider (1000/1/↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Playmaker activates Link Spider's effect to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from his hand to its Link Marker. He Special Summons Protron (100/100/1) in Defense Position. Playmaker activates the effect of Cyspirit Guard Block in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 Link-3 or lower "Cyspirit" Link Monster from the GY, but it cannot attack or be used as Link Material for the rest of the turn. Playmaker Special Summons Gallant Gunwoman (1900/2/↑→). Playmaker uses Draconnet and Link Spider to Link Summon Clock Spartoi (800/2/↓↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Clock Spartoi was Link Summoned, its effect activates, and Playmaker adds Cynet Fusion from his Deck to his hand. Playmaker activates the effect of Linkuriboh, Tributing the Level 1 Protron to Special Summon Linkuriboh (300/1/↓) to Clock Spartoi's bottom Link Marker. As a monster was Special Summoned to its Link Marker, Clock Spartoi's effect activates, letting Playmaker Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster in his GY to Clock Spartoi's Link Marker with its effects negated. Playmaker Special Summons Clock Wyvern (1800/1000/4) to Clock Spartoi's bottom-right Link Marker in Attack Position. Playmaker activates the Spell Card Cynet Fusion, fusing Clock Wyvern, Gallant Gunwoman, and Clock Spartoi to Fusion Summon Cyberse Clock Dragon (2500/2000/7) to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

Since Clock Dragon was Fusion Summoned, Playmaker can send cards from the top of his Deck to the GY, equal to the combined Link Ratings of its Fusion Materials, and for each sent card, Clock Dragon gains 1000 ATK. Playmaker sends 4 cards to the GY (Clock Dragon: 2500→6500). Bohman activates the effect of Hydradrive Cycle (Bohman & Haru: 900→500 LP) to Special Summon a Fire Hydradrive Token (0/0/1) to Playmaker's field in Defense Position. Bohman activates the effect of Trident Hydradrive Lord, changing the Attribute of all face-up monsters Playmaker controls to the Attribute of a monster on Playmaker's field. While Playmaker controls a Link Monster, the effect of Clock Dragon prevents Bohman from targeting other monsters he controls for attacks or card effects, except Clock Dragon, so Bohman targets Clock Dragon, changing the Attribute of all face-up monsters Playmaker controls to Dark.

Clock Dragon attacks Trident Hydradrive Lord. Judgment Arrows' effect activates (Trident Hydradrive Lord: 2300→4600). The attack continues and Trident Hydradrive Lord is destroyed (Bohman & Haru: 100→0 LP). Playmaker & Morningstar win.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Gallant Gunwoman  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 1900 LINK-2_ ↑→  
 _2 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monsters  
_ _This Link Summoned card gains these effects depending on the number of monsters it points to.  
_ _-1 or more: Once per turn, during either player's turn (Quick Effect): You can activate 1 "Cyspirit" Spell/Trap Card from your hand.  
_ _-2: If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle; you can gain LP equal to that monster's original ATK._

 _ **Assault Hydradrive  
**_ _Attribute: EARTH Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1000 DEF 1000 Level: 3  
_ _During damage calculation, when your "Hydradrive" Link Monster battles an opponent's monster, you can send this card from your hand to the GY (Quick Effect); that monster gains 1000 ATK until the end of the Damage Step._

 _ **Hydradrive Continuation Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Hydradrive" Link Monster you control; Special Summon 1 "Hydradrive" Link Monster from your GY with the same Attribute(s) as the targeted monster. During the End Phase, destroy that monster. You can only activate 1 "Hydradrive Continuation" per turn._

 _ **Hydradrive Remix Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _When your opponent Special Summons a Cyberse monster: Tribute 1 "Hydradrive" monster you control; Special Summon 1 "Hydradrive" Link Monster with a different name but the same Attribute as the Tributed monster from your GY with its effects negated, and if you do, gain LP equal to that monster's original ATK. If the Special Summoned monster is sent to the GY by an opponent's card, you can banish this card from your GY; gain LP equal to that monster's ATK. You can only activate each effect of "Hydradrive Remix" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Code Jamming Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If you control a "Cyspirit" Link Monster: Target 1 face-up Spell/Trap Card your opponent controls; negate that card's effects until the end of the turn. During your Main Phase: You can banish 1 "Cyspirit" monster from your GY; Set this card from your GY, but banish it when it leaves the field. You cannot activate the above effect the turn this card is sent from the field to the GY._

 _ **Cyspirit Guard Block Normal Trap Card  
**_ _When an opponent's monster declares an attack: You can Tribute 1 "Cyspirit" monster you control; negate that attack, then end the Battle Phase. You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 Link-3 or lower "Cyspirit" Link Monster in your GY; Special Summon it, but until the end of this turn it cannot declare an attack or be used as Link Material. You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspirit Guard Block" per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Property Changer Equip Spell Card  
**_ _Declare 1 Attribute; change the equipped monster's Attribute to the declared Attribute. If you control a "Hydradrive" Link Monster with the same Attribute as the equipped monster, your opponent cannot target your Spell/Trap Cards with their card effects. If the equipped monster is destroyed by a card effect, you can banish this card from your GY; draw 1 card and inflict 1000 damage to your opponent._

 _ **Hydradrive Burst Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Hydradrive" Link Monster you control and 1 Link Monster your opponent controls; destroy them, and if you have less than 1000 LP, you gain LP equal to the destroyed monsters' combined Link Ratings x 600. You can only activate "Hydradrive Burst" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Offering Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Tribute 1 Level 8 or lower monster you control and target 1 "Cyspirit" monster you control; the targeted monster gains ATK equal to the Tributed monster's ATK until the end of the turn. The turn you activate this effect, all battle damage is reduced by 200 x the Tributed monster's Level. You can only activate "Cyspirit Offering" once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 38 – An Angel's Soul. Escaping from the Wind World, Yasutake and his allies go over their findings. The next day, Yasutake receives an email from a possibly ally…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

Who would you like to see participate in a Tag Duel next?

* * *

 **Author's Notes & Responses to Reviews**

Thank you to HunterHQ, guardian of the aura Aurasoul, Ethan Kironus, Phantom Flame-98, ZarcEternal, D3lph0xL0v3r, Ryujomaru15, tsukikami02, NewComer1, SakushiRyu, jdkeller2000, Guest, Lindia Fullmoon, ThePLOThand, pokemonking0924, Guest, CyberseAlexandriteDragongirl, sanedimentio, DG, Guest, Guest, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 36.

NewComer1: Yes. I've played SWTOR since around the time it came out. I did take a break until it became free-to-play because I didn't want to pay, but I still play solidly to this day.

jdkeller2000: For now, the ability to use a Skill in a Master Duel is an antagonist ability. Morningstar and Playmaker may gain the ability in the future, but that's far off in the future.

CyberseAlexandriteDragongirl: Thank you for the Fusion Monster suggestion, but for now, Morningstar will only have 1 main monster for each summoning method, with 1 potential support monster included in that method. Kind of like Diplexer Chimera and Cyberse Clock Dragon for Fusion Summoning, except they're Cyspirit monsters. I do plan to change that in season 3, but that's way in the future.

sanedimentio: I can't remember if Cypher claimed to be perfect, but I do know he claims to be superior. That said, he would probably agree with Mayuri, as perfection means no improvement and no way to move forward. And Cypher, as the Ignis of Death, who focuses on creation through destruction, is big on evolution.

DG: I don't think I'll be needing any OCs for season 2, but I might take suggestions for season 3. We'll know when we get there.

This was the Tag Duel between Bohman, Haru, Playmaker, and Morningstar. Most of the changes I made were to the Duel itself, and the only serious addition I made to the story of Bohman being the real Playmaker was Haru's reaction, which honestly, had to be added for the sake of them being brothers. I also added a scene where Yasutake met Sachi right before the incident. Yes, it's similar to the scene between Yusaku and Ryoken, but I thought it was a good scene, so I see no problem copying pieces of it.

We also got a new Cyspirit Link Monster which, yes, is based off of Lilith and her Magical Musket cards, particularly its first effect. And finally, we have the ending scene with Jester and Zahhak, who is the man in the cloak. Aside from confirming his identity, I'm not going to say anything more about the scene. I'm more interested in the readers' interpretations of that scene and what it means for the future.

All that aside, I would like to make an announcement: Once I've finished with either Fifth Circuit or Hidden Memories, whichever comes first, I will be working on a new fanfiction: a crossover between High School DxD and the Trails of Cold Steel video games. And this won't be one of those "person from one universe ends up trapped in another universe." No, I intend to do a world-merging crossover, combining the two series into a single world. I'm doing this partly because I rather like both series and I think both could work well together, but mostly because I want to experiment with world-merging and crossovers. But I won't be working on this crossover, or releasing any chapters, until I've finished one of my other two stories, for three reasons. One: I want to nail down as many of the character details and as much of the storyline as I can before I write it. I'm hoping this means I'll make fewer mistakes and be able to write at a faster rate rather than just have a general idea of where I want the story to go. Two: Trails of Cold Steel III & IV have yet to be released in the West, and I'd like to play both of them rather than just rely on online translations of them. I feel like this will give me more familiarity with the story and help it run smoother. And third: I have enough difficulty writing two fanfictions and a profile page attached to them at the same time; how long would my delays become if I add a third fanfic to that list?

Bottom-line is, I won't start this new fanfic until I've finished one of my current ones and I've freed up some time. I don't even have a name for this fanfic yet. What I do know is it will probably be rated "M" – it is the High School DxD universe, after all – though I suspect that will be as much for gratuitous violence as it will be for gratuitous fanservice; and that Rean Schwarzer will be the main protagonist of the story.

Thank you for reading Chapter 37 of Hidden Memories. Like I said above, I won't be posting the opening unless a change occurs, and once I reach past Episode 73, I'll be making a new opening for the latter half of season 2, and maybe an ending. If anyone has suggestions for either, please tell me. Your feedback is a big part in the continual improvement of Hidden Memories.


	38. Chapter 38: An Angel's Soul

**Chapter 38: An Angel's Soul**

Yasutake leaned against the side of the sealed room and sighed.

"You alright, Yasutake?" Cypher asked.

"Yes, just tired." Yasutake exited the sealed room and placed his Duel Disk on the counter. Cam wasn't there, but he'd left the computers on. Yasutake reopened the connection to Café Nagi and was rewarded with a screen of Yusaku, Takeru, and Kusanagi.

"Hey, Narahiko," Kusanagi said, smiling. "Yusaku was just filling me in. You want to jump in?"

"I will in a bit," he said, not sitting down. "Cam went out front; he should be here for this."

"Yeah," Kusanagi said, now frowning. "He mentioned a commotion in the store before he closed the video. See if he needs any help."

Yasutake nodded and headed into the bakery. And blinked.

Three boys were slumped on the ground, their heads hanging down and looks of utter despair on their faces. One of them was crying. Cam was standing over the trio, his arms crossed, a triumphant look on his face. There were a few other customers in Café Junpei, and while a couple were watching with interest while others were ignoring Cam, a few were… eating yakisoba? This was a bakery, not a restaurant; they didn't sell yakisoba. Where did they get it?

Cam let out a laugh that reminded Yasutake of every bad guy in every shonen anime ever. "Did you honestly think any of you could beat me? You're all a thousand years too early to challenge me! If you wish for my permission, you will have to pray for a miracle!"

"…Cam," Yasutake said flatly. Cam started and turned around.

"Oh, Yasu," Cam said, rubbing his head sheepishly. "Uh… how long have you been standing there?"

"N-Narahiko?" one of the boys said, raising his head. Yasutake blinked and turned to him. It was at that point he noticed that all three boys were wearing the Den Academy uniform. In fact, he recognized these three as from his class. He couldn't remember their names though. "What… what are you doing here?"

Cam smirked. "He works here," he said. "With special permission from your principal, I might add."

The other two boys raised their heads and stared at Yasutake. The leader was now crying. "Y-You work here? You… see her every day?"

Yasutake blinked. She?

Now all three were crying as they leapt to their feet. "Damn it! We can't beat him! He's too far ahead!" They ran out of the bakery as they shouted, much to the amusement of the remaining customers.

Yasutake stared flatly at Cam, who continued to look sheepish. He opened his mouth, but Yasutake held up his hand.

"Explain later," he said. "We have more important things to discuss."

Cam blinked and then frowned seriously. Nodding, he followed Yasutake into the backroom, just in time to catch Kusanagi's words.

"He had the same memories as you?"

Cam and Yasutake sat down at the desk and noted that Yusaku and Takeru had taken seats while Kusanagi was standing.

"Yeah. During our Duel, when Bohman talked about the past, it was the same as mine."

"So he knows your past." Kusanagi folded his arms. Then he noticed the new arrival. "Ah, Cam, welcome back. Did something happen?"

"Yes, but we can talk about that later. What's this about memories?"

Yasutake explained what happened during his and Yusaku's duel with Bohman and Haru, much to Cam's shock.

"Seriously? A backup? Is that even possible?"

"Theoretically, yes," Cypher answered. "It's also likely that Bohman was lying or imprinted with fake memories like Playmaker suggested."

Cam frowned. "But for him to claim that must mean he investigated you somehow, right?"

"Yeah," Yusaku agreed with a frown. "In detail, too. Though he just knew enough that I don't think he's aware of my real identity."

Takeru frowned. "So Bohman knows a lot, and to investigate you means he can get top information easily."

"He even managed to fool me," Ai interjected. "He's a very troublesome opponent."

"But he's our only lead to retrieve Kusanagi's brother's consciousness data," Yusaku said.

"But the gate has vanished," Kusanagi pointed out with a scowl. "For now, we have to wait for it to reappear."

"And if something startled that pipsqueak, there's no telling when that might happen," Cypher said.

"Sorry, Kusanagi." Everyone turned to look at Yusaku, who was looking to the side and frowning. "I couldn't find a lead."

Kusanagi smiled and placed a hand on Yusaku's shoulder. "Don't sweat it," he reassured him. "I'm just glad you all came home safe." Takeru frowned at Yusaku in concern. "Because I still need you guys! Especially tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Takeru repeated.

"I'll have a surprise for you two tomorrow," Kusanagi explained before looking back at Café Nagi's computers. "By analyzing the data we acquired near the gate, we might learn something. This'll take some work."

"I'll be able to help you with that," Cam said. "Send me what you can, and I can go through it."

"Sachi and I can help too," Yasutake said. "She's gotten a lot better with computers over the last couple months."

Cam hesitated, but then nodded slowly. "I don't want her dueling, but another set of hands back here would be useful."

"Oh, before I forget." They turned back to the screen as Takeru hooked up his Duel Disk to Café Nagi's computers. "Ghost Girl gave me the data from her duel with that AI duelist. She thought you might get some use out of it."

Yasutake frowned as he was notified of an email. "Yes, it will be. Thank you, Takeru."

Cam frowned. "What AI duelist?" he asked. "Did something happen?"

Yasutake told Cam and Kusanagi about HK-70. Needless to say, they were very surprised.

"A Duel Assassin?" Cam said, frowning. "I think I've seen a term like that on the forums before…"

"As have I," Kusanagi agreed, also frowning. "But to think it could be an AI duelist. And one that's been around for two years apparently…"

"Kitamura made AI duelists, but they were low-grade," Yasutake said. "Hanoi's AI duelists had better skills, but no personalities. HK-70 had a fully actualized personality, not unlike the Ignis. Whoever created it must have been a genius."

"…I wouldn't be certain of that," Flame said. "Its creator is certainly intelligent, but to compare it to us? That AI had no creation abilities whatsoever; its only skills were directed at combat. In that sense, it is only a mid-level AI; certainly smarter than most other AI, but not one that I'd call alive like you would us."

"Ghost Girl defeated it though, right?" Ai asked. "So we don't have to worry about it anymore."

Yasutake shook his head. "It's likely that HK-70 was part of a series of AI duelists, similarly to Kitamura's and Hanoi's AI duelists. And while she may be irritating, Ghost Girl is still a good duelist. If this thing gave her trouble, then we should be wary of it."

"…I honestly can't tell," Takeru said. "Is Ghost Girl your friend or not?"

"She is," Cypher said. "Yasutake's just a tsundere."

Said teen gave the Ignis a flat stare. "What?"

"Oh, that makes sense!" Ai pounded a fist into an open hand. Cam and Kusanagi both started laughing. Takeru looked like he wanted to join them but had managed to suppress it into a grin. Yusaku's upper lip twitched.

"What's a tsundere?" Flame asked.

"It's-."

"Not important." Yasutake cut his partner off. He glared at Cam, who managed to tone his laugh down to a chuckle. And a very stupid smirk. "And HK-70 isn't the only unknown; there's another."

"The girl who defeated Techbane?" Yusaku guessed, frowning in thought.

"You said her name was Cassiel, right?" Takeru asked. Yasutake nodded. "Do we know anything about her?"

Cam finally stopped chortling but kept smiling. "I only did a quick search before I was called up front, but no; I wasn't able to find anything about a duelist named Cassiel."

"Whoever she is, she has good taste in names," Cypher commented. "'Cassiel' is the name of an archangel and means 'Speed of God' in Hebrew. Perhaps she uses a Fairy Deck?"

"Maybe," Yasutake said. "We'll do some more searches for her. She helped me, so I don't think she's hostile, but I still don't like unknowns."

"Neither do I," Yusaku nodded in agreement. "We'll conduct our own searches. But analyzing the gate's information takes priority."

"Understood." Yasutake glanced at the screens as a notice of an email and file attachment came through. "We'll call if we have any breakthroughs."

"Or Yasu will just tell you after school tomorrow," Cam said. They all nodded as he closed the connection. "Well, now that that's all done, you should start on your homework. If Sachi isn't done with hers, you can work on it together."

"Before that, tell me; what was going on out front?"

"Oh that." Cam grinned sheepishly. "One of your classmates came here and asked for my permission to ask Sachi out."

Yasutake blinked. That… wasn't the answer he had been expecting. "What did you say?"

Cam smirked evilly. "I told him I would give him my permission if he could defeat me in a cooking duel."

Yasutake snorted. He couldn't help it. "Like in _Shokugeki no Soma_?" Cypher asked.

"Yeah like that, only the regular customers were the judges. Partway through, those other two stopped by for the same reason – apparently they got our address from the school directory – so I gave them the same ultimatum."

"How badly did you beat them?"

"I think you know the answer." Cam laughed. "Honestly, those three think they're worthy of my sister when they can't even _cook_? Cooking is an essential skill for all men to have!"

Yasutake didn't respond. He was well aware of Cam's opinions on people learning to cook. He was also aware that Cam was one of the best chefs in this part of Den City; he remembered one time a few years ago when a nearby restaurant tried to hire Cam, but he refused.

"You want to know the funniest part?" Cam said. "They didn't need my permission."

Yasutake blinked. "What?"

"Who she goes out with is up to Sachi," Cam explained. "I have no say in the matter. I'll still disapprove; that's my duty as a brother. But if she wants to go out with someone, I'm not going to stop her."

He was giving Yasutake a significant look at those words. Yasutake didn't know why, but he figured it was best to change the subject. Checking the time, he remembered something important.

"I'll go upstairs and help Sachi with her homework," he said. "What are you going to do, Cam?"

Cam briefly looked disappointed before smiling again. "I'll get a head start on this data, then go back out front. Café Junpei will be closing in a couple hours, but I can still man the front."

"…Wrong answer."

"Huh?" Cam blinked as he looked at his roommate, who gave him a flat look.

"What time is it?"

"6:30."

"And what are you doing at 7?"

"Work-." Cam's eyes widened as he remembered what happened last night. "No."

"Yes," Yasutake said. "You made me go on a date with Masako Himura; I'm making you go on a date with Emily Garcia."

"I have work."

"Sachi and I can run the store."

"I have to analyze this data."

"Kusanagi is already doing that, and Cypher can do it faster than any of us."

"Do I get a say in this?" Cypher asked. The two humans ignored him.

"I don't have time in my life for a girlfriend," Cam said. "Between this bakery, Sachi, helping Kusanagi-."

"Which is why you need to go out," Yasutake interrupted. "Cam, I'm worried about you. Kusanagi aside, your social life since breaking up with Emma has been nonexistent. _I_ have a social life. It's a small one, but it's still bigger than yours."

Cam scowled. "Kick a man where it hurts, why don't you?" he muttered. He was touched by Yasutake's concern, but he was still reluctant to do this.

Cypher sighed. "You're going about this the wrong way, Yasutake," he said. The two humans looked at the Ignis. "Don't try to guilt him into it; you need to threaten him. Like this." Cypher turned to look Cam in the eye. "Cameron Junpei, if you don't go out with this woman, then I will upload your browser history to the forum Ghost Girl visits the most."

Cam paled. "Cypher, that's overkill," Yasutake scolded the Ignis. "I'm trying to get him to go on a date, not kill someone."

"Oh? Then what threat is sufficient for a date?"

"The threat of posting embarrassing pictures on Facebook."

"Ah! I see. Then Cam, if you don't go on this date, I will upload embarrassing pictures of you to Facebook."

Cam's eyebrow twitched. "You two are horrible." Then he sighed. "Fine. I'll go upstairs with you two to get ready."

Yasutake smirked as Cypher cackled.

* * *

"Hello, Sachi, Narahiko." Aoi smiled at the two as they met at the intersection. Sachi smiled back while Yasutake nodded.

"Hello, Aoi," Sachi said happily. "Did you have any trouble with the trigonometry homework?"

"A little. But a friend was able to help me finish it."

 _Emma, most likely,_ Yasutake thought. "Zaizen," he said. "No hard feelings?"

Aoi blinked at him and then smiled. "Yeah. We were just doing what we believed was right."

"And I suspect that's what we'll keep doing."

Aoi nodded. "You are right about that." Standing between them, Sachi smiled again. The light turned green, so the trio began walking to school. "That aside, I would like to know; do you know your friends' real identities?"

Yasutake considered lying to her but decided against it; she would probably see through him. And if she didn't, Sachi's reaction would tell her all she needed to know. "I do," he said.

"But you aren't going to tell me," Aoi guessed with a small smile.

"No. That is their secret to tell."

"Do you know them Sachi?"

Sachi gave her friend a small smile. "If I did, I wouldn't tell you. Sorry, Aoi."

"Don't worry. I understand." The two girls kept talking, this time about school and the Music Club, allowing Yasutake's thoughts to wander.

Sachi had been in the living room when he and Cam went upstairs. She'd gotten a good start on her homework, so Yasutake joined her while Cam got ready for his date. Yasutake had told Sachi about what happened, both in the restricted area and the Wind World. She was saddened to hear about Go Onizuka joining SOL's bounty hunters but was surprised by Blue Girl's and Ghost Girl's appearance. Evidently, Aoi hadn't told her about her plans. Cassiel and HK-70 seemed to worry her, though Yasutake paid said worry to them being unknowns and her being concerned for him, Yusaku, and Takeru.

Cam had come down by the time they were done talking, wearing black pants and a light blue dress shirt. He looked mildly uncomfortable, but Sachi and Yasutake assured him he looked nice. Yasutake had escorted him downstairs – to make sure he wouldn't try and run – and found out Emily Garcia was already waiting. Yasutake had seen the two off, then worked behind the counter until closing time. Cam hadn't returned by then, so Yasutake called Sachi down so she could help him with his homework. By the time Cam got back, they had finished, and Cam had looked more self-assured than Yasutake had seen him in a while. He had refused to share any details with them though; only that the date was fun.

His mind going back to Earth, Yasutake realized they had reached Den Academy. The trio went to their first class, where Yasutake saw that more than a few of his male classmates were glaring at him. Again. He guessed that the ones who had shown up at Café Junpei had spread word that he worked at the same café Sachi's brother owned. He idly wondered how they'd react if he told them he'd been living with them for over six years.

Yusaku and Takeru came in shortly after they did, followed by Shizuka Midori. The short bounty hunter didn't seem to notice Yasutake as she took the seat next to him. Of course, she was so quiet most of the time that Yasutake sometimes forgot she was sitting next to him. She was certainly an interesting contrast to Masako.

Homeroom passed without incident, as did their first class. But during the second class, Yasutake got a message on his tablet, one he shared with Yusaku and Takeru during lunch.

* * *

Yusaku frowned. "This is from Cassiel?" he asked. The trio were sitting in an unused classroom while eating. Sachi had gone to the Music Club with Aoi accompanying her. Sachi was still a little nervous around strangers and recent acquaintances.

"That's what the message claims," Cypher said. Yasutake looked down at said message.

"Morningstar, please come to LINK VRAINS this afternoon around four pm," Takeru read with a frown. "I would like to join your group and aid you against Bohman. Bring Playmaker and Soulburner. From, Cassiel." There was a set of coordinates below the message.

"It could be a trap," Flame said.

"It's absolutely a trap!" Ai said. "How did this Cassiel girl know your email address?"

"Technically, this is Morningstar's address, not my personal one," Yasutake clarified. "But I changed it after I retired; the only people I know who should have it are you two and Kusanagi." He frowned. "Ghost Girl, or a hacker of her skill level, could probably find it out on their own."

"Well what about her address? Do you recognize it?"

"No," Cypher said. "And we can't message her back. When Yasutake tried to send a message, he got a notice that the address didn't exist. She must have deleted it right after sending her message."

"…Do you think it is a trap?" Yusaku asked. "You wouldn't be showing us this if you didn't believe it was genuine."

Yasutake frowned. "I do not know," he answered. "SOL hasn't been able to find my new email address in three months, so I'm reasonably certain they aren't behind this message. But if it isn't Cassiel, it could be Bohman. Or one of SOL's bounty hunters is smarter than we thought." _Blood Shepherd might be able to find it,_ he thought idly. _But using emails to lure the target in isn't his style. And he seems to be focusing on Playmaker over me at the moment._

"I'm about 70% certain this message is real," he said. "And if it is a trap, then I'm sure we can escape it."

Yusaku frowned. "Genuine or not, I do not want to accept her offer. I am grateful she helped you, but this is a serious fight for Kusanagi's brother's consciousness. An outsider shouldn't get involved."

Takeru frowned with him. "I don't know," he said hesitantly. "She handled Techbane, right? And we can always use more help."

"Without knowing who she is or why she helped me in the first place?" Yasutake asked. "I agree with Fujiki; the three of us are enough to fight Bohman. That said, I am curious as to how she learned about him."

"As am I," Yusaku agreed. The three Ignis all nodded.

"She likely saw your first duel with him," Flame said. "But she couldn't have seen him in the Wind World, so she can't know how strong he's become."

"At the very least, we should hear her out," Cypher said. "I'd like to know where she stands in this whole conflict; Bohman, SOL Technologies, Jester and his AI friend… We don't need another unknown."

The three humans looked among themselves before nodding. "Alright, we'll meet Cassiel in LINK VRAINS," Yusaku said. "We'll find out where she stands in this conflict and then refuse her offer. Even if she isn't an unknown, she is an outsider. We can't involve her in this." Yusaku turned to Yasutake. "Do you want us to meet at Café Junpei?"

"No; you and Takeru should go to Kusanagi. He said he had a surprise for you, didn't he?"

"He did." Yusaku nodded. "Alright. We'll head to Café Nagi after school and meet you in LINK VRAINS."

* * *

As it turned out, they and Sachi ended up going the same way. Kusanagi had parked Café Nagi right outside Café Junpei and was offering a special: half off any hotdog for anyone who bought a pastry from Café Junpei. Cam in turn was offering pastries at half price for anyone who bought coffee from Café Junpei or Café Nagi. Basically, there was a line of customers alternating between the two.

Sachi frowned at the sight. "Are Cam and Kusanagi going to be able to help us with this on?" she asked. They'd told her about the message from Cassiel on the way back, and she'd been quiet the rest of the way home. Yasutake figured she was hoping this Cassiel would have good intentions.

Yusaku frowned and shook his head. "Kusanagi can't. And I don't believe Cam would want to get away from the front either."

Yasutake nodded in agreement. "Sachi, head upstairs. Takeru and Fujiki can join me in the backroom."

Sachi pouted but nodded. They briefly stopped by Café Nagi, where Kusanagi told them he would be free in about thirty minutes. Considering Cassiel's deadline was in twenty minutes, they headed into Café Junpei. Cam was looking swamped so Yasutake offered to help. He agreed, but only for ten minutes. Yasutake had called him earlier about Cassiel's offer, so he knew about the deadline. Yasutake briefly ushered Yusaku and Takeru into the backroom, left Cypher with them, watched Sachi head upstairs, then helped Cam in the store.

Fifteen minutes later, he walked into the backroom and raised an eyebrow.

"Let's do this, King of Heroes. Do you have enough weapons stored up?"

"Unlimited Blade Works?" Yasutake asked, startling Takeru, Flame, and Ai. "Why are you watching that?"

Takeru gave a nervous smile. "Ah, well-."

"I remembered that yesterday, when we were in that filthy gondola," Flame interrupted, "Cypher mentioned something called 'Crunchyroll.' I asked him what that was, and he showed us. I have never watched anime before, but the quality of the animation is simply amazing."

"I know, right?" Cypher said. "Not to mention the story, action, and the characters… there are a lot of bad animes out there, either because of animation, pacing, dialogue, or production issues, but this one clearly isn't one of them."

"I don't understand how you can watch this," Ai said. "Yeah, it looks cool, but the drama is so… tame. You should try out soap operas. Those are really fun to watch!"

"Soap operas?" Cypher repeated in confusion. "Why would I want to watch those? The characters get upset over the littlest things and the music gets _way_ too heavy. Anime makes me laugh, learn, and think about things."

"Soap operas make you care about the characters!" Ai protested. "And since they're so long running, that means you're invested in them. Most anime these days just last twelve to twenty-four episodes. They-."

"Enough," Yusaku interrupted, looking annoyed at the two Ignis. "It is almost four pm. We should log into LINK VRAINS."

Yasutake and Takeru nodded in agreement. "Cam said he'll be back here in about ten to fifteen minutes. Kusanagi will close down around the same time and come back here to help. Until then, we're without support."

"But if the message is sincere, support won't be necessary," Cypher added as Yasutake picked up his Duel Disk. "Let's do this!"

"Yes! See you two in LINK VRAINS!"

At Takeru's words, Yasutake headed into the sealed room while Yusaku and Takeru made do with the chairs.

"Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

* * *

The trio emerged in LINK VRAINS next to a lake on an isolated island. The island in question was covered in grass and trees with said lake and a few mountains around them.

"These are the coordinates in the message," Cypher told them.

"So now we just have to wait for her," Flame said.

"I really hope this isn't a trap," Ai said nervously.

"It isn't."

The three humans and three Ignis started as a young woman emerged from the nearby forest. She wore a dark green vest over a white dress and had short white hair pulled back into a ponytail. Green eyes looked over Morningstar, Playmaker, and Soulburner before settling on the former.

"I admit, I wasn't sure you'd come," she said. There was a note of hesitation in her voice. "Given the enemies arrayed against you, I thought you might ignore my message."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. He remembered that when Go Onizuka had disguised himself, his Link Sense had gone off. It wasn't now. This woman was the genuine Cassiel. The same one who helped him against SOL's bounty hunters.

And just like before, she felt… familiar to him. Like he knew her from somewhere.

"You are the woman who defeated Techbane?" Playmaker asked. His gaze was neutral. Soulburner gave her a once-over before looking around to make sure they really were alone.

"Yes, I am Cassiel," she answered. "And as I said, I'd like to work with you against Bohman."

"How do you know about Bohman?" Playmaker asked.

"I watched your Speed Duel with him," Cassiel replied. "And I saw him escape to the restricted zone. When I saw you enter and SOL's bounty hunters pursued you, I followed after to help you."

"Why?" Morningstar asked. "Why do you want to help us?"

"Because I want to," Cassiel said. "You helped me before, Morningstar. And now that you're facing powerful opponents – not just Bohman, but also Jester and SOL Technologies – I want to repay the debt I owe you."

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. She knew about Jester? More importantly, they had met before? That would explain the feeling of familiarity he had, but where was it from? He had met a lot of female duelists in his time as a bounty hunter, so while it narrowed down the list, it wasn't too big a hint.

His musings were interrupted by Playmaker. "If that is your reason, then no." Morningstar turned to see his companion frown at Cassiel. Soulburner was looking at him in surprise. "We're fighting to save a friend's brother's consciousness data. I believe you have good intentions, but you do not have any relation to this problem. I am sorry, but we cannot involve you in this."

Morningstar frowned at that and opened his mouth, but Cassiel spoke up before he did. "Then what if I prove myself?" she asked. "If I defeat one of you in a duel and prove my strength, will you accept my help?"

They all blinked. "Let me get this straight," Ai said. "You think _you_ can defeat one of _them_?" His finger alternated between Morningstar and Playmaker."

Cassiel frowned. "Probably not," she admitted. "But I can defeat you." She pointed to Soulburner.

"Eh? Me?" he said while blinking. "Are you saying I'm the weakest of us?"

"You are," Flame said bluntly.

"Yes, but when your teammates are Morningstar and Playmaker, that doesn't necessarily mean anything," Cypher pointed out.

"…I can't tell if you're trying to be reassuring or not," Soulburner admitted.

Playmaker frowned. "It isn't about your strength," he said. "An outsider shouldn't-."

"And what if I'm not an outsider?" Cassiel asked. "What if I am involved in the fight against Bohman?"

"Are you?" Morningstar asked.

A small smile crossed her face. "I think you'll find out. So, do you accept?"

The trio looked among themselves and all nodded. "Alright," Soulburner said. "If you can defeat me in a duel, then we'll accept your help."

"But if you lose," Playmaker said. "You'll tell us who you are."

She hesitated but then nodded. "Agreed."

Morningstar lifted his Duel Disk. A bright light blinded the others for a few seconds. When they could see again, they realized that a transparent dome had appeared around them.

"What did you do?" Soulburner asked.

"Why did you activate your Camouflage Dome?" Playmaker asked.

"To keep anyone from interfering," Morningstar said, answering the latter question. Turning to the former, he said, "This is a program designed to keep anyone from seeing what happens inside here. It also prevents anyone inside from logging out."

Cassiel frowned as she looked around but said nothing. Soulburner nodded. "Alright, then; let's go!"

"Yeah!" Cassiel lifted her custom Duel Disk as she stood opposite Soulburner. Morningstar and Playmaker had taken up positions behind Soulburner.

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Cassiel: 4000 LP**

 **Soulburner: 4000 LP**

Soulburner drew while Cassiel swiped her hand in front of herself. "I'll take the first turn," she said.

"Looks like we'll get to see what she can do," Ai said.

"I am curious about her Deck," Cypher said. "Cyber Dragons are pretty rare and strong. What archetype could-."

"I activate the Field Spell Card: Cyangel Sanctum!" Cassiel declared. "While this card is on the field, all Light Cyberse monsters I control gain 300 attack and defense points."

"What?" Soulburner said, his eyes wide.

"Cyberse?" Flame repeated.

"Cyangel!?" Cypher practically shouted, eyes bugging out. "How the hell does she have _that_ archetype!?"

"Isn't that one of the archetypes you told me about?" Morningstar asked.

"Eh? You know it, Cypher?" Ai asked. Playmaker's eyes had widened like Soulburner's.

"Of course I know it; I made it." Cypher narrowed his eyes. "Eight years ago, I created three Cyberse archetypes: the Cyspirits, the Cyangels, and the Cydemons. The Cyspirits were the only ones made into physical cards, except for Angelic Avenger and Superior Seraphim. The other two disappeared after Dr. Hitomu Hirai died."

"And now one of them has resurfaced," Playmaker said, his eyes narrowing. "Do you believe Cassiel knows something about Dr. Hirai's death?"

"I hope so," Cypher said. "That aside, Soulburner!" The duelist turned back to Cypher. "Be careful! I designed the Cyangels to be even stronger than the Cyspirits! They lack the Cyspirits' versatility but make up for it in raw power!"

Soulburner frowned but nodded in acknowledgment.

"I activate Sanctum's effect!" Cassiel declared, drawing their attention back. "Once per turn, I can shuffle a card in my hand back into my Deck and add 1 Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand." Cassiel placed a card in her Duel Disk, then took another one. "Next, since there are no 'Cyangel' monsters in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Cyangel Cupbearer!" A gold-skinned young man in golden robes with mechanical golden wings and a silver goblet suspended above his hands materialized in Attack Position.

 **Cyangel Cupbearer ATK 1400 DEF 700 LVL: 3**

"Sanctum's effect!"

 **Cyangel Cupbearer ATK 1400→1700 DEF 700→1000**

"All 'Cyangel' monsters have two effects," Cypher said. "The first is one that activates if there are no 'Cyangel' monsters in their controller's Graveyard."

"I Tribute Cupbearer to Tribute Summon Cyangel Prophet!" Cupbearer disappeared and was replaced by an older gold-skinned bearded man with golden wings in golden robes wielding a golden staff.

 **Cyangel Prophet ATK 2200→2500 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 6**

"Cupbearer's effect activates! When it is sent to the Graveyard, it is shuffled back into my Deck, and then I add a different 'Cyangel' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyangel Sister to my hand."

"The second 'Cyangel' effect activates when they are sent to the Graveyard," Cypher continued. "They are shuffled back into the Deck, then a secondary effect is triggered." Morningstar and Playmaker nodded in understanding. "Although…"

Morningstar glanced at his partner. "What is it?"

"…I'm not sure."

"I Set one card," Cassiel said. "I end my turn."

Soulburner frowned as he looked over Cassiel's field. "It's surprising for her to have Cyberse cards."

"Yeah," Flame agreed. "And her archetype seems to function on keeping monsters out of the Graveyard. This gives her good recycling power. This duel may end up being very troublesome."

"You think we can't win?" Soulburner asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Of course we can win," Flame said. "Her cards may be powerful, but you have me. With my help, you'll overcome any difference in strength."

"Are you praising yourself again?" Soulburner asked in amusement. He didn't wait for an answer as he placed his hand on his Duel Disk. "Strong or not, I'm not willing to lose. My turn! Draw! I summon Salamangreat Foxy!" A blue-and-gray armored animal with its tail on fire appeared.

 **Salamangreat Foxy ATK 1000 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"I just realized, we've never seen Soulburner duel," Ai noted. Playmaker nodded.

"I've seen him duel in recordings," Morningstar said. "But this is the first time I've seen him duel in real time."

"Appear! The circuit that changes the future!" A stream of fire created the Link portal above Soulburner's head. "The summoning condition is one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster. I set Foxy in the Link Marker!" Foxy became a whirlwind of fire and entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Salamangreat Balelynx!" A cat in red and white armor with its tail on fire emerged from the portal at the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Salamangreat Balelynx ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Balelynx's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned, I add Salamangreat Sanctuary from my Deck to my hand." Soulburner took the card then gestured to his field. "I activate Foxy's effect from the Graveyard! Since there's a face-up Spell or Trap Card on the field, I can discard the Salamangreat Spinny in my hand and Special Summon Foxy. Resurrect, Foxy!" The blue and gray fox reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Salamangreat Foxy ATK 1000 DEF 1200 LVL: 3**

"Then, Foxy's effect destroys one face-up Spell or Trap Card on the field." Cassiel's eyes widened. "I destroy Cyangel Sanctum!" Cassiel grit her teeth as her Field Spell disintegrated.

"Since Sanctum left the field, Prophet's attack and defense points return to normal," she said reluctantly.

 **Cyangel Prophet ATK 2500→2200 DEF 1000→700**

"As I control a 'Salamangreat' monster, I can Special Summon Salamangreat Spinny from the Graveyard. Resurrect!" A small dinosaur with orange spines curled into a ball appeared in Attack Position.

 **Salamangreat Spinny ATK 1000 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"Appear again! The circuit that changes the future! The summoning conditions are two or more Fire Effect Monsters. I set Foxy, Spinny, and Balelynx in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Salamangreat Heatleo!" A stream of fire emerged from the portal. The fire dissipated and revealed an anthropomorphic lion with dark blue skin wearing orange and red armor. Its hands were covered by gauntlets with mouths and had two large wings on its back. Heatleo roared as it was summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Salamangreat Heatleo ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"That's Soulburner's ace monster," Cypher noted.

"Since the Special Summoned Spinny left the field, it is banished," Soulburner said before gesturing to his field. "Heatleo's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned, one card in your Spell & Trap Zone is shuffled into your Deck!" Cassiel's eyes widened. "Resounding Roar!" Heatleo roared again and caused Cassiel's Set card to disappear.

Cassiel grit her teeth. "My Cyangel Shield," she muttered.

"I activate the Field Spell Card: Salamangreat Sanctuary!" A large pink magic circle with white light in the center appeared above Soulburner's field. Embers started falling down on the field. "Sanctuary's effect lets me Link Summon a 'Salamangreat' Link Monster by using a monster with the same name as Link Material."

Heatleo burst into flames and entered the magic circle. "Surging flame, awaken Heatleo's true strength with the power of purification!" A massive twister of fire exited the portal and struck Soulburner's field. "Reincarnation Link Summon! Resurrect, the king of beasts that runs through the fire prairie! Salamangreat Heatleo!" Heatleo emerged from the fire, with its wings on fire and a mane of flames around its neck.

 **Salamangreat Heatleo ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"The reincarnated Heatleo's monster effect! Once per turn, when it is Reincarnation Link Summoned, I can target a monster on your field and a 'Salamangreat' monster in my Graveyard. Until the end of the turn, your monster's attack points become equal to my monster's. I target Prophet and Balelynx! Flame Possession!" An orb on Heatleo's chest emitted fire that took the shape of Balelynx. The fire charged and struck Prophet, weakening it.

 **Cyangel Prophet ATK 2200→500**

Cassiel gasped. "Only 500 attack points?" she whispered.

"Battle! Heatleo attacks Cyangel Prophet! Heat Soul!" Flames covered Heatleo's body as it spun and charged at Prophet.

Cassiel gestured to her own field. "I activate the effect of Cyangel Sister in my hand!" she declared. "Since there are no 'Cyangel' monsters in my Graveyard and my Light Cyberse monster would be destroyed by battle, that destruction is negated, and the battle damage is halved!" The fiery tornado struck Prophet, but it remained on the field while Cassiel winced.

 **Cassiel: 4000→3100 LP**

"Then, after damage calculation, Cyangel Sister's effect Special Summons itself!" A gold-skinned woman in black robes wearing a white habit appeared in Attack Position. Small golden wings emerged from her back as she folded her hands in prayer. She had solid blue eyes and cybernetic implants twisting under her left eye.

 **Cyangel Sister ATK 1200 DEF 700 LVL: 3**

"Looks like she makes use of hand traps, too," Soulburner noted. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!" On seeing what she drew, Cassiel smiled. "I summon Cyangel Cherub!" A small gold-skinned child appeared on her field. It was bare-chested, wore a white loincloth, and had small golden wings on its back. The child's smile crinkled its solid blue eyes as cybernetics twisted above its right eye.

 **Cyangel Cherub ATK 1800 DEF 700 LVL: 4**

"Appear! The circuit of infinite light!" Cassiel's hand shone with golden light as the Link portal appeared above her. "The summoning conditions are two or more Light Cyberse monsters. I set Cherub, Prophet, and Sister in the Link Markers!" Her monsters became whirlwinds of golden energy and entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Cyseraph Blazing Uriel!" A golden figure with four red-and-gold colored wings emerged from the portal. It wore ornate crimson and gold armor and had blazing red hair tied back into a ponytail and solid blue eyes with gold lights in the center. An ornate red and gold longbow formed in its left hand as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyseraph Blazing Uriel ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

Morningstar blinked. "Cyseraph?" he said, looking down at Cypher.

The Ignis chuckled. "I changed the names for the Cyangel and Cydemon Link Monsters. Since they're named for actual angels and demons, I thought it would fit better."

"Cherub's, Prophet's, and Sister's effects activate in the Graveyard!" Cassiel declared. "All three are shuffled into my Deck." She took the cards and returned them to her Deck, then said, "And now, their secondary effects activate. First, Cherub's effect lets me Special Summon one 'Cyangel' monster from my Deck in Defense Position, but that monster cannot be used as Link Material this turn. Come, Cyangel Cherub!" The golden child in a loincloth reappeared at Uriel's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyangel Cherub ATK 1800 DEF 700 LVL: 4**

"Cherub's effect lets it Special Summon any 'Cyangel' monster except its own card," Cypher said. "So long as she has two copies of Cherub, she can bring them out indefinitely."

"Second, Prophet's effect increases the attack points of one monster I control by 1000 until the end of the turn. I target Blazing Uriel!"

 **Cyseraph Blazing Uriel ATK 2500→3500**

"Finally, Sister's effect lets me add one 'Cyangel' Spell or Trap Card from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand. I return the Field Spell Card: Cyangel Sanctum from my Graveyard to my hand, and then activate it! And while Sanctum is active, all of my Light Cyberse monsters gain 300 attack and defense points!"

 **Cyangel Cherub ATK 1800→2100 DEF 700→1000**

 **Cyseraph Blazing Uriel ATK 3500→3800**

"So this is the Cyangel strategy," Playmaker deduced.

"Yeah," Cypher nodded. "The Deck is basically a giant loop; Main Deck monsters are used to bring out Link Monsters, and when they are sent to the Graveyard, they are shuffled back into the Deck. This leaves them a near infinite supply of monsters."

"It's a simple yet powerful strategy," Morningstar acknowledged.

"Of course. I designed the Cyangels, they couldn't be anything but powerful," Cypher boasted. "But…" Morningstar looked down at his partner at the last word, but Cassiel pointed to the field before he could say anything.

"Battle!" she declared. "Blazing Uriel attacks Heatleo!" The Cyseraph pulled back its bowstring and generated an arrow of fire. Soulburner gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Balelynx in the Graveyard!" he declared. "If my 'Salamangreat' card would be destroyed-."

"That's useless," Cassiel interrupted. "Cherub's monster effect! When the linked Blazing Uriel attacks your monster, you cannot activate any cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step." Soulburner gasped. "Go! Holy Fire!" Blazing Uriel released its arrow, sending it straight through Heatleo's chest. Soulburner groaned from his monster's explosion and the backlash of the attack.

 **Soulburner: 4000→2500 LP**

"Blazing Uriel's monster effect!" Cassiel continued. "When it destroys your monster by battle and I have no 'Cyangel' monsters in my Graveyard, you take damage equal to your monster's Link Rating times 200. And if this effect activates while Blazing Uriel is linked, the damage is doubled!"

"Heatleo was Link-3," Flame noted. "And with its effect, the damage is essentially the Link Rating times 400. That means…"

"1200 points of damage," Soulburner said, gritting his teeth.

"Go! Heavenly Blaze!" Blazing Uriel raised its right hand as a fireball formed in it. It launched the fireball at Soulburner, who cried out in pain on being hit.

 **Soulburner: 2500→1300 LP**

"2700 points of damage from one attack?" Ai said.

"Like I said, my 'Cyangel' Deck is very powerful," Cypher boasted.

"I don't think this is the time to be proud of it," Morningstar said.

"Trap activate!" Soulburner declared. "Salamangreat Resuscitation!" The card showed a mechanical gray and green wolf with a mane of fire walking through a volcanic wasteland. "Since my 'Salamangreat' Link Monster was destroyed, I can Special Summon that monster with its effects negated. Resurrect, Heatleo!" Soulburner's monster reappeared and roared.

 **Salamangreat Heatleo ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"Furthermore, the second effect of Salamangreat Resuscitation increases my Life Points by half of Heatleo's attack points."

 **Soulburner: 1300→2450 LP**

Cassiel narrowed her eyes. "I Set one card. I end my turn. And during the End Phase, Cyangel Prophet's effect ends."

 **Cyseraph Blazing Uriel ATK 3800→2800**

"My turn! Draw!" Soulburner looked at his card, then gestured to his field. "I activate Salamangreat Sanctuary's effect! Reincarnation Link Summon! Be reborn, Heatleo!" Heatleo entered the portal, then exited in a burst of fire, its mane and wings on fire. It roared from the Extra Monster Zone again.

 **Salamangreat Heatleo ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"Heatleo's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned-."

"Trap activate!" Cassiel declared, interrupting Soulburner. "Cyangel Caritas!" The card showed Cyangel Sister handing out bread to children in filthy clothes on a street. The Sister had a kind smile on her face. "By Tributing a 'Cyangel' monster, I can add a different 'Cyangel' monster from my Deck to my hand. I Tribute Cherub to add Cyangel Choir to my hand." Cherub disintegrated as Cassiel took a card from her Deck.

"She activated her Trap Card before Soulburner could use Heatleo's effect to bounce it back to her Deck," Playmaker noted.

"She did more than that," Cypher said.

"Cherub's effect activates! Since it was sent to the Graveyard, it is shuffled back into my Deck, and I can Special Summon a new 'Cyangel' monster in Defense Position. I summon Cyangel Cherub!" The child in a loincloth reappeared at Blazing Uriel's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyangel Cherub ATK 1800→2100 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 4**

"Sanctum's effect activates!" Cassiel continued. "Since a Cyberse monster in my Graveyard was shuffled into my Deck, I can target a Cyberse Link Monster on my field. Until the end of the turn, you cannot target that monster with card effects, nor can it be destroyed by card effects. I target Blazing Uriel!" Her monster glowed briefly with golden light. "Finally, Cyangel Caritas's effect also prevents you from destroying my Spell or Trap Cards with card effects for the rest of the turn."

"Clever," Flame praised. "Since Heatleo was Reincarnation Link Summoned, it could use its effect to lower Blazing Uriel's attack points. But since we can't target it with card effects, Heatleo's effect won't work."

"And thanks to her Trap Card's effect, I can't use Foxy's effect to destroy Sanctum," Soulburner said.

"This is a problem," Flame acknowledged. "Heatleo isn't strong enough to destroy her monster, and thanks to Sanctum's effect, we can't target it or destroy it with effects."

"Giving up already?" Soulburner asked, lightly smirking.

"Of course not," Flame said. "Just thinking about how impressive it will be to overcome the wall in front of us."

"Well, you're right about that," Soulburner said. "Though, I think I have a card to get around that. I Special Summon Salamangreat Beat Bison!" A large red and purple buffalo with golden horns and flames all over its body appeared in Defense Position.

 **Salamangreat Beat Bison ATK 2800 DEF 1000 LVL: 8**

"I can Special Summon Beat Bison if I have three or more 'Salamangreat' monsters in my Graveyard," Soulburner explained before gesturing to his field. "Beat Bison's monster effect! Once per turn, I can return Fire Link Monsters in my Graveyard to my Extra Deck up to the number of face-up cards you control. Then, for each returned card, I can negate the effects of one of your cards until the end of the turn!"

"Sanctum's effect prevents you from targeting Blazing Uriel!" Cassiel reminded him.

"It does," Soulburner smirked. "But I can target Sanctum!" Cassiel gasped. "I shuffle a copy of Heatleo back into my Extra Deck and negate Cyangel Sanctum's effects!"

 **Cyangel Cherub ATK 2100→1800 DEF 1000→700**

 **Cyseraph Blazing Uriel ATK 2800→2500**

"Clever move," Morningstar said. "Since Sanctum's effect was negated, he can now target Blazing Uriel with his card effects."

"And since Heatleo was Reincarnation Link Summoned," Ai said, "he can change its attack points to 500 like last turn!"

"The only card in her hand is a monster called Cyangel Choir," Flame noted. "It likely has a different effect from Cyangel Sister, meaning she can't protect her monster. This is our chance to do huge damage."

"No, it is more than that," Soulburner said. "This is a chance to stop her strategy here and now. I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Salamangreat Circle! By activating its first effect, I can add a 'Salamangreat' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add the Ritual Monster Salamangreat Emerald Eagle from my Deck to my hand!"

"Ritual Monster?" Cassiel repeated in surprise.

"He has one too?" Ai asked.

"I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Rise of the Salamangreat!" Soulburner declared. "I Tribute monsters from my hand and field whose total Level equals or exceeds the Level of the 'Salamangreat' Ritual Monster I'm Ritual Summoning. I Tribute the Level 8 Beat Bison!" A dark pink magic circle appeared on the ground in front of Soulburner. Eight flames materialized around the circle's edges. Beat Bison disintegrated into red data and entered the center of the circle, which glowed with red energy. The flames merged and formed a ring of fire as Soulburner chanted.

"Ritual Summon! Rise, Level 8! Jade wings clad in flames! Salamangreat Emerald Eagle!" A large green and black mechanical bird emerged from the circle at Heatleo's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Salamangreat Emerald Eagle ATK 2800 DEF 2000 LVL: 8**

Morningstar pulled up data on Emerald Eagle and frowned. _Is he going to…?_

"Heatleo's monster effect! I target the Balelynx in my Graveyard and your Blazing Uriel! Flame Possession!" A stream of fire struck Blazing Uriel, making it cry out in pain.

 **Cyseraph Blazing Uriel ATK 2500→500**

 _So no, he isn't going to use Emerald Eagle's effect._

"Battle! Emerald Eagle attacks Blazing Uriel! Emerald Flames!" Emerald Eagle was enveloped and fire and charged Blazing Uriel. It pierced the angel's chest, destroying it in an explosion and making Cassiel cry out in pain.

 **Cassiel: 3100→800 LP**

"Oh, he inflicted 2300 points of damage!" Ai said.

"But he could have inflicted more," Cypher said. "Emerald Eagle's effect lets him Tribute a 'Salamangreat' Link Monster to destroy a monster before Emerald Eagle battles it. If he did that, Cassiel would have taken damage equal to Blazing Uriel's attack points; 2500 instead of 2300."

"Then why did he-?"

"Blazing Uriel's effect activates!" Cassiel interrupted Ai. "When it is sent to the Graveyard by your card, I can shuffle it back into my Extra Deck and Special Summon two 'Cyangel' monsters from my Deck in Defense Position. Come, Cyangel Prophet and Cyangel Sister!" The older man with a beard and the black-robed woman reappeared.

 **Cyangel Prophet ATK 2200 DEF 700 LVL: 6**

 **Cyangel Sister ATK 1200 DEF 700 LVL: 3**

"That's the final effect of the Cyseraph monsters," Cypher explained. "Not only do they shuffle back into the Extra Deck when sent to the Graveyard by the opponent's card, they also bring out more Cyangel monsters."

"So to continue the loop," Morningstar surmised.

Soulburner frowned as he looked over Cassiel's field. Then his eyes settled on one monster. "The battle continues! Heatleo attacks Cyangel Cherub! Heat Soul!" Heatleo burst into flames and charged Cherub, destroying it in an explosion. Cassiel grit her teeth and gestured to her field.

"Cherub's effect activates!" she declared. "Since it was sent to the Graveyard, I can shuffle it into my Deck and-!"

"ERROR."

Cassiel blinked as the message went across her Duel Disk. "Huh? I, uh, activate Cherub's effect to-."

"ERROR."

Cassiel frowned and opened a window on her Duel Disk. "Why isn't this…?" Her eyes widened. "Oh."

Cypher chuckled. "You just realized it, didn't you?" he said, grabbing everyone's attention. "Cherub's effect to shuffle itself can only be used once per turn. And you shuffled Cherub back into your Deck earlier, so you can't do it now."

Cassiel scowled but didn't reply.

"I Set one card," Soulburner said. "I end my turn."

"And with the end of our turn, Beat Bison's effect ends," Flame said. "So Cyangel Sanctum's effects resume."

 **Cyangel Prophet ATK 2200→2500 DEF 700→1000**

 **Cyangel Sister ATK 1200→1500 DEF 700→1000**

"I don't get it," Ai said. "He could have left her with 600 Life Points but stopped at 800. Why?"

"To halt her strategy," Playmaker explained. "The Cyangel Deck requires no monsters in the Graveyard, and since Cherub was sent to the Graveyard and unable to be shuffled…"

"Oh! I see now! He made a long term move to cripple her Deck."

"It is a smart move, considering what he's up against," Cypher agreed. "But the Cyangel Deck does have other ways to bring its monsters back. And…"

Morningstar looked down at his partner. "You've noticed it too?" he asked.

"Of course I did; I made those cards, I'd know if someone was holding back while using them."

"Eh?" Ai asked. "What do you mean?"

Playmaker frowned. "I thought so. I suspected it earlier, but her forgetting Cherub's effect can only be used once per turn confirmed it."

"Confirmed what?"

"Ai, I wasn't exaggerating when I said the Cyangels exceed the Cyspirits in strength. Used properly, there's only a few Decks that have a high chance of defeating them. And while the Salamangreats are strong, they aren't one of those Decks. But the way Cassiel's been dueling… she isn't using the Cyangels to their full potential. From what I've seen, I estimate she's only used about 30% of their strength."

"Eh? But why wouldn't she be using her Deck's full strength?"

"There are three reasons she might not be," Playmaker said. Morningstar nodded.

"One," Morningstar said, "she's intentionally holding back, perhaps as a test or because she doesn't think she needs to go all out."

"Two," Playmaker said, "her dueling skills just aren't that advanced, either because of a lack of experience or training."

"Or three," Morningstar concluded, "she's not very experienced with the Cyangel Deck, either because she just got it recently or just hasn't too many chances to use it."

Ai looked back and forth between the two humans. "Okay, you two doing that at the same time creeps me out." Ai's eyes narrowed. "But are you sure about that? Aside from Cherub's effect not working, I didn't see anything indicating she's a bad duelist."

"There was another sign, at the beginning of the duel," Cypher said. "I'm pretty sure she added Prophet to her hand with Sanctum's effect. Cupbearer isn't the only Cyangel that can Special Summon itself; she could have taken one of those, Special Summoned Cupbearer, Normal Summoned, then Link Summoned. Instead, she Tribute Summoned. That in itself wasn't a bad move but compared to what she _could_ have done for her opener, it was lackluster."

"…So, what? Is she holding back, is she a mediocre duelist, or just not experienced with her Deck?"

"The last one is the most likely, since she forgot about Cherub's effect," Morningstar answered. "Of course, the other two are still possible. We'll only know when the duel ends."

"My turn! Draw!" Cassiel looked at her card, frowned, then played the other one. "I summon Cyangel Choir!" A gold-skinned woman with solid blue eyes appeared. She wore white robes with golden stoles over her shoulders and had short golden hair. Cybernetic implants traveled across her cheekbones and golden metal wings spread out from her back.

 **Cyangel Choir ATK 600→900 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 1**

"Three monsters," Flame said, narrowing his eyes. "Is she going to bring back Blazing Uriel?"

"No," Soulburner said, gesturing to his field. "Continuous Trap activate! Salamangreat Friction!" The card showed Heatleo with several afterimages all imposed around its body. "Once per turn, if I would take effect damage, I can banish a 'Salamangreat' monster from my Graveyard and negate that damage."

"A counter for Blazing Uriel," Playmaker noted.

"But Blazing Uriel isn't the only Cyseraph Link Monster," Cypher said.

Cassiel frowned again but gestured to the sky. "Appear! The circuit of infinite light! The summoning conditions are two or more Light Cyberse monsters. I set Choir, Prophet, and Sister in the Link Markers!" Her monsters entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Cyseraph Righteous Raguel!"

A golden figure, the same size as Blazing Uriel, exited the portal. It spread four metal wings that started out silver at the top and turned gold halfway through. Formfitting silver armor with gold edges covered its chest, upper legs, and upper arms. Gauntlets and boots of a silver design covered its hands and feet. Its face was feminine, with long dark silver hair tied into a braid that fell halfway down its back and solid blue eyes with gold light in the centers. A scimitar with silver edges and a dark blue and silver handle and cross-guard formed in its right hand as a set of silver scales materialized in its left hand. Righteous Raguel beat her wings from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyseraph Righteous Raguel ATK 2400→2700 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"A new Cyseraph Link Monster," Morningstar noted.

"Yeah, but with a monster in the Graveyard, she can't use its effects," Ai said.

"Don't be so sure," Cypher said.

"The effects of Cyangel Choir, Prophet, and Sister activate!" Cassiel declared. "I shuffle all three into my Deck, and then their secondary effects activate. First, Choir's effect lets me target one card in my Graveyard. If I target a Spell or Trap Card, that card is added to my hand and I gain 1000 Life Points." She smirked. "But if I target a Monster Card, then that monster is Special Summoned in Defense Position and I gain Life Points equal to its attack points."

Soulburner blinked. "What?"

"Ressurect, Cyangel Cherub!" The gold-skinned child reappeared at Righteous Raguel's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyangel Cherub ATK 1800→2100 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 4**

 **Cassiel: 800→2600 LP**

"Eh? She brought it back?" Ai said.

"I said the Cyangels had other ways to get monsters out of the Graveyard," Cypher reminded his fellow Ignis. "Choir's effect is one of them."

"With Cherub back on my field, I don't have any monsters in the Graveyard anymore." Soulburner grit his teeth.

"Next, Prophet's effect increases Righteous Raguel's attack points by 1000."

 **Cyseraph Righteous Raguel ATK 2700→3700**

"Finally, Cyangel Sister's effect lets me add a 'Cyangel' Spell or Trap Card from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand. I add Cyangel Litany from my Deck to my hand."

After Cassiel took her card, she gestured to her field. "Sanctum's effect activates! Since a Cyberse monster was shuffled into my Deck, I can target Righteous Raguel and prevent you from targeting it or destroying it with card effects.

"Battle! Righteous Raguel attacks Emerald Eagle!" Cassiel declared. "Cherub's monster effect! Since I have no 'Cyangel' monsters in my Graveyard while the linked Righteous Raguel is attacking, you cannot activate any cards or effects."

Soulburner grit his teeth as Righteous Raguel's sword and scales glowed with silver light. "Go! Justice Slash!" Righteous Raguel lifted her sword upwards, then brought it downwards. A beam of silver light shot outwards and crashed into Emerald Eagle, destroying it. Soulburner grunted in pain.

 **Soulburner: 2450→1550 LP**

"Righteous Raguel's monster effect!" Cassiel continued. "If there are no 'Cyangel' monsters in my Graveyard, it can make three attacks during the Battle Phase."

Everyone else except Cypher gasped at that. "T-Three attacks?" Ai repeated.

"Yes," Cypher said. "But Righteous Raguel can only attack directly once through that effect."

"Righteous Raguel attacks Heatleo!" One of the scales in Righteous Raguel's left hand turned into energy and entered her sword, making it glow again. The remaining scale tipped as it was unbalanced. "Justice Slash!" Righteous Raguel swung her sword, sending another beam of energy at Heatleo, destroying it and making Soulburner cry out in pain. The duelist fell to one knee as he grit his teeth.

 **Soulburner: 1550→150 LP**

"This is the end!" Cassiel declared. "Righteous Raguel attacks you directly!" The last scale disappeared into silver light that merged with Righteous Raguel's scimitar. The angel swung its sword and sent a beam of silver light at Soulburner, who gestured to his field.

"I activate Salamangreat Friction's effect!" he declared.

"You can't!" Cassiel said. "Cherub's effect prevents you from activating any cards or effects when the linked Righteous Raguel attacks!"

"Yeah," Soulburner said with a smirk. " _If_ the linked monster attacks my monster. But when it attacks me, I can activate effects!"

Cassiel's eyes widened. She pulled up Cherub's effects and realized he was right. How had she missed that?

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. _Another sign she doesn't know her Deck that well,_ he thought.

"By sending Salamangreat Friction to the Graveyard and banishing Emerald Eagle from the Graveyard," Soulburner continued, "I can negate the damage from this battle!" A shield made of fire appeared in front of Soulburner and blocked Righteous Raguel's scimitar. Cassiel grit her teeth. "Then, Friction's effect lets me draw two cards."

"Hey, Yasu, can you hear me?"

Morningstar blinked as Soulburner drew. "Cam? You finally made it to the back?"

"Yeah, the front was busy, but I managed to get away. Kusanagi's with me too."

"Have to say, this is a pretty nice setup." Kusanagi's voice came over Morningstar's comm. "This is giving me a few ideas for my own computers."

"Cam and Kusanagi are in the backroom," Morningstar said softly to Playmaker, who nodded in response. Morningstar then started whispering, catching Cam and Kusanagi up on what was happening.

Cassiel frowned but activated a card from her hand. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyangel Litany!" The card showed Cyangel Priest standing on the steps of a church, reading from a scroll in his hands. "Since I have no 'Cyangel' monsters in my Graveyard, I can activate the effect of a Spell or Trap Card in my Graveyard as Litany's effect. I activate the effect of Cyangel Caritas to Tribute Cherub and add Cyangel Choir from my Deck to my hand."

Her monster disintegrated as Cassiel drew then gestured to her field. "Cherub's effect activates! Since it was sent to the Graveyard, it is shuffled back into my Deck, and I can Special Summon a new 'Cyangel' from my Deck in Defense Position. Come, Cyangel Cherub!" The child in a loincloth reappeared at Righteous Raguel's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyangel Cherub ATK 1800→2100 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 4**

"In addition, until my next Standby Phase, Litany's effect prevents you from targeting or destroying my Light Cyberse monsters with your card effects."

Soulburner frowned at that. "Since Litany is no longer on the field, we can't use an effect like Beat Bison's to get around it," Flame noted.

"I activate Sanctum's effect! I shuffle a card in my hand back into my Deck to add Cyangel Sister from my Deck to my hand."

"Hmm. She's prepared rather well for the next turn," Cypher commented.

"Litany's effect prevents Soulburner from targeting or destroying her monsters with effects," Playmaker noted.

"And since Cyangel Sister is back in her hand, she can halve any battle damage she takes," Ai said.

"Not just that," Cypher said. "Cyangel Choir can heal one instance of effect damage and prevent her from taking effect damage the rest of the turn. And even without Sister in her hand, Righteous Raguel cannot be destroyed by battle while it's linked."

"No matter how you look at it," Morningstar said, having finished talking with his earpiece. "Soulburner is at a notable disadvantage."

"I end my turn," Cassiel said. "It's your turn."

"Hmm." Flame looked at the two cards in Soulburner's hand. "We can definitely work with these, but we can't overcome her formation. We'll need a gamechanger."

"Yeah," Soulburner agreed. "I'll have to put everything into this draw." He placed a hand on his Deck. "She's good, but the two of us are better. My turn! Draw!" Soulburner looked at his card and smiled. "Yes!"

"Oh! You drew a good card!" Flame commented. Soulburner added said card to his hand before activating a different one.

"I activate the Spell Card: Link Fire's Return!" he declared. "This lets me Special Summon a 'Salamangreat' Link Monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Heatleo!" The flaming lion reappeared and roared.

 **Salamangreat Heatleo ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"Then, Link Fire's Return's effect inflicts damage equal to Heatleo's Link Rating times 200! Heatleo is Link-3, so you take 600 points of damage!" Cassiel flinched from being hit by a small explosion.

 **Cassiel: 2600→2000 LP**

"I activate the effect of Cyangel Choir in my hand!" Cassiel declared. "Since I took effect damage, I can Special Summon Choir and gain Life Points equal to the damage I took!" The woman in white robes reappeared in Defense Position.

 **Cyangel Choir ATK 600→900 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 1**

 **Cassiel: 2000→2600 LP**

"For the rest of the turn after Choir's effect is activated, I take no effect damage," Cassiel concluded.

"Which means we'll have to rely on battle damage to win," Flame said.

"I activate the Spell Card: Fusion of Fire!" Soulburner declared. "I send Fusion Material monsters to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon!"

"He has Fusion, too?" Ai said in surprise.

"Guess we all have Fusion and Ritual," Morningstar said.

"But you're the only one who has Synchro," Cypher said smugly.

"You only have one monster on your field," Cassiel noted. "Are you fusing with a monster in your hand?"

"No," Soulburner said. "My Fusion Material Monsters are Heatleo and one Link Monster."

"But you don't have another Link Monster," Cassiel pointed out.

"I don't," Soulburner agreed before smirking. "But you do."

Cassiel's eyes widened. "But… Litany's effect prevents you from targeting my cards!"

"Fusion of Fire doesn't target, so you can't prevent it!" Soulburner said. "I Fusion Summon using the Link Monster Cyseraph Righteous Raguel!"

"Appear!" Soulburner declared. Heatleo was surrounded by red flames while blue flames enveloped Righteous Raguel. The two flames rose into the air and struck each other. The flames merged into a fiery tornado that turned purple at the top. "The origin of a crazy soul! The magical beast whose flesh gathers the weapons of evil beasts! Fusion Summon! Salamangreat Violet Chimera!"

The purple flames receded, revealing the monster within. It was a humanoid purple metal lion with gray plating. Its right hand ended in a lance and its left ended in another mouth. Gray and silver spines sprouted from it sides as light blue flames burned on its spines, back, and head. The Fusion Monster roared from the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Salamangreat Violet Chimera ATK 2800 DEF 2000 LVL: 8**

"He can fuse using monsters from either field?" Ai said in astonishment.

Cypher growled. "Damn it, Flame. Why do you have to have cool ideas before me?"

"Violet Chimera's effect activates!" Soulburner said. "When it's Fusion Summoned, until the End Phase, it gains attack points equal to half the Fusion Material Monsters' attack points!"

"Heatleo had 2300 attack points," Playmaker noted. "And Righteous Raguel had 2400 attack points."

"That means Violet Chimera gains 2350 attack points," Morningstar concluded.

 **Salamangreat Violet Chimera ATK 2800→5150**

Cassiel grit her teeth and gestured to her field. "Righteous Raguel's effect activates!" she declared. "Since it was sent to the Graveyard by your card, I can return it to my Extra Deck and Special Summon two 'Cyangel' monsters from my Deck in Defense Position. Come, Cyangel Priest and Cyangel Prophet!" A gold-skinned man in golden robes carrying a rosary and another man with a beard and staff appeared alongside Cherub and Choir.

 **Cyangel Priest ATK 1600→1900 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 4**

 **Cyangel Prophet ATK 2200→2500 DEF 700→1000 LVL: 6**

"Now she has four monsters on the field," Morningstar noted.

"And all are in Defense Position," Ai said. "Soulburner can't inflict any damage to her."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Playmaker said, taking notice of Soulburner's smile.

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Salamangreat Claw!" said duelist declared. "And equip it to Violet Chimera." A massive orange gauntlet with two prongs on the end materialized around Violet Chimera's left arm. "While Violet Chimera is equipped with Claw, it inflicts piercing battle damage!"

Cassiel's eyes widened as Soulburner gestured to his field. "Battle! Violet Chimera attacks Cyangel Prophet!"

"Even if you inflict piercing battle damage, Sister's effect will halve the battle damage," Cassiel reminded him. "You can't win this!"

"Are you sure about that?"

Cassiel gasped. "Violet Chimera's additional effect! When it battles a monster whose attack points are different from its original attack points, its own attack points are doubled!"

"What!?"

"Prophet's attack points are higher than normal because of Cyangel Sanctum," Soulburner reminded her. "I was able to win because of your Field Spell!"

 **Salamangreat Violet Chimera ATK 5150→10300**

"Over 10000 attack points!?" Ai screeched.

 _I can't block that much damage!_ Cassiel thought.

"Go! Violet Soul!" Violet Chimera charged Prophet and brought its lance down, slashing the monster and destroying it in an explosion. Cassiel cried out as she was flung backwards and landed painfully on her back.

 **Cassiel: 2600→0 LP**

"Yes!" Ai cheered. "Soulburner won!" The trio walked over to the defeated girl, who pushed herself up to her knees while looking down.

"That was a good duel," Soulburner said. "Even if you made a few mistakes, you're really strong."

"Even so, we can't let you face an enemy like Bohman or Jester," Morningstar said. "I know you want to help but leave this to us."

"Now, as we agreed before the duel," Playmaker said. "Who are you?"

"…Why?"

The trio blinked at the girl's near-whisper. "Why?" Ai asked. "Soulburner won, and you agreed-."

"Why do you keep refusing help?" Cassiel raised her head and glared at Morningstar. "Why do you keep trying to face everything alone? Why do you seem to think that you can solve everything alone?"

Morningstar blinked again. He hadn't expected an accusation like that. He opened his mouth, but Cassiel beat him to it.

"Whenever you're in trouble, you insist on facing it alone," she said, her voice growing louder. "That you don't need help, that others shouldn't get involved. But what if they _want_ to get involved? What if they want to ease their friends' burden?"

"We don't want-."

"What if it's not about what _you_ want?" Cassiel interrupted Playmaker. "What about the people who care about you?" She kept glaring at Morningstar. "Always, you try to face things alone, you try to shoulder every burden. Do you have any idea what that does to the people around you? How much it hurts them to watch you facing a threat alone, and for you to tell them you don't want their help? Why? Because you're too proud to accept it? Because you don't think they're strong enough to protect themselves? Because your afraid of them getting hurt? Don't you think they're afraid of the same thing!?"

Cassiel's voice raised to a shout. "Well, I'm sick of it! I'm sick of you telling me to stay on the sidelines! I can't just stand by and watch you fight without helping you! Do you have any idea how much it hurts to watch you fight, know I can do something, and for you to treat me like a little girl who can only support you from the sidelines!? Do you, Yasu!?"

…

Cassiel's face paled as the three humans and three Ignis stared at her. Morningstar's mouth started to work but no sounds came out. His brain was too busy trying to catch up to what Cassiel had just said.

And then it hit him.

A little over a dozen people knew Morningstar's real name. And only two of them called him by that nickname. One of them was sitting in Café Junpei's backroom, his eyes widening as he overheard Cassiel's rant and came to the same conclusion that Morningstar came to.

"SACHI!?"

* * *

 **Cassiel vs. Soulburner**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Cassiel**

Cassiel activates the Field Spell Card Cyangel Sanctum. While Sanctum is active, all Light Cyberse monsters she controls gain 300 ATK/DEF. Cassiel activates Sanctum's effect to shuffle 1 card in her hand back into her Deck to add 1 Cyberse monster from her Deck to her hand. She shuffles Cyangel Priest back into her Deck and adds Cyangel Prophet to her hand. Since she has no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY, Cassiel Special Summons Cyangel Cupbearer (1400→1700/700→1000/3) in Attack Position. Cassiel Tributes Cupbearer to Tribute Summon Cyangel Prophet (2200→2500/700→1000/6). Since Cupbearer was sent to the GY, its effect activates, and Cassiel shuffles it into her Deck and adds 1 "Cyangel" monster from her Deck to her hand. She adds Cyangel Sister to her hand. Cassiel Sets 1 card. She ends her turn.

 **Turn 2: Soulburner**

Soulburner draws. He Normal Summons Salamangreat Foxy (1000/1200/3). Soulburner uses Foxy to Link Summon Salamangreat Balelynx (500/1/↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Since Balelynx was Link Summoned, Soulburner can add Salamangreat Sanctuary from his Deck to his hand. Since Foxy is in the GY and there is a face-up Spell/Trap Card on the field, Soulburner activates its effect, discarding Salamangreat Spinny to Special Summon Foxy (1000/1200/3) in Attack Position and destroy 1 face-up Spell/Trap Card on the field. Soulburner destroys Cyangel Sanctum (Prophet: 2500→2200/1000→700). Since Soulburner controls a "Salamangreat" monster other than Spinny, he activates the effect of Spinny in the GY, Special Summoning it (1000/1500/3) in Attack Position, but it will be banished when it leaves the field. Soulburner uses Balelynx, Foxy, and Spinny to Link Summon Salamangreat Heatleo (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Since Spinny left the field, it's banished. Since Heatleo was Link Summoned, Soulburner can target and shuffle 1 card in Cassiel's Spell & Trap Zone back into her Deck. He targets and shuffles her Set Cyangel Shield into her Deck. Soulburner activates the Field Spell Card Salamangreat Sanctuary. If he would Link Summon a "Salamangreat" Link Monster, Sanctuary's effect lets him use 1 Link Monster he controls with the same name. Soulburner uses Heatleo to Reincarnation Link Summon Heatleo (2300/3/↙↑↘). Since Heatleo was Link Summoned using Heatleo as material, Soulburner can target 1 monster Cassiel controls and 1 "Salamangreat" monster in his GY and make Cassiel's monster's ATK equal to his monster's ATK until the end of the turn. He targets Prophet and Balelynx (Prophet: 2200→500).

Heatleo attacks Prophet. As she has no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY and her Light Cyberse monster would be destroyed by battle, Cassiel activates the effect of Cyangel Sister in her hand, preventing Prophet's destruction by battle this turn and halving all battle damage Cassiel takes (Cassiel: 4000→3100 LP). Sister is then Special Summoned (1200/700/3) in Attack Position. Soulburner Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Cassiel**

Cassiel draws. She Normal Summons Cyangel Cherub (1800/700/4). Cassiel uses Cherub, Prophet, and Sister to Link Summon Cyseraph Blazing Uriel (2500/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Cherub, Prophet, and Sister were sent to the GY, their effects activate, and Cassiel returns them all to her Deck, then their secondary effects activate. Cherub's effect lets her Special Summon 1 "Cyangel" monster from her Deck in Defense Position, but it cannot be used as Link Material this turn. She Special Summons a 2nd Cherub (1800/700/4) at Blazing Uriel's bottom-left Link Marker. Prophet's effect lets Cassiel increase the ATK of 1 monster she controls by 1000 until the end of the turn. She increases Blazing Uriel's ATK (Blazing Uriel: 2500→3500). Sister's effect lets Cassiel add 1 "Cyangel" Spell/Trap Card from her Deck or GY to her hand. She returns Cyangel Sanctum from her GY to her hand, then activates it. Sanctum's effect increases the ATK/DEF of all Light Cyberse monsters she controls by 300 (Blazing Uriel: 3500→3800) (Cherub: 1800→2100/700→1000).

Blazing Uriel attacks Heatleo. Soulburner attempts to activate the effect of Balelynx in his GY, but since Cherub is linked to Blazing Uriel and Cassiel has no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY, Soulburner cannot activate any cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step. Heatleo is destroyed (Soulburner: 4000→2500 LP). Since Blazing Uriel destroyed Soulburner's monster by battle and Cassiel has no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY, Soulburner takes damage equal to Heatleo's Link Rating times 200. And since Blazing Uriel points to a "Cyangel" monster, the damage is doubled (Soulburner: 2500→1300 LP). Since his "Salamangreat" Link Monster was destroyed and sent to the GY, Soulburner activates his Set Trap Card Salamangreat Resuscitation, which lets him Special Summon that monster with its effects negated and then gain LP equal to half its ATK. He Special Summons Heatleo (2300/3/↙↑↘) (Soulburner: 1300→2450 LP). Cassiel Sets 1 card. She ends her turn, and Prophet's effect ends (Blazing Uriel: 3800→2800).

 **Turn 4: Soulburner**

Soulburner draws. Soulburner activates the effect of Salamangreat Sanctuary, using Heatleo to Reincarnation Link Summon Heatleo (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Cassiel activates her Set Trap Card Cyangel Caritas, which lets her Tribute 1 "Cyangel" monster she controls to add 1 different "Cyangel" monster from her Deck to her hand. She Tributes Cherub to add Cyangel Choir from her Deck to her hand. Since Cherub was sent to the GY, its effect activates, and Cassiel shuffles Cherub into her Deck and Special Summons Cyangel Cherub (1800→2100/700→1000/4) to Blazing Uriel's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position. Since her Cyberse monster was shuffled from her GY back into her Deck, Cyangel Sanctum's effect activates, and Cassiel targets Blazing Uriel. Until the end of the turn, Soulburner cannot target Blazing Uriel with card effects, and Blazing Uriel cannot be destroyed by card effects until the end of the turn. The turn Caritas is activated, Cassiel's Spell/Trap Cards cannot be destroyed by Soulburner's card effects. Since he has 3 or more "Salamangreat" monsters in his GY, Soulburner Special Summons Salamangreat Beat Bison (2800/1000/8) in Defense Position. Soulburner activates Beat Bison's effect, targeting Fire Link Monsters in his GY and returning them to his Extra Deck, then negating the effects of Cassiel's face-up cards up to the number of cards returned until the end of the turn. Soulburner returns 1 copy of Heatleo to negate Sanctum's effects (Blazing Uriel: 2800→2500) (Cherub: 2100→1800/1000→700). Soulburner activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Salamangreat Circle, which lets him add 1 "Salamangreat" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Salamangreat Emerald Eagle from his Deck to his hand. Soulburner activates the Ritual Spell Card Rise of the Salamangreat, which lets him Ritual Summon 1 "Salamangreat" Ritual Monster from his hand by Tributing monsters from his hand or field whose combined Levels equal or exceed the Ritual Monster's. Soulburner Tributes the Level 8 Beat Bison to Ritual Summon Salamangreat Emerald Eagle (2800/2000/8) to Heatleo's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Soulburner activates Heatleo's effect, targeting Balelynx in his GY and Blazing Uriel (Blazing Uriel: 2500→500).

Emerald Eagle attacks and destroys Blazing Uriel (Cassiel: 3100→800 LP). Since Blazing Uriel was sent to the GY by Soulburner's card, its effect activates, and Cassiel can Special Summon up to 2 "Cyangel" monsters from her Deck in Defense Position. She Special Summons Prophet (2200/700/6) and Sister (1200/700/3). Heatleo attacks and destroys Cherub. Soulburner Sets 1 card. He ends his turn and Beat Bison's effect ends (Prophet: 2200→2500/700→1000) (Sister: 1200→1500/700→1000).

 **Turn 5: Cassiel**

Cassiel draws. She Normal Summons Cyangel Choir (600→900/700→1000/1). Soulburner activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Salamangreat Friction. If he would take effect damage, he can banish 1 "Salamangreat" monster from his GY to negate that damage. Cassiel uses Choir, Prophet, and Sister to Link Summon Cyseraph Righteous Raguel (2400→2700/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Choir, Prophet, and Sister were sent to the GY, their effects activate, and Cassiel shuffles them into her Deck. Choir's effect lets Cassiel target 1 card in her GY, and if that card is a Spell/Trap Card, it is added to her hand, but if it is a monster, she can Special Summon it in Defense Position and gain LP equal to its ATK. Prophet's effect lets Cassiel increase the ATK of 1 monster she controls by 1000. Sister's effect lets Cassiel add 1 "Cyangel" Spell/Trap Card from her Deck or GY to her hand. Cassiel targets and Special Summons Cherub (1800→2100/700→1000/4) to Righteous Raguel's bottom-left Link Marker (Cassiel: 800→2600 LP), targets Righteous Raguel for Prophet's effects (Righteous Raguel: 2700→3700), then adds Cyangel Litany from her Deck to her hand. Since a Cyberse monster was shuffled into her Deck, Cassiel activates Sanctum's effect, targeting Righteous Raguel.

Righteous Raguel attacks Emerald Eagle. Since Righteous Raguel is linked to Cyangel Cherub, Soulburner cannot activate cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step. Emerald Eagle is destroyed (Soulburner: 2450→1550 LP). While Cassiel has no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY, Righteous Raguel can make 3 attacks during each Battle Phase. Righteous Raguel attacks and destroys Heatleo (Soulburner: 1550→150 LP). Righteous Raguel attacks Soulburner directly. Soulburner activates the effect of Salamangreat Friction, sending it to the GY and banishing 1 "Salamangreat" monster from his GY to negate the battle damage, then draw 2 cards. Soulburner banishes Emerald Eagle and draws. As she has no "Cyangel" monsters in her GY, Cassiel activates the Spell Card Cyangel Litany, which lets her target 1 Spell/Trap Card in her GY and make Litany's effect that card's effect. She targets Caritas, which lets her Tribute 1 "Cyangel" monster to add 1 "Cyangel" monster with a different name from her Deck to her hand. She Tributes Cherub to add Choir to her hand. As Cherub was sent to the GY, its effect activates, and Cassiel shuffles it into her Deck, then Special Summons Cherub (1800→2100/700→1000/4) to Righteous Raguel's bottom Link Marker in Defense Position. Until her next Standby Phase after Litany is activated, Cassiel's Light Cyberse monsters cannot be targeted or destroyed by Soulburner's card effects. Cassiel activates Sanctum's effect, shuffling 1 card in her hand back into her Deck to add Cyangel Sister from her Deck to her hand. Cassiel ends her turn.

 **Turn 6: Soulburner**

Soulburner draws. He activates the Spell Card Link Fire's Return, which lets him Special Summon 1 "Salamangreat" Link Monster from his GY, then inflict damage to Cassiel equal to its Link Rating times 200. Soulburner Special Summons Salamangreat Heatleo (2300/3/↙↑↘) (Cassiel: 2600→2000 LP). As she took effect damage, Cassiel activates the effect of Cyangel Choir in her hand, Special Summoning it (600→900/700→1000/1) in Defense Position and gaining LP equal to the damage she took (Cassiel: 2000→2600 LP). The turn Choir's effect activates, Cassiel takes no further effect damage. Soulburner activates the Spell Card Fusion of Fire, which lets him Fusion Summon 1 "Salamangreat" Fusion Monster using monsters from his hand or either field to Fusion Summon. Soulburner fuses Heatleo and Righteous Raguel to Fusion Summon Salamangreat Violet Chimera (2800/2000/8) to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. As Violet Chimera was Fusion Summoned, it gains ATK equal to half the combined ATK of its Fusion Materials until the End Phase (Violet Chimera: 2800→5150). As Righteous Raguel was sent to the GY because of Soulburner's card, its effect activates, letting Cassiel return it to her Extra Deck and Special Summon up to 2 "Cyangel" monsters from her Deck in Defense Position, but their effects cannot be activated this turn. Cassiel Special Summons Cyangel Priest (1600→1900/700→1000/4) and Cyangel Prophet (2200→2500/700→1000/6). Soulburner activates the Equip Spell Card Salamangreat Claw, equipping it to Violet Chimera. The monster equipped with Claw cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, and if it attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage.

Violet Chimera attacks Prophet. As Violet Chimera is battling a monster whose current ATK is different from its original ATK, Violet Chimera's ATK is doubled during damage calculation (Violet Chimera: 5150→10300). Prophet is destroyed (Cassiel: 2600→0 LP). Soulburner wins.

* * *

 _ **Cyangel Sister  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1200 DEF 700 Level: 3  
_ _If you have no "Cyangel" monsters in your GY and your LIGHT Cyberse monster would be destroyed by battle while this card is in your hand: You can target that monster; that monster cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, and all battle damage you take this turn is halved, then Special Summon this card. If this card is sent to the GY: You can shuffle this card into your Deck, then add 1 "Cyangel" Spell/Trap Card from your Deck or GY to your hand. You can only activate each effect of "Cyangel Sister" once per turn._

 _ **Cyangel Cherub  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1800 DEF 700 Level: 4  
_ _If you have no "Cyangel" monsters in your GY and this card is linked to your LIGHT Cyberse Link Monster: If that monster declares an attack on your opponent's monster, your opponent cannot activate any cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step. If this card is sent to the GY: You can shuffle this card into your Deck, then Special Summon 1 "Cyangel" monster from your Deck in Defense Position, except this card. The monster Special Summoned by this effect cannot be used as Link Material the turn it is Summoned. You can only activate this effect of "Cyangel Cherub" once per turn._

 _ **Cyangel Choir  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 600 DEF 700 Level: 1  
_ _When you have no "Cyangel" monsters in your GY and you take effect damage (except during the Battle Phase): You can Special Summon this card from your hand, and if you do, gain LP equal to the damage you took. The turn you activate this effect: You take no effect damage for the rest of the turn. If this card is sent to the GY: You can shuffle this card into your Deck, then you can target 1 card in your GY; if that card is a Spell/Trap Card, add it to your hand and gain 1000 LP, and if it is a Monster Card, Special Summon it to your field in Defense Position and gain LP equal to its ATK. You can only activate each effect of "Cyangel Choir" once per turn._

 _ **Cyseraph Righteous Raguel  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2400 LINK-3_ ↙↓↘  
 _2+ LIGHT Cyberse monsters  
_ _If you have no "Cyangel" monsters in your GY: This card can declare 3 attacks during each Battle Phase. This card can only attack directly once per turn. If this card points to a "Cyangel" monster, this card cannot be destroyed by battle. If this card is sent from the field to your GY by an opponent's card: You can shuffle this card into your Extra Deck, then target up to 2 "Cyangel" monsters in your Deck; Special Summon them in Defense Position. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot activate their effects the turn they are Special Summoned., You can only activate this effect of "Cyseraph Righteous Raguel" once per turn._

 _ **Salamangreat Resuscitation Normal Trap Card  
**_ _When your "Salamangreat" Link Monster is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY: Special Summon that monster to your field with its effects negated, then gain LP equal to half that monster's ATK. You can only activate "Salamangreat Resuscitation" once per turn._

 _ **Cyangel Caritas Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Tribute 1 "Cyangel" monster you control; add 1 "Cyangel" monster with a different name from your Deck to your hand. The turn you activate this effect: Your Spell/Trap Cards cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects. If your LIGHT Cyberse monster is destroyed by battle, you can banish this card from your GY; both players gain LP equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK. You cannot activate this effect of "Cyangel Caritas" the turn this card is sent to the GY._

 _ **Salamangreat Friction Continuous Trap Card  
**_ _Once per turn, if you would take effect damage: You can banish 1 "Salamangreat" monster from your GY; negate that effect damage. If an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can send this card on your field to the GY and banish 1 "Salamangreat" monster from your GY; you take no damage from that battle, then draw 2 cards._

 _ **Cyangel Litany Normal Spell Card  
**_ _If you have no "Cyangel" monsters in your GY: You can target 1 Spell/Trap Card in your GY; this card's effect becomes that Spell/Trap Card's activated effect. Until your next Standby Phase after you activate this card, LIGHT Cyberse monsters you control cannot be targeted or destroyed by your opponent's card effects. You can only activate "Cyangel Litany" once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 39 – The Devil You Know. As Cam and Yasutake grapple with Cassiel's identity, the Knights of Hanoi reconvene and go over recent events. The next day, Nebula finishes a training session with Persephone, and has a fateful encounter…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

Which Yu-Gi-Oh! series and which Persona video game do you think would make a good/fitting crossover. I'm thinking a crossover between VRAINS and Persona 5.

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to jdkeller2000, D3lph0xL0v3r, star eyes pendulum dragon, Ethan Kironus, Guest, Phantom Flame-98. HunterHQ, CyberseAlexandriteDragongirl, ZarcEternal, SakushiRyu, ThePLOThand, Guest, NewComer1, Ms aura, Ryder Blake, Lindia Fullmoon, sanedimention, DivadX, and guardian of the aura Aurasoul for reviewing Chapter 37.

NewComer1: Actually, Chapter 37 wasn't the longest chapter I've written. Chapter 6 is the longest I've written for Hidden Memories, while Chapter 9 of Fifth Circuit is the longest single chapter I've ever written. That one was over 25000 words. Yeesh!

sanedimentio: it would depend in which order they're summoned. If Bohman's and Playmaker's Link-5s are summoned first, then I'd put Superior Seraphim higher, at least because of its effects. But if Superior Seraphim is summoned first, then I'd put the others above it. Especially Firewall Dragon Darkfluid. A monster that can reach 13000 attack points on its own effects is insane.

Okay, sorry this chapter took so long. But I've really gotten into watching videos on Persona 4 & 5, and they're damn addicting. Unfortunately, I suspect the next chapter will be even longer than this one.

First, let me clarify something; the timing of Episodes 59 and 60 confused me somewhat, so I decided I would switch things around. This chapter took place in the time between 58 and 59 but includes the opening scene from 60, if only because I believe the conversation between Yusaku and Kusanagi should have happened right after they left the Wind World, not the day after.

That aside, we had the reveal of Cassiel's identity in this chapter. Some of you might think this was too early, but I didn't want to drag this out; considering who she is, it was only a matter of time before Cam and Yasutake found out. As to how she obtained the Cyangels; that will be explained next chapter.

Also, we got Soulburner's first duel in Hidden Memories. I understand if his Ritual Summoning was a little awkward; I had to rewrite the turn a few times. As for Beat Bison being able to negate Cyangel Sanctum's "no targeting" effect, I'm honestly conflicted on that. I got opinions from sanedimentio and SakushiRyu on it, but unfortunately, there aren't too many cards that have effects like Sanctum out there, so I wasn't able to find many references. But I'm pretty sure Soulburner's move would work against it. If not, well it's a little late for it.

Thank you for reading Chapter 38. I'm sorry if this seems rushed, but I'm writing after midnight and need to get some sleep. How many of you were surprised by Cassiel's identity? How many of you weren't? Do you think Yasutake is a tsundere?


	39. Chapter 39: The Devil You Know

**Update**

I realized I forgot about a certain monster's effects, so I went back and made a change for the last turn of the duel in this chapter. Sorry.

* * *

 **Chapter 39: The Devil You Know**

 _10 years ago…_

A woman stood in front of an orphanage. She frowned to herself and worried about her charges. When will they get back? She received the phone call from the police an hour ago; they should be here by now.

Her frown turned into a smile when she sees the police car approach. It parked in front of the orphanage and the backdoor opened, allowing a young man with short dark green hair wearing a purple shirt to exit. The officer driving the car exited as well.

The matron smiled as the officer approached her. The young man remained by the police car, reaching into the backseat. "Thank you for bringing her back, officers," she said.

"It's not a problem, miss," the officer said. He frowned. "But…"

She frowned. "What is it?"

"…You'll see soon enough."

He stepped to the side as the young man walked up to her, carrying a small girl with green hair.

The matron smiled at them. "Sachi, I'm so glad you're back. Your big brother was worried about you."

The girl didn't respond. Blinking, the matron stepped closer. "Sachi?" She looked at the girl's eyes and hers widened. They were blank, reflectionless. "Sachi?" The girl didn't react to the matron's words or her placing a hand on her forehead.

"Oh God," she whispered. "Give her to me, Cameron." The boy didn't resist as the matron took his sister. Looking at him, she noticed that his eyes were red, and his face was set in an expression of utter despair.

Noticing movement behind him, the matron stepped to the side so she could see the second child behind Cameron. It was a boy, likely Sachi's age. He had black hair and red bangs that were longer on the right side. His hazel eyes were looking up at her with uncertainty. And… pain. Even more pain than Cameron's eyes carried.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, addressing the boy. "I didn't notice you before. What's your name?"

"…Yasutake Narahiko," the boy said. His voice was small, barely above a whisper.

"His father died of a heart attack a few months ago." The matron turned to Cameron, who was speaking for the first time. "He was in the same place Sachi was. He doesn't have any other family. I told him he could stay here."

The matron smiled. "That's fine," she said. "All children are welcome here." She turned her smile to the younger boy. "Welcome to our humble home, Yasutake. I know it's not much, but I hope you'll get along with everyone."

"Ma'am." She turned back to the officer. "There a few other details we need to go over. And Ms. Junpei and Mr. Narahiko need to have a checkup at the hospital within the week."

"Of course," she nodded. "I understand. Come, Yasutake, let's go inside. We'll get you settled."

She walked in, carrying Sachi, followed by the police officer. Yasutake glanced at Cameron and took his hand. The older boy jumped and looked at the smaller one. The boy stared emotionlessly back. Cameron gave a small smile and squeezed the boy's hand. They followed the adults into the orphanage, though Cameron's thoughts were a world away.

 _Father… Mother… I'm sorry._

* * *

 _Present day…_

"WHAT!?"

Cam glared at the monitors as Morningstar's cry echoed over the earpiece. She couldn't be… Cassiel couldn't be…

"Cam," Kusanagi said. The older man was sitting in the seat next to him, looking at him with concern. "Calm down. You-."

Cam abruptly stood up and marched out of the backroom. He barely noticed the surprised looks he got from the remaining customers or the automated greeting from the steward bot as he rounded onto the stairs and took them two at a time until he reached the third floor.

He took long strides over to the door to Sachi's room and knocked as loudly as he could. "Sachi!" he shouted. "Open up!"

No response.

Cam opened the door and his eyes widened at what he saw. Sachi was lying on her bed with her eyes closed, a green and white Duel Disk on her left wrist, and a soft blue light encompassing her. The same blue light that appeared around Yasutake, Yusaku, and Takeru when they went into LINK VRAINS.

 _It's really her,_ Cam thought. _Sachi really is Cassiel._ He clenched his fists as his temper rose again. _I'm going to_ kill _her._

* * *

"EH!?"

Morningstar's cry was echoed by Ai's, who was staring at the kneeling Cassiel with wide eyes. Everyone else was mirroring his expression, though Soulburner's jaw had also dropped.

"She's Cam's sister?" Ai said. "Seriously?"

Cassiel hesitated then opened her mouth, but Morningstar put his hand up. He frowned to himself as Kusanagi spoke over his earpiece.

"Kusanagi just told me that Cam went upstairs," he said. Cassiel winced at his words. "We'll discuss this in the real world."

She hesitated again but nodded. Morningstar pressed a button and disabled his Camouflage Dome. The second he did so, Cassiel logged out. The three boys did so a split second later.

* * *

Yasutake opened his eyes and left the sealed room. He saw Takeru and Yusaku stir but had left the room before either could say anything.

Takeru looked unsurely at Kusanagi. "Should we go after him?"

Kusanagi and Yusaku looked at each other and shook their heads. "This is a family matter," Yusaku said. "We'll leave it to Cam and Narahiko for now. We can ask Narahiko about it tomorrow after school."

Kusanagi nodded. "We'll keep an eye on Cam and Yasutake, and if they need our help, we'll give it. But this is something they have to deal with on their own." Then he smiled as his mood brightened. "That aside, I have something to show you two."

* * *

"-reckless and stupid!"

Yasutake hesitated on reaching the third floor, if only because Cam's shouting had reached the stairway. But he overcame that hesitation and walked into the kitchen, where Cam and Sachi were standing and glaring at each over.

"Why?" Cam asked loudly. "Why would you do something like this?"

"Because Yasu needs help," Sachi said defiantly. "Bohman, SOL, this Jester; he, Fujiki, and Takeru can't fight them alone."

"They aren't alone, they have me and Shoichi. And Ai, Cypher, and Flame."

"The Ignis can't duel, and you and Ksuanagi are needed out here. They need help in LINK VRAINS, and I can provide that."

"Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should! What if you go against someone like Blood Shepherd, or Revolver? There's no way you can win against them."

"Even if I can't defeat them, I can still fight. I defeated Techbane, didn't I? And I almost defeated Soulburner. With Yasu's help-."

"No," Cam said with finality. "I'm not letting my little sister get herself hurt like this. Yasu is one thing, but you-."

"What about me?" Sachi asked loudly. "Why is me going in no different than when he went in three years ago? And I'll have friends backing me up while Yasu went in alone. He fought for what he believed three years ago. Why can't I fight for what I believe now?"

"You're my little sister, that's why. I'm not going to let my last family get hurt. It's my job as your big brother to protect you-."

"AND I HATE YOU FOR THAT!"

Cam and Yasutake both blinked at Sachi's shout. Unshed tears were clinging to her eyelids and she was glaring at Cam.

"Ever since the Lost Incident, no, ever since our parents died," Sachi said, her voice low and even, "you have always looked after me. And I love you for that. But you've never stopped seeing me as a little girl. All these years, and you still just see a six-year-old girl who can't take care of herself. Even when I'm standing in front of you, even though I'm sixteen, I've always been a little girl in your eyes. AND I'M SICK OF IT!"

The tears flowed freely now. "Treating me like a child, like I can't take care of myself, like I'm just a burden. Do you have any idea how that feels? To be treated like you can't do anything for yourself, or to help the people you care about? It hurts. It hurts to watch Yasu go in and fight, knowing I can help and you telling me I can't, all because I'm your little sister. It hurts knowing that all you see when you look at me is who I used to be and not who I am now! It hurts knowing you don't trust me!"

She paused to catch her breath, swallowed, then said in a soft voice, "It hurts, knowing that no matter what I tried to do to show you I've grown up, you still refuse to see me as more than a child."

Sachi turned on her heel and ran back to her room.

"Sachi-!" Yasutake said as he took a step in. The girl ignored him and returned to her room, slamming the door in the process.

…

Cam sighed heavily and fell back onto a chair. He frowned, looking far older than he actually was.

"What are you doing?" Cypher asked. "Go after her! I need to know where she got the Cyangels!"

Yasutake ignored the Ignis and walked over to Cam. He sat in the chair next to him and leaned back. The two sat in silence for a while until Cam broke it.

"Is she right?" he asked. "Do I just see the little girl I pulled from that fire thirteen years ago? Do I just see the little girl who came out of the Lost Incident?"

"…I don't know," Yasutake answered. "I don't know, Cam."

Cam sighed. "I was afraid that's what you would say."

* * *

 _Later that night…_

"An Ignis who named itself Flame."

"And its duelist, Soulburner."

"So there's a new Playmaker."

Faust frowned. He, Spectre, and Dr. Genome were standing in Hanoi's fortress, looking over photos of recent events.

"While we were creating the Tower of Hanoi, someone destroyed the Cyberse World."

"How unexpected," Spectre said. "Someone other than us wants to destroy the Cyberse? Did that person take the Ignis?"

"Not necessarily," Faust replied. "The duelist named Soulburner has the Fire Ignis. It's likely the Ignis we want to kill have scattered."

"Oh? How troublesome," Dr. Genome said, holding his chin.

Spectre frowned. "The duelist working with the Ignis must be like me, a Lost-."

"I've already checked him out."

The three turned as Revolver walked into the room, Terminus at his side.

"His real name is Takeru Homura. A Lost Incident victim."

"Master Revolver," Spectre said, bowing slightly before glancing at Revolver's partner. "And Terminus. I hadn't expected for you to join us again."

"I'm not," Terminus replied. Spectre, Faust, and Dr. Genome all raised an eyebrow. "Not on the front lines, at least. I'm just handling logistics from now on; I'm just here to help my friends." A small smile crossed his face. "I have to set a good example for my son, after all."

Revolver nodded. "Do not worry, Terminus," he said. "We all understand." Faust and Dr. Genome nodded, but Spectre looked amused. "Back on topic, the Fire Ignis escaped from the Cyberse World and went to the person it's based on."

"But Master Revolver," Spectre frowned. "No Ignis has come to me."

"Of course not," Dr. Genome smirked. "The Knights of Hanoi want to kill the Ignis. If you're one of us, an Ignis won't come to you."

Spectre smiled. "That's true."

"The Fire Ignis isn't the only one," Revolver said, opening a new image. "The Silver Ignis has also reappeared."

"The only one that wasn't at the Cyberse World five years ago, having disappeared three years prior," Faust said. "And the one with the fastest evolution after the Gold Ignis."

"I had thought it deleted," Dr. Genome said. "But it clearly wasn't."

"From what I was able to gather, the Silver Ignis created the Cyspirit cards that Morningstar uses," Terminus said. "Upon the cards' completion, it split and hid itself among five of the Cyspirit Link Monsters. It wasn't until Morningstar summoned Cyspirit Superior Seraphim against me that the Silver Ignis was able to recompile itself."

Dr. Genome smirked. "A rather clever plan. But also a dangerous one. Had Morningstar not used Superior Seraphim, it would still be trapped in the cards."

 _I can thank Masako for that,_ Terminus thought, remembering Morningstar saying Lilith had given him Superior Seraphim and Angelic Avenger.

Yusaku Fujiki, Yasutake Narahiko, and Takeru Homura," Faust said, bringing Terminus's mind back to the discussion. "We've identified their locations. We should act immediately and take the three Ignis-."

"No!" They all looked at Revolver. "What happens in the network, we take care of in the network! That's how I do things! Stay away from them in the real world!"

Faust bowed. "I apologize."

"And we know more than anyone that Playmaker and Morningstar won't be easily defeated." Terminus narrowed his eyes at Revolver's words.

"Yes. Fully."

"No need to be impatient. Let's just observe the Ignis for now." Revolver turned and looked down as the photo changed to Ai. "The three Ignis may contact the other Ignis." The screen changed to Flame and then Cypher.

"So let them go on purpose," Spectre said.

"Yes. And I'm more intrigued by the mystery duelist that Playmaker is pursuing."

"Yes. His name is Bohman," Faust said as the picture changed. "Bohman stole consciousness data from Jin – Shoichi Kusanagi's younger brother. Jin Kusanagi is also a victim of the Lost Incident. After the Lost Incident, he was hospitalized in a facility."

Revolver frowned. "He's a victim of our crime."

"It's not your fault, Revolver," Spectre assured.

Dr. Genome smiled. "Jin's brother Shoichi is Playmaker's partner. So Playmaker won't stay quiet."

"Shoichi Kusanagi has also struck up a friendship with Cameron Junpei, Morningstar's caretaker and the brother of Sachi Junpei, another Lost Incident victim," Terminus said. "Morningstar will not hesitate to aid Playmaker in his mission."

"Have you learned anything about Bohman?" Revolver asked.

"Unfortunately, nothing," Faust answered.

"We do know his avatar is a high-quality program," Dr. Genome supplied.

"Looking at the security footage at Jin Kusanagi's facility," Dr Faust said, "he stole consciousness data directly from his body. His method is superior to Baira's computer virus."

"So the one who created this avatar is someone special," Revolver deduced.

"Yes," Faust agreed. "And we should be most careful about Judgment Arrows." Faust frowned, contemplative. "A Spell Card with Link Markers. This card may become a big threat to us."

"I've never seen a card like that before," Spectre said. "I'd like to have one myself. Can Bohman be SOL Technologies' assassin?"

"Most likely not," Revolver replied.

"According to SOL Technologies' logs, Bohman escaped through that mysterious gate," Faust said. A map of LINK VRAINS came up. "The gate was located here. But before Bohman went inside, the logs say SOL Technologies' research team entered the gate and faced distress."

"Meaning SOL Technologies can't control this," Dr. Genome reasoned.

And SOL Technologies' bounty hunters, including Go Onizuka, have begun searching for the Ignis," Faust continued. "And they didn't know about the gate's existence."

"I can't believe SOL Technologies hired him," Spectre commented.

"Go Onizuka," Revolver mused. "He doesn't care about prestige or rank. He's always looking for a fight."

The screen changed to show Soulburner defeating Go Onizuka with Salamangreat Emerald Eagle.

"Soulburner defeated Go Onizuka," Spectre said. "We must not underestimate him."

"Go Onizuka isn't the only bounty hunter of note," Terminus said as the images changed to Techbane and Sylphid. "These two are also interesting."

"Techbane, a mid-tier bounty hunter of two years," Faust said. "In real life, his name is Yukaro Saiba of Tokyo, and he's the heir to the Cyber Dragon Deck."

"An interesting opponent to have, certainly," Spectre said. "But this Sylphid girl has no history. Despite that, she uses a Dragunity Deck. She may be just as dangerous as the others."

"Playmaker, Soulburner, and Morningstar," Faust said. "And Go Onizuka, Techbane, and Sylphid pursued them. Everyone headed to the mysterious gate. If SOL Technologies were behind this, Bohman wouldn't need to escape through the gate."

"I see," Spectre said. "And SOL Technologies is careless. There's a new gate they can't control, but they conceal its existence and open a new LINK VRAINS."

"The public never knows the truth," Revolver said. "There's always an eerie darkness in the shadows." He scowled. "I'll destroy SOL Technologies to avenge my father. And those obsessed with money!"

"We've been analyzing the gate-," Faust began.

"It's already finished," Revolver interrupted. "An Ignis algorithm created the gate."

"Ignis?" Faust repeated. "So there's no connection to SOL Technologies. No one working there has the skills."

"But there's one man that intrigues me," Dr. Genome spoke up. "SOL Technologies hired a man named Blood Shepherd. Among cyber treasure hunters, he's infamous for his excellent hacking techniques and doing whatever it takes to capture his prey."

"Blood Shepherd," Faust mused. "I've heard rumors about him."

"I read up on him too," Terminus said. "Before Morningstar retired, Blood Shepherd was considered his rival."

"An AI derailed his life," Dr. Genome said. "There's no one who hates AIs more than him."

"But it's unconfirmed whether he has the intellect and skills that rival Dr. Kogami," Faust pointed out.

"Only a few can solve an Ignis algorithm," Revolver said. "Only my father, me, and the Ignis."

"I see," Spectre said. "So the ones who made the gate…?"

"The Ignis," Revolver confirmed.

"I see," Faust said. "So they took Jin Kusanagi's data to lure out Playmaker and Morningstar?"

"It's too early to reach that conclusion," Revolver said. "But they may have formed a secret party on the other side of the gate."

Spectre smirked. "Then I'd like to participate in the next party."

"If the Ignis begin creating their own world, it'll be a second or third secret Cyberse World."

"That would make it even harder to find the Ignis," Faust grimaced.

"They're evolving faster than anticipated," Revolver said. "As my father predicted, they may have already started a new plan. And we must be wary of Playmaker's, and Morningstar's, growth as duelists, since they are helping the Ignis."

Terminus frowned. "The Silver Ignis has given Morningstar a new Skill, one similar to Storm Access called Hurricane Heavensgate. With it, he has mastered Fusion and Synchro Summoning. And on top of that, he also mastered Ritual Summoning."

"As for Playmaker, in addition to Link Summoning, he has mastered a Ritual Summoning that unites with Link Summoning," Revolver said. "And he's mastered Fusion Summoning. Playmaker and Morningstar will definitely stand in our way again."

"Playmaker truly is our greatest enemy," Spectre agreed. "We must form a counterplan immediately."

"Playmaker and Morningstar are dangerous, but they are known dangers," Terminus said. "We have two other unknowns that are of concern."

The screen changed to show a man in gold armor. Faust frowned.

"Jester, the mysterious duelist who faced Morningstar," he said. "Someone who could disperse and strengthen the Data Storm to the point where it's impossible to use a Skill like Storm Access or Hurricane Heavensgate. And make use of a unique Rank-Up-Magic card."

"Link Summoning, Synchro Summoning, and an Xyz Summoning from a Synchro Monster," Dr. Genome mused. "Do we have any information on him? With the weapons at his disposal, he clearly has some powerful backers."

"None," Revolver said with a frown. "Only rumors that go back about thirteen years."

Spectre frowned. "So before the Lost Incident. So he has nothing to do with the Ignis?"

"He sought the Silver Ignis from Morningstar," Terminus reminded him. "Even if he lacks a connection to the Lost Incident, he still clearly desires the Ignis. And…"

"What is it?" Revolver asked.

"…I am not sure. It is just a feeling, but something about Jester reminds me of Thaumiel."

Revolver's frown deepened. "You think there is a connection there? Or are they just similar?"

"I do not know. I will do some investigating, but I do not know what I will find."

"Moving on," Faust said as the image changed. "There is another new player. A woman calling herself Cassiel."

"She uses a Cyberse Deck called the Cyangels," Spectre said. "And she defeated Techbane, SOL's bounty hunter. Does that mean she is on Playmaker's side?"

"Possibly," Revolver said. "We observed her meeting Playmaker, Morningstar, and Soulburner earlier today, but Morningstar's Camouflage Dome prevented us from learning anything new."

"If they have formed an alliance, we'll know soon enough," Dr. Genome said. "As for her identity, we'll find that out eventually."

"But before that, there's one thing we must do," Revolver said. He turned to Terminus. "Is everything ready?"

Terminus nodded. "Yes."

Revolver nodded back. "Let's go." The five men turned and walked out of the room.

* * *

 _Next morning…_

Yasutake walked to school alone. Sachi hadn't come out of her room all of yesterday, and when he knocked on her door this morning, she hadn't responded. He knew she was in there; he heard shuffling within. Considering what had happened, he and Cam both decided to call Sachi in as sick for today.

As for Cypher, Yasutake had left the Ignis and his Duel Disk back at Café Junpei. The Ignis had been annoyed with Yasutake for giving Sachi her space, as he wanted to ask her about the Cyangels. The Ignis also lambasted Cam for not wanting Sachi to duel, but that was just because the Cyangels were incredibly powerful and Cypher thought it wasteful that their owner couldn't duel.

In the end, Yasutake wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Not just his thoughts about what happened with Sachi and Cam, but also the news he received last night.

Dr. Kyoko Taki had been broken out of prison. The only possible culprit was Revolver. Ryoken Kogami. He had called Yusaku after hearing about it. Yusaku was concerned but admitted there was nothing they could do about it now.

Yasutake had thought about going to see Kenshin Hirai but decided not to. If he was no longer with Hanoi, then he wouldn't know anything. And if he was still with them, then he wouldn't share anything. Simply put, going to see the bookstore owner would be pointless.

He did feel some measure of solace though; Kenshin and Ryoken hadn't said anything about his or Yusaku's identities to the other Knights until they confronted them in the real world. They had likely told the others by now, but it was obvious Ryoken wanted to keep things to LINK VRAINS. At least Yasutake wouldn't have to worry about being attacked on his way to school.

"Hello, Narahiko."

Yasutake blinked and looked up. Aoi was standing at the crosswalk, waiting for him.

"Sachi sent me a message," she said when he approached. "It said she wouldn't be going to school today. That she had a fight with her brother."

"…You knew, didn't you?" Aoi raised an eyebrow. "You knew she was Cassiel."

Aoi blinked and then smiled. The light turned green and they both walked across the street. "Yes, I did," she said softly. "But it was her secret to tell, not mine."

Yasutake remembered that yesterday, he had said the same thing about Yusaku and Takeru. "I take it you got her the Duel Disk?"

"And helped her make her avatar, yes. Though she wouldn't tell me where she got her cards."

"Hmm." A small smile crossed his face. "I remember that when we first walked to school, you told me everyone tried to get close to you for a Duel Disk or a job. I thought you hated that."

Aoi laughed lightly. "I remember that too; but Sachi didn't ask for a new one. When she told me about her plan, she asked if she could use one of my old Duel Disks. Instead, I offered to buy her a custom one."

"…You really are a good friend to her," Yasutake said. "But… why? Why did you help her?"

Aoi's small turned a little sad. "When I started out as Blue Angel, I didn't do it to entertain anyone. I did it because I wanted my brother's attention. He was always busy with work and couldn't spend time with me. So I felt like I was a burden to him; I wanted to prove to him that I was strong, that I could stand on my own two feet. Thanks to you, Playmaker, and Emma, my reasons changed. Now, I want to duel for everyone, to find a way that's best for everybody, not just myself.

"Sachi… when she told me what she was planning to do, I saw my old self in her. She was trying to prove herself to her brother. And to you. She wanted to prove that she could stand alongside you and fight with you. As her friend, I decided I would help her with her goal. But now…" Aoi frowned. "She told me a little about last night. What happened?"

Yasutake told her about Cam and Sachi's shouting match. Her frown deepened. When he finished, she said, "I see. I got the impression things between her and her brother had blown up, but not like that."

"…It's funny, though," Yasutake said. "Both are them are right."

Aoi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What do you mean?"

"Sachi was right about Cam, about me, treating her like she was a child. That we weren't taking her feelings into consideration with how we acted. But when you know about the Lost Incident, and how they lost their parents when Sachi was three, is it any surprise Cam is so protective of her?"

Aoi gave a sad smile. "I know better than anyone about overprotective brothers. And how frustrating it feels to get them to see you as more than a child. But what about you? Where do you stand on this, Narahiko?"

"…Yasutake." Aoi blinked. "I think we've known each other long enough. Call me Yasutake."

She blinked again and smiled. "Alright Yasutake. Then you call me Aoi." The boy nodded. "But you dodged the question; where do you stand with Sachi and her brother?"

"…I don't know yet," he answered reluctantly. "I'm hoping I'll know by the time school is over."

* * *

Cam frowned as he leaned over the counter and looked at his hands. He hadn't slept well last night. What with Sachi refusing to leave her room, and the recurring nightmares of that damn fire, he had barely got a wink of sleep. Not to mention the conflicting thoughts going through his head.

"Hey there, stranger."

Cam blinked and looked up. Emily Garcia was standing in front of the counter, smiling down at him. She was wearing red this time, with her purse tucked under her right arm.

"Oh, hey, Ms. Garcia." Cam pushed himself to his full height and smiled. "What can I get you?"

"An iced caramel mocha. Large. With a cinnamon apple scone, please."

Cam nodded and moved over to the mixer. "Did something happen?" He looked up at the woman. "I don't mean to pry, but you have that look about you; like something's bothering you and it's got you down."

Cam gave a thin smile. "…Something did happen, but it's my problem. Not yours, Miss. Garcia."

"Maybe not," Emily conceded. "But sometimes getting a second opinion can help." A thoughtful expression crossed her face before she smiled again. "Why don't you join me? You have a steward bot? It could man the counter while we talk."

Cam opened his mouth to decline but then closed it. Actually, a break didn't sound bad. And talking to someone unrelated to this mess might help get his thoughts in order.

"Alright. Just give me a couple minutes. And that'll be 1000 yen."

Emily smiled as she handed over the money and Cam gave her the coffee and scone on a plate.

A few minutes later, he joined her at a corner table, his own coffee and a blueberry muffin in front of him.

Emily took a sip of her mocha and smiled. "Back in San Diego, there was a coffee shop two blocks away from where I grew up. For two years, I would go there every Sunday morning and order an iced caramel mocha. The owner would always make it himself, and he'd always say the same thing when he served it: 'Here you are, miss. I hope you enjoy it.' He didn't have too many regular customers; most people preferred brand products because they were cheaper, but his coffee always felt… richer." She raised her cup. "This reminds me of his. It isn't as good, but it's closer than any other I've had."

Cam smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment. Is that shop still open?"

She shook her head. "He retired a year after I got my current job. That was… eight years ago." She chuckled. "Funny how time flies. It feels like it's only been a few months since I visited that coffee shop."

Cam nodded. "I know what you mean. There used to be a burger place downtown; it was the only place in Den City you could find turkey burgers. But it closed down a year ago. I think some vegan restaurant took its place."

Emily smiled. "I think the reverse happened to a restaurant in Asahikawa a year ago; a vegetarian restaurant got taken over and became a sushi bar. A pity; I liked that one too."

Cam smiled nostalgically. "Everything keeps changing, doesn't it? We like things to stay the same, but they don't stay that way. Owners retire, businesses get bought out, entrepreneurs change professions. Kids grow up…"

They sat in companionable silence until Emily broke it. "So which change has you worried?"

Cam frowned. "…Do you remember my sister?"

"Sachi? Yes." Emily smiled mischievously. "Did she find the courage to confess to a certain someone?"

Cam chuckled. "She found courage, but not to do that." His frown returned. "She… did something brave. Stupid and reckless, but brave. Because she wanted to help a friend. And I was… less than considerate about her feelings."

Emily frowned. "What happened?"

"…Ten years ago, Sachi was kidnapped," Cam said. Emily's eyes widened. "The police found her eventually, but that experience… it changed her. She only started getting over it three months ago. And I'm glad she's moving on, becoming a stronger person; she deserves it after everything that happened. But…"

"But that experience didn't just change her," Emily guessed. "It changed you too."

Cam nodded. "Yeah. Or rather, it just reinforced the kind of person I already was. Three years before she was kidnapped, our parents died in a fire. We were sent to an orphanage, and while we were there, I promised to protect her. She's the only family I have left in this world. Her being kidnapped, and then… doing what she did; it made me angry. Angrier than I've been in a while."

He sighed. "Yasu told me I was right to be angry at her. But he also said Sachi was right that I refused to see how much she'd grown. And now… now I don't know what to do. Whether to support her or forbid her from doing it again."

…

"If you did try to stop her," Emily said softly, "would you actually succeed?"

Cam frowned. "Maybe. Probably. But only for a while." He didn't know how Sachi got a Duel Disk. If he confiscated her current one, she could probably get another. And even if he took away the Cyangel Deck, she would just find another Deck online.

"Teenagers do stupid things all the time," Emily said. "I know I wasn't any different, and I suspect you weren't." Cam smiled innocently at that. "I don't know what your sister did, but if she's determined enough, she'll keep doing it whether you want her to or not. Wouldn't it be better for her to do it when you can supervise and help her?"

Cam's frown returned. "I… I don't know." He was conflicted. He knew that if Sachi truly wanted to go to LINK VRAINS, he couldn't stop her. And she wasn't necessarily wrong that Yasutake, Yusaku, and Takeru would need help. But still… "I think I need more time to think on this."

Emily nodded. "Whatever you decide to do, don't do it just for her," she said. "Do it for both of you."

* * *

"Beatrice, attack Nebula directly! Paradiso Force!"

A woman in pink robes and silver armor spread her arms. Golden light danced across her skin before shooting out as lightning, hitting the girl in black and white and forcing her to one knee.

 **Nebula: 1400→0 LP**

"Ow…" Nebula groaned as she looked up. Persephone walked up to her, her Xyz Monster fading from existence. "I still can't get you to fight seriously," she muttered.

"Maybe not, but you're definitely improving," Persephone assured her. "We've only had three sessions, and yet you've become much stronger since our first duel. I would dare to say that in a month or so, you might be able to defeat me."

"Really?" Nebula smiled at the praise and pushed herself up.

"Yes," Persephone nodded. "Your Deck is very strong, Nebula; the only real difference between you and me is experience. And you're overcoming that difference at a fast rate. You've improved your strategies and are paying attention to your opponent's moves. So long as you don't get overconfident, you'll be just fine."

Nebula's smile widened. Persephone smiled back until her Duel Disk beeped. Looking at it, she saw she received a message. "Excuse me," she said. Nebula nodded as Persephone walked a short distance away. While she read the message, Nebula looked around.

She and Persephone had taken over one of LINK VRAINS's isolated islands for their training sessions. She had suggested LINK VRAINS's central area, but Persephone wanted a more private area where they wouldn't get interrupted. Remembering just how many fans Persephone had, Nebula admitted the older girl had a point.

As Nebula's gaze swept over the other nearby islands, she blinked in surprise. What the…?

"I'm sorry Nebula."

The girl blinked again as she turned back to Persephone, who was smiling apologetically. "I'm afraid we'll have to end today's session here; I promised I'd meet a friend in real life, and if I don't leave now, I'll be late."

Nebula smiled. "Don't worry, it's fine. I understand. I'll see you tomorrow for our next session?"

Persephone nodded. "Yes, tomorrow at 4pm. Don't be late." The Charisma Duelist logged out, leaving Nebula alone.

Or rather, mostly alone. Nebula looked back over at the other islands and saw the figure she'd noticed hadn't budged. It looked awfully familiar…

Her curiosity getting the better of her, Nebula called up a white and black D-Board and rode it over to the other occupied island. She leapt off a few meters away from the cloaked figure that was looking out over LINK VRAINS. Up close, she realized they were really tall – taller than anyone she'd met before.

"Excuse me." The figure didn't react to her presence, which annoyed her. "Excuse me!"

This time, the figure did react. They turned their head slightly in her direction. "What?" The voice was masculine and deep. And cold. Something in his tone made Nebula very nervous.

"W-Who are you?" she asked. "I saw you before; you were watching Soulburner's duel. And you had some weird skeleton guy with you."

"Who I am is not your concern," he said. "Now leave." His head returned to its previous position.

Nebula scowled. "Hey! You don't need to be so rude! I just asked you a question."

He ignored her as her temper grew. "Alright, how about this? I challenge you to a duel!"

"I refuse."

Nebula blinked. She hadn't expected such a quick response. "Eh?"

"I don't have time for weaklings like you."

"W-Weakling?" Nebula repeated. "I-I'll have you know I'm Nebula, an aspiring Charisma Duelist and apprentice to Persephone, the Traveler of LINK VRAINS! I am not a weakling!"

"Yes, you are," the man said indifferently. "All of you are."

Nebula growled. "You think you can insult me and my teacher so easily?" A thought struck her, and she smiled. "Well, if you're refusing to duel me, doesn't that make you the weakling?"

He didn't react, so she continued, "After all, I am just an apprentice. If I am just a weakling, then you could beat me easily. But you refusing makes it seem like you're scared of me. Like you're weak in turn."

"Hmm." He grunted at her. Then he turned around fully. Her eyes widened on seeing a soft red glow under his hood. "How pathetic. I insult your pride, so you resort to baiting me. But you fail to understand; I do not speak in hyperbole. Before me, you are nothing. And your pathetic attempts to anger me amount to less than nothing." The glow seemed to intensify. "But, if you truly insist on learning your place, I will educate you."

Nebula felt a chill run down her spine. The man hadn't raised his voice or even changed his tone. But that tone was steeped in condescension and indifference. Some base instinct was telling her to get as far away from him as possible.

But he had insulted her and Persephone. She couldn't let that insult slide. "S-So you accept my challenge?" she said, trying to keep her own tone stable.

"…Fine," he said. "If nothing else, you can provide me a distraction." His lower arms emerged from within the cloak. He wore black metal gauntlets with red claws. Red lines ran up and down the sides of the gauntlets. A black Duel Disk with red claws on the edges was on his left wrist. "My name is Zahhak. Can you keep up with me?"

Nebula grit her teeth and raised her own Duel Disk. "I'll show you how strong I really am!"

"Duel!" "Duel."

 **Nebula: 4000 LP**

 **Zahhak: 4000 LP**

Nebula drew her opening hand. "I'll let you take the first turn," she said. She remembered what Persephone had told her about her Deck; how her monsters were best suited for the second turn when she could attack.

"Hmm. Very well." Zahhak tapped a card. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

Nebula blinked. "Huh? That's it?" She narrowed her eyes. "You're not taking this seriously, are you?"

"Why should I?" he asked. "All you are is a pest. I have no need to use any real power against you."

Nebula grit her teeth. "How arrogant of you. I'll make you pay for it! My turn! Draw! I summon Photon Advancer!" A humanoid monster with white and red armor and blue sections on its arms, legs, and chest appeared.

 **Photon Advancer ATK 1000 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"As I control a 'Photon' monster, I can Special Summon Photon Vanisher!" A humanoid with glowing blue skin appeared in Attack Position. It wore silver and black armor over its legs, chest, upper arms, and head, and carried a sniper rifle.

 **Photon Vanisher ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Vanisher's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned, I can add Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon from my Deck to my hand. In addition, since I control another 'Photon' monster, Advancer gains 1000 attack points!"

 **Photon Advancer ATK 1000→2000**

Nebula waited for Zahhak to say the obvious: That since she had two monsters with 2000 attack points, she would Tribute them to summon Galaxy-Eyes. But he didn't. He just stood there, silently watching her, masked in an aura of indifference.

She grit her teeth in annoyance. "I overlay my Level 4 Photon Advancer and Photon Vanisher!" A bolt of blue energy burst out of her Duel Disk and traveled upwards. It struck the sky and exploded into a ring of blue energy that traveled downwards, changing the environment to a midnight sky. Streams of blue data traveled downward.

"With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" A large blue "X" with four red points appeared beneath her two monsters, both of whom broke into blue data and entered two of the dots. The corners of the "X" fired beams upwards, creating a shining galaxy that exploded with power.

"The light that pierces the midnight sky!" Nebula chanted as her Duel Disk glowed. "Shine forth from the dragon's eye! Xyz Summon! Descend! Rank 4! Starliege Photon Blast Dragon!" A blue-skinned dragon with white and gold armor emerged from the exploding galaxy. It roared from the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position as two orange lights circled behind it.

 **Starliege Photon Blast Dragon ATK 1800 DEF 2500 RNK: 4 OU: 2**

"Blast Dragon's monster effect! When it is Xyz Summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Photon' monster from my hand," Nebula continued. "I summon Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!" A larger light blue dragon with dark blue armor materialized in Attack Position and roared.

 **Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon ATK 3000 DEF 2500 LVL: 8**

"In addition, since I used Vanisher to Xyz Summon Blast Dragon, any monster it destroys by battle is banished." Nebula took another card from her hand. "I activate the effect of the Photon Orbital in my hand! During my Main Phase, I can equip it to my 'Photon' or 'Galaxy' monster. I equip it to Blast Dragon!" Said monster glowed at her words. "While Orbital is equipped, Blast Dragon gains 500 attack points and cannot be destroyed by battle."

 **Starliege Photon Blast Dragon ATK 1800→2300**

"While the Xyz Summoned Blast Dragon is on the field, you cannot target or destroy my monsters with your card effects, so long as my monsters' attack points are above 2000," Nebula said. She gestured to the field. "Battle! Blast Dragon attacks you directly! Radiance Stream!"

The dragon fired light blue energy at Zahhak, who simply grunted. "How pointless," he said as he gestured to his field. "Trap activate. Cydemon Acedia."

"What?" Nebula blinked at his Trap Card. "Cydemon?" The card showed a red and black fiend with a dark gold circlet on its head. It was muscular, with bat wings and glowing red eyes. It was sitting on a black throne, its head resting on one of its hands, its eyes barely open.

"Since I control no monsters, I can discard a Dark Cyberse monster to negate your attack," Zahhak said. "I discard Cydemon Duke." A blood red barrier materialized around Zahhak and blocked Blast Dragon's attack.

Nebula grit her teeth. "Even so, Galaxy-Eyes can still-."

"Acedia's second effect," Zahhak interrupted. "Since the monster I discarded was a 'Cydemon' monster, the Battle Phase ends."

Nebula gasped. "N-No way," she whispered. _His Trap Card had an effect that powerful? More than that, he said his monster was a Cyberse monster. Isn't that the same Type of monsters Morningstar and Playmaker use?_

"Are you done?" Zahhak asked. "You have yet to show anything interesting. If I continue being bored, I shall take my frustration out on you."

Nebula grit her teeth. _So condescending._ "I Set two cards," she said. "I end my turn."

 _One of my cards is Photon Current,_ she thought. _If he attacks, my monster will gain attack equal to his monster's attack points. And since Blast Dragon is on the field and equipped with Orbital, he can't target or destroy my monsters with card effects._

"My turn. Draw." Zahhak drew, then played two cards. "By discarding Cydemon Knight, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cydemon Shrine." The card showed an altar made of black stone with skulls lined up against it. Two monsters covered in shadows were in the background, their red eyes glowing in the dark. "Once per turn, if I control no monsters, I can Special summon one 'Cydemon' monster from my hand or Graveyard in Attack Position. From my Graveyard, I Special Summon Cydemon Duke."

A dark red magic circle appeared on Zahhak's field. A red and black demon emerged from it and roared. Cydemon Duke was large and muscular, with black skin, glowing red eyes, and razor-sharp teeth. It had no hair but did have pointed ears and a pair of curved yellow horns poking out of a dark gold circlet on its head. It wore black armor with red edges on its torso, forearms, and calves and had a pair of black bat-shaped wings with blood red spines. It held a massive black battle axe in its right hand, which it planted in front of itself.

 **Cydemon Duke ATK 2600 DEF 600 LVL: 7**

Nebula's eyes widened. "No way," she whispered. "He got a monster with 2600 attack points out just like that?"

"Battle." Nebula was shocked out of her stupor by Zahhak's declaration. "Cydemon Duke attacks Blast Dragon." Duke hefted its battle axe above its right shoulder as said weapon started glowing with dark red power.

Nebula gestured to her field. "Trap activate!" she declared. "Photon-."

"It's pointless," Zahhak interrupted. "When my Dark Cyberse attacks, Cydemon Shrine prevents you from activating any Spell or Trap Cards." Nebula's eyes widened. "Go, Cydemon Duke. Gremory's Rage." Duke brought the axe down, generating a stream of dark red energy that struck Blast Dragon and caused an explosion.

"Since Orbital is equipped to Blast Dragon, it can't be destroyed by battle!" Nebula reminded Zahhak while wincing from the damage.

 **Nebula: 4000→3700 LP**

"You only inflicted 300 points of damage," Nebula said. "You'll have to take this more seriously if you want to beat me!"

Zahhak grunted. "How impudent. Cydemon Duke's effect activates. After it attacks your monster, it inflicts damage to you equal to the attack points of your strongest monster."

Nebula's eyes widened. "What?"

"Your strongest monster is Galaxy-Eyes, with 3000 attack points," Zahhak said. "Which means you take 3000 points of damage. Astaroth's Fury." Scores of magic circles appeared all around Cydemon Duke. The demon seemed to smile as the circles shot out bolts of dark red energy, all of which struck Nebula. She cried out in pain as she was knocked onto her back, wincing from the force of the explosions.

 **Nebula: 3700→700 LP**

"I end my turn," Zahhak said. "Do you understand now? The difference in strength between us? An insect like you can't even touch me, so spare me the trouble and surrender."

Nebula gasped for breath as she pushed herself to a sitting position. "Surrender?" she repeated. "If I did that, I'd disgrace my teacher." She pushed herself up so that she stood up straight. "Maybe I can't beat you, but it would shame me as a duelist, and my teacher as one, if I surrendered now. A duel is not over until the last card is played! And I have plenty of cards to play. My turn! Draw!"

Nebula gestured to her field. "Orbital's effect activates! By sending it to the Graveyard, I can add a 'Photon' or 'Galaxy' monster from my Deck to my hand." The glow around Blast Dragon disappeared.

 **Starliege Photon Blast Dragon ATK 2300→1800**

"I add Photon Slasher to my hand. And since there is a face-up Xyz Monster on the field, I can Special Summon Photon Slasher!" A white-armored warrior with white wings and a large light blue and dark blue sword appeared in Attack Position.

 **Photon Slasher ATK 2100 DEF 1000 LVL: 5**

"Appear! The circuit of radiance! The summoning conditions are two Light monsters, including one with 2000 or more attack points. I set Blast Dragon and Slasher in the Link Markers!" Her monsters entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows. "Circuit combine! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Galaxy-Eyes Solflare Dragon!" A dragon with a similar appearance to Photon Dragon, but with yellow skin instead of blue and four wings emerged from the portal. It roared from the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Galaxy-Eyes Solflare Dragon ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↙↘

"Solflare Dragon's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned, I can add a 'Photon' or 'Galaxy' monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Photon Advancer to my hand. Then, I Normal Summon Photon Crusher!" A large humanoid wearing green and silver armor wielding a double-sided club appeared.

 **Photon Crusher ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Since there is a 'Photon' monster on the field, I can Special Summon Photon Advancer." Her monster reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Photon Advancer ATK 1000 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"And as before, since there is a 'Photon' monster on the field, Advancer gains 1000 attack points."

 **Photon Advancer ATK 1000→2000**

"Now, with my Level 4 Photon Advancer and Photon Crusher, I build the Overlay Network!" The bolt of blue energy burst out and created the blue "X". Her monsters disintegrated into blue data and entered the red dots. The ends of the "X" fired beams and created the exploding galaxy.

"The light that pierces the midnight sky!" Nebula chanted. "Shine forth from the dragon's eye! Xyz Summon! Descend once more! Rank 4! Starliege Photon Blast Dragon!" Another blue dragon in silver and gold armor emerged from the galaxy, roaring from Solflare Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position while being circled by two orange lights.

 **Starliege Photon Blast Dragon ATK 1800 DEF 2500 RNK: 4 OU: 2**

"Hmm," Zahhak finally commented. "So you have more than one of those monsters."

"Battle!" Nebula declared. "Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon attacks Cydemon Duke! Photon Stream of Destruction!" Said dragon blasted Duke with a stream of light blue energy, destroying it in an explosion. But when the smoke cleared, Zahhak was unmoved and his Life Points untouched.

Nebula's eyes widened. "But how-?"

"I activated the effect of Cydemon Knight in my Graveyard," Zahhak explained. "Once, while it is in the Graveyard, I can target a Dark Cyberse monster I control. And for the rest of the turn, any damage I take that is equal to or lower than that monster's original attack points become 0. As I targeted Duke for its effect, any damage that is 2600 or less automatically become 0."

Nebula grit her teeth. _Damn it. Solflare Dragon has 2000 attack points while Blast Dragon has 1800. I can't beat him with them._ Then she smirked. _But I can beat him with something else._

"Trap activate!" she declared. "Eternal Galaxy! Since I control a 'Photon' or 'Galaxy' monster, I can Rank Up my Xyz Monster into a 'Photon' or 'Galaxy' Xyz Monster that is 4 Ranks higher!"

"Oh?" Zahhak said, his tone changing slightly. "That is an interesting effect."

"With Starliege Photon Blast Dragon, I rebuild the Overlay Network!" The blue "X" reappeared, except this time only Blast Dragon disintegrated and entered the top dot. The beams created the exploding galaxy as Nebula chanted.

"Radiant galaxy, here and now become the striking light, and show yourself! Rank Up Xyz Change! Descend! Rank 8! Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!" A massive red dragon with three heads emerged from the exploding galaxy. It roared from Solflare Dragon's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position as an orange light circled it.

 **Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon ATK 4500 DEF 3000 RNK: 8 OU: 1**

"Eternal Galaxy's last effect transfers Blast Dragon's Overlay Units to Neo Galaxy-Eyes." Two more lights started circling the large dragon.

 **Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon OU: 1→3**

 _This is it!_ Nebula thought. _Neo Galaxy-Eyes has 4500 attack points. I'll take out his Life Points in one hit!_

"Neo Galaxy-Eyes attacks you directly!" she declared. "Ultimate Photon Stream!" The dragon's three heads shot bursts of red cosmic energy at Zahhak, who didn't flinch or try to flee. The blasts struck the man, causing a massive explosion that filled the island with smoke.

"Neo Galaxy-Eyes had more attack points than Cydemon Duke," Nebula said as the smoke slowly cleared. "That means its attack would inflict damage. And since you didn't have any Set cards, you couldn't have negated my attack. This duel is mine."

"…How presumptuous." Nebula gasped at the words coming from the smoke. "For a weakling such as you to assume victory… it's almost laughable." The smoke finally cleared, revealing Zahhak unharmed and unmoved, his Life Points intact.

"H-How?"

"Cydemon Acedia can activate its effect in the Graveyard as well," Zahhak told her. "All I needed to do was banish it and discard Cydemon Marquis. Thus, your attack was negated. And since I discarded a 'Cydemon' monster, your Battle Phase was ended."

Nebula stared at him, her mouth slightly open, before gritting her teeth. "I end my turn," she said reluctantly.

"Hmm. I allowed you to survive last turn out of the belief that you might show me something interesting," Zahhak said. "Certainly your Trap Card was amusing, but I'll be ending this duel now."

"Don't be so arrogant," Nebula said. "Solfare Dragon has 2000 attack points, Galaxy-Eyes has 3000, and Neo Galaxy-Eyes has 4500. How can you hope to best that?"

"Easily," Zahhak said. "I had everything I needed to win since my last draw. My turn. Draw." Zahhak gestured to his field. "Cydemon Shrine's effect activates. Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Cydemon Knight from my Graveyard in Attack Position."

Another dark red magic circle appeared. A black horse emerged from the portal. It had solid red eyes and wore red plate armor on its head, legs, and body. A fiend in black armor sat on its back. Its pauldrons were red, as were its thigh guards, gloves, and boots. The upper part of its breastplate was blood red, as were the spines its black bat wings. The demon had black skin, pointed ears, and solid red eyes with sharp teeth. Its long and stringy black hair fell down its back. For a weapon, it carried a long black cavalry saber.

 **Cydemon Knight ATK 2200 DEF 600 LVL: 6**

Nebula looked up Knight's effects and her eyes widened. "No way," she muttered. "If this monster attacks a monster from the Extra Deck, it can banish that monster?"

"Yes." She looked up at Zahhak, who had evidently heard her. "And then inflicts that monster's attack points as damage. One attack is all it will take."

"It will take more than that!" Nebula declared as she gestured to her field. "Solflare Dragon's monster effect! By discarding Photon Lead, I can destroy one of your Special Summoned monsters! Solar Disruption!" Solflare Dragon's wings glowed with yellow energy, which it projected at Knight. The demon cried out in pain as it was destroyed.

"Hmm. So, you intend defiance till the end," Zahhak said. "Very well. I will acknowledge your defiance by demonstrating true power. I summon Cydemon Bishop." A thin black-skinned demon appeared. Instead of armor, it wore robes that were blood red on the inside and black on the outside. An elaborate dark red hexagram adorned the robes. The demon had sharp teeth, pointed ears, glowing red eyes, and no hair. Instead, it wore a black miter with gold lines on it. The demon's black hands poked out of the robes, where it held a short black scepter with a dark red jewel in its blood red claws.

 **Cydemon Bishop ATK 1600 DEF 600 LVL: 3**

"Bishop's monster effect. Once per turn, I can Special Summon a 'Cydemon' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. Come, Cydemon Marquis."

Another magic circle appeared, which produced a demon in a black military uniform with blood red buttons and epaulets. This demon had the same black skin, red eyes and claws, pointed ears, black bat-like wings, and sharp teeth as its predecessors, along with black hair pressed into a wing that curled at the sides. The fiend laughed and swung the fencing saber it held in its left hand.

 **Cydemon Marquis ATK 2400 DEF 600 LVL: 6**

"That monster is stronger, but it is in Defense Position," Nebula said. "It can't defeat me."

"How characteristic of weaklings," Zahhak said. "You put focus only on attack points and fail to see the end in front of you. Marquis's monster effect. Once per turn, if there is at least one 'Cydemon' monster in my Graveyard, I can take control of one of your monsters until the end of the turn."

Nebula's eyes widened. "What!?"

"I take control of Solflare Dragon." Marquis spread his wings and lifted his right hand. A dark red magic circle made of three concentric circles appeared in front of its hand, which then rotated until it stopped and glowed. A similar magic circle appeared on Solflare Dragon's forehead before it disappeared and then reappeared on Zahhak's field.

"N-No way," Nebula whispered.

"The monster stolen by Marquis's effect can't declare an attack," Zahhak continued. "But until the end of the turn, it is treated as a Dark Cyberse monster." A purple aura manifested around Solflare Dragon.

"B-But what's the point of taking control of my monster if it can't attack?"

"The point is to put an end to this farce." Zahhak raised his right hand, which crackled with red lightning. "Appear, the circuit of infinite darkness." The Link portal appeared above him. "Arrowheads confirmed. The summoning conditions are two or more Dark Cyberse monsters. I set Cydemon Bishop, Cydemon Marquis, and Solflare Dragon in the Link Markers." His monsters turned into whirlwinds of dark red energy and entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows. "Circuit combine. Link Summon. Appear. Link-3. Cydevil Covetous Leviathan."

The monster that emerged from the portal was feminine in appearance, with wide hips, a narrow waist, and slender legs. Said legs were covered in black armor with red gems at the knees and she wore black armored heels with red centers over her feet. Her torso was held within black armor with red segments on her sides and chest, and she wore black gauntlets with red claws on her hands. Her forearms were protected by black vambraces and her upper arms were covered by black rerebraces. Four black bat-shaped wings with blood-red spines spread out from her back as long lustrous, wavy black hair fell down to her mid-back. Her skin was light gray, she had pointed ears, and her eyes were a solid red. Her face was inhumanly beautiful, but the look she gave Nebula was filled with as much condescension as possible. Black chains rattled as they were draped over the monster's shoulders and arms. Covetous Leviathan gave a light laugh as she was summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cydevil Covetous Leviathan ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

Nebula's eyes widened. "Cydevil?" she whispered. She hadn't been expecting this. More than that… this monster gave her a very uneasy feeling. "E-Even if your monster is stronger, it isn't strong enough to defeat me," she said, her voice wavering. "Galaxy-Eyes and Neo Galaxy-Eyes have 3000 and 4500 attack points respectively. You would have been better off leaving Solflare Dragon on my field."

"What do you know about the seven deadly sins?"

Nebula blinked at the question. "Uh, n-not much."

"They are the greatest of sins, said to give birth to all other sins. And each of them is represented by a demon. Leviathan is the demon of envy. Invidia. To look at what others have, and desire it for yourself above all others. And that's what Leviathan does. She envies. She craves what others have. And so she takes what she envies for herself."

Zahhak gestured to his field. "Covetous Leviathan's monster effect. Once per turn, if I have three or more 'Cydemon' monsters in my Graveyard and Covetous Leviathan points to no monsters, I can equip your monster to it. I equip Galaxy-Eyes to Covetous Leviathan."

Nebula's eyes widened again. "What did you say?"

"Grasp of Envy." Covetous Leviathan's face morphed into a sneer as she raised her arms. As if possessing a will of their own, her chains snaked outwards and seemed to expand. The chains wrapped themselves around Galaxy-Eyes' neck, lower chest, and upper arms. The dragon roared in protest and struggled against the chains, but it could do nothing as it was dragged across the field until it was in front of the demoness.

Covetous Leviathan gave the dragon a comforting look. Then she opened her mouth. It was filled with teeth sharper than a shark's. She bit down on the dragon's neck, eliciting a scream of pain and protest. The dragon's light started to fade as its body lost muscle and mass. Before long, all that was left of the dragon was its skin and bones, and that soon disintegrated. Covetous Leviathan licked her lips and leered at Nebula, who had a tinge of green to her pale face.

"While a monster is equipped to Covetous Leviathan by her effect," Zahhak continued, "she gains attack points equal to that monster's original attack points."

 **Cydevil Covetous Leviathan ATK 2500→5500**

Nebula gasped. "5-5500 attack points!?" As panic set in, she started to hyperventilate.

"Now, do you understand? The difference in power between you and me?" Nebula reluctantly turned her horrified gaze from the monster to the man himself. He seemed to grow larger as a red glow appeared beneath his hood. Before she knew it, he, and dark red flames surrounding him, were all she could see. "Someone as weak as you could never hope to excite me. So… apologize to me, that a weakling like you would dare to waste my time."

Nebula kept hyperventilating. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Covetous Leviathan attacks Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. Invidia's Soul."

The demoness leered as her chains snaked around the glowing red dragon. The dragon cried out in pain as the chains crushed its wings, necks, and chest. A large dark red magic circle appeared in front of Covetous Leviathan. A massive blast of dark red energy shot out of the circle, blasting the dragon. The dragon disintegrated in the explosion, and Nebula cried out in pain as she was sent flying backwards.

 **Nebula: 700→0 LP**

Zahhak's demoness and Continuous Spell Card disappeared as he walked up to the unconscious girl. He looked down on her with a dispassionate gaze.

"Dueling you wasn't worth the time it took," he said. Then he raised his right hand. "But we don't destroy what we can use. And even the weak have their uses." His hand glowed red, as did Nebula before turning into data that gathered into his hand.

"Statement: As always, it is a pleasure watching you eliminate the meatbags, Master."

Zahhak turned around as a rust-colored skeletal humanoid walked out of a portal.

"HK. So your repairs are complete."

The AI duelist nodded. "Confirmation: My memory core has been uploaded into this new body. I am now HK-71."

"Hmm. I expected your repairs to finish somewhat sooner."

"Confession: They did, master. However, when I departed, I witnessed your duel, and thought it best that I wait until your victory. I do not regret doing so; watching the girl's confidence turn into despair was most enjoyable."

Zahhak grunted. "Now that you're here, we can resume our scouting operations."

"Affirmative: Yes, master." HK-71's eyes blinked, then it looked to the left. "Statement: Master, I am detecting an Ignis program some distance from here."

"An Ignis program?"

"Affirmative: Yes, master. However, there is something… strange about its algorithm."

* * *

Yasutake entered the third floor of his house. It had been an interesting day at school. Takeru and Yusaku had asked him about what happened, and after hearing about it, both agreed with Yasutake; that Cam and Sachi were both right with their concerns.

His family drama aside, Yasutake had also noticed Aoi's looks towards Naoki Shima in class. He presumed they were because when they arrived, Naoki had said he had Playmaker's acknowledgment, so Aoi was investigating whether Naoki knew Playmaker's identity. Normally, Yasutake would tell her Naoki knew nothing, but he suspected Naoki could hold Aoi's and Emma's attention for a while; it meant less distractions for him.

And on top of that, Takeru had told Yasutake about Kusanagi making a room for him in Café Nagi. He had also told the duo to tell Yasutake that he would have made one for him, but there wasn't any more room. Yasutake was alright with that; he preferred to use Café Junpei's backroom anyway.

All those thoughts aside, Yasutake had something important to do. Something that needed to be done. Walking up to the door to Sachi's room, he knocked. "Sachi, we need to talk," he said.

No one answered. But he heard shuffling on the other side, so he knew she was in there. "I'm coming in," he said, opening the door slowly.

The lights were off and the blinds on the window were closed. What little light filtered through revealed Sachi, wearing a light green tank top and blue shorts, sitting on her bed. Her undone hair hung around her face like a curtain. She was looking down at the floor, not meeting Yasutake's eyes. Her own eyes were red, which told Yasutake just what she had been doing in her room.

Yasutake hesitated, but then closed the door and sat down next to Sachi on her bed. He would have taken the chair, but they had taken it out a month ago. That chair was now in the living room, and Cam and Sachi both liked resting in it when they had nothing else to do.

"…I'm sorry I yelled at you and Cam."

Yasutake turned his head to look at the girl next to him. She hadn't moved her head and her voice was soft, but it was definitely her. "I know you want me to be happy and safe. It wasn't right of me to go off on you like that."

"…Maybe not, but you weren't wrong, either," Yasutake said, just as softly as he turned his head back. "About either of us. Cam hasn't been able to stop seeing you as the little sister that needs protecting." A sad smile crossed his lips. "And I can't stop using you as an ideal."

…

"When I first met you two, I was wallowing in my own despair," Yasutake said. "Father Narahiko had died, and I didn't have anyone else. I kept thinking that I wanted nothing more than to join that old priest in heaven; I was too young to realize I was contemplating suicide."

He sighed. "But as I lived in that orphanage with you and Cam, I saw how he always took care of you. He would stay at your side as long as he could, feed you meals, help the matrons with whatever you needed. Through Cam, I understood what it meant to have family. And when I approached him and asked if I could help him take care of you, I started experiencing that feeling myself. I understood what it felt like to have an older brother looking after you, and even if we were the same age, I considered you a younger sister."

Sachi's frown grew at that admission, but Yasutake didn't notice. "Eventually, I made a decision: I would do everything I could to bring you back to the world, back to Cam. In my head, I constructed an image of you, an ideal that I was constantly pursuing. I held that image so deeply that when you awoke, I failed to see the girl behind that ideal." He closed his eyes. "I treated you not as a person, but as something to protect, whose only purpose was to satisfy my own desire. I didn't see the real you; the frustration you felt, the anger, I didn't see those. I'm sorry."

"…I don't dislike that image you have of me," Sachi said. "But I don't want it to stay the same. I want it to be _me_. Not the me I was for ten years or the girl I was before; the me I am now. The me that is glad to know you, to live with you, to… be your friend." Sachi seemed to stumble over that last part and pink dusted her cheeks. As his eyes were still closed, Yasutake didn't notice.

"…Yeah. I suppose I want that too," Yasutake said. He opened his eyes but Sachi's face had returned to its normal coloration. "There is something I need to know though. Where did you get the Cyangel cards?"

"…Masako Himura."

Yasutake blinked and turned to her. "Masako? When did you-?" His eyes widened. "…You met her the day she came here." The same day she left.

Sachi slowly nodded. "I… I was eavesdropping," she admitted. "I was listening from the stairway, and when you went downstairs, Masako noticed my feet." She looked down at her bare feet, pouted, and wiggled her toes. "I was… terrified; she was the first person I met that I didn't live with. But she was nice. She spoke softly and encouraging. And when I told her my name, she knew who I was; that I was a survivor of the Lost Incident. She apologized to me for her father's actions. And before she left, she gave me a hard drive. The Cyangel cards were on it. I don't know where she got them; probably the same place she found Angelic Avenger and Superior Seraphim. But I didn't do anything with the cards until a month ago."

"At which point Aoi got you a Duel Disk and helped design your avatar," Yasutake nodded. This time, he did notice the look Sachi gave him. Taking a guess at what she was confused by, he said, "I told Aoi to call me Yasutake, and she said I should call her by her first name too."

Sachi smiled. "That's good; I was always wondering why you called her Zaizen. Now you just need to call Fujiki by his first name."

Yasutake chuckled at that. The two sat in companionable silence for a while before the boy broke it. "You'll need training, you know."

"…What?"

"Cypher said you weren't using the Cyangel Deck to its full strength. You'll need training to get better. Cypher and I can give that to you. Fujiki and Takeru can help too. Convincing Cam might be difficult, but-."

THUMP

Yasutake blinked from his new position. Sachi had tackled him to her bed and was hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered heartfeltly. Her head was pressed into the crook of his neck and her chest was pressed against his. "Thank you, Yasu."

The teen's heartbeat started to increase like crazy. "Y-You're welcome," he said back. His voice was thicker than it usually was. He awkwardly hugged Sachi back, idly noting that her tank top had ridden up, revealing her stomach and allowing him to feel her back. Her skin was soft, smooth, and cool to the touch. Her legs tangled with his as he started to notice a pleasant softness on top of his chest.

Sachi lifted her head and looked him in the eye. Her royal blue eyes were half-closed and still red from crying. More unshed tears were hanging at the edges. And yet Yasutake was sure he'd never seen a more beautiful sight.

Her cheeks were red, and she was breathing heavily. Sachi's eyes closed further as she leaned closer to Yasutake-.

RING RING

The two teens yelped at the tone, which seemed louder than it usually was. Sachi quickly sat up and rearranged her tank top, her face resembling a tomato. Yasutake wasn't in any better condition as he sat up and pulled his phone out. He didn't bother to check the caller ID before he answered.

"Hello?" He instantly hated how his voice cracked on that word.

"Yasu, I need you down here." The boy blinked. It was Cam. And his next words made Yasutake blink again and frown.

"The gate's reappeared?" he repeated.

"Yeah. It's on one of the floating islands at the top of LINK VRAINS. Yusaku and Takeru already left. Get down here and you can join them."

"R-Right," Yasutake said. He ended the call before Cam could ask about his voice. He gasped for breath, recomposing himself.

Sachi refused to look at him. "So you're going after Bohman again?" There was a hitch to her voice as well.

Yasutake nodded. "Yes," he replied. He hesitated, then said, "If we need help, I'll have Cypher send you an email. Cam didn't take the Duel Disk, right?" He was glad to hear that his voice was returning to normal.

She shook her head. "No, I still have it. And the cards. And… thank you."

Yasutake nodded again, not trusting himself to speak right now. He left the girl's bedroom, closing the door behind him.

* * *

The teen entered the backroom, where Cam was frowning at the screen. He turned that frown to his partner and opened his mouth, but the boy spoke first.

"Later," he said, his voice back to normal. "After we deal with the gate." He didn't wait for Cam's response before he grabbed his Duel Disk, entered the sealed room and pulled out his Deck.

"Deck set! Into the VRAINS!"

"There you are, Morningstar!"

The hunter angled his D-Board and joined Playmaker and Soulburner. He nodded at Ai. "Sorry I'm late."

"Had another talk with Cassiel?" Soulburner asked.

"…Something like that."

The fire duelist turned and blinked. "Eh Morningstar, are you feeling alright? Your face is a little red."

"I'm fine," the former hunter insisted. "Let's focus on the gate. Where is it?"

"It should be just up ahead," Cypher informed him. "Now let's get this over with so we can go back, and I can ask Cassiel about the Cyangels."

Morningstar smiled at that. "You really know your priorities, Cypher."

"Oh! There it is!"

The trio looked up at Ai's words. A light blue portal was floating in front of one of the islands.

"It looks a bit different than last time," Soulburner noted with confusion.

"But it's about the same size," Ai pointed out. Flame grunted in agreement.

"At any rate, we have to go," Playmaker said.

Morningstar frowned as they got closer. Something about this… felt off.

"Yasu!" Cam shouted over the earpiece, startling the duelist. "Get away from that! It's-!"

SNAP

"Huh?" Cypher blinked. "What was-? Woah!" The Ignis screamed as the portal suddenly started acting like a wormhole, sucking them in.

Playmaker, who was closest and resisting, asked, "What's this?"

"It's pulling us in!" Ai screeched.

Morningstar's eyes widened as he saw a figure in the portal. "Blood Shepherd," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. So… this was the kind of game he wanted to play? Alright, then.

"Playmaker!" Soulburner cried out as the said hacker was pulled in. Soulburner charged his D-Board in to intercept.

"Cypher," Morningstar shouted. "Activate Non-Duel Binary Mode! Target Lock!"

"Eh? Oh!" Half a second later, his Duel Disk's circle changed to blue.

Morningstar fired his Data Anchor's cords at Playmaker and Soulburner, latching onto their wrists. "High-Speed Mode, activate!" Cypher declared. The silver sides dipped downwards and extended outwards. The D-Board increased its power as Morningstar flung the duelists with as much strength as he could muster. It was enough to knock them to the sides, out of the vortex's path. Unfortunately, that left Morningstar in the whirlwind.

Seeming to sense that it had failed, the suction increased, preventing Morningstar from escaping and even pulling him off his D-Board. The former hunter cried out as he was pulled through the portal.

"W-What the hell is this?" Cypher shouted, looking around at the blue environment.

"Morningstar!" Playmaker and Soulburner shouted. They watched in shock as the portal disappeared and was replaced by a large sphere crackling with blue lightning.

The wind gone, the duo parked their D-Boards in front of the sphere. Playmaker grit his teeth. "Morningstar…"

* * *

 **Nebula vs. Zahhak**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Zahhak**

Zahhak Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Nebula**

Nebula draws. She Normal Summons Photon Advancer (1000/1000/4). As she controls a "Photon" monster, Nebula Special Summons Photon Vanisher (2000/0/4) in Attack Position. Since Vanisher was Special Summoned, Nebula activates its effect, letting her add Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon from her Deck to her hand. Because there is another "Photon" monster on the field, Advancer gains 1000 ATK (Advancer: 1000→2000). Nebula overlays her two Level 4 monsters to Xyz Summon Starliege Photon Blast Dragon (1800/2500/4) to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. As Blast Dragon was Xyz Summoned, Nebula can Special Summon 1 "Photon" monster from her hand. She Special Summons Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (3000/2500/8) in Attack Position. As Blast Dragon was Xyz Summoned using Vanisher, any monster that it destroys by battle is banished instead of being sent to the GY. Nebula activates the effect of the Photon Orbital in her hand, targeting Blast Dragon and equipping it with Orbital, increasing its ATK by 500 (Blast Dragon: 1800→2300) and preventing it from being destroyed by battle. Due to Blast Dragon's effect, Zahhak cannot target monsters Nebula controls with 2000 or more ATK with his card effects and they cannot be destroyed by his card effects.

Blast Dragon attacks Zahhak directly. Since Zahhak controls no monsters, he activates the Trap Card Cydemon Acedia, which lets him discard 1 Dark Cyberse monster to negate the attack. He discards Cydemon Duke. Since he discarded a "Cydemon" monster, Cydemon Acedia also ends the Battle Phase. Nebula Sets 2 cards (Eternal Galaxy and Photon Current). She ends her turn.

 **Turn 3: Zahhak**

Zahhak draws. By discarding Cydemon Knight from his hand, he can activate the Continuous Spell Card Cydemon Shrine. Since he controls no monsters, Zahhak activates the effect of Cydemon Shrine to Special Summon 1 "Cydemon" monster from his hand or GY in Attack Position. Zahhak Special Summons Cydemon Duke (2600/600/7) from his GY.

Cydemon Duke attacks Blast Dragon. Nebula attempts to activate one of her Set cards, but the effect of Cydemon Shrine prevents her from activating any Spell/Trap Card when a Dark Cyberse monster attacks. Blast Dragon isn't destroyed due to Photon Orbital's effect (Nebula: 4000→3700 LP). Since Cydemon Duke attacked Nebula's monster and Zahhak has at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in his GY, he activates Duke's effect to inflict damage to Nebula equal to the ATK of the monster on the field with the highest ATK. Nebula takes damage equal to Galaxy-Eyes' ATK (Nebula: 3700→700 LP). Zahhak ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Nebula**

Nebula draws. She activates the effect of the equipped Photon Orbital, sending it to the GY (Blast Dragon: 2300→1800) to add 1 "Photon" or "Galaxy" monster from her Deck to her hand. Nebula adds Photon Slasher to her hand. Since there is a face-up Xyz Monster on the field, Nebula Special Summons Photon Slasher (2100/1000/5) in Attack Position. Nebula uses Blast Dragon and Slasher to Link Summon Galaxy-Eyes Solflare Dragon (2000/2/↙↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Since Solflare Dragon was Link Summoned, Nebula can add 1 "Photon" or "Galaxy" monster from her GY to her hand. She adds Photon Advancer from her GY to her hand. Nebula Normal Summons Photon Crusher (2000/0/4). Since there is a "Photon" monster on the field, Nebula Special Summons Photon Advancer (1000/1000/4) in Attack Position. Advancer gains 1000 ATK as there is another "Photon" monster on the field (Advancer: 1000→2000). Nebula overlays the Level 4 Advancer and Crusher to Xyz Summon Starliege Photon Blast Dragon (1800/2500/4) to Solflare Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

Photon Dragon attacks Cydemon Duke. Zahhak activates the effect of Cydemon Knight in his GY, targeting Cydemon Duke for its effect. Until the end of the turn, any damage equal to or lower than Cydemon Duke's original ATK becomes 0. Cydemon Duke is destroyed. As she controls a "Photon" or "Galaxy" monster, Nebula activates her Set Trap Card Eternal Galaxy, which lets her target 1 Xyz Monster she controls, then use it as Xyz Material to Xyz Summon 1 "Photon" or "Galaxy" Xyz Monster that is 4 Ranks higher than that monster. Nebula performs a Rank-Up Xyz Change with Blast Dragon to Xyz Summon Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (4500/3000/8) to Solflare Dragon's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. The effect of Eternal Galaxy transfers Blast Dragon's Overlay Units to Neo Galaxy-Eyes (OU: 1→3). Neo Galaxy-Eyes attacks Zahhak directly. Since Zahhak controls no monsters, he activates the effect of Cydemon Acedia in his GY, banishing it and discarding Cydemon Marquis to negate Full Armor Photon Dragon's attack. Since the discarded monster was a "Cydemon" monster, Nebula's Battle Phase ends. Nebula ends her turn.

 **Turn 5: Zahhak**

Zahhak draws. Since he controls no monsters, Zahhak activates the effect of Cydemon Shrine to Special Summon Cydemon Knight (2200/600/6) from his GY in Attack Position. Nebula activates the effect of Solflare Dragon, sending Photon Lead from her hand to the GY to target the Special Summoned Cydemon Duke. Cydemon Duke is destroyed. Zahhak Normal Summons Cydemon Bishop (1600/600/3). Since Zahhak has at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in the GY, he activates Cydemon Bishop's effect to Special Summon 1 "Cydemon" monster from his GY in Defense Position. He Special Summons Cydemon Marquis (2400/600/6). As Zahhak has at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in his GY, he activates Cydemon Marquis's effect to take control of 1 monster Nebula controls until the end of the turn. Zahhak takes control of Galaxy-Eyes Solflare Dragon. The monster targeted by Cydemon Marquis's effect is treated as a Dark Cyberse monster and cannot attack this turn. Zahhak uses Cydemon Bishop, Cydemon Marquis, and Solflare Dragon to Link Summon Cydevil Covetous Leviathan (2500/3/↙↓↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Since he has 3 or more "Cydemon" monsters in his GY and it points to no monsters, Zahhak activates Covetous Leviathan's effect to target Galaxy-Eyes. Galaxy-Eyes is equipped to Covetous Leviathan, which gains ATK equal to Neo Galaxy-Eyes' original ATK (Covetous Leviathan: 2500→5500).

Covetous Leviathan attacks and destroys Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (Nebula: 700→0 LP). Zahhak wins.

* * *

 _ **Cydemon Duke  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 2600 DEF 600 Level: 7  
_ _Once, while this card is in your GY: You can target 1 "Cydemon" monster in your GY; add that target to your hand. If there is at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in your GY, this card gains the following effect:  
_ _-After damage calculation, if this card attacked an opponent's monster: You can inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the monster on their field with the highest ATK._

 _ **Cydemon Knight  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 2200 DEF 600 Level: 6  
_ _Once, while this card is in your GY (Quick Effect): You can target 1 DARK Cyberse monster you control; until the end of the turn, any damage lower than or equal to that monster's original ATK becomes 0. If there is at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in your GY, this card gains the following effect:  
_ _-At the start of the Damage Step, if this card attacks an opponent's monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck: Banish that monster, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's original ATK._

 _ **Cydemon Marquis  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 2400 DEF 600 Level: 6  
_ _Once, while this card is in your GY: You can target 1 Spell/Trap Card in your GY; add it to your hand. If there is at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in your GY, this card gains the following effect:  
_ _You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; take control of that target until the end of the turn, and if you do, treat that monster as a DARK Cyberse monster until the End Phase. The targeted monster cannot declare an attack this turn. You can only activate this effect of "Cydemon Marquis" once per turn._

 _ **Cydemon Bishop  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1600 DEF 600 Level: 3  
_ _Once, while this card is in your GY (Quick Effect): You can target 1 DARK Cyberse monster you control; that monster cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects until the End Phase. If there is at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in your GY, this card gains the following effect:  
_ _-You can target 1 "Cydemon" monster in your GY; Special Summon it in Defense Position. You can only activate this effect of "Cydemon Bishop" once per turn._

 _ **Cydevil Covetous Leviathan  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 2500 LINK-3_ ↙↓↘  
 _2+ DARK Cyberse monsters  
_ _Linked monsters cannot declare an attack. Once, while this card is in your GY: You can target up to 2 "Cydemon" monsters in your GY; Special Summon them in Defense Position. If you have 3 or more "Cydemon" monsters in your GY, this card gains the following effects:  
_ _Once per turn, if this card points to no monsters: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; equip that target to this card. (You can only equip 1 monster at a time to this card by this effect.) This card gains ATK equal to the original ATK of the monster equipped to it by this effect. If this card would be destroyed, destroy that equipped monster instead. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect's activation._

 _ **Cydemon Acedia Normal Trap Card  
**_ _If your opponent's monster declares an attack while you control no monsters: Discard 1 DARK Cyberse monster; negate the attack. If you discard a "Cydemon" monster with this effect: End the Battle Phase. Once per Duel, if this card is in your GY, you can activate the above effect by banishing this card from the GY._

 _ **Cydemon Shrine Continuous Spell Card  
**_ _Activate this card by sending 1 "Cydemon" monster from your hand to the GY. If there are no "Cydemon" monsters in your GY, destroy this card. If a DARK Cyberse monster you control attacks, your opponent cannot activate Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. If you control no monsters: You can Special Summon 1 "Cydemon" monster from your hand or GY in Attack Position. You can only activate this effect of "Cydemon Shrine" once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Previews (I'm doing multiple previews again this one time. I might do it again, but no promises. I don't want to jinx anything.)**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 40 – Hunter's Trap. Morningstar has fallen into Blood Shepherd's trap. While Cam and Kusanagi work to free him, Playmaker and Soulburner face off against SOL's bounty hunters. As they do so, they receive help from an unexpected source…_

 _Chapter 41 – Hunter vs. Hunter. Going through Morningstar's memories, Blood Shepherd relives his past with the former bounty hunter. When he awakens, Morningstar faces Blood Shepherd in a showdown for Cypher and to determine who is the superior hunter…_

 _Chapter 42 – Family and Pride. SOL Technologies has developed a new weapon in its attempt to capture the Ignis. Go Onizuka and Techbane, both of whom want power to defeat their enemies, face each other in a duel to determine which of them will wield this weapon…_

 _Chapter 43 – Can You Keep Up With Me? Lured into LINK VRAINS, Morningstar faces a dangerous new opponent. His opponent goads Morningstar with a question, and at the end of the duel, Morningstar gives him his answer…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

What themes do you think fit the Hidden Memories OCs the most? I only have ones for Morningstar and Zahhak so far. For the former, it has to be Unlimited Blade Works' Emiya Theme. Why? Because it is badass, and I imagine Morningstar as being voiced by Noriaki Sugiyama. For Zahhak, it has to be either Escanor's Theme from Nanatsu no Taizai or This Day And Never Again from fate/Zero. In this case, it is because both songs are about someone who is astronomically more powerful than everyone else around him, and I think that fits Zahhak. Also they're freaking awesome.

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to ZarcEternal, Daemon of Wrath, tsukikami02, HunterHQ, Lyrissa Artemick, guardian of the aura Aurasoul, jdkeller2000, SakushiRyu, ThePLOThand, Guest, Ms aura, D3lph0xL0v3r, thirdegree101, Nirvash Neo, SoulMatter, DivadX, Ms choco, Guest, Guest, Phantom Flame-98, Lindia Fullmoon, 0713MM, pokemonking0924, NewComer1, SolanaLeonhart, Guest, and Ethan Kironus for reviewing Chapter 38.

Ms aura: I'm not showing any duel schools as they aren't relevant to the plot. Also, Yasutake was told the priest died while he was with the police, being debriefed about the Lost Incident.

DivadX: Cypher has not seen Bakugan (yet). And I did get your private message, but I can't access the link. My browsers just do Google or Bing searches for it and turn up nothing.

pokemonking0924: Are you psychic or something? You are literally the only person to guess the truth.

NewComer1: You are right, it is too early to say whether Cypher will get a human form or even if he will survive. Stay tuned to find out!

Okay, this was Chapter 39. Unlike most of my other chapters, I planned this one with a list of scenes in mind. Or at least a list I wrote down first instead of just keeping in my head. First, we got a flashback to Cam returning to his orphanage and bringing Yasutake with him. This is both to establish how they met and how Cam's protectiveness of Sachi is largely a result of his inability to protect her when it mattered.

Then we had Cam and Sachi's fight. I have nothing to say about it, actually. Except that it gave Cam and Yasutake a chance to reflect on their behavior. We also had the Knights of Hanoi scene. Unlike last season, Terminus will be in the background, not the front lines. This is both his and Revolver's decision; his because he wants to spend more time with his son, and Revolver because he doesn't want to give the man more opportunities to get himself killed. Don't worry, though; I have at least one Terminus duel planned.

Now to the reveal of how Sachi got the Duel Disk, avatar, and Deck; she got the first two with Aoi's help, and the last from Masako. I set this up back in Chapter 28 and DAMN it felt good to pay it off. I had Aoi and Masako help her because I wanted to show just how strong Sachi's friendship with Aoi is and what kind of person Masako can be when she wants to be. Also led to a rather nice scene that I am very happy with.

Two things left. First, the ending: Some may feel like Morningstar is stealing Soulburner's thunder by getting trapped instead. That is not the case; I have simply decided to give them different spotlights. Soulburner will help Playmaker fend off SOL's bounty hunters, and both he and Playmaker will get to show off something new. As for Morningstar, I felt this was the best way for him and Blood Shepherd to face each other. The two are rivals and have been for a long time. There's a lot of history between them and this felt like a good way to delve into that history.

And last, we have Zahhak's "duel" with Nebula, the unveiling of the Cydemons, and the aftermath. Mechanics-wise, the Cydemons are a sort of inverse to the Cyspirits and Cyangels. Unlike the latter, they gain effects from monsters being in the Graveyard and can activate their own effects from the Graveyard. And unlike the former, they can only activate their effects when they aren't linked and in fact have effects that punish linking. This in essence allows them to counter the Cyspirits and Cyangels rather effectively. It also, of course, means that Zahhak will never be making an Extra Link. Design-wise, the Cydemons are fiends from the depths of hell, with the Cydevils appearing more human and even beautiful. At first. The Cydevil Link Monsters are also based on the seven deadly sins, with Leviathan's being envy.

Now, why did I choose this chapter to give a glimpse of the Cydemons? Because I wanted to demonstrate Zahhak's power before he had a major duel, and Nebula was the best girl to face him. Don't worry though; Nebula, or at least her consciousness data, will be making a return. This also allowed me to delve more into Zahhak's personality and just how arrogant and proud he is; another reason why I think Escanor's and Gilgamesh's themes fit him.

Thank you for reading Chapter 39. Did Zahhak's monsters freak you out? How frustrated were you with Cam for interrupting Sachi and Yasutake? Which preview from above are you most excited for?


	40. Chapter 40: Hunter's Trap

**Chapter 40: Hunter's Trap**

Playmaker and Soulburner orbited the sphere on their D-Boards.

"Blood Shepherd?" Kusanagi repeated over their comms.

"Yeah," Playmaker confirmed. "I saw him inside the gate."

"So the counting guy created this gate as a trap," Ai surmised.

"Except it was a trap for Playmaker," Flame said. "Not Morningstar."

"He saved both of us," Soulburner said as he grit his teeth. "If he hadn't pulled us away, I would have been sucked in too."

"Sorry," Kusanagi said. "If I only noticed sooner…"

"Kusanagi, let's focus on saving Morningstar," Playmaker said. "Can you open the gate?"

"…It doesn't look easy," Kusanagi admitted. "But I should be able to do it with Cam's help. Which reminds me…"

A few seconds of static later, another voice came over the comms. "Can you guys hear me?"

Playmaker's eyes widened. "Cam!"

"Yeah, I'm here. I've lost contact with Yasu and Cypher. Whatever this thing is, it's blocking both comms and scans."

"It's definitely an Ignis program, though heavily modified," Flame supplied.

"The two of you can do it," Soulburner said. "I know you can."

"Thanks for the support, Takeru," Cam said. "But… we might not be enough. I'm going to get some more help."

"More help?" Kusanagi asked. "From who?"

"You'll know in a minute." Cam temporarily disconnected the line.

As they orbited the sphere, Ai looked behind them. "Uh oh. Playmaker! We have company!"

The two duelists turned and gasped on seeing Sylphid, Techbane, Kenmochi, and Yoroizaka flying towards them.

Playmaker grit his teeth. "SOL Technologies' bounty hunters."

"What? Why now?" Kusanagi complained.

"But Go Onizuka isn't with them," Soulburner pointed out.

"Even without Go Onizuka, it is still four on two," Flame said.

"This is bad!" Ai said. "Cypher told me how Sylphid broke my forced logout program. If we can't use that, we'll have to log out!"

"No," Playmaker said. "We can't abandon Morningstar. We'll have to draw their attention."

"If you want to draw attention, then why don't we help?"

Playmaker and Soulburner turned towards the voice and gasped.

* * *

For the second time in two days, Cam ran out of the backroom and took two stairs at a time to the third floor. Reaching his sister's door, he rapidly knocked. "Sachi, open up!" he said loudly.

There was some shuffling on the other side before Sachi's voice came out. "C-Cam?" she said hesitantly. "I-I don't want to talk-."

"Yasu's in trouble!" he said. "The gate that appeared was a fake! Blood Shepherd lured him in!"

There was silence on the other side. Then he heard what sounded like something hitting metal.

His eyes widened in realization. "Don't!" he shouted. He lowered his voice through conscious effort. "Playmaker and Soulburner are outside the fake gate. They can handle things there. Kusanagi and I need you to help us open the gate from out here."

There was silence again. "Please, Sachi," Cam said softly.

After a few more seconds, the door opened. Sachi's hair was untied and she wore a light green tank top and blue shorts. "Alright," she said, determination in her eyes. "I'll help."

Cam smiled in relief. Then his eyes narrowed in disapproval. "Get dressed first," he said. Sachi rolled her eyes but went back into her room while Cam headed back downstairs.

* * *

As they hovered in front of the gate, Playmaker and Soulburner looked up with wide eyes at the two people standing on the island behind the gate, looking down at them with smiles on their faces. The male of the two had gray eyes and short blonde hair, wore a dark green jumpsuit with silver armor, and had a dark green cape hung over his left arm. The female had long black hair topped with a silver circlet and wore a purple-and-black jumpsuit with purple armor.

Playmaker blinked at them. "Who are you?"

The guy face faulted. "Are you kidding me?!" he shouted when he got back up. "We fought together three months ago! How could you forget Galahad?!"

"Galahad?" Soulburner repeated, his eyes wide. "The Charisma Duelist who dueled Terminus?"

Galahad smiled at the fire duelist. "Finally! Someone who knows me!"

"You did change your avatar," the girl reminded him. "And I get the feeling these two don't pay attention to the Charisma Duelists." She smiled down at the two hackers. "I am Persephone. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You as well," Flame said.

"What are two Charisma Duelists doing up here though?" Ai asked.

"I sent a message to a student of mine, but she didn't respond," Persephone said with a frown. "I came back here to look for her with Galahad, but I can't find her anywhere. Then we stumbled on you two."

"Morningstar's in that thing, isn't he?" Galahad asked, frowning at the sphere. "I saw him go in there. Who's responsible? Hanoi again?"

"Blood Shepherd," Playmaker said. "SOL Technologies' bounty hunter."

"…I see," Galahad closed his eyes with a frown. "I'm guessing those incoming guys are also bounty hunters. Well then, why don't we help you take those guys down?"

"Eh?" Ai said. "Seriously?"

"Dueling alongside the #2 and #3 Charisma Duelists would be an honor," Soulburner said. "But are you sure? Those are SOL Technologies' bounty hunters. You want to make enemies of them?"

"My friend may have become a bounty hunter, but that doesn't mean I am friendly with all of them," Galahad said. "More importantly, Morningstar saved my life when Terminus defeated me. He and you, Playmaker, saved the whole world. I owe him and you a debt of gratitude. Holding the line against these bounty hunters should be a good start."

"And where Galahad goes, I go," Persephone said. "I'll help as well."

"…Alright," Playmaker said reluctantly. He didn't want to accept help, but if they wanted to fight, he wouldn't be able to stop them.

"Here they are!"

They all looked over at Ai's words.

"Playmaker!" Techbane shouted. "You may have avoided Blood Shepherd's trap, but now I'll defeat you!"

"Soulburner!" Sylphid shouted. "What do you say we duel? I'd like to try my strength against your Reincarnation Link Summoning!"

The two duelists looked at each other and nodded. They turned their D-Boards around and headed in opposite directions, with Techbane following Playmaker and Sylphid chasing Soulburner.

Galahad and Persephone leapt off the island and landed on their D-Boards. The young man's D-Board was a longer dark green model with silver fins and two golden prongs at the front. His partner's D-Board was the same shape but was colored light purple with black fins and two darker purple prongs.

Galahad raced off, pursued by the bounty hunter with a pink afro. "You're one of Go Onizuka's teammates, aren't you?" the Charisma Duelist asked.

"I am part of his group, yes," Kenmochi answered. "And you're Galahad, his old friend from the Charisma Duelists. He talked about you a lot."

Galahad smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. It's good to know Go hasn't completely lost his way." His smile turned into a frown. "Why are you working with him, though? I know he has a grudge with Playmaker, and Blood Shepherd is a professional hunter. What's your reason for this?"

"Because of Go Onizuka," Kenmochi said. "Yoroizaka and I are from the same orphanage as him. When we were kids, we would be bullied, and Go would protect us from the bullies. When he left and became a famous Charisma Duelist, we were so proud of him. And when he told us what he was going to do, Yoroizaka and I went with him. We owe Go for all the help he's given our home, and for the hope and smiles he's given all of the children. After everything he's done for us, helping him with a single bounty is a small matter."

"…I see," Galahad said, smiling again. "I admit, I was worried about Go when he left the Charisma Duelists. But if he has people like you and Yoroizaka with him, then perhaps he'll retain his true self."

"Coming from someone like you, that's a big compliment," Kenmochi said. "That said, no hard feelings, right? I'm just doing this for Go."

"Of course not," Galahad assured him. "I'm dueling you because I wish to repay a debt to Morningstar. Not every duel has to become personal."

"I'm glad we understand each other," Kenmochi said, raising his arm.

"Speed Duel!" they declared.

 **Galahad: 4000 LP**

 **Kenmochi: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn," Kenmochi declared. "I summon Gouki Suprex!" A blue ogre with claws appeared.

 **Gouki Suprex ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Suprex's effect activates! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a 'Gouki' monster from my hand. Come, Twistcobra!" Another ogre, this one green with snakes attached to its head, appeared in Attack Position.

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

Galahad narrowed his eyes. "A 'Gouki' Deck. A gift from Go, I take it?"

"It is," Kenmochi confirmed. "Go switched to using Dinowrestlers, so he gave his old Deck to me and Yoroizaka. I activate the effect of Gouki Headbatt in my hand! By discarding a 'Gouki' monster, I can Special Summon Headbatt in Defense Position and increase one 'Gouki' monster's attack points by 800. I discard Riscorpio to summon Headbatt and empower Suprex!" A smaller purple ogre wearing a mask appeared as Suprex became stronger.

 **Gouki Headbatt ATK 800 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

 **Gouki Suprex ATK 1800→2600**

"Appear! My circuit! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Gouki' monsters. I set Headbatt, Suprex, and Twistcobra in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Gouki The Blade Ogre!" A large ogre in a black jumpsuit with blue armor on its shoulders and legs emerged from the portal to the right Extra Monster Zone. A red cape hung from its shoulders and it wielded a massive blue blade in its right hand.

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"A new 'Gouki' Link Monster," Galahad murmured.

"The effects of Headbatt, Suprex, and Twistcobra activate! I add three new 'Gouki' cards from my Deck to my hand. I activate the Spell Card Gouki Re-Match to Special Summon two 'Gouki' monsters with different Levels from my Graveyard in Defense Posiiton. Resurrect, Riscorpio and Twistcobra!" The green ogre appeared at The Blade Ogre's bottom Link Marker, accompanied by a red ogre with scorpion claws and a tail at The Blade Ogre's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"The Blade Ogre's effect activates! For each monster it points to, it gains 300 attack points!"

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 2400→3000**

"I end my turn," Kenmochi said.

Galahad smiled. "You know, Go was the one who inducted me into the Charisma Duelists," he said. "I lost count of the number of times I lost to him and his Gouki Deck. But this time," his eyes narrowed, "this time, I'll win. Because even if you have his Deck, you aren't its true owner, and it won't give its true power to anyone else. My turn! Draw!"

* * *

Persephone and her opponent rode off away from Galahad and Kenmochi. "Your name is Yoroizaka, right?" she asked.

He blinked behind his visor. "It is. I'm surprised you know it."

"I took a look at SOL's bounty hunters and some of their history," the Charisma Duelist said. "I wanted to know just what kind of people Go had signed up with."

"Worried about him?"

"A bit. Though finding out two of his fellow hunters were friends from his orphanage helped set my mind at ease."

Yoroizaka smiled. "You found that out, huh? Well, I didn't try hard to hide it. And Go told me a great deal about you and Galahad, so fair's fair, right?"

"I'm glad to know Go still talks about us," Persephone said.

"He does. Though, I have to admit, I'm also a fan of yours. I used to dream about dueling the Traveler. Didn't think it would happen like this, though."

"Reality is rarely what we wish it to be," Persephone said sadly. "Of course, fan or not, you understand I can't go easy on you?"

"I would be offended if you did," Yoroizaka said, smiling fiercely.

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Persephone: 4000 LP**

 **Yoroizaka: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn," Yoroizaka said. "I summon Gouki Suprex!"

 **Gouki Suprex ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Suprex's effect activates! I Special Summon Gouki Riscorpio in Attack Position.

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

"I activate the effect of Gouki Headbatt in my hand, discarding Gouki Twistcobra to Special Summon it in Defense Position and increase Riscorpio's attack points by 800!"

 **Gouki Headbatt ATK 800 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300→3100**

"Appear! My circuit! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Gouki' monsters. I set Headbatt, Riscorpio, and Suprex in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left, top, and bottom arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Gouki The Solid Ogre!" A muscular monster wearing light blue, dark blue, and orange armor with large gauntlets on its fists emerged from the Link portal at the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Gouki The Solid Ogre ATK 2400 LINK-3** ←↑↓

"The Sold Ogre's effects." Persephone looked down at her Duel Disk as her AI spoke. "While it points to a 'Gouki' monster, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects. And once per turn, you can move your 'Gouki' monster to its Link Marker."

"Headbatt's, Riscorpio's, and Suprex's effect activate, and I add three new 'Gouki' cards from my Deck to my hand. I activate the Spell Card Gouki Re-Match, which Special Summons two 'Gouki' monsters with different Levels in Defense Position. Resurrect, Riscorpio and Twistcobra!" The two ogres appeared, with Riscorpio summoned to The Solid Ogre's bottom Link Marker.

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Gouki Unity!"

"Gouki Unity's effects," Persephone's AI said. "While you control a 'Gouki' Link Monster in the Extra Monster Zone, 'Gouki' monsters in the Main Monster Zones cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, and you take no battle damage from attacks involving your 'Gouki' monster and the opponent's monster. If your Life Points are higher than your opponent's, destroy Gouki Unity."

"I see," Persephone said. "With that Continuous Spell Card and The Solid Ogre's effects, I can't destroy any of your monsters nor can I inflict battle damage. A solid defensive formation."

"It's an honor for the Traveler to praise me," Yoroizaka said. "I end my turn."

"Indeed, I am praising you," Persephone said. "This formation of yours will be rather tricky to overcome. But that has never stopped me before. My turn! Draw!"

* * *

"Since you control more monsters than me," Galahad said, "I can Normal Summon Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight without Tributing!" A blue-skinned and blue-armored knight sitting on a purple horse wielding two blue spiral lances appeared.

 **Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Double Summon. With this, I can perform a second Normal Summon or Set this turn. I summon Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight!" Another knight on a horse appeared. This one, however, had green skin and wielded two red lances.

 **Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300 DEF 2100 LVL: 7**

"When Charging Gaia is Summoned without a Tribute, its original attack points become 1900."

 **Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight ATK 2300→1900**

"I overlay my Level 7 Arisen Gaia and Charging Gaia!" Galahad declared as a bolt of dark green energy shot out of his Duel Disk. The bolt created a massive blue "X" with four red dots at the corners. "With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" His monsters disintegrated into data particles and entered two of the dots, making them light up. The ends of the "X" fired beams of light, creating a galaxy in front of Galahad. The galaxy exploded with power as Galahad chanted.

"The knight that rides the fiercest of steeds! Let thunder and lightning become your very soul! Xyz Summon!" A strand of DNA formed, then broke apart into a purple sphere. "Appear! Rank 7! Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger!" The sphere formed into a red-armored mechanical dragon, blue wings attached to its sides. Its rider was attached to its back, also wore red armor, and wielded two green lances. The dragon roared from the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position as two orange lights circled behind it.

 **Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger ATK 2600 DEF 2100 RNK: 7 OU: 2**

"Xyz Summon?" Kenmochi said in surprise.

"I Set one card. Battle!" Galahad declared. "Gaia Dragon attacks Riscorpio!" The Xyz Monster charged the red ogre. Kenmochi grit his teeth and gestured to his field.

"Twistcobra's monster effect! I Tribute Riscorpio to increase The Blade Ogre's attack points by Riscorpio's!" The red ogre disintegrated, avoiding the dragon's lances.

"But since it points to one less monster, The Blade Ogre loses 300 attack points," Galahad reminded the bounty hunter.

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 3000→2700→5000**

"Riscorpio's effect activates! I add a new 'Gouki' card from my Deck to my hand."

"Since Riscorpio left the field, Gaia Dragon will attack Twistcobra!" Galahad decided. "Furthermore, when Gaia Dragon attacks your Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing damage!"

"What?" Kenmochi said in surprise.

"Go! Double Lance Strike!" The dragon charged and its lances pierced the green ogre, destroying it.

"I activate the effect of Gouki Octostretch in my hand!" Kenmochi declared. "By discarding it, battle damage is halved!" He winced after doing so.

 **Kenmochi: 4000→2700 LP**

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 5000→4700**

"Twistcobra's effect activates! I add a new 'Gouki' card from my Deck to my hand."

"I end my turn," Galahad said. "At which point, Twistcobra's effect ends and The Blade Ogre's attack points return to normal."

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 4700→2400**

Galahad smiled. "Not bad," he said. "You've got a pretty good handle on the Gouki Deck."

"Thank you," Kenmochi said. "But flattery won't stop me from defeating you! My turn! Draw!"

Kenmochi added his new card to his hand and chose another one. "I summon Gouki Suprex!" The blue ogre appeared at The Blade Ogre's bottom Link Marker.

 **Gouki Suprex ATK 1800 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 2400→2700**

"Suprex's effect activates! I Special Summon Riscorpio in Attack Position."

 **Gouki Riscorpio ATK 2300 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: Gouki Poison Mist! Since I control a 'Gouki' monster, you take 700 points of damage!" Galahad flinched from the card's effect.

 **Galahad: 4000→3300 LP**

"Furthermore, for the rest of the turn, you cannot activate any Set Spell or Trap Cards this turn," Kenmochi continued. "The Blade Ogre's monster effect! Once per turn, by Tributing one monster it points to, it can make a second attack during the Battle Phase! I Tribute Suprex"

 **Gouki the Blade Ogre ATK 2700→2400**

"Suprex's effect activates! I add a new 'Gouki' card from my Deck to my hand, which I'll now activate. I activate the Spell Card: Gouki Re-Match! With this, I'll Special Summon Gouki Headbatt and Gouki Twistcobra from my Graveyard in Defense Position." The two ogres were Special Summoned to The Blade Ogre's bottom and bottom-left Link Markers respectively.

 **Gouki Headbatt ATK 800 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 2400→3000**

"Twistcobra's monster effect! Once per turn, by Tributing Riscorpio, The Blade Ogre gains its attack points!"

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 3000→5300**

"Riscorpio's effect activates! I add Gouki Octostretch from my Deck to my hand. I Set one card." Kenmochi gestured to his field. "Battle! The Blade Ogre attacks Gaia Dragon!" The ogre hefted its sword and charged the dragon.

"I see where you're going with this," Galahad said with a smile. "You'll destroy Gaia Dragon with your first attack, then defeat me with your second attack. A good strategy. But…" His eyes narrowed, "it won't work this time! I activate the effect of Fierce Knight's Soul in my hand! By discarding it, I take no battle damage and the Battle Phase ends!" The ogre swung its sword and destroyed the Xyz Monster with great force, but Galahad was untouched.

Kenmochi grit his teeth. "You avoided the battle damage, but what about this? I activate my Skill! Gouki Rage!" His visor briefly glowed yellow. "Since my 'Gouki' monster attacked and you took no battle damage, I inflict damage equal to half of The Blade Ogre's current attack points!" Galahad cried out in pain as he felt a great pressure push him down.

 **Galahad: 3300→650 LP**

"I end my turn. And now Twistcobra's effect ends."

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 5300→3000**

Galahad smirked. "Like I said, you're pretty good. You've clearly practiced with that Deck a lot. But… you aren't Go Onizuka! My turn! Draw!"

* * *

"I activate the Spell Card: Pre-Preparation of Rites!" Persephone declared. "This card lets me add one Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. Then, I can add a Ritual Monster that is listed on that Ritual Spell Card from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand. From my Deck, I add Good & Evil in the Burning Abyss and Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss to my hand."

Yoroizaka grit his teeth. "Ritual…" he muttered. "That's her signature technique…"

"I summon Tour Guide From the Underworld!" A red-haired woman wearing a blue suit and carrying a black purse with a skull-and-crossbones on it appeared.

 **Tour Guide From the Underworld ATK 1000 DEF 600 LVL: 3**

"Tour Guide's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 3 Fiend monster from my hand or Deck with its effects negated. From my Deck, I summon Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss!" A winged fiend with no arms and long white hair appeared in Attack Position.

 **Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK 1000 DEF 1900 LVL: 3**

"'Burning Abyss' monsters normally destroy themselves if I control a monster that is not a 'Burning Abyss' monster," Persephone said. "But because Farfa's effects are negated, it won't be destroyed." She pointed upwards. "Appear! The circuit of the underworld!" The Link portal appeared above her. "The summoning conditions are two Level 3 monsters. I set Farfa and Tour Guide in the Link Markers!" Her monsters entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss!" A dark armored monster emerged from the portal. It had the head of an ox, the head of a lion, and the head of a redheaded woman on its chest and had wings both on its back and crossed over its chest. It wielded a red curving sword in its left hand, which lit on fire as it settled into the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss ATK 500 LINK-2** ↙↘

"You Link Summoned a monster with 500 attack points?" Yoroizaka said in surprise.

"I did," Persephone confirmed. "I also sent a 'Burning Abyss' monster to the Graveyard." She gestured to her field. "Farfa's effect activates! When it is sent to the Graveyard, one monster on the field is banished until the End Phase! I banish Riscorpio!"

"I won't let you!" Yoroizaka declared. "Twistcobra's monster effect! I Tribute Riscorpio to increase The Solid Ogre's attack points by Riscorpio's attack points!" The red ogre disintegrated as the Link Monster become stronger.

 **Gouki The Solid Ogre ATK 2400→4700**

"The target of Farfa's effect has left the field," Persephone's AI told her. "As such, Farfa's effect resolves with no target."

"You should have targeted The Solid Ogre for that effect, Traveler," Yoroizaka said.

"On the contrary, this is all according to plan," Persephone said. "Cherubini's monster effect! By sending a Level 3 monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, a 'Burning Abyss' monster I control gains attack and defense points equal to that monster's until the end of the turn. I send Djinn Releaser of Rituals to the Graveyard and grant its 1200 attack points to Cherubini!"

 **Cherubini Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss ATK 500→1700**

"I activate the Ritual Spell Card: Good & Evil in the Burning Abyss!" Persephone declared.

"By Tributing monsters from your hand or field whose combined Levels equal or exceed that of the stated Ritual Monster," Persephone's AI said, "You can Ritual Summon that Ritual Monster."

"But I activate the effect of Djinn Releaser of Rituals from my Graveyard!"

"When you perform a Ritual Summon, you can banish Djinn Releaser of Rituals as one of the required monsters."

"What?" Yoroizaka said in surprise. "Ritual Summoning by banishing a monster from the Graveyard?"

"I banish the Level 3 Djinn Releaser of Rituals from my Graveyard and Tribute the Level 3 Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss from my hand!" Persephone declared. A dark blue magic circle with six flames appeared on her field, along with a fat purple monster wielding a staff and a draconic fiend with wings. They disintegrated in light and entered the center of the circle, which emitted a pillar of dark blue light.

"The contract has been made," Persephone chanted, her Duel Disk's screen and its black sections glowing blue. "The demon that guards the fifth circle inherits these two souls. Ritual Summon! Rise, Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss!" The pillar's light faded, revealing a red-skinned demon in blue armor. It wielded two swords, one blue and one red, had dark blue wings, and a tail that ended in a dragon's head. The demon roared as it was Ritual Summoned in Attack Position.

 **Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss ATK 2700 DEF 2200 LVL: 6**

"This is her ace monster…" Yoroizaka muttered.

"As Djinn Releaser was used to Ritual Summon, you cannot Special Summon while Malacoda is face-up on the field," Persephone said, surprising the bounty hunter. "But more importantly, since Graff was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a 'Burning Abyss' monster from my Deck. Come, the Tuner Monster, Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss!" A pink-skinned demon with horns, wings, and a wooden staff appeared in Attack Position.

 **Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK 100 DEF 2100 LVL: 3**

"Tuner Monster?" Yoroizaka repeated in shock.

"As I control no Spell or Trap Cards, I can Special Summon Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss!" A demonic centaur with wings appeared in Attack Position.

 **Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK 1400 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"Level 3 Rubic tunes Level 3 Calcab!" Persephone declared. A bolt of purple lightning struck her as the world grayed out and her monsters disintegrated into particles. Two rings, one green, the other purple, appeared before turning blue and merging. Six blue rings stacked in a tower appeared, a screen displaying "3 + 3" in front of them. The screen changed to "6" as light surged through the rings.

"The poet's guide to hell and purgatory!" Persephone chanted. "Ascend to the earth and perform once more! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 6! Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss!" A man in a white tunic, brown vest, and large hat emerged from the light. He carried a large golden guitar with flames spouting from the ends in his hands. The man strung a chord as he was summoned to Cherubini's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss ATK 2500 DEF 1000 LVL: 6**

"Since I Special Summoned Calcab through its effect, I can't activate its effect," Persephone said.

Yoroizaka smirked. "It doesn't matter how many monsters you summon," he said. "They can't match The Solid Ogre's 4700 attack points."

"Indeed, they can't," Persephone agreed. "But I don't need them to. Virgil's monster effect! By discarding a 'Burning Abyss' card, one card on your field or in your Graveyard is shuffled back into your Deck!"

"What?" Yoroizaka said in surprise.

"I discard Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to return The Solid Ogre to your Deck! Purgatio Symphony!" Virgil strummed more chords and blasted the Link Monster with blue fire, disintegrating it. Yoroizaka stared slack jawed as his monster returned to his Extra Deck.

"Finally, since I sent Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss to the Graveyard, its effect activates, and I can Special Summon a 'Burning Abyss' monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Calcab!" The demonic centaur reappeared.

 **Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss ATK 1400 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"Battle!" Persephone declared. "Calcab attacks Gouki Twistcobra!" The fiendish centaur charged the green ogre and trampled over it, destroying it.

"Twistcobra's effect activates!" Yoroizaka declared. "I add a new 'Gouki' card from my Deck to my hand." He gestured to his field as his vizor glowed yellow. "I activate my Skill! Fighting Spirit! Every 'Gouki' monster that was destroyed by battle this turn returns to my field!" Twistcobra reappeared in Defense Position.

 **Gouki Twistcobra ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"I see," Persephone said. "So you took Go's Skill for yourself. I do not blame you; it is a good Skill, particular when used during the opponent's Battle Phase. Still, you cannot stop my attacks. Cherubini attacks Twistcobra! Inferno Slash!" The black armored figure charged the green ogre and cut it in half with its sword, destroying it.

"Now, Malacoda attacks you directly! Abyssal Slash!" The demon's swords lit on fire as it charged Yoroizaka, who activated a card from his hand.

"I activate the effect of Gouki Octostretch!" he declared. "By discarding it, battle damage is halved!" The flame hit the bounty hunter, who cried out in pain, but he remained on his D-Board.

 **Yoroizaka: 4000→2650 LP**

Persephone smiled. "Clever. Virgil attacks you directly! Purgatio Rhapsody!" Virgil strummed his guitar and blasted blue fire at Yoroizaka, who activated another card.

"I activate a second Octostretch from my hand and halve the battle damage again!" He cried out when the blast hit him but remained on his D-Board.

 **Yoroizaka: 2650→1400 LP**

The bounty hunter gasped for breath. "How… how was that? I survived your onslaught!"

"Indeed you did," Persephone said with a smile. "One of Go's greatest traits, one that he shares with his Gouki Deck, is that he never gives up, and that no matter how hard he is beaten down, he always stands back up. You've learned that trait well. Unfortunately, it won't be enough."

"Eh?"

"I activate my Skill!" Persephone declared, the edges of her armor glowing gold. "Legendary Awakening! By using monsters on my field, I can perform a Link, Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Summon!"

"What!?"

"I fuse Cherubini, Calcab, and Virgil to perform a Fusion Summon!" Said monsters disintegrated into red, blue, and green particles and swirled into a vortex. Three tornados of energy shot upwards and merged into a purple whirlwind.

"Through hell and purgatory, enlightenment is reached!" Persephone chanted. "Become the avatar of paradise! Fusion Summon! Appear, Level 9! Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss!" A blue-haired man wearing elaborate gold, white, and purple robes emerged from the whirlwind. He wielded an elaborate wooden staff topped with golden wings. The man smiled as he was summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss ATK 2800 DEF 2500 LVL: 9**

"Impossible…" Yoroizaka muttered. "Link Summoning, Ritual Summoning, Synchro Summoning, and now Fusion Summoning… all in the same turn?"

"The battle continues!" Persephone declared. "Dante attacks you directly! Paradise's Enlightenment!" The man's staff shone with golden light, which he blasted at Yoroizaka. The bounty hunter cried out in pain as he was knocked off his D-Board and then forcefully logged out.

 **Yoroizaka: 1400→0 LP**

Persephone smiled. "Go really has some skilled helpers with him," she said. "I should go see how Galahad is faring."

* * *

Galahad looked at the card he drew and smirked. "Continuous Trap activate!" he declared. "Call of the Haunted! This lets me Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Resurrect, Gaia Dragon!" The mechanical dragon and rider reappeared and roared.

 **Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger ATK 2600 DEF 2100 RNK: 7**

"Continuous Trap activate!" Kenmochi declared. "Gouki Point Guard!" The card showed Gouki Bearhug standing in front of Headbatt, its armed raised to the sides and a defiant expression on its face. "When this card is activated, I can target a 'Gouki' monster, and while Point Guard is active, you can only attack that monster! I target The Blade Ogre!"

"I see," Galahad said. "So now I can't attack your Defense Position monsters like before." He smirked again. "A nice counter, but pointless. I activate the Spell Card: Rank-Up-Magic Elemental Force!"

"What?" Kenmochi said in surprise. "Rank-Up-Magic?"

The card showed a world divided into six images. One was of a volcano, another of a canyon. One was of an ocean, another was a great forest. One was of the sun, the other was a dark cave. "Elemental Force lets me Rank-Up an Xyz Monster into an Xyz Monster that is the same Attribute but one Rank higher!" Galahad declared. "Using Gaia Dragon, I rebuild the Overlay Network!"

The blue "X" reappeared, and Gaia Dragon disintegrated and entered the top red dot. The ends of the "X" shot lasers that formed the exploding galaxy. A chain of DNA appeared before reintegrating into a purple orb. "Knight of the dragon riders!" Galahad chanted. "Be reborn through the power of the hurricane! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Appear, Rank 8! Gaia Dragon, the Hurricane Bringer!"

A mechanical dragon formed from the sphere. It had sparkling ruby armor and four azure wings connected by emerald joints. It had two mechanical claws and a tail that ended in a ruby barb. The knight that was attached to the dragon's midsection wore ruby colored armor and wore a sapphire-colored helmet. In its hands, it wielded two emerald spears, each one half the length of the dragon's body. The dragon roared from the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position as it was circled by one orange light.

 **Gaia Dragon, the Hurricane Bringer ATK 3200 DEF 2600 RNK: 8 OU: 1**

"He Ranked Up his Xyz Monster?" Kenmochi said in wonder.

"Elemental Force's secondary effect activates!" Galahad declared. "Until the end of the turn, all monsters on the field with a different Attribute than the Summoned monster have their effects negated!"

"What?"

"Gaia Dragon is Wind Attribute, so the Earth Attribute Twistcobra, Headbatt, and The Blade Ogre have their effects negated! And with its effects negated, The Blade Ogre loses 600 attack points!"

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 3000→2400**

"Gaia Dragon's monster effect! Once per turn, by detaching one Overlay Unit, the attack and defense points of one of your monsters are switched until the end of the turn. I target The Blade Ogre for this effect!" The orange lit hit the dragon rider's spear, making it light up.

"You fool!" Kenmochi said. "Link Monsters don't have defense points! You can't switch them!"

"You're right," Galahad acknowledged with a smirk. "Which is why when Gaia Dragon targets a Link Monster with its effect, its attack points become 0 until the end of the turn!"

"What!?"

"Go! Typhoon Termination!" The rider flung the spear in his right hand at The Blade Ogre, impaling it and making it cry out in pain.

 **Gouki The Blade Ogre ATK 2400→0**

"Impossible!" Kenmochi said.

"Battle! Gaia Dragon attacks The Blade Ogre! Emerald Dragon Strike!" The dragon charged the ogre, wind gathering around its remaining spear.

Kenmochi gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Octostretch in my hand! I discard it to halve the battle damage!" Gaia Dragon impaled The Blade Ogre, destroying it and making Kenmochi cry out, but he remained in the duel.

 **Kenmochi: 2700→1100 LP**

"Since The Blade Ogre left the field, Gouki Point Guard is destroyed. But I survived your attack," Kenmochi said. "And next turn, I'll-."

"There won't be a next turn," Galahad interrupted, the edges of his armor and cape glowing. "I activate my Skill! Second Charge! I banish three Warrior monsters – Arisen Gaia, Charging Gaia, and Fierce Knight's Soul – to conduct a second Battle Phase! And like its predecessor, Gaia Dragon inflicts piercing damage!"

"What!?"

"Go! Gaia Dragon attacks Twistcobra! Emerald Dragon Strike!" The dragon was encased in wind that pierced the green ogre, destroying it. Kenmochi cried out as he was knocked off his D-Board and forcefully logged out.

 **Kenmochi: 1100→0 LP**

Galahad sighed heavily. "Man, that was an interesting fight. Didn't think I'd get a chance to show off my Rank-Up-Magic."

"That was very impressive, Galahad." He turned to see Persephone flying next to him.

"Thanks. You won yours too, huh? Let's head back to the sphere, then; Playmaker and Soulburner should be finishing up their duels."

* * *

Playmaker rode his D-Board around the edge of an island while Techbane chased after him.

"Duel me, Playmaker!" Techbane shouted.

"Very well!" Playmaker agreed.

"Speed Duel!"

 **Playmaker: 4000 LP**

 **Techbane: 4000 LP**

"I'll let you take the first turn," Techbane said.

"Hell no!" Ai said. "We know about your Cyber Dragons! We're taking the second turn!"

"Hmm. In that case, how about this?" Techbane held up a coin. "Which do you want, heads or tails?"

"Heads! No, tails! No, on its sides!"

"Heads," Playmaker said, ignoring Ai.

Techbane flipped the coin, caught it, then braced it against the back of his left hand. "Well, what do you know?" He showed the coin to Playmaker. The result was tails. "Looks like I win. I choose to go second."

Ai growled. "Damn luck."

"Very well," Playmaker said. "I summon Poisoning Blocker!" A humanoid machine with green armor and purple limbs that ended in points appeared.

 **Poisoning Blocker ATK 0 DEF 1400 LVL: 3**

"Poisoning Blocker's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change this Attack Position card to Defense Position and increase its attack and defense points by 800." The monster's limbs folded in and formed a purple and beige shield.

 **Poisoning Blocker ATK 0→800 DEF 1400→2200**

"I Set two cards. I end my turn."

"With 2200 defense points, his Cyber Dragons won't be able to get past Poisoning Blocker," Ai noted.

"My turn! Draw!" Techbane said. "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can Special Summon Cyber Dragon!" The white mechanical dragon appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5**

"I summon Cyber Dragon Core!" A thin mechanical dragon with a red light in its center appeared.

 **Cyber Dragon Core ATK 400 DEF 1500 LVL: 2**

"Core's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can add a 'Cyber' Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyberload Fusion to my hand. Appear! The circuit of mechanical evolution!" The Link portal appeared at Techbane's words. "The summoning conditions are two Machine monsters including Cyber Dragon. I set Cyber Dragon and Core in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and bottom arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyber Dragon Sieger!" A white mechanical dragon with blue circles on its body emerged and was summoned to the left Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 2100 LINK-2** ←↓

"I activate the Spell Card: Cyber Revsystem! This lets me Special Summon Cyber Dragon from my Graveyard!" The mechanical dragon reappeared at Sieger's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5**

"I Set one card. At the start of the Battle Phase, I activate Sieger's effect! I increase its attack points by 2100, but neither of us takes battle damage from battles involving Sieger this turn!"

 **Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 2100→4200**

"4200 attack points!?" Ai said in surprise. "That's too much!"

"Trap activate!" Playmaker declared. "Cyberse Shatter! Since an effect would change a monster's attack points while I control a Cyberse monster, that effect is negated and then I draw a card!"

 **Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 4200→2100**

"Oh, that's too bad," Ai said. "Both of his monsters have 2100 attack points, while Poisoning Blocker has 2200 defense points."

Techbane grit his teeth but activated a card from his hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Cyberload Fusion! This lets me Fusion Summon a monster that lists Cyber Dragon as material by shuffling the Fusion Materials from my field or among my banished cards back into my Deck. I fuse Sieger and Cyber Dragon!"

His monsters disintegrated into red and blue particles that swirled into a vortex. Two streams of energy shot upward and merged into a violet whirlwind. "Twin-headed dragon!" Techbane chanted. "Let your evolution take hold! Fusion Summon! Rise! Cyber Twin Dragon!" A large silver dragon with two heads emerged from the whirlwind and roared from the left Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Twin Dragon ATK 2800 DEF 2100 LVL: 8**

"A Fusion Summon during the Battle Phase?" Ai asked in surprise. "Hey, wait, its attack points are higher than Poisoning Blocker's defense points!"

"Battle! Cyber Twin Dragon attacks Poisoning Blocker! Evolution Twin Burst!" The dragon blasted blue energy at the Cyberse monster, destroying it. "Cyber Twin Dragon can attack twice during each Battle Phase! Cyber Twin Dragon attacks you directly! Evolution Twin Burst!" The dragon fired another burst of blue energy at Playmaker, who cried out in pain from the shock.

 **Playmaker: 4000→1200 LP**

"Oh, that hurt," Ai whined.

"I activate my Skill!" Techbane declared. "Cyber Strike! Since my Level 8 or higher Machine monster inflicted battle damage, Cyber Twin Dragon can attack again!"

"Eh? Seriously?" Ai said. "We can't survive that!"

"Goodbye, Playmaker! Evolution Twin Burst!" The dragon fired more blue energy, but Playmaker gestured to his field.

"Trap activate!" he declared. "Intercept Link!" The card showed a person in pain with a barrier around him, blocking a beam of light. The man stood in front of Link Spider, who was cowering behind him. "Since you declared a direct attack while my Life Points are less than yours, that attack is negated!" A barrier appeared and blocked the beams. "Then, I can Special Summon a Link Monster from my Extra Deck whose attack points are less than my current Life Points. Come, Security Dragon!" A small white and red mechanical dragon appeared, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Security Dragon ATK 1100 LINK-2** ↑↓

Techbane grit his teeth. _He blocked my attack, but his Life Points are too high for him to use Storm Access._ "I end my turn."

Ai breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close. I guess we shouldn't go easy on this guy, huh?"

"He knows both Link and Fusion Summoning and was proficient enough with both to push Morningstar into a corner," Playmaker mused. "Going easy on him was never an option." He placed his hand on his Deck.

* * *

Soulburner flew over an island while Sylphid chased after him.

"I was hoping I would get to duel you, Soulburner," Sylphid said. "When I heard about your Reincarnation Link Summoning, I got really excited to face it."

"Really?" Soulburner said in surprise. "Well, then I'll be glad to oblige!"

"Speed Duel!"

 **Soulburner: 4000 LP**

 **Sylphid: 4000 LP**

The two looked at their cards before Soulburner said, "I'll start this duel. I summon Salamangreat Fennec!" A small orange and yellow machine animal with a tail of fire appeared.

 **Salamangreat Fennec ATK 1600 DEF 200 LVL: 3**

"Since I Summoned a 'Salamangreat' monster, I can Special Summon Salamangreat Fowl!" A blue and green mechanical peacock with feathers made of fire appeared in Attack Position.

 **Salamangreat Fowl ATK 1800 DEF 200 LVL: 4**

"Appear! The circuit that changes the future! The summoning condition is one Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster. I set Fowl in the Link Marker!" Fowl became a stream of fire and entered the Link portal's bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Salamangreat Balelynx!" A red and white mechanical cat with its tail on fire emerged, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Salamangreat Balelynx ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Balelynx's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned, I add Salamangreat Sanctuary from my Deck to my hand. Appear once more, the circuit that changes the future! The summoning conditions are two Fire Effect Monsters. I set Fennec and Balelynx in the Link Markers!" His two monsters entered the top and bottom arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf!" A green and gray mechanical wolf with a ring of fire around its neck and standing on its hind legs emerged from the portal at the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf ATK 1800 LINK-2** ↑↓

"Fennec's effect activates! When it is used to Link Summon a Link-2 or higher Cyberse Link Monster, I can add a 'Salamangreat' Normal Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. I add Salamangreat Recureance to my hand. Then, since a 'Salamangreat' monster was sent to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Salamangreat Gazelle!" A purple and white gazelle with flames spouting from its back was summoned to Sunlight Wolf's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Salamangreat Gazelle ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"Then, since Gazelle was Summoned, I can send a 'Salamangreat' card from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Salamangreat Mole to the Graveyard." Soulburner did so, then gestured to his field. "Sunlight Wolf's monster effect! When a monster is Summoned to its Link Marker, I can add a Fire monster from my Graveyard to my hand, but I cannot Summon that monster this turn. I return Fowl to my hand."

Soulburner pointed upwards. "Appear! The circuit that changes the future! The summoning conditions are two or more Fire Effect Monsters. I set Gazelle and Link-2 Sunlight Wolf in the Link Markers!" His monsters became streams of fire and entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Salamangreat Heatleo!" A dark blue-skinned anthropomorphic lion wearing orange and red armor with wings and gauntlets shaped like mouths emerged from the portal, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Salamangreat Heatleo ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

Sylphid smiled to herself. "That's his ace monster…" she muttered.

"I Set one card. I end my turn."

Sylphid's smile widened a millimeter. _His Reincarnation Link Summoning is really only useful during his turn when I have cards on the field,_ she thought. _So he's saving it for next turn._

Out loud, she said, "My turn! Draw! I activate the Spell Card: Cards of Consonance! I discard a Dragon Tuner monster with 1000 or less attack points and draw two cards." She drew, then said, "I summon Dragunity Partisan!" A purple and gold dragon with a spearhead attached to its forehead appeared.

 **Dragunity Partisan ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 2**

"Partisan's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Winged-Beast 'Dragunity' monster from my hand and equip Partisan to it. Come, Dragunity Militum!" A warrior in white and green armor with wings wielding a sword and dagger appeared in Attack Position. It then leapt onto Partisan's back.

 **Dragunity Militum ATK 1700 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

"A 'Dragunity' Deck, just like Morningstar said she used," Soulburner noted.

"That Deck focuses on equipping monsters and Synchro Summoning," Flame said. "If nothing else, this is going to be an interesting matchup."

"Militum's monster effect!" Sylphid declared. "Once per turn, I can Special Summon a 'Dragunity' card from my Spell & Trap Zone! Return to me, Partisan!" Militum jumped off of Partisan's back as it returned to the Main Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Dragunity Partisan ATK 1200 DEF 800 LVL: 2**

"Level 2 Partisan tunes Level 4 Militum!" Threads of orange energy traveled outwards from Sylphid's body as her monsters turned into particles. Two green rings, one twice the other's size and a darker shade, appeared before turning blue and merging. They then split into six rings in a tower, orbited by blue-green rectangles. A screen displayed "2 + 4" before changing to "6" as a surge of light passed through the rings.

"Spear of the heavens! Transform into the dragon of lightning!" Sylphid chanted. "Synchro Summon! Descend, Level 6! Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana!" A purple-skinned dragon covered in orange armor emerged from the rings. The rider on its back wore similar armor and held a spear in its right hand. The rider's mount roared from the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana ATK 1900 DEF 1200 LVL: 6**

"She brought out a Synchro Monster really quick," Soulburner noted, gritting his teeth.

"Vajrayana's monster effect!" Sylphid continued. "When it is Synchro Summoned, I can equip a Level 3 or lower 'Dragunity' monster from my Graveyard to it. I equip Dragunity Brandistock to Vajrayana!" A small dragon in blue armor with a spear attached to its head appeared on the field. The dragon glowed blue and turned into a blue spear, which Vajrayana's rider took in its left hand.

"I equip the Equip Spell Card: Dragunity Divine Lance to Vajrayana!" Vajrayana's other spear morphed into a golden lance with dragon wings in the middle. "While Divine Lance is equipped, Vajrayana is unaffected by Trap effects and gains attack points equal to its Level times 100."

 **Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana ATK 1900→2500**

"I activate Divine Lance's additional effect! Once per turn, I can equip a 'Dragunity' Tuner monster from my Deck to Vajrayana. I equip Dragunity Couse!" A blue and purple dragon with a sword attached to its head appeared and sat on Vajrayana's back behind its rider.

"Vajrayana's additional effect! Once per turn, I can send a card equipped to Vajrayana to the Graveyard. And until the End Phase, Vajrayana's attack points are doubled!"

"Doubled?" Flame repeated in surprise.

"I send the equipped Couse to the Graveyard!" The dragon on Vajrayana's back disintegrated as the dragon glowed.

 **Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana ATK 2500→5000**

"5000 attack points?" Soulburner said in shock.

"I Set one card." Sylphid gestured to her field. "Battle! Vajrayana attacks Heatleo! Divine Thunderbolt!" Vajrayana charged both of its weapons with lightning and then blasted Soulburner's monster while he gestured to his field.

"Continuous Trap activate!" he declared. "Salamangreat Gift! By discarding Salamangreat Fowl and sending Salamangreat Coyote from my hand to the Graveyard, I can draw a card!" Soulburner drew as the lightning bolt struck Heatleo, destroying it and making Soulburner cry out in pain.

 **Soulburner: 4000→1300 LP**

"2700 points of damage all at once," Flame said painfully. "That wasn't fun."

"It isn't over yet," Sylphid said cheerily. "While Brandistock is equipped to Vajrayana, it can attack twice during the Battle Phase!" Soulburner's eyes widened. "End this, Vajrayana! Divine Thunderbolt!" The Synchro Monster shot more bursts of lightning at Soulburner, who gestured to his field.

"Since my Cyberse monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck was destroyed, I can Special Summon Salamangreat Fennec from the Graveyard!" The white and orange mechanical beast reappeared in Defense Position.

 **Salamangreat Fennec ATK 1600 DEF 200 LVL: 3**

Sylphid pouted. "In that case, Vajrayana attacks Fennec!" The bolts of lightning struck the small beast, causing it to disintegrate.

"Since Fennec left the field, it is banished instead of going to the Graveyard," Soulburner said.

Sylphid smiled. "Not bad, Soulburner. I can see why Go had such trouble with you. But you'll need to do better than this to win. I end my turn. And during the End Phase, Vajrayana's effect ends."

 **Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana ATK 5000→2500**

"Hmm. This situation isn't optimal, Soulburner," Flame said. "All she needs to do is send an Equip Card to the Graveyard and Vajrayana's attack points are doubled."

"And with Divine Lance equipped, she can get a new Equip Card every turn," Soulburner concluded. "Brandistock's multiple attacks effect makes it worse." He smiled. "I can see that she's a strong duelist. But our friend is depending on us, so we can't afford to lose here!" He placed his hand on his Deck.

* * *

"My turn! Draw!" Playmaker looked at his card, then chose a different one. "I activate the Spell Card: Link Back! This card moves Security Dragon from the Extra Monster Zone to the Main Monster Zone at its Link Marker." Security Dragon moved to Playmaker's leftmost Main Monster Zone. "Then, I send cards from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard equal to Security Dragon's Link Marker." Playmaker narrowed his eyes on seeing what he was discarding but said nothing.

Then, Playmaker played a card from his hand. "I summon Cyberse Gadget!" A bipedal white machine with red shoulders appeared.

 **Cyberse Gadget ATK 1400 DEF 300 LVL: 4**

"Cyberse Gadget's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Resurrect, Dotscaper!" A small green and white machine appeared in Defense Position.

 **Dotscaper ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 1**

Behind his lenses, Techbane's eyes narrowed. "That is one of the cards discarded by Link Back's effect," he deduced.

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future!" Playmaker declared as the Link portal appeared. "The summoning condition is one Level 1 monster. I set Dotscaper in the Link Marker!" Said monster entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Linkuriboh!" The small monster emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone Security Dragon previously occupied. "Kuri kuri ku!" it cheered.

 **Linkuriboh ATK 300 LINK-1** ↓

"Dotscaper's effect activates! When it is sent to the Graveyard, it is Special Summoned!" Linkuriboh's predecessor returned in Defense Position.

 **Dotscaper ATK 0 DEF 2100 LVL: 1**

"Security Dragon's monster effect! Once, while it is co-linked, I can return one monster you control to your hand! I return Cyber Twin Dragon to your hand!" Security Dragon roared and shot yellow lightning at Cyber Twin Dragon, making it disintegrate. Techbane grit his teeth.

"Bye bye, scary dragon!" Ai waved.

"Even if you've cleared my field, your monsters aren't strong enough to defeat me," Techbane reminded Playmaker. The hacker's response was to raise his hand.

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future! The summoning conditions are two or more monsters. I set Cyberse Gadget, Dotscaper, and Link-2 Security Dragon in the Link Markers!" Said monsters entered the top, bottom, left, and right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-4! Firewall Dragon!" The large blue and white mechanical dragon emerged from the portal, summoned to Linkuriboh's bottom Link Marker.

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 2500 LINK-4** ←↑↓→

Techbane gasped. "Firewall Dragon? This is his true ace monster."

"Cyberse Gadget's effect activates!" Playmaker said. "As it was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Gadget Token!" A small white machine with pliers attached to its sides appeared in Defense Position.

 **Gadget Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 2**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters. I set Gadget Token and Linkuriboh in the Link Markers!" Said monsters entered the left and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Flame Administrator!" A giant red and orange machine emerged from the portal at Firewall Dragon's right Link Marker.

 **Flame Administrator ATK 1200 LINK-2** ←↘

"Flame Administrator's monster effect! My Link Monsters gain 800 attack points!"

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 2500→3300**

 **Flame Administrator ATK 1200→2000**

"3300 and 2000 attack points?" Techbane said in surprise.

"Their attack points are greater than your Life Points!" Ai pointed out. "This is the end!"

"I Set one card," Playmaker said. "Battle! Firewall Dragon attacks you directly! Tempest Attack!" Firewall Dragon's blue skin changed red as its wings folded. The dragon blasted Techbane with red energy. The bounty hunter grit his teeth and gestured to his field.

"Continuous Trap activate!" he declared. "Fiendish Chain! One monster on the field has its effects negated and cannot attack!" Playmaker gasped as numerous chains appeared and bound Firewall Dragon. The energy of its attack dissipated into thin air.

"Gah! He chained Firewall Dragon!" Ai shouted, holding his head.

Playmaker grit his teeth, then said, "Even if Firewall Dragon can't attack, Flame Administrator can! Attack him directly!" The red and orange giant charged at Techbane and punched him, making him cry out in pain. His D-Board wobbled, but he stayed on.

 **Techbane: 4000→2000 LP**

"I end my turn," Playmaker said.

Techbane smirked. "You tried to pull off a One-Turn Kill but failed. Allow me to return the favor. My turn! Draw!" Techbane looked at his card, then said, "I activate the effect of Cyber Dragon Core in the Graveyard! Since you control a monster and I don't, I banish Core to Special Summon a 'Cyber Dragon' monster from my Deck. Come, Cyber Dragon Herz!" A thin dark gray mechanical dragon with blue hexagons on its body appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon Herz ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1**

"I summon Cyber Dragon Drei!" A streamlined white dragon with yellow markings on its body appeared and roared.

 **Cyber Dragon Drei ATK 1800 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"Drei's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, all Cyber Dragons I control become Level 5. And due to Drei's and Herz's effects, they are treated as Cyber Dragon while on the field or in the Graveyard."

 **Cyber Dragon Drei LVL: 4→5**

 **Cyber Dragon Herz LVL: 1→5**

"He changed their Levels?" Ai said in confusion.

"Two Level 5 monsters," Playmaker mused. His eyes widened. "Can it be…?"

"With my two Level 5 monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" Techbane declared, his Duel Disk releasing a bolt of orange energy. The bolt created a massive "X" with four red points. The two mechanical dragons turned into data and entered the red dots, which glowed with light. The ends of the "X" fired beams that created a miniature galaxy, which exploded with power.

"The mechanical dragon that ascended to new heights!" Techbane chanted as a stream of DNA formed before turning into a purple sphere. "Let your power create a new world! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 5! Cyber Dragon Nova!" A large silver, black, and red mechanical dragon with wings and a long tail with a spoiler at the end formed from the sphere. The dragon roared from the left Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position while two orange lights circled it.

 **Cyber Dragon Nova ATK 2100 DEF 1600 RNK: 5 OU: 2**

"Oh! Xyz Summoning!" Ai said in surprise.

 _Morningstar did mention he could use Xyz Summoning,_ Playmaker thought as his eyes narrowed.

"I don't use Xyz Summoning much, but for your sake, I'll go all out!" Techbane said as he gestured to his field. "Nova's monster effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit, I can Special Summon a Cyber Dragon from my Graveyard!" An orange light burst behind it.

 **Cyber Dragon Nova OU: 2→1**

"Eh? But with Core banished, he doesn't have any monsters in the Graveyard, does he?" Ai asked.

"Yes, he does," Playmaker said. "The monster he just detached."

Techbane smirked. "You're right. Return to me, Cyber Dragon Herz!" The thin gray dragon reappeared in Defense Position.

 **Cyber Dragon Herz ATK 100 DEF 100 LVL: 1**

"Herz's monster effect! As it was sent to the Graveyard, I can add Cyber Dragon from my Deck to my hand." Techbane took the card, then said, "I Set one card. Next, I activate Nova's additional effect! By banishing Cyber Dragon from my hand or face-up from my Monster Zone, Nova gains 2100 attack points until the end of the turn. I banish Herz!" Herz disintegrated as Nova roared.

 **Cyber Dragon Nova ATK 2100→4200**

"4200 attack points!?" Ai said, his eyes bugging out.

"Battle!" Techbane declared. "Nova attacks Flame Administrator! Neo Evolution Burst!" The mechanical dragon gathered red energy in its maw and blasted Flame Administrator with its fire. "This is the end, Playmaker!"

"Not yet!" Playmaker said as he gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Cyberse Impact!" The card showed Code Talker in the background, its limbs outstretched as a massive arrow pierced its chest. There was a purple portal in the foreground with Lady Debug's card sticking out. "This reduces the battle damage to 0!" The blast struck Flame Administrator, destroying it in an explosion, but Playmaker weathered the explosion unharmed. "Since Flame Administrator left the field, Firewall Dragon's attack points return to normal."

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 3300→2500**

"The secondary effect of Cyberse Impact now activates," Playmaker continued. "Your monster can now make a second attack."

Techbane frowned in confusion. With Flame Administrator gone, Firewall Dragon was weak enough that a single attack would defeat him. What was Playmaker planning?

Well, there was only one way to find out. "Battle! Cyber Dragon Nova attacks Firewall Dragon! Neo Evolution Burst!" The dragon shot red energy at the Cyberse dragon, but Playmaker gestured to his own field.

"I activate the effect of Intercept Link in my Graveyard!" he declared. "When I have no cards in my Spell & Trap Zone, I can banish Intercept Link and target Firewall Dragon. I then gain Life Points equal to Firewall Dragon's attack points." The dragon wrapped in chains roared in response to Playmaker's words.

 **Playmaker: 1200→3700 LP**

The red energy struck Firewall Dragon, destroying it. Playmaker grunted in pain.

 **Playmaker: 3700→2000 LP**

Techbane grit his teeth. "Since the target of its effect was destroyed, Fiendish Chain is also destroyed. I end my turn."

"At the end of the Battle Phase, Cyberse Impact's additional effect activates!" Playmaker said. "I can then add a Cyberse monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Clock Wyvern to my hand."

Techbane lowered his head briefly. _That must be the other card he added to his hand with Link Drive's effect._ Out loud, he said, "During the End Phase, Nova's effect ends and its attack points return to normal."

 **Cyber Dragon Nova ATK 4200→2100**

"This isn't a good situation, Playmaker," Ai said. "You both have the same Life Points, but since you're over 1000, we can't use Storm Access."

"Yeah," Playmaker agreed. "And the card in his hand is Cyber Dragon. Nova's effect to increase its attack points can be used during my turn as well; if I attack, he can increase his monster's attack points to 4200."

"Yeah, that's not good," Ai said. "Though is that going to stop us?"

Playmaker smirked. "Of course not," he said, placing his hand on his Deck. "Morningstar needs our help. For that reason, I won't lose now! My turn! Draw!"

* * *

"My turn! Draw!" Soulburner looked at his card, then chose a different one. "I activate the Spell Card: Salamangreat Recureance! This lets me add two 'Salamangreat' monsters with different names from my Graveyard to my hand. I return Coyote and Fowl to my hand. Then, I summon Salamangreat Coyote!" A white and purple mechanical dog with a long tail appeared and howled.

 **Salamangreat Coyote ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 3**

"Since a 'Salamangreat' monster was Summoned, I can Special Summon Salamangreat Fowl!" The mechanical peacock returned.

 **Salamangreat Fowl ATK 1800 DEF 200 LVL: 4**

"Fowl's monster effect! By sending Salamangreat Spinny to the Graveyard, you cannot activate your Set card this turn!" Sylphid pouted at that. "And since I control a 'Salamangreat' monster, I can Special Summon Salamangreat Spinny from the Graveyard!" A dinosaur with orange spines appeared in Attack Position.

 **Salamangreat Spinny ATK 1000 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"Appear, the circuit that changes the future! The summoning conditions are two or more Fire Effect Monsters. I set Coyote, Fowl, and Spinny in the Link Markers!" Soulburner's monsters became streams of fire and entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Salamangreat Heatleo!" Another copy of the anthropomorphic lion appeared and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Salamangreat Heatleo ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"As the Special Summoned Spinny left the field, its effect banishes it," Soulburner continued. "Heatleo's monster effect! When it is Link Summoned, I can shuffle a card in your Spell & Trap Zone back into your Deck. I shuffle Divine Lance back into your Deck. Resounding Roar!" Heatleo roared as the golden lance in Vajrayana's hands disappeared and was replaced by Vajrayana's original spear.

"Since Divine Lance left the field, Vajrayana's attack points return to normal," Sylphid said.

 **Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana ATK 2500→1900**

"Time to take this duel to the next level!" Soulburner declared. "I activate the Field Spell Card: Salamangreat Sanctuary!" A red magic circle appeared in the sky above him. "With Sanctuary's effect, I set Heatleo in the Link Markers!" Heatleo burst into flames and entered the magic circle, creating a burst of flames. "Surging flame, awaken Heatleo's true strength with the power of purification! Reincarnation Link Summon! Resurrect, the king of beasts that runs through the fire prairie! Salamangreat Heatleo!" A twister of fire fell out of the circle and hit Soulburner's field. When the fire dissipated, it revealed Heatleo in the Extra Monster Zone but with its wings on fire and a mane of flames around its neck.

 **Salamangreat Heatleo ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"Wow!" Sylphid said, her eyes wide. "So this is Reincarnation Link Summoning." She smiled. "It's pretty cool!"

"Thanks," Soulburner said with a smile. "I wonder how you'll feel about it in a little bit though. Heatleo's monster effect! Since it was Link Summoned, I shuffle the equipped Brandistock back into your Deck! Resounding Roar!" Heatleo roared again and Vajrayana's blue spear disintegrated. "Then, I activate Salamangreat Gift's effect! Since I control a Reincarnation Link Summoned 'Salamangreat' monster, I can discard Salamangreat Raccoon and draw two cards!"

Soulburner drew, then gestured to his field. "Heatleo's additional effect! When it has been Reincarnation Link Summoned, I can change your monster's attack points to the attack points of a 'Salamangreat' monster in my Graveyard. I make Vajrayana's attack points equal to Salamangreat Mole's in my Graveyard! Flame Possession!" Heatleo blasted fire at Vajrayana, which cried out in pain.

 **Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana ATK 1900→0**

"I Set one card. Battle!" Soulburner declared. "Heatleo attacks Vajrayana! Heat Soul!" Heatleo encased itself in flames and charged the dragon rider.

Seeing this, Sylphid smirked. "Did you think it would be that easy?" she asked and gestured to her field. "I activate my Skill! Dragon's Power! When my Dragon monster is attacked, its attack points become equal to its original attack points and then gains attack points equal to its Level times 100!"

Soulburner's eyes widened. "What?"

"Vajrayana's original attack points are 1900," Sylphid continued. "And its Level is 6. So its current attack points become 2500!" The dragon roared at her words.

 **Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana ATK 0→1900→2500**

Vajrayana's attack points are now greater than Heatleo's! Strike back, Vajrayana! Divine Thunderbolt!" Vajrayana charged its spear with lightning, which it shot at the flame covered Heatleo. The two met with a massive explosion.

"Looks like you lost your ace monster," Sylphid said. "How are you going to-?" She gasped as the smoke cleared, revealing Heatleo. "What? How did your monster survive?"

"By banishing Balelynx from the Graveyard, I was able to prevent Heatleo's destruction," Soulburner answered. "Even so, I did take damage."

 **Soulburner: 1300→1100 LP**

Soulburner gave a small smile. "That Skill of yours. Did you make it for my sake?"

"Well, someone's awfully full of themselves," Sylphid teased. "But yes, I did. When I heard about your Heatleo's effect, I figured I should have a way to counter it. My Skill works perfectly in that regard."

"I see," Soulburner said. "I end my turn. And during the End Phase, Coyote's effect activates! Since I used it as Link Material, I can Special Summon a 'Salamangreat' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. Resurrect, Gazelle!" The purple and white monster reappeared.

 **Salamangreat Gazelle ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"Gazelle's monster effect! Since it was Summoned, I can send a 'Salamangreat' card from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Salamangreat Ascetic to the Graveyard."

"And since your turn is ended, my Skill's effect and Heatleo's effect both end," Sylphid said. "So Vajrayana's attack points return to normal."

 **Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana ATK 2500→1900**

"My turn! Draw!" Sylphid smirked on seeing her card. But before she could say anything, Soulburner gestured to his field.

"I activate Salamangreat Gift's effect!" he declared. "I discard Salamangreat Falco and send Salamangreat Meer from my Deck to the Graveyard and draw one card."

"Draw as many cards as you want," Sylphid said. "They won't change what I have in my hand. Or on my field." She gestured to said field. "Continuous Trap activate! Dragunity Legion! Once per turn, I can activate one of two effects. I choose to activate the second and equip a 'Dragunity' monster from my Graveyard to Vajrayana. I equip Dragunity Couse to Vajrayana!" The purple dragon with a sword-shaped head appeared before turning into a sword that Vajrayana held in its left hand.

"I activate the effect of the equipped Couse! If it is equipped to a monster, I can Special Summon it!" The sword disintegrated and the purple dragon reappeared and roared while in Attack Position.

 **Dragunity Couse ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"That monster is a Tuner monster," Flame noted.

"Is she going to Synchro Summon a Level 8 monster?" Soulburner wondered.

Sylphid overheard him and smirked. "A reasonable deduction, but a false one at the same time," she said. "If I use Couse to Synchro Summon, it can be treated as a Level 4 monster!" Soulburner and Flame gasped at that. "Level 4 tunes Level 6 Vajrayana!"

Her monsters disintegrated and formed two green rings, one larger and a darker shade than the other. The rings turned blue and merged, then became ten blue rings stacked on top of each other. A screen displaying "4 + 6" appeared and then changed to "10" as a surge of light went through the rings.

"Weapons of the gods! Reside in the golden dragon and ignite the future!" Sylphid chanted. "Synchro Summon! Take flight, Level 10! Dragunity Knight – Ascalon!" A large golden dragon with eight wings emerged from the light. A humanoid bird rode on its neck with a spear in its hands. The dragon roared from the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Dragunity Knight – Ascalon ATK 3300 DEF 3200 LVL: 10**

Soulburner braced himself against the winds the dragon's summoning caused. "This is her true ace monster," he muttered.

"Morningstar's report mentioned this monster," Flame said. "Its effect is… troublesome."

"Ascalon's monster effect!" Sylphid declared. "By banishing a 'Dragunity' monster from my Graveyard, I can banish one of your monsters. I banish Couse to banish Heatleo! Vanishing Force!" Ascalon blasted golden energy at Heatleo. The anthropomorphic lion yowled in pain as it disintegrated.

"Then, I banish Militum from my Graveyard to banish Gazelle. Vanishing Force!" Ascalon fired more golden energy, disintegrating Gazelle and leaving Soulburner defenseless. "Battle! Ascalon attacks you directly! Imperial Turbulence!"

Golden light gathered in the dragon's maw and at the tip of its rider's spear. The duo fired the energy at Soulburner, who gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Salamangreat Ascetic in the Graveyard!" he declared.

Sylphid's eyes widened. "That's the card you sent to the Graveyard with Gazelle's effect!"

"It is, and by banishing Ascetic from the Graveyard, I can return a 'Salamangreat' Link Monster from my Graveyard to my Extra Deck and Special Summon a non-Link 'Salamangreat' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position with its effects negated. I return Heatleo to my Extra Deck and Special Summon Salamangreat Meer!" A small orange, red, and black mechanical mammal appeared.

 **Salamangreat Meer ATK 800 DEF 600 LVL: 2**

Sylphid blinked and then smirked. "In that case, Ascalon attacks Meer!" The golden beams twined together and converged on the small monster as Sylphid took a card from her hand. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Dragunity Strike!" The card showed Dragunity Knight – Gar Bulg encased in wind, charging another monster with lightning sparking off its lance. "For the rest of the turn, if Ascalon attacks your Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage!"

Soulburner's eyes widened. "It's over, Soulburner!" The streams struck Meer, causing an explosion.

Sylphid watched as the smoke spread out. "Ascalon has 3300 attack points and Meer has 600 defense points. The damage you take is 2700. I win."

"Are you sure about that?"

Sylphid gasped as the smoke cleared, revealing Meer hadn't been destroyed and a face-up Trap Card. "That's-!"

"The Trap Card: Energy of Fire!" Soulburner told her. "It prevented Meer's destruction by this battle. In addition, I can return a 'Salamangreat' monster in my Graveyard to my Deck and then gain Life Points equal to that monster's attack points. I returned Heatleo to my Extra Deck and gained 2300 Life Points."

 **Soulburner: 1100→3400→700 LP**

Sylphid stared at Soulburner and then smiled. "Very good," she praised. "You managed to keep your monster and yourself alive. Though I'm afraid I'm going to have to make you pay for it." She gestured to her field. "Dragunity Strike's additional effect activates! When the equipped monster inflicts 2000 points of battle damage or more, I can destroy up to two of your face-up Spell or Trap Cards. I destroy Salamangreat Gift and Salamangreat Sanctuary!"

Soulburner grit his teeth as his Continuous Trap Card and Field Spell Card disintegrated. "I end my turn."

"With only 700 Life Points, you can't use Burning Draw," Flame told his partner.

"Yeah," Soulburner agreed. "This isn't going so well." Then he smiled. "But so what? Morningstar sacrificed himself to protect us from Blood Shepherd's trap. The least we can do is the best we can."

"Of course," Flame said. "No matter what, I'll support you all the way, partner."

"Glad to hear it, Flame." Soulburner placed his hand on his Deck. "This will probably be my last turn. And even if I can't use my Skill, I'm really feeling like a Burning Draw!" He drew, the card trailing flames behind it.

* * *

"I summon Clock Wyvern!" Playmaker said. A purple and blue mechanical dragon appeared.

 **Clock Wyvern ATK 1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"Clock Wyvern's monster effect! When it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can halve its attack points to Special Summon a Clock Token!" A mass of purple crystals appeared at his words in Defense Position.

 **Clock Wyvern ATK 1800→900**

 **Clock Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit that leads to the future! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse monsters. I set Clock Wyvern and Clock Token in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the Link portal's bottom and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Clock Spartoi!" A red warrior in white and gold armor emerged from the portal, summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Clock Spartoi ATK 800 LINK-2** ↓↘

Techbane gasped. "Clock Spartoi? Blood Shepherd mentioned this monster…"

"When Clock Spartoi is Link Summoned, I can add Cynet Fusion from my Deck to my hand," Playmaker continued. "Next, I activate the effect of Cyberse Shatter in the Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Link-2 or lower Link Monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Security Dragon!" A purple portal appeared behind Clock Spartoi, but before anything could emerge-.

"Counter Trap activate!" Techbane declared. "Cyber Guard!" The card showed Cyber Dragon Sieger with a silver light encasing its body. "Since you activated the effect of a Trap Card while I control a 'Cyber Dragon' monster, the effect of that Trap Card is negated, and Cyberse Shatter is shuffled into your Deck!"

The purple portal disappeared at Techbane's words. Playmaker grit his teeth as he placed Cyberse Shatter in his Deck. "In addition, the turn I activate Cyber Guard, you cannot target my Light Machine monsters with your card effects."

"This isn't good, Playmaker!" Ai said. "We can't summon any monsters to Clock Spartoi's Link Marker. Without that, we can't get Clock Wyvern back."

"What are you going to do now, Playmaker?" Techbane asked. "I would suggest surrendering and handing over the Ignis."

Playmaker narrowed his eyes. "Ai, activate Morningstar's program," he said.

"Huh?" the Ignis blinked. "Morningstar's prog-." His eyes widened. "Oh, you mean _that_! Yes, that would work!" Ai turned to face Techbane. "Let me show you something new. Execute program! Skill Switch!"

"What?" Techbane gasped.

"Once per Duel, I can change my Skill with that of another Skill," Playmaker said as a purple screen appeared above Ai. Two icons were displayed – one a blue and purple whirlwind, the other a tombstone. Playmaker pressed the tombstone icon, making it and the line on his suit light up.

"I activate my Skill!" Playmaker declared. "Phantom Link! Once per Duel, I can banish monsters from my Graveyard to Link Summon a Link Monster from my Graveyard!"

"Link Summoning from the Graveyard?" Techbane repeated. "Impossible!"

"There's no such thing as impossible!" Ai boasted. "It just takes a little longer to do!"

"I banish Cyberse Gadget, Poisoning Blocker, and Link-2 Security Dragon!" Playmaker declared as his hands glowed blue. The Link portal appeared on the ground in front of him, but there was something different about it. This one had purple edges instead of blue and had a purple magic circle in the center. The monsters Playmaker mentioned appeared before turning into whirlwinds and entering the top, bottom, left, and right arrows. The portal released a pillar of purple light.

"Phantom Link Summon!" Playmaker declared. "Appear! Link-4! Firewall Dragon!" The large blue and white dragon emerged from the pillar and roared from Clock Spartoi's bottom Link Marker.

 **Firewall Dragon ATK 2500 LINK-4** ←↑↓→

"Phantom Link Summon?" Techbane repeated in wonder. "Is this your response to Reincarnation Link Summoning?" Then he collected himself and said, "Impressive, but thanks to Cyber Guard, you can't use Firewall Dragon's effect to remove Cyber Dragon Nova!"

"Clock Spartoi's monster effect!" Playmaker said. "Since a monster was Special Summoned to its Link Marker, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Resurrect, Clock Wyvern!" The smaller dragon reappeared at Clock Spartoi's bottom-right Link Marker and roared in Attack Position.

 **Clock Wyvern ATK 1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"I activate the Spell Card: Cynet Fusion!" Playmaker declared, the line on his suit glowing violet. "I fuse Clock Wyvern, Firewall Dragon, and Clock Spartoi!"

His monsters broke apart into particles of red, blue, and green data respectively. Their data swirled together into a vortex before shooting upwards as streams. The streams merged to form a violet whirlwind. "The strong ones gather before its grand wings!" Playmaker chanted. "Become a new legend! Fusion Summon! Come out! Cyberse Clock Dragon!" The whirlwind dissipated, revealing a purple dragon with black armor and golden wings. Its four blue eyes gleamed from the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyberse Clock Dragon ATK 2500 DEF 2000 LVL: 7**

"He Fusion Summoned…" Techbane muttered. "This isn't good."

"Cyberse Clock Dragon's monster effect! I send a card to the Graveyard for each Fusion Material's Link Marker, and for each sent card, Clock Dragon gains 1000 attack points. I send 6 cards to the Graveyard."

"So Clock Dragon gains 6000 attack points!" Ai said.

 **Cyberse Clock Dragon ATK 2500→8500**

Techbane gasped. "8500!?"

"Battle! Cyberse Clock Dragon attacks Cyber Dragon Nova!" The dragon gathered purple energy in its maw.

Techbane gestured to his field. "Cyber Dragon Nova's monster effect! I banish Cyber Dragon from my hand to increase its attack points by 2100 until the end of the turn!"

 **Cyber Dragon Nova ATK 2100→4200**

"That's pointless!" Playmaker declared. "Go! Pulse Pressure!" The dragon shot purple energy at Nova, destroying it. Techbane cried out as he was knocked off his D-Board and forcefully logged out.

 **Techbane: 2000→0 LP**

"You did it, Playmaker!" Ai cheered.

* * *

"I activate the Spell Card: Link Fire's Return!" Soulburner declared. "This lets me Special Summon a 'Salamangreat' Link Monster from my Graveyard, but it cannot attack or activate its effects this turn. Resurrect, Sunlight Wolf!" The green and gray mechanical wolf reappeared and howled.

 **Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf ATK 1800 LINK-2** ↑↓

"Then, Link Fire's Return inflicts 200 points of damage to you for each of Sunlight Wolf's Link Markers!" Sylphid winced at the sudden pressure she felt.

 **Sylphid: 4000→3600 LP**

"Appear! The circuit that changes the future! The summoning conditions are two or more Fire Effect Monsters. I set Meer and Link-2 Sunlight Wolf in the Link Markers!" His monsters turned into whirlwinds of fire and entered the top, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Salamangreat Heatleo!" The armored lion reappeared and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Salamangreat Heatleo ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"Since Meer was Special Summoned by Ascetic's effect, it is banished after leaving the field," Soulburner said. "Heatleo's monster effect! Since it was Link Summoned, I return Dragunity Legion to your Deck! Resounding Roar!" Heatleo roared and Sylphid winced as her Continuous Trap Card disappeared.

"Even if you bring back Heatleo, you can't defeat Ascalon!" Sylphid reminded him.

Soulburner smirked at that. "That's true right now. But it won't be true in a minute." He glanced at Flame. "Flame, let's use Morningstar's program!"

Flame's eyes widened. "You mean…? Very well. Let's do this! Execute program! Skill Switch!"

Sylphid gasped. "Skill Switch?"

"Once per Duel, I can change my Skill to another Skill," Soulburner explained as a red screen appeared above his Duel Disk. It showed two icons – one was a card wreathed in flames, the other was a lion's face with a mane of fire. Soulburner pressed the second one, causing the green gemstone above his chest to glow and flames to travel up and down his body.

"I activate my Skill!" he declared. "Ascension of Fire! Once per Duel, I can perform a Reincarnation Link Summon using a Link Monster I control." Heatleo roared and burst into flames. "Surging flame, awaken Heatleo's true strength with the power of purification!" The fire exploded outwards, forcing Sylphid to cover her face. "Reincarnation Link Summon! Be reborn, Salamangreat Heatleo!" The flames dissipated, revealing Heatleo with wings and a mane of fire.

 **Salamangreat Heatleo ATK 2300 LINK-3** ↙↑↘

"He performed a Reincarnation Link Summon without his Field Spell?" Sylphid said in surprise.

"Heatleo's monster effect!" Soulburner declared. "When it is Reincarnation Link Summoned, I can change your monster's attack points to the attack points of a 'Salamangreat' monster in my Graveyard. I make Ascalon's attack points equal to Salamangreat Raccoon's in my Graveyard! Flame Possession!" Heatleo shot flames at Ascalon. The dragon cried out in pain.

 **Dragunity Knight – Ascalon ATK 3300→400**

Sylphid grit her teeth. _I can't use my Skill to protect Ascalon this time._

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Salamangreat Prominence!" Soulburner said. The card showed Sunlight Wolf with a red aura around its body. "And equip it to Heatleo!" Heatleo gained a similar red aura and roared. "While Salamangreat Prominence is equipped to Heatleo, you cannot target it with card effects, nor can you attack any monster I control except Heatleo."

Soulburner pointed to the field. "Battle! Heatleo attacks Ascalon! Heat Soul!"

Heatleo encased itself in flames and charged the massive dragon. Ascalon responded by blasting the fire with golden energy, but the fire broke through it. Heatleo entered Ascalon's mouth and broke through the monster's body, emerging on the other side. The flames dissipated as Ascalon exploded and Sylphid cried out in pain.

 **Sylphid: 3600→1700 LP**

"This Duel isn't over!" Sylphid said. "Since Ascalon was destroyed-."

"No, this Duel is over," Soulburner interrupted. "Salamangreat Prominence's effect activates! When the Reincarnation Link Summoned Heatleo destroys your monster by battle, you take damage equal to your monster's original attack points!"

Sylphid gasped. "Ascalon had 3300 attack points originally," Flame said. "So you take 3300 points of damage!"

Heatleo gathered flames in its mouth, which it then shot at Sylphid. The bounty hunter screamed in pain as she was knocked off her D-Board and forcefully logged out.

 **Sylphid: 1700→0 LP**

Soulburner breathed a sigh of relief. "That was tricky; I wasn't expecting to use Morningstar's program this soon."

"Just be glad he shared it with us," Flame said. "And that Ascension of Fire doesn't take the same toll that Burning Draw does."

"Soulburner!"

The duelist turned as Playmaker appeared beside him. "Yo, Playmaker!" he said with a smile. "You managed to defeat Techbane?"

"Yes," the hacker confirmed. "We need to get back to the gate. Kusanagi, is the rescue program done?"

"I'm still working on it," Kusanagi said over their earpieces. "Though it's going faster thanks to our help."

"Considering this is for Yasu, I'm going as fast as I can," Cam said.

"As am I." The boys gasped on hearing Sachi's voice over the comm. "I'm not as good as my brother or Kusanagi, but I'm helping where I can."

"Sa-Cassiel?" Soulburner said in surprise.

"I see. So you're the help Cam got," Playmaker surmised.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "We're almost done decrypting the Ignis algorithm."

"But that won't be enough," Cam said. "Blood Shepherd will have made a few changes to make his program harder to break. We need to account for those before we launch the rescue program."

"Can you do it?" Soulburner asked.

"Yasu kept a couple samples of Blood Shepherd's code after their last encounter; it will take a bit more time, but we should be able to do it."

"Good luck. We're counting on you three," Playmaker said.

"Ah. We'll get Morningstar free!" Kusanagi assured him.

The duo reached the gate shortly after to see Galahad and Persephone circling it on their own D-Boards.

"Glad to see you two are okay," Galahad said, nodding to them.

"Nothing's happened since we got back," Persephone told them.

"That will change soon," Playmaker said. "We-."

His words were interrupted as the sphere started to glow with an internal light. They all gasped and turned to stare as a low light pulsed from the gate.

"Kusanagi, what's happening?" Playmaker whispered.

"I-I'm not sure," he said. "But I'm suddenly getting readings from within the gate. Strange readings."

Playmaker's eyes narrowed. "This light… it feels like…" His eyes widened in shock. "It couldn't be…!"

* * *

 **Galahad vs. Kenmochi**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Kenmochi**

Kenmochi Normal Summons Gouki Suprex (1800/0/4). As Suprex was Normal Summoned, Kenmochi can Special Summon 1 "Gouki" monster from his hand. He Special Summons Gouki Twistcobra (1600/0/3) in Attack Position. Kenmochi activates the effect of Gouki Headbatt in his hand, sending a "Gouki" monster from his hand to the GY to Special Summon Headbatt in Defense Position and increase the ATK of a "Gouki" monster he controls by 800 until the end of the turn. He sends Gouki Riscorpio from his hand to the GY, Special Summons Headbatt (800/0/2) and increases the ATK of Suprex (Suprex: 1800→2600). Kenmochi uses Headbatt, Suprex, and Twistcobra to Link Summon Gouki The Blade Ogre (2400/3/↙↑↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Headbatt, Suprex, and Twistcobra were sent from the field to the GY, their effects activating, letting Kenmochi add a "Gouki" card for each one from his Deck to his hand. He adds Gouki Re-Match, Gouki Suprex, and Gouki Octostretch to his hand. Kenmochi activates the Spell Card Gouki Re-Match to Special Summon two "Gouki" monsters from his GY with different Levels in Defense Position. He Special Summons Riscorpio (2300/0/5) and Twistcobra (1600/0/3) to the bottom-left and bottom Link Markers of Blade Ogre respectively. The Blade Ogre gains 300 ATK for each monster it points to (The Blade Ogre: 2400→3000). Kenmochi ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Galahad**

Galahad draws. Since Kenmochi controls more monsters than him, Galahad Normal Summons Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight (2300/2100/7) without Tributing via its effect. Galahad activates the Spell Card Double Summon, letting him Normal Summon a 2nd time this turn. He Normal Summons Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight via its effect, making its original ATK 1900 (2300→1900/2100/7). Galahad overlays his two Level 7 monsters to Xyz Summon Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger (2600/2100/7) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Galahad Sets 1 card.

Gaia Dragon attacks Riscorpio. Kenmochi activates the effect of Twistcobra, Tributing Riscorpio and targeting The Blade Ogre. The Blade Ogre gains ATK equal to Riscorpio's ATK until the end of the turn (The Blade Ogre: 3000→2700→5000). Since Riscorpio was sent to the GY, Kenmochi activates its effect, adding Gouki Poison Mist from his Deck to his hand. A replay occurs and Gaia Dragon attacks Twistcobra. As his opponent's monster attacked, Kenmochi activates the effect of Octostretch in his hand, discarding it to halve the battle damage. Twistcobra is destroyed and Gaia Dragon inflicts piercing battle damage via its effect (Kenmochi: 4000→2700 LP) (The Blade Ogre: 5000→4700). Since Twistcobra was sent to the GY, Kenmochi activates its effect to add Gouki Riscorpio from his Deck to his hand. Galahad ends his turn, and Twistcobra's effect ends (The Blade Ogre: 4700→2400).

 **Turn 3: Kenmochi**

Kenmochi draws. He Normal Summons Suprex (1800/0/4) to The Blade Ogre's bottom Link Marker (The Blade Ogre: 2400→2700). Since Suprex was Normal Summoned, Kenmochi can Special Summon a "Gouki" monster from his hand. He Special Summons Riscorpio (2300/0/5) in Attack Position. Kenmochi activates the Spell Card Gouki Poison Mist, inflicting 700 damage to Galahad and preventing him from activating Set Spell or Trap Cards this turn (Galahad: 4000→3300 LP). Kenmochi activates the effect of The Blade Ogre, Tributing the Suprex it points at to activate its effect (The Blade Ogre: 2700→2400). The Blade Ogre can make a second attack during each Battle Phase this turn. Since Suprex was sent to the GY, Kenmochi adds a new "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Gouki Re-Match. Kenmochi activates the Spell Card Gouki Re-Match, Special Summoning Headbatt (800/0/2) and Twistcobra (1600/0/3) to The Blade Ogre's bottom and bottom-left Link Markers respectively (The Blade Ogre: 2400→3000). Kenmochi activates Twistcobra's effect, Tributing Riscorpio to increase The Blade Ogre's ATK by Riscorpio's ATK until the end of the turn (The Blade Ogre: 3000→5300). Since Riscorpio was sent to the GY, its effect activates, letting Kenmochi add 1 "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Gouki Octostretch to his hand. Kenmochi Sets 1 card.

The Blade Ogre attacks Gaia Dragon. Gaia Dragon is destroyed, but Galahad activates the effect of Fierce Knight's Soul in his hand, discarding it to take no damage from that battle, then end the Battle Phase. As his "Gouki" monster attacked and Galahad took no battle damage, Kenmochi activates his Skill, Gouki Rage, which inflicts damage to Galahad equal to half the ATK of the attacking monster (Galahad: 3300→650 LP). Kenmochi ends his turn, and the effect of Twistcobra ends (The Blade Ogre: 5300→3000).

 **Turn 4: Galahad**

Galahad draws. He activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Call of the Haunted, which lets him Special Summon 1 monster from his GY in Attack Position. He Special Summons Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger (2600/2100/7). Kenmochi activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Gouki Point Guard, targeting The Blade Ogre. While Gouki Point Guard is active, Galahad can only select The Blade Ogre as an attack target. Galahad activates the Spell Card Rank-Up-Magic Elemental Force, which lets him target 1 Xyz Monster he controls, then use that monster as Xyz Material to Xyz Summon a Xyz Monster with the same Attribute as that monster, but 1 Rank higher. Galahad performs a Rank-Up Xyz Change with Gaia Dragon to Xyz Summon Gaia Dragon, the Hurricane Bringer (3200/2600/8) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. The second effect of Elemental Force negates the effects of all monsters on the field with a different Attribute from the Summoned monster (The Blade Ogre: 3000→2400). Galahad activates the effect of Gaia Dragon, detaching 1 Overlay Unit (Gaia Dragon: 1 OU→0 OU) and targeting The Blade Ogre. The Blade Ogre's ATK and DEF are switched, but since The Blade Ogre is a Link Monster, its ATK becomes 0 until the end of the turn (The Blade Ogre: 2400→0).

Gaia Dragon attacks The Blade Ogre. Kenmochi activates the effect of Octostretch in his hand, discarding it to halve the battle damage. The Blade Ogre is destroyed (Kenmochi: 2700→1100 LP). As the targeted monster left the field, Gouki Point Guard is destroyed. Galahad activates his Skill, Second Charge. At the end of the Battle Phase, he banishes 3 Warrior monsters from his GY to conduct a second Battle Phase. Galahad banishes Arisen Gaia, Charging Gaia, and Fierce Knight's Soul from his GY. Gaia Dragon attacks Twistcobra. Gaia Dragon inflicts piercing battle damage. Twistcobra is destroyed (Kenmochi: 1100→0 LP). Galahad wins.

* * *

 **Persephone vs. Yoroizaka**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Yoroizaka**

Yoroizaka Normal Summons Gouki Suprex (1800/0/4). As Suprex was Normal Summoned, Yoroizaka activates its effect to Special Summon a "Gouki" monster from his hand. He Special Summons Gouki Riscorpio (2300/0/5) in Attack Position. Yoroizaka activates the effect of Gouki Headbatt in his hand, sending a "Gouki" monster from his hand to the GY to Special Summon Headbatt in Defense Position and increase the ATK of a "Gouki" monster he controls by 800 until the end of the turn. He sends Gouki Twistcobra from his hand to the GY, Special Summons Headbatt (800/0/2) and increases the ATK of Riscorpio (Riscorpio: 2300→3100). Yoroizaka uses Headbatt, Riscorpio, and Suprex to Link Summon Gouki The Solid Ogre (2400/3/←↑↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Headbatt, Riscorpio, and Suprex were sent from the field to the GY, their effects activate, letting Yoroizaka add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand for each of them. He adds Gouki Unity, Gouki Octostretch, and Gouki Re-Match to his hand. Yoroizaka activates the Spell Card Gouki Re-Match, which lets him Special Summon 2 "Gouki" monsters from his GY with different Levels in Defense Position. He Special Summons Riscorpio (2300/0/5) to The Solid Ogre's bottom Link Marker and Twistcobra (1600/0/3). Yoroizaka activates the Continuous Spell Card Gouki Unity. As Yoroizaka controls a "Gouki" Link Monster in the Extra Monster Zone, "Gouki" monsters in his Main Monster Zones cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, and he takes no battle damage from attacks involving his "Gouki" monsters. Yoroizaka ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Persephone**

Persephone draws. She activates the Spell Card Pre-Preparation of Rites, which lets her add 1 Ritual Spell Card from her Deck to her hand, and 1 Ritual Monster listed on that Ritual Spell from her Deck or GY to her hand. She adds Good & Evil in the Burning Abyss and Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss from her Deck to her hand. Persephone Normal Summons Tour Guide From the Underworld (1000/600/3). Since Tour Guide was Normal Summoned, Persephone can Special Summon 1 Level 3 Fiend monster from her hand or Deck with its effects negated. She Special Summons Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss (1000/1900/3) from her Deck in Attack Position. Persephone uses Farfa and Tour Guide to Link Summon Cherubini, Ebon Angel of the Burning Abyss (500/2/↙↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Farfa was sent to the GY, Persephone activates its effect, banishing Riscorpio until the End Phase. Yoroizaka activates the effect of Twistcobra, Tributing Riscorpio to increase The Solid Ogre's ATK by Riscorpio's (The Solid Ogre: 2400→4700). Persephone activates the effect of Cherubini, sending 1 Level 3 monster from her Deck to her GY to increase the ATK/DEF of 1 "Burning Abyss" monster on the field by the sent monster's ATK/DEF. She sends Djinn Releaser of Rituals to the GY and targets Cherubini (Cherubini: 500→1700). Persephone activates the Ritual Spell Card Good & Evil in the Burning Abyss, which lets her Tribute monsters from her hand or field whose total Levels equal that of Malacoda in her hand to Ritual Summon it. Since she is Ritual Summoning, Persephone activates the effect of Djinn Releaser of Rituals in her GY, banishing it as one of required monsters. Persephone Tributes the Level 3 Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss in her hand and banishes the Level 3 Djinn Releaser from her GY to Ritual Summon Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss (2700/2200/6) in Attack Position. Since Djinn Releaser was used to Ritual Summon, Yoroizaka cannot Special Summon while Malacoda is face-up on the field. Since Graff was sent to the GY, Persephone can Special Summon 1 "Burning Abyss" monster from her Deck. She Special Summons Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss (100/2100/3) in Attack Position. Since she controls no Spell or Trap Cards, Persephone Special Summons Calcab, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss (1400/0/3) in Attack Position. Persephone tunes the Level 3 Rubic to the Level 3 Calcab to Synchro Summon Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss (2500/1000/6) to Cherubini's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Persephone activates Virgil's effect to discard 1 "Burning Abyss" card, then target 1 card on Yoroizaka's field or in his GY and shuffle it into his Deck. She discards Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss and shuffles The Solid Ogre back into Yoroizaka's Deck. Since Cir was sent to the GY, its effect activates, letting Persephone Special Summon 1 "Burning Abyss" monster from her GY. She Special Summons Calcab (1400/0/3) in Attack Position.

Calcab attacks and destroys Twistcobra. Since Twistcobra was sent to the GY, Yoroizaka can add a "Gouki" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds a 2nd Gouki Octostretch to his hand. Yoroizaka activates his Skill, Fighting Spirit, which lets him Special Summon every "Gouki" monster destroyed by battle this turn. He Special Summons Twistcobra in Defense Position (1600/0/3). Cherubini attacks and destroys Twistcobra. Malacoda attacks Yoroizaka directly, but Yoroizaka activates the effect of the 1st Octostretch in his hand, discarding it to halve the battle damage (Yoroizaka: 4000→2650 LP). Virgil attacks Yoroizaka directly, with Yoroizaka activating the effect of the 2nd Octostretch, discarding it to halve the battle damage (Yoroizaka: 2650→1400 LP). Persephone activates her Skill, Legendary Awakening, which lets her perform a Fusion, Link, Synchro, or Xyz Summon using monsters on her field as materials. Persephone fuses Cherubini, Calcab, and Virgil to Fusion Summon Dante, Pilgrim of the Burning Abyss (2800/2500/9) to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Dante attacks Yoroizaka directly (Yoroizaka: 1400→0 LP). Persephone wins.

* * *

 **Playmaker vs. Techbane**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Playmaker**

Playmaker Normal Summons Poisoning Blocker (0/1400/3). He activates Poisoning Blocker's effect to change it to Defense Position and gain 800 ATK/DEF (Poisoning Blocker: 0→800/1400→2200). Playmaker Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Techbane**

Techbane draws. As only Playmaker controls a monster, Techbane Special Summons Cyber Dragon (2100/1600/5). Techbane Normal Summons Cyber Dragon Core (400/1500/2). As Core was Normal Summoned, Techbane can add 1 "Cyber" Spell/Trap Card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyberload Fusion from his Deck to his hand. Techbane uses Cyber Dragon and Core to Link Summon Cyber Dragon Sieger (2100/2/←↓) to the left Extra Monster Zone. Techbane activates the Spell Card Cyber Revsystem, which lets him Special Summon Cyber Dragon (2100/1600/5) from his GY at Sieger's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position. Techbane Sets 1 card.

Techbane activates Sieger's effect. As it hasn't attacked yet, Techbane can increase the ATK of 1 Machine monster he controls with 2100 or more ATK by 2100, but neither player takes battle damage from battles involving Sieger this turn. Techbane targets Sieger for its effect (Sieger: 2100→4200). Since a card or effect was activated that would change the ATK of exactly 1 monster while he controls a Cyberse monster, Playmaker activates his Set Trap Card Cyberse Shatter, negating the activation of that effect (Sieger: 4200→2100) and drawing 1 card. Techbane activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyberload Fusion, which lets him Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from his Extra Deck that lists a "Cyber Dragon" monster as material by shuffling the Fusion Materials on his field and/or among his banished cards into his Deck. Techbane fuses Sieger and Cyber Dragon to Fusion Summon Cyber Twin Dragon (2800/2100/8) to the left Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Cyber Twin Dragon attacks and destroys Poisoning Blocker. Cyber Twin Dragon can make 2 attacks during each Battle Phase. Cyber Twin Dragon attacks Playmaker directly (Playmaker: 4000→1200 LP). As his Level 8 or higher Machine monster inflicted battle damage, Techbane activates his Skill, Cyber Strike, allowing Cyber Twin Dragon to attack again. Cyber Twin Dragon attacks Playmaker directly, but Playmaker activates his Set Trap Card Intercept Link. As he is being attacked directly while his LP are lower than his opponent's, the attack is negated, then Playmaker can Special Summon 1 Link Monster from his Extra Deck whose ATK is less than his LP. Playmaker Special Summons Security Dragon (1100/2/↑↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Techbane ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. He activates the Spell Card Link Back, which lets him move his Link Monster from the Extra Monster Zone to his Main Monster Zone it points to, then send cards from the top of his Deck to the GY equal to that monster's Link Rating. Playmaker moves Security Dragon to his leftmost Main Monster Zone and sends Dotscaper and Clock Wyvern to the GY. Playmaker Normal Summons Cyberse Gadget (1400/300/4). Since Gadget was Normal Summoned, Playmaker can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower monster from his GY with its effects negated. Playmaker Special Summons Dotscaper (0/2100/1) in Defense Position. Playmaker uses Dotscaper to Link Summon Linkuriboh (300/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Dotscaper was sent to the GY, its effect activates, Special Summoning itself (0/2100/1) in Defense Position. Playmaker activates the effect of the co-linked Security Dragon to return 1 monster Techbane controls to his hand. He returns Cyber Twin Dragon to his Extra Deck. Playmaker uses Cyberse Gadget, Dotscaper, and Link-2 Security Dragon to Link Summon Firewall Dragon (2500/4/←↑↓→) to Linkuriboh's Link Marker. As Cyberse Gadget was sent from the field to the GY, its effect activates, Special Summoning 1 Gadget Token (0/0/2) in Defense Position. Playmaker uses Linkuriboh and Gadget Token to Link Summon Flame Administrator (1200/2/←↘) to Firewall Dragon's right Link Marker. While Flame Administrator is on the field, Playmaker's Link Monsters gain 800 ATK (Firewall Dragon: 2500→3300) (Flame Administrator: 1200→2000). Playmaker Sets 1 card.

Firewall Dragon attacks Techbane directly. Techbane activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Fiendish Chain, targeting Firewall Dragon. Firewall Dragon's effects are negated, and it cannot attack. Flame Administrator attacks Techbane directly (Techbane: 4000→2000 LP). He ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Techbane**

Techbane draws. He activates the effect of Core in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 "Cyber Dragon" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons Cyber Dragon Herz (100/100/1) in Attack Position. Techbane Normal Summons Cyber Dragon Drei (1800/800/4). As Drei was Normal Summoned, all Cyber Dragons he controls become Level 5 (Drei: 4→5) (Herz: 1→5). Techbane overlays his two Level 5 Machine monsters to Xyz Summon Cyber Dragon Nova (2100/1600/5) to the left Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Techbane activates Nova's effect, detaching Herz (Nova: 2 OU→1 OU) to Special Summon 1 Cyber Dragon from his GY. He Special Summons Herz (100/100/1) in Defense Position. Since Herz was sent to the GY, Techbane can add Cyber Dragon from his Deck to his hand. Techbane Sets 1 card. Techbane activates Nova's effect, banishing Herz from his field to increase Nova's ATK by 2100 until the end of the turn (Nova: 2100→4200).

Nova attacks Flame Administrator. Playmaker activates his Set Trap Card Cyberse Impact, which reduces the battle damage to 0. Flame Administrator is destroyed (Firewall Dragon: 3300→2500). The second effect of Cyberse Impact lets Nova attack again. Nova attacks Firewall Dragon. Playmaker activates the effect of Intercept Link in his GY, banishing it and targeting Firewall Dragon. Playmaker gains LP equal to Firewall Dragon's ATK (Playmaker: 1200→3700 LP). Firewall Dragon is destroyed (Playmaker: 3700→2000 LP). As Firewall Dragon was destroyed, Fiendish Chain is also destroyed. At the end of the Battle Phase, Cyberse Impact's effect lets Playmaker add 1 Cyberse monster from his GY to his hand. He adds Clock Wyvern from his GY to his hand. Techbane ends his turn, and Nova's effect ends (Nova: 4200→2100).

 **Turn 5: Playmaker**

Playmaker draws. Playmaker Normal Summons Clock Wyvern (1800/1000/4). As it was Normal Summoned, Playmaker activates Clock Wyvern's effect, halving its ATK (Clock Wyvern: 1800→900) to Special Summon 1 Clock Token (0/0/1) in Defense Position. Playmaker uses Clock Wyvern and Clock Token to Link Summon Clock Spartoi (800/2/↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Clock Spartoi was Link Summoned, Playmaker adds Cynet Fusion from his Deck to his hand. Playmaker activates the effect of Cyberse Shatter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 Link-2 or lower Link Monster from his GY. As Playmaker activated a Trap effect while he controls a "Cyber Dragon" monster, Techbane activates his Set Counter Trap Card Cyber Guard, negating the activation of Cyberse Shatter's effect and shuffling it back into Playmaker's Deck. The turn Cyber Guard is activated, Playmaker can't target Techbane's Light Machine monsters with his card effects. Playmaker performs a Skill Switch and activates his Skill, Phantom Link, which lets him banish monsters from his GY to Link Summon a monster from his GY. Playmaker banishes Cyberse Gadget, Poisoning Blocker, and Link-2 Security Dragon to Phantom Link Summon Firewall Dragon (2500/4/←↑↓→) to Clock Spartoi's bottom Link Marker. As a monster was Special Summoned to its Link Marker, Clock Spartoi's effect activates, letting Playmaker Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from his GY to its Link Marker with its effects negated. He Special Summons Clock Wyvern (1800/1000/4) to Clock Spartoi's bottom-right Link Marker in Attack Position. Playmaker activates the Spell Card Cynet Fusion, fusing Clock Wyvern, Firewall Dragon, and Clock Spartoi to Fusion Summon Cyberse Clock Dragon (2500/2000/7) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Since Clock Dragon was Fusion Summoned, Playmaker can send cards from the top of his Deck to the GY, equal to the combined Link Ratings of its Fusion Materials, and for each sent card, Clock Dragon gains 1000 ATK. Playmaker sends 6 cards to the GY (Clock Dragon: 2500→8500).

Clock Dragon attacks Nova. Techbane activates Nova's effect, banishing the Cyber Dragon is his hand to increase its ATK by 2100 until the end of the turn (Nova: 2100→4200). Nova is destroyed (Techbane: 2000→0 LP). Playmaker wins.

* * *

 **Soulburner vs. Sylphid**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Soulburner**

Soulburner Normal Summons Salamangreat Fennec (1600/200/3). As a "Salamangreat" monster was Normal or Special Summoned, Soulburner Special Summons Salamangreat Fowl (1800/200/4) from his hand in Attack Position. Soulburner uses Fowl to Link Summon Salamangreat Balelynx (500/1/↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Balelynx was Link Summoned, Soulburner can add Salamangreat Sanctuary from his Deck to his hand. Soulburner uses Fennec and Balelynx to Link Summon Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf (1800/2/↑↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Fennec was used to Link Summon a Link-2 or higher Cyberse Link Monster, Soulburner can add 1 "Salamangreat" Normal Spell Card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Salamangreat Recurrence from his Deck to his hand. Since a "Salamangreat" monster was sent to his GY, Soulburner activates the effect of Salamangreat Gazelle in his hand, Special Summoning it (1500/1000/3) to Sunlight Wolf's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position. As Gazelle was Normal or Special Summoned, Soulburner can send 1 "Salamangreat" card from his Deck to the GY. He sends Salamangreat Mole to the GY. Since a "Salamangreat" monster was Normal or Special Summoned to its Link Marker, Sunlight Wolf's effect activates, letting Soulburner add 1 "Salamangreat" monster from his GY to his hand. He adds Fowl to his hand. Soulburner uses Gazelle and Link-2 Sunlight Wolf to Link Summon Salamangreat Heatleo (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Soulburner Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Sylphid**

Sylphid draws. She activates the Spell Card Cards of Consonance, which lets her discard 1 Dragon Tuner with 1000 or less ATK to draw 2 cards. She discards Dragunity Brandistock. Sylphid Normal Summons Dragunity Partisan (1200/800/2). As Partisan was Normal Summoned, Sylphid can Special Summon 1 Winged Beast "Dragunity" monster from her hand and equip Partisan to it. She Special Summons Dragunity Militum (1700/1200/4) in Attack Position and equips Partisan to it. Sylphid activates Militum's effect to target 1 "Dragunity" card in her Spell & Trap Zone and Special Summon it. She Special Summons Partisan (1200/800/2) in Attack Position. Sylphid tunes the Level 2 Partisan to Level 4 Militum to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana (1900/1200/6) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. As Vajrayana was Synchro Summoned, Sylphid can equip 1 Level 3 or lower "Dragunity" monster in her GY to it. She equips Brandistock to Vajrayana. Sylphid activates the Equip Spell Card Dragunity Divine Lance, equipping it to Vajrayana. Vajrayana gains ATK equal to its Level x 100 (Vajrayana: 1900→2500) and is unaffected by Trap effects. Sylphid activates Divine Lance's effect to equip 1 "Dragunity" Tuner monster from her Deck to Vajrayana. She equips Dragunity Couse to Vajrayana. Sylphid activates Vajrayana's effect to send 1 Equip Card equipped to it to the GY and double its ATK until the end of the turn. Sylphid sends Couse to the GY (Vajrayana: 2500→5000). Sylphid Sets 1 card.

Vajrayana attacks Heatleo. Soulburner activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Salamangreat Gift, which lets him discard 1 "Salamangreat" monster to send 1 "Salamangreat" monster from his Deck to the GY and draw 1 card. Soulburner discards Fowl and sends Salamangreat Coyote to the GY. He draws. The attack continues and Heatleo is destroyed (Soulburner: 4000→1300 LP). Since his Cyberse monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck was destroyed by battle, Soulburner activates the effect of Fennec in his GY, Special Summoning it (1600/200/3) in Defense Position. The monster Brandistock is equipped to can attack twice during each Battle Phase. Vajrayana attacks and destroys Fennec. As it left the field, Fennec is banished by its own effect. Sylphid ends her turn, and Vajrayana's effect ends (Vajrayana: 5000→2500).

 **Turn 3: Soulburner**

Soulburner draws. He activates the Spell Card Salamangreat Recureance, which lets him add 2 "Salamangreat" monsters with different names from his GY to his hand. He adds Coyote and Fowl to his hand. Soulburner Normal Summons Salamangreat Coyote (1000/200/3). As a "Salamangreat" monster was Normal or Special Summoned, Soulburner Special Summons Fowl (1800/200/4) from his hand. Soulburner activates Fowl's effect, discarding Salamangreat Spinny to target Sylphid's Set card. That card cannot be activated this turn. As Soulburner controls a different "Salamangreat" monster, he activates the effect of Spinny in the GY, Special Summoning it (1000/1500/3) in Attack Position. Soulburner uses Coyote, Fowl, and Spinny to Link Summon Heatleo (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Spinny left the field, it is banished. As Heatleo was Link Summoned, Soulburner can target and shuffle 1 card in Sylphid's Spell & Trap Zone back into her Deck. He targets and shuffles Divine Lance (Vajrayana: 2500→1900). Soulburner activates the Field Spell Card Salamangreat Sanctuary. If he would Link Summon a "Salamangreat" Link Monster, Sanctuary's effect lets him use 1 Link Monster he controls with the same name. Soulburner uses Heatleo to Reincarnation Link Summon Heatleo (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Since Heatleo was Link Summoned, its effect activates, and Soulburner targets and shuffles Brandistock back into Sylphid's Deck. As he controls a Reincarnation Link Summoned "Salamangreat" monster, Soulburner activates Salamangreat Gift's effect to discard Salamangreat Raccoon and draw 2 cards. Soulburner activates the effect of the Reincarnation Link Summoned Heatleo, targeting Vajrayana and Salamangreat Mole in his GY. Vajrayana's ATK becomes equal to Mole's ATK until the end of the turn (Vajrayana: 1900→0). Soulburner Sets 1 card.

Heatleo attacks Vajrayana. Since her Dragon monster was attacked, Sylphid activates her Skill, Dragon's Power, targeting Vajrayana. Vajrayana's ATK becomes equal to its original ATK, and then it gains ATK equal to its Level x 100 (Vajrayana: 0→1900→2500). The attack continues, but Soulburner activates the effect of Balelynx in his GY, banishing it to prevent Heatleo's destruction by battle (Soulburner: 1300→1100 LP). Soulburner ends his turn. During the End Phase, since Coyote was sent to the GY as Link Material, its effect activates, letting Soulburner Special Summon 1 "Salamangreat" monster from his GY in Defense Position. He Special Summons Gazelle (1500/1000/3). As Gazelle was Normal or Special Summoned, its effect activates, letting Soulburner send 1 "Salamangreat" card from his Deck to the GY. He sends Salamangreat Ascetic to the GY. At the end of the turn, Sylphid's Skill's effect and Heatleo's effect end (Vajrayana: 2500→1900).

 **Turn 4: Sylphid**

Sylphid draws. Soulburner activates the effect of Salamangreat Gift, discarding Salamangreat Falco and sending Salamangreat Meer to the GY to draw 1 card. Sylphid activates her Set Continuous Trap Card Dragunity Legion, which lets her either Special Summon 1 "Dragunity" monster from her Spell & Trap Zone or equip 1 "Dragunity" monster in her GY to her "Dragunity" monster. She activates the 2nd effect, equipping Couse from the GY to Vajrayana. Sylphid activates the effect of the equipped Couse, Special Summoning it (1000/200/2) in Attack Position. If Couse is used to Synchro Summon, it can be treated as a Level 4 monster. Sylphid tunes the Level 4 Couse to the Level 6 Vajrayana to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight – Ascalon (3300/3200/10) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. She activates Ascalon's effect to banish 1 "Dragunity" monster from her GY and banish 1 of Soulburner's monsters. She banishes Couse from her GY to banish Heatleo. Sylphid activates Ascalon's effect again, banishing Militum to banish Gazelle.

Ascalon attacks Soulburner directly. Soulburner activates the effect of Salamangreat Ascetic in his GY, banishing it and targeting Heatleo and Meer in his GY. Heatleo is returned to his Extra Deck, and Meer is Special Summoned (800/600/2) in Defense Position with its effects negated. A replay occurs and Ascalon attacks Meer. Sylphid activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Dragunity Strike, targeting Ascalon for its effect. For the rest of the turn, if Ascalon attacks a Defense Position monster, it inflicts piercing battle damage. Soulburner activates his Set Trap Card Energy of Fire, targeting Heatleo in his GY. Meer cannot be destroyed by this battle, Heatleo is returned to Soulburner's Extra Deck, and he gains LP equal to its ATK (Soulburner: 1100→3400 LP). The attack continues, but Meer isn't destroyed (Soulburner: 3400→700 LP). As the monster targeted by Dragunity Strike inflicted 2000 or more battle damage, Sylphid can target and destroy up to 2 face-up Spell/Trap Cards Soulburner controls. She targets and destroys Gift and Sanctuary. Sylphid ends her turn.

 **Turn 5: Soulburner**

Soulburner draws. He activates the Spell Card Link Fire's Return, which lets him Special Summon 1 "Salamangreat" Link Monster from his GY and inflict damage to Sylphid equal to its Link Rating x 200, but that monster cannot attack or activate its effects this turn. Soulburner Special Summons Sunlight Wolf (1800/2/↑↓) (Sylphid: 4000→3600 LP). Soulburner uses Meer and Link-2 Sunlight Wolf to Link Summon Heatleo (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Meer left the field, it is banished. Heatleo's effect activates, and Soulburner returns Dragunity Legion to Sylphid's Deck. Soulburner performs a Skill Switch and activates his Skill Ascension of Fire, which lets him Link Summon a "Salamangreat" Link Monster by using 1 Link Monster he controls with the same name as the material. Soulburner uses Heatleo to Reincarnation Link Summon Heatleo (2300/3/↙↑↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Soulburner activates the Reincarnation Link Summoned Heatleo's effect, targeting Raccoon in his GY and Ascalon (Ascalon: 3300→400). Soulburner activates the Equip Spell Card Salamangreat Prominence, equipping it to Heatleo. If the Reincarnation Link Summoned Heatleo destroys Sylphid's monster by battle, Sylphid takes damage equal to her monster's original ATK.

Heatleo attacks and destroys Ascalon (Sylphid: 3600→1700 LP). Salamangreat Prominence's effect activates (Sylphid: 1700→0 LP). Soulburner wins.

* * *

 _ **Gaia Dragon, the Hurricane Bringer  
**_ _Attribute: WIND Type: [Dragon/Xyz/Effect] ATK 3200 DEF 2600 Rank: 8  
_ _3 Level 8 monsters  
_ _If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage. If this card has "Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger" as an Xyz Material, it gains this effect.  
-Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; switch that monster's ATK and DEF until the end of the turn. If you target a Link Monster with this effect, make that monster's ATK 0._

 _ **Gouki Point Guard Continuous Trap Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Gouki" monster you control; while this card is face-up on the field, your opponent can only select the targeted monster as an attack target. If the targeted monster leaves the field, destroy this card._

 _ **Rank-Up-Magic Elemental Force Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 face-up Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 monster that is the same Attribute as that monster you control, but 1 Rank higher, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Materials attached to it also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.) Then, negate the effects of all monsters on the field until the end of the turn, except the effects of monsters with the same Attribute as the Summoned monster._

 _ **Intercept Link Normal Trap Card  
**_ _When your opponent's monster declares a direct attack while your LP are less than your opponent's: Negate that attack, and if you do, Special Summon 1 Link Monster from your Extra Deck whose ATK is less than your LP. If you have no cards in your Spell & Trap Zone: You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 Link Monster you control; gain LP equal to that monster's original ATK. You cannot activate this effect the turn this card is sent to the GY._

 _ **Cyberse Impact Normal Trap Card  
**_ _When your opponent's monster attacks a Cyberse monster: Reduce the damage from that battle to 0, and if you do, your opponent's monster can attack again in a row. At the end of the Battle Phase: You can add 1 Cyberse monster from your GY to your hand._

 _ **Cyber Guard Counter Trap Card  
**_ _When your opponent activates the effect of a Trap Card while you control a "Cyber Dragon" monster: Negate the activation of that effect, and if you do, shuffle that card back into the owner's Deck. The turn you activate this effect, your opponent cannot target your LIGHT Machine monsters with their card effects._

 _ **Dragunity Strike Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Dragunity" monster you control; for the rest of this turn, if that monster attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent. If the targeted monster inflicts 2000 or more battle damage to your opponent via this effect: You can target up to 2 face-up Spell/Trap Cards your opponent controls; destroy them._

 _ **Salamangreat Prominence Equip Spell Card  
**_ _Equip only to a "Salamangreat" monster. It cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects, also your opponent cannot select monsters you control as attack targets, except the equipped monster. If the equipped monster is a "Salamangreat" Link Monster that was Link Summoned using a monster with its same name as material, it gains this effect:  
_ _-If the equipped monster destroys your opponent's monster by battle: Inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's original ATK._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 41 – Hunter vs. Hunter. Going through Morningstar's memories, Blood Shepherd relives his past with the former bounty hunter. When he awakens, Morningstar faces Blood Shepherd in a showdown for Cypher and to determine who is the superior hunter…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

Who do you think would be good voice actors for the Hidden Memories OCs? Here's my list:

Yasutake Narahiko – Noriaki Sugiyama

Cameron Junpei – Tomokazu Sugita

Sachi Junpei – Tomatsu Haruka

Masako Himura – Yuka Saitou

Takeshi Akino – Takuya Eguchi

Katsumi Kurosaki – Saori Hayami

Kenshin Hirai – Junichi Suwabe

Ibuki Ichiyanagi – Tomoaki Maeno

Hana Adachi – Nao Touyama

Yukaro Saiba – Takuya Sato

Issei Kamakura – Kaito Ishikawa

Shizuka Midori – Miyuki Sawashiro

Jester – Tomokazu Seki

Zahhak – Joji Nakata

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews & Author's Notes**

Thank you to Lyrissa Artemick, HunterHQ, Elfin Fan, SakushiRyu, guardian of the aura Aurasoul, SolanaLeonhart, D3lph0xL0v3r, DivadX, NewComer1, Phantom Flame-98, Guest, Daemon of Wrath, Ethan Kironus, JaneValentine007, Ryujomaru15, Unknowedz, Lindia Fullmoon, ZarcEternal, Ms choco, ThePLOThand, Guest, and savagemaster1999 for reviewing Chapter 39.

HunterHQ: I did not get the idea from The Seven Deadly Sins anime or Digimon. I googled the Seven Deadly Sins and Archdemons, and it listed demons associated with each sin. And yeah, Doctor Doom for Earth's Mightiest Heroes was an inspiration for Zahhak, along with Gilgamesh of fate/stay night and Escanor from Seven Deadly Sins.

DivadX: I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, so I'll say this here: The Cydevil Link Monsters are all decided already, and each is named after a demon. As for the Main Deck monsters, their names are derived from chess pieces and the Ars Goetia. So I'm afraid I can't use Urizen or Helios.

NewComer1: Masako, not Minako. Also, I call Cypher's Decks the Cyberse Trinity; I think it sounds nicer.

Ethan Kironus: No, Zahhak doesn't consider humans far beneath him. He considers _weaklings_ to be far beneath him. Unfortunately, when you're as strong as he is, there isn't much difference.

Credit to SakushiRyu for the card designs of Intercept Link and Cyberse Impact. And thank you to ThePLOThand for coming up with the name of Salamangreat Prominence.

This chapter came out faster than I expected, though that's mostly because I worked on it while working on Fifth Circuit's Chapter 11. Sadly, the next chapter will probably take more time. In this chapter, we saw the return of Galahad and got to see more of Persephone's Deck and skills. I had them duel Kenmochi and Yoroizaka. Those two didn't have _any_ characterization in the anime, aside from working with Go, so I decided to give them some. In Hidden Memories, they are from the same orphanage as Go and look up to him as a hero. So when he joined SOL, they did too to help him out.

We also had Techbane and Sylphid face Playmaker and Soulburner. This was the big part of the chapter, particularly the reveal that Playmaker and Soulburner have Morningstar's Skill Switch. This gave me the chance to demonstrate Phantom Link Summoning, which is a Link version of Phantom Synchro, and I thought it would be cool for Playmaker to demonstrate it instead of Morningstar. As for the ending scene, well you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out what it is.

Thank you for reading Chapter 40 of Hidden Memories. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you give the QOTC serious thought, whether you agree with me on the choices or not. And for anyone who gets the connection between Morningstar's, Terminus's, Jester's, and Zahhak's actors, congratulations, you get a cookie.


	41. Chapter 41: Hunter vs Hunter

**Announcements**

Hello everyone, this is scififan599 with an announcement. I already said this on Chapter 12 of Fifth Circuit, but I want to believe there are people who read this fic who don't read Fifth Circuit, so I'll say it here too. From now on, there will be a format change: I am moving Review Responses to the beginning, before the main chapter. I think this will help in the long run.

Oh, and before I forget, I went on my profile and changed the effects of Pied PIkeman so that its effect targets, and reworded Cyspirit Fusion's latter effect so it's a bit harder to activate.

* * *

 **Responses to Reviews**

Thank you to savagemaster1999, HunterHQ, D3lph0xL0v3r, CardGameForKids, JaneValentine007, SakushiRyu, Ethan Kironus, NewComer1, ThePLOThand, Lindia Fullmoon, Phantom Flame-98, DivadX, and Sonic7 for reviewing Chapter 40.

savagemaster1999: I have said this before, and I suspect I shall have to say it again: all Cyspirit Ritual and Extra Deck Monsters' names are _alliterative._ This means two words that both begin with the same letter, like Neo Nova or Rapid Revolutionary. There are no exceptions to this rule. So I can't use Big Bang Nova. That rule aside, I don't want to give Morningstar a monster stronger than Superior Seraphim. At least not until season 3. And on the offered Xyz Monster, I've decided that like Savage Shogun and Cosmic Crusader, Morningstar's first Xyz Monster will also be humanoid, so I can't use Polaris Pegasus either.

That aside, I have another announcement: as of this posting, Hidden Memories has been viewed over 100,000 times! Now, let's get on with the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 41: Hunter vs. Hunter**

Morningstar lay unconscious in a sea of darkness.

"You aren't the prey I wanted to catch. But this is fine. You and I would have faced each other eventually; why put this off any longer?"

Blood Shepherd looked down on the unconscious duelist. "Show it to me, Morningstar."

Purple orbs rose from the ground and surrounded the two humans. Images appeared in them.

Blood Shepherd turned around and started to walk among the orbs, looking at the pictures they showed. And then he realized something.

"Hmm. Clever." A sliver of respect found its way into his voice. "You're subconsciously resisting my program, preventing me from seeing the current real life you."

It was true; most of the orbs showed scenes from LINK VRAINS, either in Morningstar's old or new avatars. A few were showing a small child in a white room or at an orphanage. But none of them showed Morningstar's current real-life self.

This didn't surprise Blood Shepherd too much; his program wasn't perfect, and it did have flaws; someone as obviously disciplined as Morningstar would be able to exploit them, even subconsciously.

It was annoying however; Blood Shepherd had hoped to find a weakness to exploit. Perhaps a past trauma or something he was instinctively scared of. But it seemed like Morningstar had nothing like the latter. And aside from the Lost Incident, which Blood Shepherd assumed the images of a white room to be, he wasn't showing any past traumas. And unfortunately, the Lost Incident wasn't something Blood Shepherd could take advantage of, at least not here.

The bounty hunter raised his right arm and fired a few shots, destroying several orbs and clearing space. Then he noticed one in particular. One that showed something other than a child or Morningstar's two avatars.

Blood Shepherd reached out and called the orb to him. When he saw what it was showing clearly, he tensed. "This is…"

* * *

 _3 years ago…_

When SOL Technologies created LINK VRAINS, they had envisioned it as a place solely for entertainment. People would go there and duel or watch the Charisma Duelists. They would sign up for events and pay for access to unique servers. This had been SOL's vision for their virtual reality system.

That aside, it hadn't really come as a surprise when their customers started to use LINK VRAINS for more unsavory business practices. Data transfers, identity theft, corporate and non-corporate espionage; the availability of LINK VRAINS to the public had made it a common site for such activities. SOL's security agents did what they could, but they were ultimately ineffective. This inefficiency led to the creation of SOL's Bounty Board.

Realizing that their analysts and agents weren't enough, SOL decided to outsource finding these criminals to cyber bounty hunters. Perhaps it was more expensive, but it was ultimately more successful. Bounty hunters, particularly the upper echelons, were more than capable of handling the hackers and cyberterrorists that used LINK VRAINS as a medium.

Everyone had different methods for catching these criminals, and the best bounty hunters were the ones who knew the widest variety of tricks that their targets used to evade them. Which was why Hunter was particularly pleased with himself for figuring this one out.

When he first started out, he had assumed his targets all congregated in LINK VRAINS. So when he accepted his current contract, he had looked throughout the server until he realized the hacker he wanted to find wasn't there. When he looked over the bounty hunter forums, he found out the reason why.

As it turned out, many hackers were able to create their own private websites using the VRAINS technology to hide out in. This meant they were nearly impossible to catch. Unless one connected said websites to LINK VRAINS's systems and accessed them through there. That was how Hunter how found his target, a particular belligerent hacker who had gotten his hand on blackmail material for a SOL executive.

Said hacker's website's physical representation turned out to be a forest; Hunter didn't know how he programmed it like that, but it made finding the man more difficult. That was how Hunter currently found himself walking down a forest path as quietly as he could, straining his ears for any possible sounds.

The young bounty hunter eyed the greenery, looking for any signs of the hacker. So far, he hadn't found anything, but once he did…

The boy perked up when he heard a twig snap. Turning quickly in the noise's direction, he noticed that several bushes were rustling. Picking up his pace, he walked as fast as he dared in the direction of the bushes. That walk turned into a full-blown sprint when a humanoid shot out of the bushes.

"Get back here!" Hunter shouted as he chased his prey. The pursued zigzagged through the bushes while Hunter gained on them. He didn't notice the level of noise they were making or how his target ran with a clear purpose in mind…

The boy and the one he was chasing ended up on a trail in the woods where the target changed course. Hunter did the same, lifting his left arm as he did so. If he just got a clear shot-.

SNAP

Hunter blinked and looked down. He had a brief second to note the odd pattern on the ground before he felt himself compressed on all sides and suddenly dizzy. After blinking and shaking his head, he realized his predicament; he had stepped into a trap and was suspended in a net hanging from a tree.

Hunter felt like growling. Damn it! How had he been so careless? His irritation with himself soon found itself a new target as laughter reached his ears. Carefully twisting the net, he was able to move and see that the hacker he had been chasing was standing about ten meters away from him.

"Not bad, huh?" the man said with a sneer. "Figured I'd catch the kid first though; you didn't realize that I detected you once you entered my domain, did you? Guess your mentor didn't tell you that."

Hunter frowned. "Mentor?" he repeated. Internally, he chastised himself for not considering that the hacker would realize he had been found.

"Don't play dumb with me, kid!" the hacker shouted, taking a step closer. "I picked up two intrusions, and I know one of them was you! They happened almost simultaneously, so I know your boss entered the same time you did! Now fess up! Where is your partner?"

"I'm not his partner."

Hunter's and the hacker's eyes both widened as a bolt of yellow energy pierced the air and slammed into the hacker's back. The hunter screamed as he was knocked down into the dirt. He tried to pick himself up, but a second shot was fired, this one taking the shape of a bola that wrapped itself around his feet, making him fall over again.

Hunter twisted his neck around, looking in the direction the shot came from. Another figure stepped out of the bushes. This man was wearing a purple cape over a black jacket, a mask and hat, and had a mechanical arm.

The man walked up to the prone hacker and raised his right arm as energy gathered in his palm. "I'm Blood Shepherd," he said. "And you're my prey." He fired another blast that made the hacker scream until he passed out. And yet he didn't log out. It must have had some kind of stasis effect.

Blood Shepherd picked the man up and hoisted him over one shoulder. He turned to walk away, ignoring the glaring teen behind him.

"Hey!" Hunter spoke up. "Aren't you going to let me out?"

The man didn't even stop walking. "No. You got yourself in that mess, you can get yourself out. And then find something more worthy of your skills; bounty hunting isn't a profession for kids."

"K-Kid?" Hunter sputtered, glaring at the retreating man's back until he was gone.

* * *

 _Present day…_

"…So. You were that kid." Blood Shepherd turned and looked back at the prone form of Morningstar. "You changed your name and avatar; probably so others would take you more seriously."

Blood Shepherd remembered that hunt. It had been ridiculously easy, all things considered. He hadn't had any hard jobs lined up, so he decided to take a vacation and go after a minor offender. He honestly hadn't expected the boy he left behind to become a bounty hunter whose reputation rivaled his own.

As interesting as this was, it was irrelevant. Blood Shepherd blasted the sphere and continued looking through Morningstar's memories. Until he found another one with a figure he recognized.

"Ghost Girl?" he wondered as he looked at the sphere. This was interesting. He knew Morningstar and Ghost Girl knew each other, but this seemed to suggest the two were partners. Or had been, at least.

As he kept watching however, the image changed again to show a certain part of the old LINK VRAINS central area. One that made Blood Shepherd tense up.

* * *

 _1 year ago…_

"You're sure about this?" Morningstar asked with a frown.

"Yeah," Ghost Girl nodded. "I recognize his signature anywhere; it's him."

Morningstar's frown deepened into a scowl. "I hate it when Bishop does this," he muttered. "It's bad enough when he does it with amateur hunters, but hiring multiple professionals secretly…"

The duo were standing on a rooftop overlooking LINK VRAINS. Morningstar had called Ghost Girl to see if she had information on his latest target. In exchange, he was offering twenty percent of the bounty. Ghost Girl had delivered, and among the info she had provided was a name Morningstar hadn't expected to encounter again.

"Blood Shepherd," Morningstar said, his eyes narrowed. "Of all the times to come back to Den City, why now…?"

He'd been rather upset with the older bounty hunter when they met two years ago; he had used the younger hunter as bait and left him to escape on his own – it had taken Cam at least an hour to make a program to break that net. His irritation at the event had been enough that Morningstar had researched the man who stole his target. The data he found was rather illuminating.

The man who had taken the name of Blood Shepherd was regarded as the best cyber bounty hunter in the country. Posts and discussion threads about him revealed him to be tenacious and relentless on the hunt, deeply intelligent at decrypting information, and a highly skilled duelist. Unlike most bounty hunters, he had done work for the military, where he gained a reputation for interrogating artificial intelligences. All in all, he was regarded as a man who would do nearly anything to achieve his goal, no matter how amoral it was.

It was the latter fact that put Blood Shepherd on Ghost Girl's radar. A couple years ago, she and a SOL employee named Akira Zaizen had worked with Blood Shepherd to catch a dangerous hacker, where the bounty hunter had used the former two as bait to defeat him. This incident had led to Ghost Girl investigating Blood Shepherd as well, and unlike Morningstar, she had become familiar with his behavior patterns and coding.

Morningstar sighed. "I knew I would meet him again someday, but I wasn't expecting it to be like this."

"Are you going to give up?" Ghost Girl asked. There was no judgment in her voice, just curiosity. "No one would blame you for it."

The bounty hunter shook his head. "I accepted the contract; that means I have to follow through. I'll just have to beat Blood Shepherd to the punch." He turned his head as a slightly sardonic smirk crossed his face. "And if I didn't do this, then how would I pay you your cut?"

Ghost Girl giggled at that. "Well, you make a fine point." She paused to consider something and then shrugged. "Tell you what, why don't I help you catch this one? I know Blood Shepherd's activities; I can help you catch your guy before him."

Morningstar raised an eyebrow. It was a tempting offer, he admitted. But first, "What's in it for you?"

Ghost Girl's smile widened beneath her mask. "Aside from getting one over on him? Fifty percent of the bounty," she said.

Morningstar frowned. "Thirty percent," he countered.

"Forty," Ghost Girl offered. "And you help me locate a new treasure I've been looking for."

Morningstar considered it and then nodded. "I get twenty-five percent of whatever your new treasure is worth, and deal." He offered his hand. Ghost Girl took it and shook.

"Now then," Ghost Girl said with a gleam in her eye. "Let's do this."

* * *

Morningstar and Ghost Girl worked quickly. While the former analyzed his target's patterns and came up with a way to track him, the latter worked on tracking Blood Shepherd. And once those were done, they, with some assistance from Cam, worked together to create the final piece of their plan.

The hacker ran quickly through VRAINS central area's back alleys. Just as he turned a corner, a blast of yellow energy struck the wall he'd almost ran into, making him wince.

"You cannot escape," the voice behind him called out. "Give up."

The hacker didn't bother responding. Damn it! Why did this have to be happening now? He'd just gotten his own private website set up, and then some lunatic bounty hunter with a robotic right arm showed up and trashed the place. If not for his own quick thinking, he would have been caught there. As it was, he had been forced to relocate to VRAINS central. And he couldn't even log out because that masked hunter had tagged him with a dart in the leg. He had removed the dart, but its program remained; he couldn't log out. Not for a couple of hours. His only option now was to evade the hunter through the central server's streets. Yes, he could duel, but he had no illusions about how that would end.

The man led Blood Shepherd on a chase through the alleys until they got to the warehouse district. Once there, he took another turn and… found himself face to face with a brick wall. Hearing the sound of spurs, he turned around slowly to see the bounty hunter standing in the entrance to the alley, his right arm raised and yellow energy gathering in his hand.

"Bounty acquired."

SNAP

Blood Shepherd looked up at the sound, but then down as a purple circle appeared beneath him. "What-?"

That was as far as he got before the circle snapped upwards and turned into a net. The bounty hunter grunted in surprise as he was yanked off the ground and suspended in the air in a net trap.

"What is this?!" he demanded. He turned his right palm to the net's surface and tried to fire, but nothing happened. That was when Blood Shepherd realized that the trap was blocking his programming.

The bounty hunter turned his head as a figure wearing a cloak stepped into view. The hacker, on seeing him, widened his eyes.

"W-Were you the one who-?"

"Yes," the cloaked figure said. "This is my trap. You're safe now." He held out a hand to shake.

The hacker breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. I was so scared running from this guy. Thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome," the figure said as the hacker shook his hand. "After all, I can't let him claim my bounty."

"Huh?" The hacker blinked and then convulsed as an electric shock coursed through his avatar. He then fell down, paralyzed but still holding the man's hand. The man tore his cloak off, revealing a teenager.

"Alright, let's get you turned in," Morningstar said, hefting the paralyzed hacker over his shoulder. He was kind of heavy, but it was doable.

As he turned to leave, the trapped bounty hunter spoke up. "Let me out of here, kid! That bounty is mine!"

Morningstar turned his head, so he was giving Blood Shepherd an aside glance and raised an eyebrow. "Why would I do that? You got yourself in there, get yourself out." He turned and walked away from the irate hunter. "Maybe take a career in something more suited to your skills. Minefield testing springs to mind."

The angered bounty hunter continued shouting at the retreating youth until he was out of sight. But what the hunter didn't see was the smirk that had formed on Morningstar's face.

 _Payback is so nice._

* * *

 _Present day…_

Blood Shepherd stared at the sphere that showed his humiliation. "So… you had Ghost Girl's help with that program after all. I had thought it too advanced for a teenage hunter like yourself; it seems I was correct. But now… now I know the score."

He turned back to glance at the prone duelist. "The first time we met, I came out on top. To defeat me, you had to cheat and had help from Ghost Girl. Now, you don't even have the latter. It's time for you to learn your place, Morningstar." The bounty hunter raised his right hand.

SNAP

* * *

The orb on Morningstar's Duel Disk lit back up as Cypher regained consciousness. He remained in eye form and looked around.

"What the hell is this place?" he whispered. He looked up at several purple orbs. But before he could see more than some still images, the orbs all shattered. That said, Cypher did recognize the pictures. One had been him and Morningstar versus Sylphid. Another had been Morningstar's old self versus some guy in a trench coat. Which meant…

"Damn it," Cypher said louder. "Blood Shepherd's looking at my partner's memories!" The Ignis emerged from the Duel Disk, reached up, and started shaking Morningstar's head.

"Partner! Wake up! Wake up! Morningstar! Stand up!"

"Ugh." The duelist groaned as he opened his eyes. Then he blinked and sat up, looking around.

"Cypher, where are we?" Morningstar asked.

"It seems we're inside Blood Shepherd's trap," the Ignis answered.

Morningstar's eyes widened. "Right. The gate." He grit his teeth. "That was unexpected. How did he manage to create that?"

"He must have analyzed the original gate," Cypher said. "It was a very good imitation. Even I was fooled, and I'm a superior Ignis."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Any idea how we-?"

RUMBLE

The hunter and Ignis gasped as their surroundings changed. Instead of a purple landscape, Morningstar now stood on the side of a mountain covered in ankle-deep snow. The sky had changed to resemble the night sky, filled to the brim with stars.

"Come on up, Morningstar."

The duelist's eyes widened as he turned to the right. They were near the top of the mountain, which had been leveled off into a flat plain. The peak of the mountain next to it had also been leveled off. And on that other peak stood…

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Blood Shepherd…"

The former hunter walked up the path till he stood on the mountain's peak facing Blood Shepherd. "So, what kind of trap was this?" he asked.

"I caught a glimpse of it," Cypher said, staying emerged from the Duel Disk. "He was looking at your memories."

"My memories?" Morningstar repeated with a frown.

"Hmm. It was a rather interesting experience," Blood Shepherd said. "Though I hope you understand that this time, Ghost Girl won't be around to bail you out… Hunter."

Morningstar's eyes narrowed. "So… you saw that too?"

"The first time we met, and when you and Ghost Girl teamed up to stop me," the hunter confirmed. "This time, you're alone. But I do want you to know something." Morningstar raised an eyebrow. "This isn't personal. Despite our past, I don't hate you for your trickery. There's no point to it. What matters now isn't who outdid who; what matters is that I'll be taking your Ignis."

"Sorry, but I can't let you take Cypher."

After he said that, Morningstar heard a faint buzzing sound. Moving his head slightly to the side, he noticed a small glowing bug flying over his shoulder and upwards.

 _Ghost Girl_ , he thought. _Really? When did you get the chance to plant that on me?_

Unfortunately, he wouldn't get the chance to find out. Without even looking up, Blood Shepherd blasted the bug out of the air and disintegrated it.

 _If I know Ghost Girl, that won't be the only camera she had,_ Morningstar thought. Setting that aside, he raised his Duel Disk, as did Blood Shepherd.

"Duel!"

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Blood Shepherd: 4000 LP**

The Duel Field appeared briefly and then disappeared. "I'll go first," Blood Shepherd said. "I summon Drone Pawn." A dark gray machine with downwards facing blasters appeared.

 **Drone Pawn ATK 600 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

Blood Shepherd's Duel Disk lit up. "Drone Pawn's effects," his AI said. "When you control no other monsters, Drone Pawn cannot be destroyed by battle. And at the end of the Battle Phase, if it battled, you gain Life Points equal to the total battle damage you took from those battles."

"I Set two cards. I end my turn."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "I remember that monster from his duel with Playmaker," he said.

"Yeah, I remember the data too," Cypher said. "I also remember him saying that Blood Shepherd's AI was programmed to lie. But nothing it said there was a lie."

"It's likely programmed to mix the truth and lies together in an attempt to throw us off balance," Morningstar assumed. "It'll be better for us to just ignore what it says and read his cards ourselves. My turn! Draw!"

Morningstar looked at his card, then at Blood Shepherd's field. _I know how you operate, Blood Shepherd,_ he thought. _This duel will be tricky. But I will absolutely come through!_ "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Cyspirit Operation!" The card showed a control room with multiple screens and multiple Cyspirit Coders all sitting at monitors and staring at the screens. "During my Main Phase, I add a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand."

Morningstar took the card from his Deck, then played it. "When you have monsters and I don't, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Swordsman!" The armored dual-wielding skeleton appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Swordsman ATK 1200 DEF 900 LVL: 3**

"Swordsman's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned by its effect, I add a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Kid, which I'll now summon!" A small skeleton in a t-shirt appeared.

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Kid in the Link Marker!" Said monster entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" A skeleton in a business suit emerged from the portal and stood at the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Kid's monster effect! When it is sent to the Graveyard as Link Material for a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can destroy one face-up card on your field. I'll destroy Drone Pawn!" The machine on Blood Shepherd's field disintegrated. In response, the bounty hunter gestured to his field.

"Continuous Trap activate!" he declared. "Drone Production Line!" The card showed a factory's assembly line, which was covered in Drone Pawns. "Since my Level 4 or lower 'Drone' monster was sent to the Graveyard, I can add a different 'Drone' monster from my Deck to my hand."

"What?" Morningstar gasped.

"I add Scud Drone from my Deck to my hand."

Morningstar's eyes narrowed. "You anticipated me destroying Drone Pawn, didn't you?"

"Of course," Blood Shepherd confirmed. "Relying on an AI like you do makes you predictable."

"What?" Cypher asked.

"AI are tools for humans to use," Blood Shepherd said. "If a human says something white is black, then it's black. Since you think of an AI as a partner, you'll never understand the pain of my right arm."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Even with a new monster, your field is empty," he reminded his opponent. "Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck to its Link Marker, but it cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Come, Cyspirit Coder!" A skeleton in a lab coat and armor appeared at the Link Monster's Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Coder ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Coder's monster effect! When it is Summoned, I add a 'Cyspirit' card from my Deck to my hand. Then, I send a card from my hand, field, or Deck to the Graveyard. I add Cyspirit Blast from my Deck to my hand and send Cyspirit License to the Graveyard." He did so, then pointed upwards.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Coder, Swordsman, and Cacophonic Caller in the Link Markers! Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Cyspirit Pied Pikeman!" A skeleton in a guardsman's uniform wielding a long spear emerged from the portal at the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Pied Pikeman ATK 2400 LINK-3** ↙↑→

"Please be careful," Blood Shepherd's AI said. "He is likely to attack you directly."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "That wasn't a lie," Cypher noted. "Did he change its programming?"

"As I said, it's likely programmed to mix truth and lies."

Blood Shepherd gestured to his field. "Continuous Trap activate! Drone Barricade!" A screen of interlocking green hexagons appeared in front of Blood Shepherd. "While this card is on the field, your monsters cannot attack me directly. And you cannot target my Spell or Trap Cards with effects except for Drone Barricade."

"That won't work against Pied Pikeman!" Cypher told him.

"When I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Linker!" The skeleton with red gauntlets appeared at Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"Pied Pikeman's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to one monster, I can change that monster's battle position to destroy one Spell or Trap Card on the field. I change Linker to Attack Position and destroy Drone Barricade!"

"Drone Barricade's additional effect activates!" Blood Shepherd countered. "If it is targeted by your card or effect, I can banish it and then Set another Drone Barricade from my Deck. And then I can activate that card this turn." The green barrier disappeared as the card disintegrated, but then reappeared as a new card appeared.

Morningstar grit his teeth as Cypher growled. "He prepared a counter for us trying to destroy his Trap Card," the Ignis said. "And since it prevents us from targeting his other Spell and Trap Cards, we can't destroy Production Line."

"I might not be able to attack, but I can still deal damage," Morningstar said. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Blast! By skipping my Battle Phase and negating the effects of my 'Cyspirit' monster, you take damage equal to half that monster's attack points. I target Pied Pikeman!" Blood Shepherd winced as a blast of energy struck him.

 **Blood Shepherd: 4000→2800 LP**

"Tch. Even without being able to attack, you found a way to damage me," Blood Shepherd said. "Hmm. Not bad."

"I Set two cards. During my End Phase, I activate the effect of Cyspirit License in the Graveyard; by shuffling Cacophonic Caller back into my Extra Deck, I can Set License from the Graveyard. I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw!"

Morningstar gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Cyspirit License! As I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I take no effect damage for the rest of the turn."

"Tch. It seems I'm not the only one who's analyzed their opponent."

"Of course not. I may have quit, but I was still the best bounty hunter out there. More than anyone, you know what obtaining such a reputation requires."

"…That I do. I suppose anything less than this would be insulting. Still, such efforts won't stop me from defeating you. Your count has begun, Morningstar. One."

SNAP

"I summon Drone XL!" A light blue, gray, and orange plane appeared.

 **Drone XL ATK 400 DEF 400 LVL: 2**

"As I control a 'Drone' monster, I Special Summon Scud Drone!" Three missiles connected by a tripod appeared in Attack Position.

 **Scud Drone ATK 800 DEF 1100 LVL: 3**

"Come out! The circuit that leads to victory! The summoning conditions are two non-Token 'Drone' monsters. I set Drone XL and Scud Drone in the Link Markers!" His machines entered the left and bottom arrows. "Link Summon! Deploy! Link-2! Battledrone Warrant!" A gray military jet with a red and black nose emerged from the portal at the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Battledrone Warrant ATK 1200 LINK-2** ←↓

"Production Line's effect activates! As a Level 4 or lower 'Drone' monster was sent to the Graveyard, I add Drone Corporal from my Deck to my hand."

"So that card's effect can be used even when we aren't the ones that send the monster to the Graveyard," Cypher noticed.

"Yes. That card will let him get his resources out much faster than normal," Morningstar agreed.

"The Normal Summoned Drone XL's effect activates! When it is used as Link Material, I can Special Summon a Drone Token!" A purple and green propeller appeared in Attack Position.

 **Drone Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Come out once more! The circuit that leads to victory! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Drone' monsters. I set Drone Token and Link-2 Battledrone Warrant in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left, right, and bottom arrows. "Link Summon! Deploy! Link-3! Battledrone General!" A massive black military stealth jet emerged from the portal and took position at the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Battledrone General ATK 2400 LINK-3** ←↓→

"That's Blood Shepherd's ace monster," Morningstar noted.

"You may have kept him from inflicting effect damage this turn, but that thing still lets his monsters attack directly," Cypher reminded his partner.

"General's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a 'Drone' monster from my Graveyard to its Link Marker. Resurrect, Scud Drone!" The tripod with missiles reappeared at General's bottom Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Scud Drone ATK 800 DEF 1100 LVL: 3**

"Scud Drone's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned from the Graveyard by a 'Drone' monster's effect, I draw one card. Next, I activate General's additional effect! Once per turn, I can target a Level 4 or lower 'Drone' monster with 1000 or less attack points. During the Battle Phase, that monster can attack you directly. I target Scud Drone!"

"Oh, this is going to suck," Cypher winced.

"Battle! Scud Drone attacks you directly!" The monster launched its missiles at Morningstar. They impacted around him, creating small explosions and making him wince.

 **Morningstar: 4000→3200 LP**

"Thanks to your Trap Card, I can't use General's effect to Tribute Scud Drone," Blood Shepherd said. "But General can still attack! General attacks Linker!" The black jet fired missiles at the gauntleted skeleton, destroying it and making Morningstar wince.

 **Morningstar: 3200→2500 LP**

"I end my Battle Phase, but I still have moves to perform. I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Drone Unity! If you attack my Attack Position 'Drone' monster, that monster's attack points become equal to the combined attack points of all 'Drone' monsters I control."

"Eh? So if we attack either monster, their attack points will become 3200?"

"Drone Unity's additional effect activates!" Blood Shepherd declared, ignoring Cypher. "By Tributing Scud Drone, I draw one card. And since the Special Summoned Scud Drone left the field, it is banished."

Cypher blinked. "I don't understand; the only monster he has now is Battledrone General. So Drone Unity's effect won't work." Then his eyes widened. "Unless he has a way to Special Summon another monster!"

"I Set two cards. During my End Phase, as I control no monsters in my Main Monster Zone, I can Special Summon Battledrone Warrant from my Graveyard! The plan with a red and black nose reappeared.

 **Battledrone Warrant ATK 1200 LINK-2** ←↓

"I end my turn. Morningstar, this will be your last turn. Make it count."

"Tch. This isn't optimal," Cypher said. "With Drone Unity's effect, his monsters essentially have 3600 attack points. And because of Drone Barricade's effect, we can't target Drone Unity to destroy it."

"Are you giving up already?" Morningstar asked curiously.

"Hmm! Of course not! A difficult challenge like this just makes our victory more exciting!"

"I don't know about more exciting, but," Morningstar's eyes narrowed, "I do intend to turn this duel around this turn! My turn! Draw!"

"Two."

SNAP

"Blood Shepherd, you called me predictable. Well let me show you something. That you are just as predictable as me!"

"Hmm?"

"As I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I Special Summon Cyspirit Navigator!" A skeleton in a buccaneer's outfit appeared in Attack Position at Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Navigator ATK 1300 DEF 1100 LVL: 3**

"Pied Pikeman's monster effect! I change Navigator to Defense Position to destroy Drone Barricade!"

"Drone Barricade's effect activates! I banish it and Set a new Drone Barricade, which I now activate!"

Morningstar smirked. "That's what I was waiting for!"

"What?"

"Counter Trap activate! Royal Surrender! The activation of your Continuous Trap Card is negated, and it is destroyed!" Blood Shepherd gasped as his Drone Barricade was destroyed.

"Yes!" Cypher cheered. "Now we can attack directly and target his other cards!"

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' Effect Monsters. I set Navigator and Link-3 Pied Pikeman in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top, bottom, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-4! Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon!" A gray dragon with red and silver wings emerged from the Link portal and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"Tch. You have something coming if you think it will be that easy," Blood Shepherd said as he gestured to his field. "Continuous Trap activate! Capture Drone! Your Datastorm Dragon cannot be Tributed or used as Link Material and its effects are negated!" Chains appeared and wrapped around the dragon, which roared in pain and protest. "Furthermore, your Link Monsters cannot attack."

"We anticipated that as well, didn't we, partner?"

"Trap activate! Cyspirit Backup!" Morningstar declared. "I return the Link-3 Pied Pikeman in my Graveyard to my Extra Deck and Special Summon the Link-1 Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant!" A skeleton in a silver officer's uniform appeared at Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant ATK 1000 LINK-1** ↘

"Since the returned Pied Pikeman was Link-3, I draw two cards via Backup's effect. Kooky Kommandant's monster effect! When it is linked to a Cyberse Link Monster, I can Tribute it to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Come, Cyspirit Kid!" The skeleton in a t-shirt reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Then, I add a Level 8 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster and a 'Cyspirit' Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Samurai and Cyspirit Fusion from my Deck to my hand."

Blood Shepherd lowered his head. "So Fusion is next for you…"

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning condition is one Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Kid in the Link Marker! Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Egregious Electrician!" A skeleton in a plaid shirt and overalls emerged from the portal at Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Egregious Electrician ATK 600 LINK-1** ↙

"Kid's effect activates! I destroy Drone Unity!" Blood Shepherd winced as his Continuous Spell was destroyed. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Fusion! I fuse Cyspirit Samurai in my hand with Datastorm Dragon and Egregious Electrician!" A skeleton in samurai armor briefly appeared before turning into red particles. Datastorm Dragon and Egregious Electrician turned into blue and green particles. The particles swirled into a whirlpool before streaming upwards and merged into a purple whirlwind.

"The supreme blade that cleaves the wind! Resurrect the ancient legend!" Morningstar chanted as the silver marks on his suit glowed violet. "Fusion Summon! Come out! Cyspirit Savage Shogun!" A skeleton in black and silver ridged plate armor emerged from the tornado. It swung a silver katana before sheathing it as wings sprouted from its back. Morningstar's Fusion Monster took its place at the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 2800 DEF 2300 LVL: 8**

"Tch," Blood Shepherd grunted. "Since Capture Drone's target left the field, it is destroyed."

Morningstar gestured to his field as Blood Shepherd's Continuous Trap disintegrated. "Savage Shogun's monster effect! It can attack a number of times equal to the Link Monsters used for its Fusion Summon. I used two, so Savage Shogun can attack twice! And when Savage Shogun battles a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, it gains 1000 attack points!"

"And with Drone Unity gone, your monsters' attack points won't change!" Cypher reminded him. "The total damage from Savage Shogun's attacks will be 3000!"

"Battle! Savage Shogun attacks Battledront Warrant!" The skeleton warrior grasped its katana as the sword and its sheath glowed silver. It pulled the sword out, sending a burst of silver light at the red-and-black nosed plane.

Blood Shepherd gestured to his field. "Trap activate!" he declared. "Demolition Drone! I Tribute Warrant to halve all battle damage I take this turn!" The plane disintegrated, leaving the silver burst to pass through the air.

Morningstar grit his teeth. "In that case, Savage Shogun attacks General! Savage Shogun's effect activates!"

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 2800→3800**

"Go! True Termination Slash!" Savage Shogun charged the black jet and slashed downwards. At first, nothing happened. But when Savage Shogun sheathed its blade, the jet exploded, and Blood Shepherd winced from the blow.

 **Blood Shepherd: 2800→2100 LP**

 **Cyspirit Savage Shogun ATK 3800→2800**

"Production Line's effect activates!" the bounty hunter declared. "When my 'Drone' Link Monster is sent to the Graveyard by your card, I Set a 'Drone' Spell or Trap Card from my Deck, but that card cannot be activated this turn. I set Drone Rewind!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes at Blood Shepherd's new card but dismissed it for now; he couldn't activate it this turn anyway. "Savage Shogun can attack one more time! Go, Savage Shogun! Attack Blood Shepherd directly! Final Termination Slash!" The skeleton redrew its sword and charged Blood Shepherd, but the bounty hunter gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Drone Asteroid in my hand!" he declared. "Since you declared a direct attack, I discard Drone Asteroid to negate your attack!" Savage Shogun's blade stopped within an inch of Blood Shepherd's face before the monster leapt back. "Then, I Special Summon Drone Tokens equal to the number of monsters you control." A single Drone Token appeared in Defense Position.

 **Drone Token ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Damn it! I wasn't expecting a hand trap," Cypher said with narrowed eyes. "This guy's just as tricky as you."

"I suppose I'll take that as a compliment," Morningstar deadpanned. "I Set two cards. During my End Phase, I shuffle Cyspirit Navigator back into my Deck and Set Cyspirit License. I end my turn."

"Hmm. As I thought. You tried to end my count early, but you failed." Morningstar narrowed his eyes at Blood Shepherd's words. "We've faced each other twice before. The first time, you were an embarrassment of a hunter. The second time, you were only able to outwit me because of Ghost Girl. But she isn't here to help you right now. That's why you, a weak hunter like you, one who abandons the hunt and sides with an AI," Blood Shepherd raised his left arm, "will now vanish from my sight. Three."

SNAP

"My turn! Draw!"

"Trap activate! Cyspirit License!"

"That won't work a second time," Blood Shepherd said. "Counter Trap activate! Drone Rewind!" The card showed Drone Pawn tumbling around inside a tornado. "The activation of your Trap Card is negated, and it is then banished!" Morningstar and Cypher gasped as Cyspirit License disintegrated. "Then, I can Special Summon a 'Drone' monster from my Graveyard! Resurrect, Battledrone General!" The large black jet reappeared at Blood Shepherd's center Main Monster Zone.

 **Battledrone General ATK 2400 LINK-3** ←↓→

"Tch." Morningstar grit his teeth.

"Appear! The circuit that leads to victory! The summoning condition is one 'Drone' monster. I set Drone Token in the Link Marker!" The token entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Battledrone Sergeant!" A white and blue plane emerged from the portal at the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Battledrone Sergeant ATK 800 LINK-1** ↓

"I summon Drone Corporal." A gray tank with an orange and white bottom appeared.

 **Drone Corporal ATK 1600 DEF 1200 LVL: 4**

"General's monster effect! Resurrect, Drone Asteroid!" A black and purple machine with spikes fir wings in Attack Position at General's right Link Marker.

 **Drone Asteroid ATK 1000 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"General's additional effect! During the Battle Phase this turn, Drone Asteroid can attack you directly!"

Cypher looked out over Blood Shepherd's four monsters. "Hey um, partner? This turn is gonna suck, isn't it?"

Morningstar frowned. "Probably."

"Battle! Drone Corporal's monster effect! It can attack directly by halving the battle damage!" The tank fired a shot at Morningstar, who gestured to his field.

"Trap activate! Cyspirit Half-Guard! By discarding Cyspirit Firefighter, all battle damage I take is halved!" The shot hit Morningstar and made him wince.

 **Morningstar: 2500→2100 LP**

"General's monster effect! As my 'Drone' monster inflicted battle damage from a direct attack, I Tribute Drone Corporal to inflict its attack points as damage to you!" Drone Corporal morphed into a green missile and then launched itself at Morningstar.

The former hunter gestured to his field. "Counter Trap activate! Link Restart! An effect that would inflict damage is negated!" The green missile dissipated before it hit Morningstar. "Then, I can Special Summon a Link Monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Datastorm Dragon!" The massive gray dragon reappeared with a roar.

 **Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon ATK 2800 LINK-4** ↙↑↓↘

"Hmm. As Drone Corporal was sent to the Graveyard, Production Line's effect activates! I add Duplicate Drone from my Deck to my hand. Drone Asteroid attacks you directly!" The small machine fired a laster at Morningstar.

"Due to Half-Guard's effect, the battle damage is halved!" Cypher reminded them. Morningstar winced from the bullets' impacts.

 **Morningstar: 2100→1600 LP**

"General's effect activates! I Tribute Drone Asteroid!" Drone Asteroid turned into a green missile and launched itself at Morningstar. This time, he had no way to stop it from impacting. The former hunter winced from the missile's explosion.

 **Morningstar: 1600→600 LP**

"Sergeant's effect activates! As my 'Drone' monster inflicted battle damage from a direct attack, Sergeant can attack directly as well." Blood Shepherd lowered his head. "Sergeant will inflict 400 damage from its attack, then General's effect will inflict 800. It's over." Sergeant fired two missiles at Morningstar, who gestured to his field.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Firefighter in my Graveyard!" he declared. "By banishing it from my Graveyard and halving my Life Points, your direct attack is negated!" A barrier formed around Morningstar, which blocked the missiles, but then he winced from the cost of Firefighter's effect.

 **Morningstar: 600→300 LP**

"Whew, his assault's over," Cypher sighed with relief.

"No, it isn't," Blood Shepherd countered. "I would have been disappointed if that was all it took. I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Drone Ascension!" The card showed Battledrones Sergeant and Warrant flying high in the Earth's upper atmosphere. "By Tributing Sergeant, General gains attack points equal to its attack points until the end of the turn!" The smaller plane disintegrated and the black jet glowed.

 **Battledrone General ATK 2400→3200**

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Battle! General attacks Savage Shogun!" General fired missiles at the samurai. "Before, your monster would gain 1000 attack points. But since General was Special Summoned from the Graveyard, Savage Shogun's effect doesn't activate!" The missiles struck the Fusion Monster, destroying it and making Morningstar grunt from the pain.

 **Morningstar: 300→100 LP**

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Fusion in the Graveyard!" Morningstar declared. "When my 'Cyspirit' Fusion Monster is destroyed, I can banish Cyspirit Fusion and shuffle Savage Shogun back into my Extra Deck. Then, I can Special Summon a Link-3 or lower 'Cyspirit' Link Monster from my Extra Deck and treat it as having been Link Summoned. Come, Winning Wrestler!" The large skeleton in black pants and cape with two championship belts crossed over its chest appeared and roared from the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Winning Wrestler ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"Hmm. So this is the strength of your Deck," Blood Shepherd noted. "When your monsters fall, another replaces it. A combination of utter defense and unstoppable offense. A pity it ultimately wasn't enough."

"Huh? What does he mean?" Cypher asked. "Isn't his Battle Phase over?"

"Drone Ascension's additional effect activates!" Blood Shepherd declared. "When General destroys your monster in the Extra Monster Zone, I can add a 'Drone' card from my Deck to my hand. I add Drone Launcher Unit from my Deck to my hand."

Morningstar's eyes widened. "I see you realize what my new card means. So I won't delay the end any further. I end my Battle Phase."

Morningstar frowned, but said, "Since your Battle Phase has ended, Half-Guard's effect lets me draw cards equal to the number of monsters you control that battled this turn."

"Four of your monsters battled, but only one remains on the field, so my partner only draws one card," Cypher said.

"I activate the Equip Spell Card: Drone Launcher Unit!" A pair of connected white and blue cannons appeared. "I equip it on Battledrone General!" The cannons attached to the topside of the black jet. "Drone Launcher Unit prevents you from targeting Battledrone General with your monsters' effects. And once per turn, I can inflict damage equal to the total Link Rating of all Link Monsters on the field times 100."

"Eh? But between Datastorm Dragon, Winning Wrestler, and Battledrone General, the combined Link Rating is-!"

"Ten!" Blood Shepherd declared, interrupting Cypher. "This is the end, false hunter!" The cannons charged with yellow energy and fired at Morningstar. The former bounty hunter grit his teeth as the blasts struck, creating an explosion and a smokescreen.

"Hmm. As I thought," Blood Shepherd said as the smoke spread. "Ultimately, without Ghost Girl or your support, you are nothing more than a failure."

"Are you sure about that?"

Blood Shepherd gasped as the smoke cleared, revealing a disheveled Morningstar that was still standing, his Life Points at 100. "What? How?"

"If I would take effect damage, I can banish Cyspirit Operation from my Graveyard instead," Morningstar answered. "I almost used it when you Tributed Drone Asteroid, but I thought you might have one final trick up your sleeve. And it looks like you did."

"Tch. You anticipated my moves?"

"It's not that hard; you're right about AIs being predictable, but so are humans. You just need to look hard enough to find the patterns. And yours are more obvious than you think."

Blood Shepherd growled and clenched his fist but then grunted and unclenched his fist. "You survived my count. Playmaker was the only one before you to do that. Well done. I Set one card. I end my turn. During the End Phase, Drone Ascension's effect ends, and Battledrone General's attack points return to normal."

 **Battledrone General ATK 3200→2400**

Cypher breathed a sigh of relief. "That was way too close. This guy's persistent."

"It's a side effect of being a bounty hunter; when your targets almost always run and have a lot of places to hide, you need to be extra determined to chase them."

"I suppose… huh?" Cypher looked up at his partner and blinked. "Morningstar… are you smiling?"

The former hunter looked down at the Ignis with a lop-sided grin. "Yeah. Why not?" He turned his gaze to Blood Shepherd. "Maybe it's the bounty hunter in me, or maybe it's the duelist, or maybe it's just that I'm human. But dueling like this, being pushed to the edge; it's exciting for me."

"…I'm not sure I understand," the Ignis admitted. "You're excited about losing?"

"About losing? No. I'm excited about being pushed. About surviving." Morningstar's smile became more even. "Don't worry about understanding it, Cypher. It's just a side effect of being human."

"Huh. Well, I'll take your word for it. That aside, I'd say we're in a good position. Even with fewer Life Points, Datastorm Dragon and Winning Wrestler should be all we need to win this."

The human's smile turned back into a smirk. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure; this is Blood Shepherd, after all; there's no way he would make it this easy."

"Eh? You think so?"

"Of course. I wouldn't. My turn! Draw!"

"Trap activate!" Blood Shepherd declared. "Drone Controller!" The card showed a black joystick in front of a computer screen that showed an aerial view of a desert. "When this card is activated, it is equipped to Battledrone General!" The black jet's red windows turned blue as it was enveloped in a blue aura. "Now, if the equipped monster battles your Link Monster, its attack points become double its attack points during damage calculation. And if it battles your non-Link Monster, it isn't destroyed by battle and I take no battle damage."

Morningstar's eyes narrowed. "That effect isn't an activated one," he noted.

"That means we can't use Cosmic Crusader's effect to negate it," Cypher finished. "Well, why don't we just destroy it?"

"That would be my first instinct. But…" Morningstar pulled up Blood Shepherd's Graveyard. "That Drone Rewind Counter Trap in his Graveyard; if I target his 'Drone' Spell or Trap Card, he can banish Drone Rewind to negate it. Then we can't target Drone Controller for the rest of the turn."

Morningstar closed his eyes and frowned deeply. "It seems I really have no choice," he muttered.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You'll see in a moment." Morningstar opened his eyes and took a card from his hand. "I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Gift! I discard Cyspirit Miner and draw two cards. I summon Cyspirit Sorceress!" A skeleton in a black dress wielding a black staff appeared.

 **Cyspirit Sorceress ATK 1400 DEF 400 LVL: 4**

"Sorceress's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position. Resurrect, Cyspirit Miner!" A skeleton in a prospector's uniform carrying a shovel appeared.

 **Cyspirit Miner ATK 1700 DEF 100 LVL: 4**

"That was the card he discarded for Gift's effect," Blood Shepherd muttered.

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' Normal Monster. I set Miner in the Link Marker!" Miner entered the left arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Odd Outlaw!" A skeletal cowboy wielding two pistols appeared at Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Odd Outlaw ATK 500 LINK-1** ←

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Samurai in my Graveyard! I Special Summon it to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker!" A skeleton in black and red armor appeared at Odd Outlaw's Link Marker in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Samurai ATK 1800 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"Appear again! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Samurai and Sorceress in the Link Markers!" The monsters entered the left and right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cysprit Thrilled Tunneler!" A skeleton in a prospector's uniform with a drill for a right arm appeared at Odd Outlaw's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"I Special Summon Cyspirit Valkyrie!" A female skeleton wearing white and silver armor appeared and swung her axe and sword while in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Valkyrie ATK 2100 DEF 400 LVL: 5**

"Valkyrie can be Special Summoned if I control a 'Cyspirit' monster. Next, I activate the Spell Card: Cyspirit Bypass! Since I control at least two 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters, I can Special Summon a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Deck. Come, Cyspirit Nova!" A small skeletal dragon wearing silver armor with no legs appeared and roared in Attack Position from Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Nova ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 3**

"Appear for a third time! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Nova and Valkyrie in the Link Markers!" The monsters entered the top and bottom arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Mad Mongrel!" A large armored dog emerged from the portal. It howled from Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↑↓

"What are you planning, partner?" Cypher asked. "I am, this is an impressive lineup, but if you're going for an Extra Link, you should have… Wait. Five 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters." Cypher's eyes widened. "You're going for-?"

"You have a better idea?"

"…No. It just seems wasteful to use it on him."

"There is no other bounty hunter more dangerous than Blood Shepherd," Morningstar said. "He is worthy of it."

"What are you two muttering about?" Blood Shepherd asked.

Morningstar closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened his eyes and pointed upwards. "Appear for a final time! The circuit between light and darkness!" His hand glowed with blue light, as did the entire field. Blood Shepherd gasped as a massive Link portal appeared beneath the duelists.

"What?" he said. "What is this?"

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' Link Monsters. I set Datastorm Dragon, Mad Mongrel, Odd Outlaw, Thrilled Tunneler, and Winning Wrestler in the Link Markers!" All five monsters turned into whirlwinds of silver energy and traveled upwards before arcing downwards. The whirlwinds hit the top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right, and bottom arrows, turning all of them red.

Blood Shepherd gasped again as a pillar of energy erupted from the center of the portal. "Five Link Markers? But that's-!"

The pillar of energy centered on the right Extra Monster Zone. Other orbs of light also floated through the air as Morningstar chanted.

"Circuit combine! The supreme authority that reigns over the closed world! Link Summon! Appear! Link-5! Cyspirit Superior Seraphim!" Four golden wings emerged from the pillar. They were followed by a large golden staff in the grasp of a golden skeletal hand. The pillar of light dissipated, revealing a massive monster in golden robes with silver lines running up and down. A headdress topped its skull and its blue eyes gleamed as it spread its wings from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Superior Seraphim ATK 3300 LINK-5** ↖↙↓↘↗

Blood Shepherd gasped. "… A Link-5 monster? There was no data on this monster…"

 _Of course there isn't,_ Morningstar thought. _No one caught it when Terminus and I dueled. And there were no other witnesses to my duel with Playmaker._

* * *

Playmaker, Soulburner, Galahad, and Persephone all gasped as the sphere shone with an internal light.

"This light… it feels like…" Playmaker's eyes widened in shock. "It couldn't be…!"

"Playmaker!" Ai said. "This feels like when we dueled Morningstar! Right at the end!"

"What is this power?" Flame said, his eyes wide. "I'm sensing a massive amount of energy. For it to be possible to sense it through the gate…"

"Guys! It's done!"

Playmaker and Soulburner gasped at Sachi's words over the comms. "Do it, Cam and Kusanagi!" Playmaker urged.

"Right! Here we go!" Cam and Kusanagi activated the program, prompting a message on their screens.

"Rescue program: ALL CLEAR. Access complete."

"Yes! It worked!"

* * *

"With Superior Seraphim here, the duel is over!" Morningstar declared. "Superior Seraphim's first eff-!"

He gasped as the mountains shook. Blood Shepherd fell to one knee as Battledrone General and Superior Seraphim disappeared in green light.

Morningstar looked around as the rocks and snow started to break down into green light. "The gate's falling apart!" Cypher realized.

"Cam and Kusanagi must have come through," Morningstar said softly.

"Damn it!" The former hunter turned back to Blood Shepherd. "We'll finish this later, Morningstar!"

"Wait, Blood Shepherd!" Morningstar cried out as the bounty hunter turned and ran. Then he looked down and saw the ground beneath him turn green. He cried out as it broke apart and he fell.

* * *

His cry ended when he landed on a hard surface. "Ow," he moaned. Opening his eyes, he looked around. He was back in LINK VRAINS, laying down on one of the islands.

"Morningstar!" The duelist looked up and saw that Playmaker and Soulburner were standing on a ledge above him. The duo jumped down as Morningstar picked himself up.

"Are you alright?" Soulburner asked worriedly.

Morningstar nodded. "Yeah. Bruised, but alright." He tapped his earpiece. "Cam, can you hear me?"

"Yep, I got you, Yasu," Cam reported.

"Next time you get trapped, make sure we can reach you, please."

Morningstar's eyes widened. "Sachi? You're there too?"

"I asked her to help with this. A good thing she did; she reminded Kusanagi and me that Blood Shepherd might have made changes to the gate program. That let us finish the rescue program."

"Hey, you okay, Morningstar?"

The teen blinked and looked up again, finally noticing another two figures.

"Huh? Who are you?" Cypher asked.

The young man face faulted. "Really?! Again?! Didn't Morningstar tell you about me, you stupid AI?"

"Hey, who are you calling stupid, you-!"

"You're Galahad, aren't you?" Morningstar interrupted. "I don't recognize your appearance, but I remember your voice."

Galahad's eye twitched, but he smiled. "Yeah, it's me. I figured I still owed you for the Tower of Hanoi crap, so Persephone and I helped your friends."

"SOL's bounty hunters attacked while you were trapped," Soulburner explained. "We wouldn't have won without them."

"You probably would have, but we made it happen faster," the girl said. She nodded at Morningstar. "A pleasure to finally meet you, former bounty hunter. I am Persephone."

Morningstar nodded back. "You too." He looked around again. "Where's Blood Shepherd?"

"Probably still around, which is why we should leave," Playmaker said. Then he smiled. "I'm glad you're okay, Morningstar. We should log out."

Morningstar and Soulburner both nodded, then all three logged out. The Charisma Duelists followed suit.

* * *

Yasutake blinked wearily as he returned to the real world. He opened the sealed room's door as he rubbed his eyes. "Cam, I- OOF!"

That last part was a result of a high-speed missile impacting his chest and knocking back against the wall of the sealed room. Blinking again, he realized said missile was Sachi, and she was hugging him while her face was pressed against his shoulder.

Yasutake sighed. "Sachi," he said tiredly. "I don't mind you hugging me, but could you please give me some warning? I almost fell over this time."

"…Sorry," she said softly. "I'm just… glad you're alright." She lifted her face. Yasutake had been worried she might be crying, but her eyes were dry. She smiled at him. "Welcome back, Yasu."

Yasutake smiled back. "Glad to be back."

"I'm sure you are." The two teens looked up, with Sachi turning around, to see Cam giving them a dry look. "I'm sure you have a lot of things you'd like to say or do, Sachi, but if you don't mind, could you say or do those things where your brother can't see you?"

"Huh?" Sachi blinked. Then the two teenagers realized how this looked: Yasutake pressed up against a wall, his arms wrapped lightly around Sachi's back, her arms wrapped tightly against his mid-section, her chest pressed just as tightly against his, and her head a few centimeters away from his. They promptly broke out blushing.

"S-Stop that!" Sachi said loudly as she disentangled herself from Yasutake. "S-Stop insinuating certain things!"

"Heh heh," Cypher laughed from Yasutake's Duel Disk. "You were right, Cam; it is funny to tease teenagers."

"C-Cypher!"

Yasutake glared at the Ignis, then his partner. "Is there something in particular you want to say, or did you just want to tease us?"

Cam chuckled as Sachi pouted. "As fun as teasing you two is becoming… yeah, there's something I want to say." His face turned serious as he looked his sister up and down. "Sachi."

Noticing his change of mood, Sachi's pout turned into a frown and her eyes narrowed. "Yes?"

"…I'm not happy about you risking yourself as Cassiel," Cam finally said. "Treating you like a child aside, you're still my sister and the only blood family I have. Worrying about you is just something I'm going to do."

He sighed. "But I know you; you're going to do this no matter how I feel. I guess stubbornness isn't a trait specific to Yasu." He looked from one teen to the other. "So, if you want to fight alongside Yasu, Yusaku, and Takeru, I won't stop you. You have my support."

Sachi's mouth opened slightly as she stared at her brother with wide eyes. "Cam…"

"IF," Cam raised a hand in front of her, "you accept training from Yasu and the others. If you're going to fight monsters like Blood Shepherd or Jester, you'll need every advantage you can get."

Sachi closed her mouth, screwed her face back into a serious look, and nodded. "Yes! I will!" Yasutake smiled behind her. He was going to look forward to training her.

"Well, it's nice that you can duel with us now," Cypher said. "I _really_ need to know. Where did you get the Cyangels?"

"Oh, well I got them from…"

* * *

Ghost Girl leaned back in her chair. "Well, that was unexpected." She shook her head. "Morningstar has a Link-5 monster, the first I've ever seen or heard of one." She smiled to herself. "Maybe it's good that Cam's program worked when it did. Otherwise I might have had to rescue Blood Shepherd from that thing."

* * *

"…HK, you have confirmation?"

"Statement: Yes, master. Scans identified the powerful energy surge from the fake gate as near identical to the scans from your own Link-5 monster. It is the Cyspirit piece of the Trinity."

"…Thank you, HK. Report to base. Tell them the fragment has appeared."

"Confirmation: Yes, master." HK-71 disappeared as it teleported. Once it left, Zahhak sighed.

"Damn it, Morningstar," he muttered. "I can't ignore you anymore; I had hoped you would get stronger so you would make our duel more exciting for me, but it seems I don't have a choice anymore."

He raised his hood and looked over LINK VRAINS. "If I want you to become the worthy opponent you're destined to be, if I want you to give me what I am searching for, it seems I'll have to give you the proper incentive."

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Blood Shepherd**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Blood Shepherd**

Blood Shepherd Normal Summons Drone Pawn (600/0/1). He Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyspirit Operation, which lets him add 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Swordsman to his hand. As Blood Shepherd controls a monster and he doesn't, Morningstar Special Summons Swordsman (1200/900/3) in Attack Position. As Swordsman was Special Summoned by its effect, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Kid to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Kid (300/200/1). Morningstar uses Kid to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Kid was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar can target and destroy 1 face-up card on Blood Shepherd's field. He destroys Drone Pawn. As his Level 4 or lower "Drone" monster was sent to the GY, Blood Shepherd activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Drone Production Line, which lets him add 1 "Drone" monster with a different name from his Deck to his hand. He adds Scud Drone from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar activates Cacophonic Caller's effect to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck to its Link Marker in Attack Position, but it cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. He Special Summons Cyspirit Coder (0/0/1) to Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker. As Coder was Summoned, its effect activates, letting Morningstar add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand, then send 1 card from his hand, field, or Deck to the GY. He adds Cyspirit Blast to his hand and sends Cyspirit License from his Deck to the GY. Morningstar uses Coder, Swordsman, and Cacophonic Caller to Link Summon Cyspirit Pied Pikeman (2400/3/↙↑→) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Blood Shepherd activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Drone Barricade, which prevents Morningstar's monsters from attacking directly and prevents Morningstar from targeting Blood Shepherd's Spell/Trap Cards on the field with effects except itself. As he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Linker (1700/800/4) to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker in Defense Position. Morningstar activates Pied Pikeman's effect, switching Linker to Attack Position to target and destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card on the field. Morningstar targets Drone Barricade. As Drone Barricade was targeted by Morningstar's card or effect, its effect activates, banishing it and Setting a 2nd Drone Barricade directly from his Deck. Blood Shepherd activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Drone Barricade. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Blast, targeting Pied Pikeman. Pied Pikeman's effects are negated until the End Phase and Blood Shepherd takes damage equal to half of Pied Pikeman's original ATK, but Morningstar cannot conduct his Battle Phase this turn (Blood Shepherd: 4000→2800 LP). Morningstar Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn. During his End Phase, as he controls a face-up "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit License in his GY, shuffling Cacophonic Caller back into his Extra Deck to Set Cyspirit License.

 **Turn 3: Blood Shepherd**

Blood Shepherd draws. Morningstar activates his Set Trap Card Cyspirit License. As he controls a face-up "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar takes no effect damage for the rest of the turn. Blood Shepherd Normal Summons Drone XL (400/400/2). As he controls a "Drone" monster, Blood Shepherd Special Summons Scud Drone (800/1100/3) in Attack Position. Blood Shepherd uses Drone XL and Scud Drone to Link Summon Battledrone Warrant (1200/2/←↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. As his Level 4 or lower "Drone" monster was sent to the GY, Drone Production Line's effect activates, and Blood Shepherd adds Drone Corporal from his Deck to his hand. As the Normal Summoned Drone XL was sent to the GY as Link Material, Blood Shepherd Special Summons 1 Drone Token (0/0/1) in Attack Position. Blood Shepherd uses Drone Token and Link-2 Battledrone Warrant to Link Summon Battledrone General (2400/3/←↓→) to the Extra Monster Zone. Blood Shepherd activates Battledrone General's effect to Special Summon 1 "Drone" monster in his GY to its Link Marker. He Special Summons Scud Drone (800/1100/3) in Attack Position. As Scud Drone was Special Summoned from the GY by the effect of a "Drone" monster, Blood Shepherd draws 1 card, but Scud Drone will be banished when it leaves the field. Blood Shepherd activates Battledrone General's effect to target 1 Level 4 or lower "Drone" monster he controls with 1000 or less ATK and allow that monster to attack Morningstar directly this turn. He targets Scud Drone.

Scud Drone attacks Morningstar directly (Morningstar: 4000→3200 LP). Battledrone General attacks and destroys Linker (Morningstar: 3200→2500 LP). Blood Shepherd activates the Continuous Spell Card Drone Unity. When his Attack Position "Drone" monster is attacked, that monster's ATK is increased by the total ATK of all other "Drone" monsters he controls. Blood Shepherd activates Drone Unity's effect to Tribute Scud Drone to draw 1 card. As Scud Drone left the field, it is banished. Blood Shepherd Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn. During his End Phase, as he controls no monsters in the Main Monster Zone, he can Special Summon Battledrone Warrant (1200/2/←↓) from his GY.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. As he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, he Special Summons Cyspirit Navigator (1300/1100/3) to Pied Pikeman's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Morningstar activates Pied Pikeman's effect, changing Navigator to Defense Position to destroy Drone Barricade. Blood Shepherd activates Drone Barricade's effect, banishing it and Setting a 3rd copy of Drone Barricade. Blood Shepherd activates the Continuous Trap Card Drone Barricade. As Blood Shepherd activated a Continuous Trap Card, Morningstar activates his Set Counter Trap Card Royal Surrender, negating the activation of Drone Barricade and destroying it. Morningstar uses Navigator and Link-3 Pied Pikeman to Link Summon Cyspirit Datastorm Dragon (2800/4/↙↑↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As he controls a "Drone" monster, Blood Shepherd activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Capture Drone, targeting Datastorm Dragon. Datastorm Dragon cannot be Tributed or used as Link Material, it cannot attack, and its effects are negated. In addition, Morningstar's Link Monsters cannot attack. Morningstar activates his Set Trap Card Cyspirit Backup, which lets him return 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster in his GY to his Extra Deck, then Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" Link Monster with a lower Link Rating than that monster. Morningstar returns Pied Pikeman to his Extra Deck and Special Summons Cyspirit Kooky Kommandant (1000/1/↘) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker. As the returned Pied Pikeman was Link-3, Morningstar draws 2 cards via Backup's effect. As it is linked to a Cyberse Link Monster, Morningstar activates Kooky Kommandant's effect, Tributing it to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position with its effects negated, then add 1 Level 8 or lower "Cyspirit" monster and 1 "Cyspirit" Spell Card from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar Special Summons Kid (300/200/1) and adds Cyspirit Samurai and Cyspirit Fusion from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar uses Kid to Link Summon Cyspirit Egregious Electrician (600/1/↙) to Datastorm Dragon's bottom Link Marker. As Kid was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar can destroy 1 face-up card Blood Shepherd controls. He destroys Drone Unity. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Fusion, fusing Cyspirit Samurai in his hand with Datastorm Dragon and Egregious Electrician to Fusion Summon Cyspirit Savage Shogun (2800/2300/8) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Because the monster targeted by Capture Drone left the field, Capture Drone is destroyed.

Savage Shogun can attack a number of times equal to the number of Link Monsters used as Fusion Material. 2 Link Monsters were used, so Savage Shogun can attack twice. Savage Shogun attacks Battledrone Warrant. Blood Shepherd activates his Set Trap Card Demolition Drone, Tributing Battledrone Warrant to halve all battle damage he takes this turn. A replay occurs and Savage Shogun attacks Battledrone General. As Savage Shogun is battling a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, it gains 1000 ATK during damage calculation (Savage Shogun: 2800→3800). Battledrone General is destroyed (Blood Shepherd: 2800→2100 LP) (Savage Shogun: 3800→2800). As his "Drone" Link Monster was sent to the GY by Morningstar's card, Drone Production Line's effect lets Blood Shepherd Set 1 "Drone" Spell/Trap Card directly from his Deck, but it cannot be activated this turn. Blood Shepherd Sets Drone Rewind. Savage Shogun attacks Blood Shepherd directly. As Morningstar's monster declared a direct attack, Blood Shepherd activates the effect of Drone Asteroid in his hand, discarding it to negate the attack. Drone Asteroid's effect then lets Blood Shepherd Special Summon Drone Tokens up to the number of monsters Morningstar controls. Blood Shepherd Special Summons 1 Drone Token (0/0/1) in Defense Position. Morningstar Sets 2 cards. He ends his turn. During his End Phase, he activates the effect of Cyspirit License in his GY, shuffling Navigator back into his Deck to Set Cyspirit License.

 **Turn 5: Blood Shepherd**

Blood Shepherd draws. As he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar activates the Trap Card Cyspirit License, which prevents him from taking effect damage this turn. As Morningstar activated a Spell/Trap Card, Blood Shepherd activates the Counter Trap Card Drone Rewind, which negates the activation of Cyspirit License and banishes it, then lets Blood Shepherd Special Summon 1 "Drone" monster from his GY. Blood Shepherd Special Summons Battledrone General (2400/3/←↓→). Blood Shepherd uses Drone Token to Link Summon Battledrone Sergeant (800/1/↓) to the Extra Monster Zone. Blood Shepherd Normal Summons Drone Corporal (1600/1200/4). Blood Shepherd then activates Battledrone General's effect to Special Summon 1 "Drone" monster from his GY at its Link Marker. Blood Shepherd Special Summons Drone Asteroid (1000/1000/3) to Battledrone General's right Link Marker in Attack Position. Blood Shepherd activates the effect of Battledrone General, targeting Drone Asteroid. During the Battle Phase, Drone Asteroid can attack directly.

Drone Corporal can attack directly, but the battle damage it inflicts is halved. Morningstar activates his Set Trap Card Cyspirit Half-Guard, discarding Cyspirit Firefighter to halve all battle damage he takes for this turn. The attack continues (Morningstar: 2500→2100 LP). As his "Drone" monster inflicted battle damage by a direct attack, Blood Shepherd activates Battledrone General's effect to Tribute Drone Corporal and inflict damage to Morningstar equal to its ATK. As an effect was activated that would inflict damage to him, Morningstar activates his Set Counter Trap Card Link Restart, negating the activation of Battledrone General's effect and Special Summoning Datastorm Dragon (2800/4/↙↑↓↘) from his GY. As Drone Corporal was sent to the GY, Blood Shepherd activates the effect of Drone Production Line to add Duplicate Drone from his Deck to his hand. Drone Asteroid attacks Morningstar directly (Morningstar: 2100→1600 LP). Battledrone General's effect activates, and Blood Shepherd Tributes Drone Asteroid (Morningstar: 1600→600 LP). As a "Drone" monster inflicted battle damage by attacking directly, Blood Shepherd activates Battledrone Sergeant's effect, allowing it to attack directly. Battledrone Sergeant attacks Morningstar directly. As Blood Shepherd's monster declared a direct attack, Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Firefighter in his GY, banishing it and halving his LP to negate the attack (Morningstar: 600→300 LP). Blood Shepherd activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Drone Ascension, which lets him Tribute 1 "Drone" monster and then increase 1 "Drone" monster's ATK by that monster's ATK. Blood Shepherd Tributes Battledrone Sergeant to increase Battledrone General's ATK (General: 2400→3200). Battledrone General attacks and destroys Savage Shogun (Morningstar: 300→100 LP). As his "Cyspirit" Fusion Monster was sent to the GY, Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Fusion in his GY, banishing it to shuffle Savage Shogun back into his Extra Deck, then Special Summon 1 Link-3 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his Extra Deck and treat it as having been Link Summoned. Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Winning Wrestler 2500/3/↙↓↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As the monster targeted by Drone Ascension destroyed a monster in the Extra Monster Zone by battle, Blood Shepherd can add 1 "Drone" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Drone Launcher Unit to his hand. At the end of the Battle Phase, Morningstar draws 1 card for each monster Blood Shepherd controls that battled due to Half-Guard's effect. Morningstar draws 1 card. Blood Shepherd activates the Equip Spell Card Drone Launcher Unit, equipping it to Battledrone General. While Drone Launcher Unit is equipped, Morningstar's monsters cannot target Battledrone General with their effects. Blood Shepherd activates Drone Launcher Unit's effect to inflict damage to Morningstar equal to the combined Link Rating of all Link Monsters on the field times 100. As he would take effect damage, Morningstar activates Cyspirit Operation's effect in his GY, banishing it instead. Blood Shepherd Sets 1 card. He ends his turn and Drone Ascension's effect ends (Battledrone General: 3200→2400).

 **Turn 6: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. Blood Shepherd activates his Set Trap Card Drone Controller, which then equips itself to his "Drone" monster. He equips it to Battledrone General. If the equipped monster would battle a non-Link Monster, it isn't destroyed by that battle and Blood Shepherd takes no damage. And if it battles a Link Monster, its ATK becomes double its ATK during damage calculation. Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Gift, which lets him discard 1 "Cyspirit" card to draw 2 cards. He discards Cyspirit Miner and draws. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Sorceress (1400/400/4). As Sorceress was Normal Summoned, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his GY in Attack Position. He Special Summons Cyspirit Miner (1700/100/4). Morningstar uses Miner to Link Summon Cyspirit Odd Outlaw (500/1/←) to Winning Wrestler's bottom Link Marker. Morningstar then activates Samurai's effect in his GY, Special Summoning it to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker (1800/1000/4) in Attack Position, but it cannot attack. Morningstar uses Samurai and Sorceress to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tuneler (1600/2/←→) to Odd Outlaw's Link Marker. Since he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Valkyrie (2100/400/5) in Attack Position. As he controls at least 2 "Cyspirit" Link Monsters, Morningstar activates the Spell Card Cyspirit Bypass to Special Summon 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons Cyspirit Nova (1500/1000/3) to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Nova and Valkyrie to Link Summon Cyspirit Mad Mongrel (2000/2/↑↓) to Thrilled Tunneler's left Link Marker. Morningstar uses Datastorm Dragon, Mad Mongrel, Odd Outlaw, Thrilled Tunneler, and Winning Wrestler to Link Summon Cyspirit Superior Seraphim (3300/5/↖↙↓↘↗) to the right Extra Monster Zone.

Kusanagi's and Cam's rescue program activates at this point, freeing Morningstar from Blood Shepherd's trap and canceling the Duel.

* * *

 _ **Cyspirit Operation Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _During your Main Phase: Add 1 Level 4 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from your Deck to your hand. If you would take damage from an opponent's card effect, you can banish this card from your GY instead. You can only activate 1 effect of "Cyspirit Operation" per turn, and only once per turn._

 _ **Drone Production Line Continuous Trap Card  
**_ _If your Level 4 or lower "Drone" monster is sent to the GY: You can add 1 "Drone" monster with a different name from your Deck to your hand. If your "Drone" Link Monster is sent to the GY by your opponent's card: You can Set 1 "Drone" Spell/Trap Card directly from your Deck. That card cannot be activated be activated the turn it is Set. You can only activate each effect of "Drone Production Line" once per turn._

 _ **Drone Rewind Counter Trap Card  
**_ _When your opponent activates a Spell/Trap Card: Negate the activation, and if you do, banish that card, and if you do that, you can target 1 "Drone" monster in your GY; Special Summon it. If your opponent targets your "Drone" Spell/Trap Card with their effect: You can banish this card from your GY; negate the activation of that effect, also for the rest of the turn, your opponent cannot target that card with their card effects._

 _ **Drone Ascension Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _Tribute 1 "Drone" monster you control and target 1 Link-2 or higher "Drone" monster you control with a different name; increase the targeted monster's ATK by the Tributed monster's ATK until the end of the turn. If the targeted monster destroys an opponent's monster in the Extra Monster Zone by battle: You can add 1 "Drone" card from your Deck to your hand. You cannot activate this card if "Drone Ascension" is in your GY._

 _ **Drone Controller Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Drone" monster you control; equip it with this card. If the equipped monster would battle your opponent's non-Link Monster with higher ATK than it, it isn't destroyed by that battle and you take no battle damage from that battle. If the equipped monster would battle your opponent's Link Monster with higher ATK than it, its ATK becomes double its current ATK during damage calculation only. At the start of your Standby Phase: Destroy this card._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 42 – Family and Pride. SOL Technologies has developed a new weapon in its attempt to capture the Ignis. Go Onizuka and Techbane, both of whom want power to defeat their enemies, face each other in a duel to decide which of them will wield this weapon…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

Who else, if anyone, should get their own Link-5 monsters? If they do, it won't happen until season 3, but still…

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Huh. Maybe it's because it was only one duel, but this chapter was much shorter than I thought it would be. Sorry it took so long; I've been watching _Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood_ on Netflix, and it's a fun watch. Not sure where I stand on the allegations against him, but there's no denying Vic Mignogna did a great job as Edward Elric.

The start of this chapter was the reveal of Morningstar's past with Blood Shepherd. I know it may seem trivial, but both of them are very proud people; being embarrassed by each other like they were stuck with them. It also gave Ghost Girl a chance to get her own payback on Blood Shepherd for using her as bait.

The majority of the chapter was the duel, which I was rather proud of. I hope I did a good job of showing just how persistent Blood Shepherd's dueling is and how durable Morningstar's Deck is. It was also a lot of fun writing two characters who are very intelligent duelists, know they are intelligent duelists, and know just how intelligent their opponent is. This in turn leads to a lot of one-upmanship, which was a lot of fun to write. As for the ending, well, once Superior Seraphim was on the board, I saw no reason to end it differently from the canon Blood Shepherd vs. Soulburner. And on Superior Seraphim being summoned, I thought Blood Shepherd was an appropriate opponent for Morningstar to go all out against, don't you?

The last part of the chapter was divided into three. First, we got Cam giving Sachi his permission to duel; she doesn't really need it, but it's an important character step for both of them. Then we had Ghost Girl's reaction to the duel, which I provided considering how close she is to Blood Shepherd and Morningstar. And finally, we had Zahhak. Nothing to say on that. Only that things are going to get intense in the next few chapters.

Thank you for reading Chapter 41 of Hidden Memories. Do you think I did Blood Shepherd justice? I hope so. I look forward to seeing you guys again in Chapter 42.


	42. Chapter 42: Family and Pride

**Responses to Reviews**

Thank you to D3lph0xL0v3r, savagemaster1999, HunterHQ, 0713MM, guardian of the aura Aurasoul, Guest, EternalKing, SakushiRyu, Ethan Kironus, animegamefanatic, ThePLOThand, ZarcEternal, DivadX, Lindia Fullmoon, Guest, King, Guest, Zero Shadow-01, and Guest for reviewing Chapter 41.

savagemaster1999: For your idea on Go and Techbane, I think this chapter will answer your question. As for my schedule, I tend to intersperse the two, releasing a chapter of Hidden Memories and then one of Fifth Circuit. But I've been busy playing Persona 5, so I've fallen behind schedule. But don't worry; I've finished Persona 5, so I should be able to work faster. At least until late October when Trails of Cold Steel III and the next expansion for SWTOR come out. As for D/D/D, I don't think I'll use that archetype in Hidden Memories, but I might use those names in Fifth Circuit.

animegamefanatic: As established in Chapter 39, Masako Himura gave Sachi the Cyangels. And her Ignis is the Gold Ignis.

DivadX: Yasutake's design? It wasn't based of off Joker or any character in particular. I didn't even know about Persona 5 when I started Hidden Memories. Cam doesn't have a design either, but I based Sachi off of C.C. from Code Geass, except with darker, shorter hair with different colored bangs and blue eyes. As for advice on writing, all I'll say is write how you want to write and try not to let reviewers influence you too much; it's your story not theirs.

Guest: Why are you telling me how to replace a chapter? I already know that.

Now, onto Chapter 42!

* * *

 **Chapter 42: Family and Pride**

"Yusaku!"

The teen, who had been walking down Den Academy's main avenue, turned to see Takeru running up to him.

"Are you going to see Kusanagi?" Takeru asked. "I'll go too. There's something I-."

"Fujiki!"

The duo turned to see Naoki walk out from behind a tree. "Have a moment? Huh?" he asked with a smug grin. "It won't take much time."

Takeru looked putout, but Yusaku remained stoic as ever. "Sorry, but I'm busy."

"You sure you want to say that?" Naoki asked. "It's important. I want to talk about your secret."

"…Don't worry about me," Takeru said, looking back at Yusaku, who also glanced back. "I'll go ahead. See you later!"

Takeru ran ahead, leaving Yusaku with Naoki. On his way out though, he saw another friend walking alone.

"Yasutake!" The former bounty hunter turned and looked at Takeru. "Are you going home? I thought Sachi would be with you?"

"She and Aoi are spending the day together," Yasutake explained. "What about you and Fujiki?"

"Well, I'm going to Kusanagi's, and Yusaku got held up by Shima."

Yasutake blinked. "Shima? What does Shima want?"

Takeru frowned. "He said it had to do with Yusaku's secret."

"Oh. I see."

Takeru blinked on seeing Yasutake's unconcerned expression. "Eh? You don't think it's something to worry about?"

The other boy shook his head. "Shima's an idiot. He probably means some other secret instead of the one you're thinking of." He looked back at Takeru. "You said you're going to see Kusanagi?"

"Yeah. I was hoping he could give me some hacking lessons." Takeru laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not that good with technology, and I'd like to get better. Maybe then I can contribute more."

Yasutake nodded. "That's not a bad idea. Actually…" His face turned slightly embarrassed. "Could you help me with something?"

"Sure. What?"

"Well… Kusanagi helped free me from Blood Shepherd's trap, so Sachi thought I should get him something to thank him. I was wondering if you had any ideas? A pastry from Café Junpei seems kinda half-assed."

Takeru blinked and smiled. "Sure. I can help you find something." _Cypher was right,_ he thought. _Yasutake is absolutely a tsundere._

* * *

Takeru's first suggestion had been the pizza that supported the revolution, but Yasutake had no idea what that was. When Takeru clarified that he meant Pizza Hut, Yasutake told him that there was no Pizza Hut in Den City. Takeru had been extremely disappointed about that but recovered quickly enough to suggest a burger instead.

"So Cypher isn't with you?" Flame asked. Takeru had taken his Duel Disk out and placed it on his wrist.

Yasutake shook his head. "I left him at Café Junpei. He was annoyed with himself that he didn't realize the gate was fake, so he said he would be looking over our data, see if there was anything we missed, and look for clues to the other Ignis." He rolled his eyes. "Honestly though, I'm pretty sure he'll just spend that time watching anime; he was just starting to get into something called Aldnoah dot Zero."

"I've heard of that one," Takeru said. "Though not much; just that the ending was controversial."

"I took a look at this 'Crunchyroll' Cypher introduced me to," Flame said. "It's not a bad website, but I just don't understand Cypher's devotion to it."

Yasutake nodded. "And I hope you never do." Then he frowned. "Do you hear something?"

"Huh?" Takeru blinked before frowning too. "Now that you-."

POW!

Yasutake blinked. A Duel Disk had fallen out of the sky and hit Takeru in the head, knocking the other boy onto his rear end.

"Oooowwww," Takeru moaned, rubbing his head. "What just happened?" He looked to the side and noticed the Duel Dusk. "Why did a Duel Disk fall from the sky?"

Flame emerged from Takeru's Duel Disk. "Den City is incredible. You can just pick up Duel Disks!"

"Wrong! I fell!" Yasutake blinked on realizing the Duel Disk's was Yusaku's as Ai stood up straight. And blinked again when he realized what the Ignis had done to the Duel Disk.

"What?" Flame gasped. "Ai, you can fly?"

Ai chuckled and spread his arms. "Ai-chan fly!"

Yasutake groaned as Takeru stared at Ai. "Is that a pun?"

"Takeru, I thought of something nice!" Flame said. "Put wheels on this Disk! And an engine. Then you won't need train fare to go home to the countryside."

Yasutake gave the Fire Ignis a flat glare. "I don't think that's possible."

"Hey, Takeru, Yasutake." The duo looked over at Kusanagi, who was wearing an apron. "I was expecting you, Takeru, but not Yasutake. Does Cam need something?"

Yasutake shook his head as Takeru stood up. "I'm here to thank you for helping free me from Blood Shepherd's trap. And Sachi suggested I should give you something nice, so here." He held up the burger bag.

Kusanagi chuckled. "It's not worth thanking me over."

Ai floated up to Kusanagi's chest level. "That's a hamburger!" he noticed. "You shouldn't bring that to a hotdog stand."

"Quiet!" Kusanagi flicked Ai in the face. "It's important to taste test your rivals. Thank you. I'll take it." He took the bag from Yasutake. "Why don't I get you two coffee?" The teen nodded in agreement.

"Umm…" The two youths turned to look at Ai. "An unrelated question, but where's Yusaku? And Sachi?"

"Yusaku is with some classmate named Shima," Flame informed him. "To talk about something important."

"Shima?" Ai repeated. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Don't worry, Shima's harmless," Yasutake assured him. "As for Sachi, she's hanging out with Aoi Zaizen today. But speaking of her…" He turned back to Takeru. "She'll need more training with the Cyangels if she's going to be fighting with us. Can you help?"

Takeru nodded. "Sure thing. Yusaku'll help too, I'll bet."

The two teens followed Kusanagi into Café Nagi, where they ended up having some hotdogs to go with the coffee.

"Thanks for the meal," Takeru said. He looked at the monitors. "This place is always impressive to see. All of your equipment is in here?"

"Equipment doesn't matter for hacking," Kusanagi said. "What's important is in here." He tapped his forehead with his right hand. "But I'm no match for Yusaku."

"The equipment here is roughly the same level as what Cam and I have," Yasutake said, taking a sip of coffee. "But ours is more specialized towards bounty hunting. And Kusanagi is right; a good hacker with mediocre equipment will get way more done than a bad hacker with the most recent technology."

Takeru shook his head. "Man, you guys are the perfect teams for LINK VRAINS. A duelist and a hacker for backup; that's a nigh unbeatable combo, right there."

Speaking of, why did you and Yusaku decide to team up?" The humans looked at Ai, who was looking at Kusanagi. "I never heard the story."

"That's a story I'm interested in," Flame spoke up. "Kusanagi will you tell us?"

Kusanagi smiled. "Oh, that's right; Ai wasn't here when Yusaku and I told Yasutake and Sachi our story. Well, I'm not adverse to telling it, but, Takeru…" His eyes narrowed. "My story starts with the Lost Incident. It may remind you about your past."

Takeru closed his eyes. "I don't mind," he assured Kusanagi. "As someone who also suffered from that incident please let me hear the story."

Kusanagi glanced at Yasutake, who shrugged. "I already heard this, but it won't hurt to hear it again. Go ahead."

Kusanagi nodded. "Okay."

The older man talked about how he got into hacking and how he investigated the Hanoi, which lead to him being rescued by Yusaku, who went by Unknown at the time. He then told them about their hunt for the Cyberse Deck to use against Hanoi and the dungeon they found it in. Yasutake couldn't help but admire the genius of whoever made that dungeon into a map of Den City's pier.

"Wow," Takeru said. "I wasn't expecting a story like that. So…" He turned to Yasutake. "What about you? How did Morningstar come to be?"

Yasutake shrugged. "Three years ago, Sachi was just like Kusanagi's brother. To support Cam and protect her, I became a bounty hunter. I found a rumor online about a powerful hidden Deck. Its location was protected by numerous difficult puzzles. I beat them, but found out the Deck wasn't there. Instead, I found another puzzle. Solving that led to the Cyspirits' location in the real world. After that, I took on the name Morningstar." He frowned in thought. "Though I still don't know who set up those puzzles."

He turned to look at Takeru. "What about you? What gave birth to Soulburner?"

Takeru blinked and chuckled. "It's embarrassing when you phrase it like that. But basically…" Takeru frowned. "After we were freed from the Lost Incident, I found out that my parents had died in a car accident while searching for me. I moved in with my grandparents, but… I wasn't motivated. Every day seemed to blend together. I was just filled with anger and hopelessness. I kept missing school; I didn't have friends except a girl named Kiku. It just felt like my time had stopped moving."

His frown turned into a sad smile. "But then I heard about the Tower of Hanoi and the heroes who defeated the Knights of Hanoi. Shortly after, Flame found me and told me that Playmaker and Den City were the keys to overcoming my past."

"It was an interesting first meeting," Flame remembered. "He originally thought I was a ghost possessing a Duel Disk and tried to crush me with a suitcase."

Yasutake blinked. "You're afraid of ghosts?"

Takeru frowned and fidgeted in his seat. "I'd… rather not talk about that. The Lost Incident… left other scars on me. But Flame helped me overcome them. Then we decided to come here, to Den City."

Kusanagi smiled. "You're fighting to move forward. That's what all of us are doing."

Yasutake nodded in agreement. "My time, and Sachi's time, were stopped by the incident, too. I tried to push forward through bounty hunting, but… sometimes it feels like I was just running away." He shook his head. "Not anymore, though. Sachi's awake, and we're both fighting for more than ourselves. It's time to stop running from the past, and to think about the future."

Kusanagi and Takeru both nodded, as did Flame and Ai. "I hope we'll be sharing that future," Ai said. "It'll feel lonely without all of you around."

* * *

Shizuka covered a yawn as she walked through SOL's hallways. "So, what is this about?" she asked her companion.

Yukaro shook his head. "I don't know any more than you. I just got a message from Zaizen to come here; it said he had something to show us."

Shizuka sighed. "Such a pain." Yukaro chuckled.

"Come now, Zaizen wouldn't waste our time," he chided. "I'm sure whatever he called us in for will be worth it." She grunted in response.

The two bounty hunters eventually arrived in one of SOL's labs, though they weren't the first to arrive. Akira Zaizen, Hayami, Go Onizuka, and two scientists were also there, all standing around a table. They all turned to watch Yukaro and Shizuka walk in. The latter noticed that Go was frowning, as was Akira, though both quickly reorganized their features.

"Hey, Chief Zaizen!" Yukaro said in greeting. "What's the occasion?"

Akira nodded at the table. "This."

The two walked up and looked down. It was a green and silver container holding what appeared to be a chip.

"What is it?" Shizuka asked.

"It is a Duel AI implant chip that our company developed," the male scientist explained.

Yukaro looked at him in confusion. "Implant chip?"

"Like it says, the chip is implanted into the brain," the female scientist said.

"In the brain?" Shizuka's visible eye narrowed slightly.

"By implanting this duel chip, the brain's thought capabilities expand," the man continued. "And you can duel better than normal people."

Yukaro frowned. "Why are you showing us this?" His eyes widened. "Wait, you mean-."

"Yes," Akira said. He started walking towards the exit and motioned the others to follow him. "All three of you have failed to capture the Ignis. As such, Queen has provided this chip to make you stronger. However, we only have the one, so only one of you can use it."

"You're telling me I need an AI's help?" Go asked. The scientists had stayed behind, leaving Akira, Hayami, Go, Yukaro, and Shizuka to walk to Akira's office.

"That chip is in the experimental phase," Akira explained. "There's considerable risk. Worst case scenario, if any of you decide to accept it, you won't be yourself anymore."

"Then I'll pass." They turned to look at Shizuka, who was glaring at Akira. "There's no way in hell I'm letting an AI inside my head. I'll win with my own strength."

Akira nodded, unfazed by the rejection. "That's alright. The chip is only an offer. And by making this offer, I've fulfilled my professional duties." He turned to Go and Yukaro. "Like Ms. Midori, you two can refuse as well."

Go smirked. "Your methods are dirty. You guide us to the gates of hell, but you don't care what happens afterwards."

"I'm just an employee," Akira defended.

Go frowned and then nodded. "I'll use that chip. I've decided to get stronger. No matter how."

"Hang on," Yukaro said with a frown. "I need to get stronger for the bounty, too. I'll take the chip."

Go turned to him, his frown deepening. "I'm the strongest duelist here; the one best suited to handle the chip's power. And I need to defeat Playmaker."

"Well I need to fulfill this bounty," Yukaro countered. "I need to get stronger for that, and this chip is the best way I can go about doing that."

"Then why don't you two compete for it?"

They all turned as a woman with blue and green hair wearing a lab coat walked up to them.

"Queen!" Akira exclaimed in surprise.

"Truthfully, it doesn't matter to me which one of you uses the chip," she said. "Either one of you can provide me with great data from it. So why don't you decide among yourselves through a duel?"

Go and Yukaro looked at each other and then nodded. "We'll decide who gets the chip through dueling," Go said.

Akira frowned but nodded. "Very well. Let's head to one of the test areas."

The quartet, now a quintet with Queen joining them, took a different turn and entered an empty area overlooked by an observation booth. Akira, Shizuka, and Queen headed into the booth while Go and Yukaro stayed in the room.

Akira flipped some switches while Queen and Shizuka sat down in chairs on opposite sides of him. Shizuka glanced at the SOL executive and scowled lightly before refocusing on her fellow hunters.

"Everything's set," Akira reported. "Are you two ready?" They nodded. "Then go ahead."

Go and Yukaro raised their Duel Disks. "Into the VRAINS!" they declared as their Duel Disks shone with blue light.

Shizuka watched as the room they were watching was digitized. Go gained a visor that covered his eyes while Yukaro's appearance changed to Techbane's.

"This virtual reality is separate from LINK VRAINS, right?" she asked Akira, who nodded.

"This is a specialized area where we test new cards and potential features for LINK VRAINS," he explained. Shizuka frowned but nodded in understanding.

"Go, I respect you as a duelist," Techbane said. "But I need that chip to achieve my goals."

"And I need it to achieve mine. To move forward," Go said, raising his Duel Disk.

"Duel!" they shouted.

 **Go Onizuka: 4000 LP**

 **Techbane: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn!" Go declared. "By discarding Dinowrestler Systegosaur, I can Special Summon Dinowrestler Iguanodraka!" A humanoid red-skinned dinosaur wearing yellow armor appeared and roared in Attack Position.

 **Dinowrestler Iguanodraka ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 6**

"I end my turn."

"My turn! Draw! By discarding Cyber Dragon, I Special Summon Cyber Dragon Nachster!" A small silver dragon with short wings appeared and roared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon Nachster ATK 200 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Nachster's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one Machine monster with 2100 attack or defense points from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyber Dragon!" A larger silver dragon appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5**

"I Summon Cyber Dragon Core!" A thin metal dragon with a red light in its center appeared.

 **Cyber Dragon Core ATK 400 DEF 1500 LVL: 2**

"Core's monster effect! When it is Normal Summoned, I can add a 'Cyber' Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand. I add Cybernetic Overflow to my hand." Techbane raised his right hand. "Appear! The circuit of mechanical evolution. The summoning conditions are two Machine monsters including Cyber Dragon! Due to their effects, Core and Nachster are treated as Cyber Dragon while on the field or in the Graveyard. I set Core and Nachster in the Link Markers! Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyber Dragon Sieger!" A large silver metal dragon with blue hexagons running up its body emerged from the Link portal, summoned to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyber Dragon Sieger ATK 2100 LINK-2** ←↓

"Battle! At this point, Sieger's effect activates! By targeting Cyber Dragon, it gains 2100 attack and defense points until the end of the turn!"

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100→4200 DEF 1600→3700**

"Now, Sieger attacks Iguanodraka!" The dragon fired blue energy at the humanoid dinosaur.

 _I see,_ Shizuka thought, narrowing her eyes. _He's planning to destroy Iguanodraka with Sieger and then attack directly with Cyber Dragon for a one-turn kill._

"I activate the effect of Dinowrestler Martial Anga in my hand!" Go declared. "When you attack my monster, I can send Martial Anga to the Graveyard to prevent my monster's destruction by battle!" The beam struck Iguanodraka, but the dinosaur withstood it.

Techbane grit his teeth. "Due to Sieger's effect, neither of us takes battle damage from battles involving it this turn."

"Martial Anga's effect also ends the Battle Phase," Go informed Techbane, which made him scowl.

"I Set one card. I end my turn. Sieger's effect ends and Cyber Dragon's attack points return to normal."

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 4200→2100 DEF 3700→1600**

"During your End Phase, Martial Anga's additional effect activates! Since you control more monsters than I do, I can Special Summon Martial Anga in Attack Position!" A humanoid purple dinosaur wearing a pink vest appeared and roared.

 **Dinowrestler Martial Anga ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 5**

"My turn! Draw!" Go looked at his card, then gestured to his field. "Iguanodraka's monster effect! Once per turn, I can Tribute a Dinosaur monster to Special Summon a different 'Dinowrestler' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. I Tribute Martial Anga to Special Summon Dinowrestler Systegosaur!" Martial Anga disintegrated and was replaced by a green humanoid dinosaur with spines on its back.

 **Dinowrestler Systegosaur ATK 1900 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Systegosaur's monster effect! When it is Special Summoned, I can add a 'Dinowrestler' monster or World Dino Wrestling from my Deck to my hand. I'll add the latter to my hand, then Normal Summon Dinowrestler Capaptera!" A humanoid pterodactyl wearing orange robes appeared.

 **Dinowrestler Capaptera ATK 1600 DEF 0 LVL: 3**

"I've been meaning to ask," Techbane said. "I know you used Goukis when you were a Charisma Duelist. Why give that Deck to Kenmochi and Yoroizaka and use Dinowrestlers instead?"

"My Gouki Deck was the Deck I used to entertain and inspire children," Go answered. "I've cast that part of me aside. To move forward and become stronger, I'll use the Dinowrestlers to achieve my goal!" Akira and Shizuka frowned slightly at Go's words before he pointed upwards. "Appear, my circuit! The summoning conditions are two 'Dinowrestler' monsters. I set Iguanodraka and Systegosaur in the Link Markers!" His dinosaurs became whirlwinds that entered the top and left arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio!" A gray-skinned humanoid dinosaur wearing red and purple armor over its shoulders and around its waist appeared and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio ATK 1000 LINK-2** ←↑

"I activate the Field Spell Card: World Dino Wrestling! While I control a 'Dinowrestler' monster, only one monster can attack during each Battle Phase. Terra Parkourio's effect activates! As I activated World Dino Wrestling, I can add a 'Dinowrestler' monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I return Martial Anga to my hand."

Go pointed upwards again. "Appear again, my circuit! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Dinowrestler' monsters. I set Capaptera and Link-2 Terra Parkourio in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Dinowrestler King T Wrextle!" A massive humanoid dinosaur with purple and red skin and dinosaur bones attached to its shoulders appeared and roared from the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 3000 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"Capaptera's effect activates! As it was used to Link Summon, King T Wrextle gains 1000 attack points until the end of the turn!"

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 3000→4000**

"Furthermore, since Terra Parkourio was used to Link Summon, I can Special Summon a 'Dinowrestler' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position with its effects negated. Resurrect, Iguanodraka!" The red dinosaur in a yellow vest reappeared.

 **Dinowrestler Iguanodraka ATK 2000 DEF 0 LVL: 6**

"I activate the Spell Card: Dino Reserve!" The card showed a forest with Terra Parkourio walking through it on four legs. "This card moves my 'Dinowrestler' Link Monster to a Main Monster Zone it points to. I move King T Wrextle to my center Main Monster Zone. Then, Dino Reserve lets me draw two cards!"

Techbane grit his teeth. "I see you're attempting to counter my Chimeratech Megafleet Dragon."

"I took a look at your duel data, yes," Go said. "Next, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Dinomuscle! While this card is active, my 'Dinowrestler' monsters gain 400 attack points. And the first time each turn they would be destroyed by battle or card effects, they aren't destroyed!"

 **Dinowrestler Iguanodraka ATK 2000→2400**

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 4000→4400**

Techbane gasped and then scowled. _Damn it!_ he thought. _I shouldn't have waited to use Cybernetic Overflow! Now it's useless!_

"Battle! King T Wrextle attacks Cyber Dragon! King T Wrextle's effect activates! When it attacks, you cannot activate Spell or Trap Cards!"

"But I can activate monster effects!" Techbnae retorted. "I activate Sieger's effect to increase Cyber Dragon's attack and defense points by 2100!"

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100→4200 DEF 1600→3700**

"At this point, World Dino Wrestling's effect activates! When my 'Dinowrestler' monster attacks, it gains 200 attack points during damage calculation."

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 4400→4600**

"Go! Jurassic Howl!" King T Wrextle roared, producing shockwaves that blasted Cyber Dragon and disintegrated it. Techbane grunted from the damage.

 **Techbane: 4000→3600 LP**

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle 4600→4400**

"I activate the effect of Dino Reserve in my Graveyard!" Go continued. "Since my 'Dinowrestler' Link Monster destroyed your monster, I can banish Dino Reserve so King T Wrextle can attack again!" Techbane gasped in surprise. "Attack once more! And once again, World Dino Wrestling's effect activates!"

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle 4400→4600**

"Go! Jurassic Howl!" King T Wrextle roared again, destroying the silver and blue dragon.

"Due to Sieger's effect, I take no battle damage!" Techbane reminded Go.

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 4600→4400**

"I end my turn," Go said. "With that, Capaptera's effect ends and King T Wrextle's attack points return to normal."

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 4400→3400**

"My turn! Draw!" Techbane looked at his card, then played it. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Double Cyclone! I destroy one of my Spell or Trap Cards to destroy one of yours!" Go gasped. "I destroy my Set card and your Dinomuscle!" Go braced himself as the cards shattered. "With Dinomuscle gone, your monsters' attack points return to normal."

 **Dinowrestler Iguanodraka ATK 2400→2000**

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 3400→3000**

"The destroyed Cybernetic Overflow's effect now activates! When it is destroyed by an effect, I can add a 'Cyber' Spell or Trap Card from my Deck to my hand." He took the card and then gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Cyber Dragon Core in my Graveyard! Since you control a monster and I don't, I can banish Core to Special Summon a 'Cyber Dragon' monster from my Deck. Come to me, Cyber Dragon Nachster!" Another small silver and blue dragon with wings appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon Nachster ATK 200 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Nachster's effect activates! Resurrect, Cyber Dragon!" The metal dragon reappeared and roared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Dragon ATK 2100 DEF 1600 LVL: 5**

"I summon Cyber Dragon Zwei!" A mechanical serpent with yellow lines on its body appeared and roared.

 **Cyber Dragon Zwei ATK 1500 DEF 1000 LVL: 4**

"Zwei's monster effect! Once per turn, by revealing a Spell Card in my hand, Zwei's name becomes Cyber Dragon until the End Phase. I reveal Cyberload Fusion!"

Go's eyes narrowed behind his visor. _He changed his dragon's name to Cyber Dragon. And Nachster's effect changes its name to Cyber Dragon when it is on the field or in the Graveyard._ He gasped. _Is he-?_

"I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Cyberload Fusion!" Techbane declared. "By shuffling Cyber Dragon, Nachster, and Vier, with the latter two treated as Cyber Dragon by their effects, back into my Deck, I perform a Fusion Summon!" His monsters disintegrated into particles that formed a vortex. Three whirlwinds, colored, red, blue, and green, emerged from the vortex before merging into a purple tornado.

"The mechanical dragon that rules the world. Become one with your brethren and take flight!" Techbane chanted. "Fusion Summon! Rise! Cyber End Dragon!" A massive silver mechanical dragon with three heads and giant wings emerged from the tornado, roaring from the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyber End Dragon ATK 4000 DEF 2800 LVL: 10**

Go grit his teeth. "4000 attack points," he muttered. "This is bad."

"Battle!" Techbane said. "Cyber End Dragon attacks Iguanodraka!"

 _Cyber End Dragon inflicts piercing battle damage,_ Shizuka thought. _Iguanodraka has 0 defense points. Go'll take 4000 points of damage and lose. And since it doesn't reduce battle damage, the Martial Anga in his hand won't help him this time._

"Go! Eternal Evolution Burst!" The metal dragon fired three bursts of energy from its mouth at the humanoid dinosaur.

"I activate the effect of Dinowrestler Martial Ampelo in my hand!" Go declared. "By discarding it, my 'Dinowrestler' monster isn't destroyed by battle and the battle damage is halved!" The streams hit Iguanodraka, who cried out in pain but remained on the field.

"But Cyber End Dragon inflicts piercing battle damage!" Techbane reminded Go. The blasts created a shockwave that pushed Go back and made him cry out in pain.

 **Go Onizuka: 4000→2000 LP**

"Oh?" Queen mused. "2000 points of damage at once? My, Techbane isn't holding back."

Techbane frowned at Go. "You discarded your Gouki Deck to become stronger, right?" he asked. "How is that working for you? If you were using it now, would you be winning?"

Go grit his teeth. Techbane sighed. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. Gouki or Dinowrestler, it doesn't matter. I need to defeat you. For my grandfather's sake."

Go and Akira gasped. "Your grandfather?" Go repeated.

"Yes," Techbane said. "Blood Shepherd said I was Kaiser Ryo's descendant; he was right. I am the heir to the Cyber Style, which was taught to me by my grandfather. But now, my grandfather is sick and needs treatment." He scowled and clenched his fist. "I need to win this bounty! The amount is more than enough to pay for the last treatments! For my grandfather's life, I need that AI chip! I need to become stronger for him! And I'll do what I must to win! I Set one card. I end my turn."

"Techbane," Go muttered, frowning to himself. He closed his eyes and lowered his head. _Fighting for more than himself? There's nothing wrong with that. It's honorable. And to fight for family, to save someone close to you; I can only offer respect to you, Techbane, for fighting as you do._

 _But…_ Go opened his eyes. _I have my own reasons to fight. Ever since the Tower of Hanoi, no, ever since Playmaker first appeared, I've felt like nothing matters. All everyone wanted to talk about was Playmaker. Yes, he succeeded in stopping the Tower, but it was like everyone else's contributions were ignored! He was the hero, and everyone else were stepping stones. Me, Galahad, Blue Angel, even Morningstar… the only one who was acknowledged was Playmaker. And since then…_

He clenched his right fist. _Ever since the Tower fell, I've felt aimless. That nothing I did mattered. Like… like my time has stopped moving. That's why I'm doing this. To make my time move forward again. So that I can walk ahead into the future. To do that… I must defeat Playmaker! I need to prove I'm the strongest! So I can move forward!_

 _That's why I'll fight for this AI chip. That's why I'll win it. I'm sorry, Techbane, but to make my time move forward again, I have to win this duel!_

"My turn! Draw!" Go looked at his card and then played it. "I activate the Spell Card: Card of Variation! This lets me draw two cards, but during my End Phase, I must discard a card or take 3000 points of damage."

"A risky gambit," Akira noted.

"I activate the Spell Card: Spacetime Transcendence! By banishing two or more Dinosaur monsters from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Dinosaur monster from my hand or Graveyard whose Level equals the banished monsters'. I banish the Level 1 Martial Ampelo and Level 3 Capaptera to Special Summon Level 4 Systegosaur from the Graveyard!" The green dinosaur with spines on its back reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Dinowrestler Systegosaur ATK 1900 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Systegosaur's effect activates! I add Dinowrestler Pankratops from my Deck to my hand. Then, I Tribute Iguanodraka and Systegosaur to Tribute Summon Pankratops!" A large gray humanoid triceratops wearing a green vest and purple pants appeared and roared.

 **Dinowrestler Pankratops ATK 2600 DEF 0 LVL: 7**

"Pankratops' monster effect! By Tributing one 'Dinowrestler' monster, I can target and destroy one of your cards! I Tribute King T Wrextle to destroy Cyber End Dragon!"

 _Another risky gambit,_ Shizuka thought with a frown. The Link Monster and Fusion Monster both disintegrated at Go's words, making Techbane grit his teeth. But then he gestured to his field.

"Trap activate!" he declared to Go's surprise. "Puzzle Reborn! Since my monster was destroyed by a card effect, I can Special Summon that monster. Resurrect, Cyber End Dragon!" The three-headed mechanical dragon reappeared and roared in Attack Position.

 **Cyber End Dragon ATK 4000 DEF 2800 LVL: 10**

Akira blinked. "He anticipated his monster's destruction?"

Techbane smirked. "Cyber End Dragon has 4000 attack points. Most duelists don't have monsters that would be able to naturally reach that high. So I figured you would try to destroy it with an effect. And now you've lost your ace monster."

"Is that what you think?"

Techbane gasped at Go's words. "I activate the Spell Card: Dino Fossilization!" The card showed a skeleton that resembled King T Wrextle on display at a museum. "By paying 1000 Life Points and Tributing a Level 8 or lower 'Dinowrestler' monster, I can Special Summon a 'Dinowrestler' Link Monster from my Graveyard. I Tribute Pankratops to Special Summon King T Wrextle!" The triceratops disintegrated and was replaced by the large purple and red dinosaur.

 **Go Onizuka: 2000→1000 LP**

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 3000 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"Dino Fossilization's second effect then increases King T Wrextle's attack points by Pankratops' attack points until the end of the turn!"

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 3000→5400**

"5-5400 attack points?!" Techbane said in surprise.

"So it wasn't a gamble," Shizuka muttered.

"The monster summoned by Dino Fossilization can't attack directly," Go said with a smirk. "So thank you for bringing back Cyber End Dragon." Techbane grit his teeth. "Battle! King T Wrextle attacks Cyber End Dragon! At this point, World Dino Wrestling's effect activates!"

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 5400→5600**

"Jurassic Howl!" King T Wrextle roared and destroyed Cyber End Dragon in a massive explosion. Techbane cried out as he was knocked off his feet and landed on his back.

 **Techbane: 3600→2000 LP**

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 5600→5400**

"I Set one card. I end my turn. During the End Phase, Dino Fossilization's effect ends, and I discard Martial Anga for Card of Variation's cost."

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 5400→3000**

Techbane breathed heavily as he pushed himself up to one knee. _D-Damn it,_ he thought. _I thought I had him, but he bounced back right then and there._ He grit his teeth. _Still, I can't give up. My grandfather's depending on me!_

 _Is he though?_

Techbane gasped at the voice. _He does not approve of your actions. How do you know he would approve of this? Do you think he would even accept your help? Why are you trying to prove yourself to someone who doesn't care?_

 _T-That's a lie!_ he thought. _My grandfather does care for me! He acknowledged me as heir!_

 _Until you stole the Cyber Dragon Deck,_ the traitorous voice whispered. _Until you sought to wield it before you were ready. How do you know this will end differently?_

"It will," he whispered, pushing himself to standing position. "I'm going to win this! I'm strong enough to do this! I'm strong enough to win!"

He grit his teeth and played his hand on his Duel Disk. "My turn! Draw!" On seeing the card, his eyes widened and then narrowed. _So… this is my choice._ He closed his eyes, nodded, then reopened them. "I pay half my Life Points to activate the Spell Card: Cybernetic Fusion Support!"

 **Techbane: 2000→1000 LP**

"What?" Go asked. "Why would you do that?"

"Because in exchange, if I Fusion Summon a Machine monster this turn," Techbane explained, "I can banish monsters from my hand, field, and Graveyard as the materials." Go's and Akira's eyes widened. "Next, I activate the Spell Card: Power Bond! This lets me Fusion Summon a Machine Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck. Using Cybernetic Fusion Support's effect, I fuse Nachster, Sieger, and Cyber End Dragon in my Graveyard!" The three dragons he spoke of all reappeared on his field before disintegrating into red, blue, and green particles.

The particles swirled into a vortex before three different-colored tornados burst out. The tornados merged into a single violet twister as Techbane chanted. "The everlasting dragon that exists above the world! Manifest in our reality! Fusion Summon! Take flight! Level 10! Cyber Eternity Dragon!" A massive serpentine mechanical dragon emerged from the whirlwind. It had white skin with green hexagons spread over its body. The dragon roared loudly from the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyber Eternity Dragon ATK 2800 DEF 4000 LVL: 10**

"Power Bond's additional effect activates! The Fusion Summoned monster gains attack points equal to its original attack points!"

 **Cyber Eternity Dragon ATK 2800→5600**

Go gasped. "5600 attack points?"

"Go has 1000 Life Points left," Shizuka noted. "A single attack will end it."

"Battle!" Techbane declared. "Cyber Eternity Dragon attacks King T Wrextle!" The dragon gathered blue energy in its maw, which it fired at Go's dinosaur.

Go narrowed his eyes. _Techbane, you're fighting for a good reason. But… I need to win this duel!_ "Trap activate!" he declared. "Fiery Fervor!"

Techbane gasped. "A Trap?"

"Fiery Fervor equips itself to King T Wrextle!" Go continued. "And as you control a monster whose current attack points are higher than its original attack points, King T Wrextle's attack points become double its original attack points during the Damage Step!"

"WHAT?!"

A fiery aura surrounded King T Wrextle as he loudly roared.

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 3000→6000**

"Counterattack, King T Wrextle!" The monster roared a powerful sonic blast that struck the blue beam and pushed it back, ultimately dissipating it. The roar continued onwards and struck the large dragon, destroying it and making Techbane cry out.

 **Techbane: 1000→600 LP**

 **Dinowrestler King T Wrextle ATK 6000→3000**

Techbane looked over his empty field and grit his teeth. He lowered his head and reluctantly said. "I end my turn. During the End Phase, Power Bond's effect inflicts damage to me equal to my Fusion Monster's attack points."

A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky and struck Techbane, creating a large explosion. When the smoke cleared, the man was on his knees.

 **Techbane: 600→0 LP**

Queen smiled as the virtual reality faded and Go and Yukaro returned to their real-world appearances. "Well, it looks like Go Onizuka will be our test subject. I look forward to the data he'll give me." She walked out of the room, not looking back at the two duelists. Akira looked down at them, a frown on his face, before following her. Shizuka stared at the duo and sighed.

 _I'll need to tell Diana about this,_ she thought as she turned and headed for the door as well.

Go looked down at his fist and clenched it. _I won,_ he thought. _This is the first step to reclaiming myself. With that AI chip, I'll defeat Playmaker!_

Go left the room without glancing back. If he had, he would have witnessed Yukaro punching the floor.

"Damn it," he muttered. "I need to get stronger. But how can I get stronger when I keep losing? How can I help my grandfather like this?" He grit his teeth. "I… I need to get stronger!"

* * *

The man looked down at his laptop as he waited for his flight. It was showing a video feed. A feed of a man on his hands and knees, punching the floor after losing.

The viewer opened a file and read through it before smiling. _Well, perhaps this venture will be more profitable than I expected._

He glanced up as a tone echoed over the airport's speaker, followed by a woman speaking Dutch. "Attention: we are beginning boarding for flight SN2371 bound to Den City. Repeat: now boarding for flight SN2371 bound for Den City."

He smiled again as he closed his laptop and the message was repeated in French and German. Stowing it into his hand luggage, he stood up and stretched.

He sighed as he picked up his bag. _I'm starting to get too old for this,_ he thought. _Though I wonder how the others are doing._ He walked towards his flight's gate, a smile on his face. _I hope they leave some excitement for me._

* * *

 **Go Onizuka vs. Techbane**

This Duel is conducted as a Master Duel.

 **Turn 1: Go**

Go activates the effect of Dinowrestler Iguanodraka in his hand, discarding Dinowrestler Systegosaur to Special Summon it (2000/0/6) in Attack Position. Go ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Techbane**

Techbane draws. He activates the effect of Cyber Dragon Nachster in his hand, discarding Cyber Dragon to Special Summon it (200/200/1) in Attack Position. Since Nachster was Special Summoned, Techbane can Special Summon 1 Machine monster with 2100 ATK or DEF from his GY. He Special Summons Cyber Dragon (2100/1600/5) in Attack Position. Techbane Normal Summons Cyber Dragon Core (400/1500/2). As Core was Normal Summoned, Techbane can add 1 "Cyber" Spell/Trap Card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cybernetic Overflow to his hand. Techbane uses Core and Nachster to Link Summon Cyber Dragon Sieger (2100/2/←↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone.

At the beginning of the Battle Phase, Techbane activates Sieger's effect, targeting Cyber Dragon. Cyber Dragon gains 2100 ATK/DEF, and neither player takes battle damage from battles involving Sieger this turn (Cyber Dragon: 2100→4200/1600→3700). Sieger attacks Iguanodraka, but Go activates the effect of Dinowrestler Martial Anga in his hand, sending it to the GY to prevent Iguanodraka's destruction by battle. Sieger's effect prevents Go from taking battle damage. After the battle, Martial Anga's effect ends the Battle Phase. Techbane Sets 1 card. He ends his turn, and Cyber Dragon's ATK/DEF returns to normal (Cyber Dragon: 4200→2100/3700→1600). During the End Phase, as Techbane controls more monsters than Go, Go Special Summons Martial Anga (1600/0/5) from the GY in Attack Position.

 **Turn 3: Go**

Go draws. He activates the effect of Iguanodraka to Tribute 1 Dinosaur monster he controls to Special Summon 1 "Dinowrestler" monster from his GY in Defense Position. Go Tributes Martial Anga and Special Summons Systegosaur (1900/0/4). As Systegosaur was Special Summoned, Go can add 1 "Dinowrestler" monster or World Dino Wrestling from his Deck to his hand. He adds World Dino Wrestling to his hand. Go Normal Summons Dinowrestler Capaptera (1600/0/3). Go uses Iguanodraka and Systegosaur to Link Summon Dinowrestler Terra Parkourio (1000/2/←↑) to the Extra Monster Zone. Go activates the Field Spell Card World Dino Wrestling. As Go activated World Dino Wrestling, Terra Parkourio's effect activates, and Go adds 1 "Dinowrestler" monster from his GY to his hand. He adds Martial Anga to his hand. Go uses Capaptera and Link-2 Terra Parkourio to Link Summon Dinowrestler King T Wrextle (3000/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. As Capaptera was sent to the GY to Link Summon a "Dinowrestler" Link Monster, that monster gains 1000 ATK until the end of the turn (King T Wrextle: 3000→4000). As Terra Parkourio was sent to the GY as Link Material, Go can Special Summon 1 "Dinowrestler" monster from his GY in Defense Position with its effects negated. He Special Summons Iguanodraka (2000/0/6). Go activates the Spell Card Dino Reserve, which lets him move 1 "Dinowrestler" Link Monster he controls to his zone it points to, then draw 2 cards. He moves King T Wrextle to his center Main Monster Zone and draws. Go activates the Continuous Spell Card Dinomuscle, which increases the ATK of all "Dinowrestler" monsters he controls by 400, and the first time a "Dinowrestler" monster would be destroyed by battle or effect, it is not destroyed (Iguanodraka: 2000→2400) (King T Wrextle: 4000→4400).

King T Wrextle attacks Cyber Dragon. When King T Wrextle attacks, Techbane cannot activate Spell/Trap Cards. Techbane activates Sieger's effect, targeting Cyber Dragon (Cyber Dragon: 2100→4200/1600→3700). As Go's "Dinowrestler" monster attacked, World Dino Wrestling increases that monster's ATK by 200 during damage calculation (King T Wrextle: 4400→4600). Cyber Dragon is destroyed (Techbane: 4000→3600 LP) (King T Wrextle: 4600→4400). As King T Wrextle destroyed Techbane's monster, Go activates the effect of Dino Reserve in his GY, banishing it to let King T Wrextle make a second attack. King T Wrextle attacks Cyber Dragon Sieger (King T Wrextle: 4400→4600). Sieger is destroyed, but neither player takes damage from battles involving Sieger the turn it activates its effect (King T Wrextle: 4600→4400). Go ends his turn, and Capaptera's effect ends (King T Wrextle: 4400→3400).

 **Turn 4: Techbane**

Techbane draws. He activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Double Cyclone, which lets him destroy 1 Spell/Trap Card he controls and 1 Spell/Trap Card Go controls. He destroys his Set Cybernetic Overflow and Go's Dinomuscle (Iguanodraka: 2400→2000) (King T Wrextle: 3400→3000). As Cybernetic Overflow was destroyed by a card effect, Techbane can add 1 "Cyber" Spell/Trap Card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyberload Fusion from his Deck to his hand. As only Go controls a monster, Techbane activates the effect of Cyber Dragon Core in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 "Cyber Dragon" monster from his Deck. He Special Summons Cyber Dragon Nachster (200/200/1) in Attack Position. As Nachster was Special Summoned, Techbane can Special Summon 1 Machine monster with 2100 ATK or DEF from his GY. He Special Summons Cyber Dragon (2100/1600/5) in Attack Position. Techbane Normal Summons Zwei (1500/1000/4). He activates Zwei's effect to reveal 1 Spell Card in his hand to change its name to Cyber Dragon until the end of the turn. He reveals Cyberload Fusion. Techbane activates the Quick-Play Spell Card Cyberload Fusion, shuffling Cyber Dragon, Nachster, and Vier, with the latter 2 treated as Cyber Dragon by their effects, back into his Deck to Fusion Summon Cyber End Dragon (4000/2800/10) to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

Cyber End Dragon attacks Iguanodraka. As his "Dinowrestler" monster was attacked, Go activates the effect of Dinowrestler Martial Ampelo in his hand, discarding it to prevent Iguanodraka's destruction by battle and halving the battle damage. Cyber End Dragon inflicts piercing battle damage (Go: 4000→2000 LP). Techbane Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Go**

Go draws. He activates the Spell Card Card of Variation, which lets him draw 2 cards, but he must discard 1 card during the End Phase or take 3000 damage. Go activates the Spell Card Spacetime Transcendence, which lets him banish 2 or more Dinosaur monsters from his GY and Special Summon 1 Dinosaur monster from his hand or GY whose Level equals the total Levels of the banished monsters, but that monster cannot attack this turn. He banishes Level 1 Martial Ampelo and Level 3 Capaptera to Special Summon Level 4 Systegosaur (1900/0/4) from his GY in Attack Position. As Systegosaur was Special Summoned, Go can add 1 "Dinowrestler" monster or World Dino Wrestling from his Deck to his hand. He adds Dinowrestler Pankratops from his Deck to his hand. Go Tributes Iguanodraka and Systegosaur to Tribute Summon Dinowrestler Pankratops (2600/0/7). Go activates the effect of Pankratops, Tributing King T Wrextle to target and destroy 1 card Techbane controls. Go destroys Cyber End Dragon. As exactly 1 monster he controls was destroyed by a card effect, Techbane activates his Set Trap Card Puzzle Reborn, which lets him Special Summon the destroyed Cyber End Dragon in Attack Position (4000/2800/10). Go pays 1000 LP to activate the Spell Card Dino Fossilization (Go: 2000→1000 LP), which lets him Tribute 1 Level 8 or lower "Dinowrestler" monster he controls to Special Summon 1 "Dinowrestler" Link Monster from his GY. He Tributes Pankratops to Special Summon King T Wrextle (3000/3/↙↓↘). The second effect of Dino Fossilization increases King T Wrextle's ATK by Pankratops' original ATK until the end of the turn (King T Wrextle: 3000→5400). King T Wrextle cannot attack directly.

King T Wrextle attacks Cyber End Dragon. The effect of World Dino Wrestling activates (King T Wrextle: 5400→5600). Cyber End Dragon is destroyed (Techbane: 3600→2000 LP) (King T Wrextle: 5600→5400). Go Sets 1 card. He ends his turn. During the End Phase, he discards Martial Anga due to Card of Variation's effect and Dino Fossilization's effect ends (King T Wrextle: 5400→3000).

 **Turn 6: Techbane**

Techbane draws. He pays half his LP to activate the Quick-Play Spell Card Cybernetic Fusion Support (Techbane: 2000→1000 LP). This turn, if he would Fusion Summon a Machine Fusion Monster, he can banish monsters from his hand, field, and/or GY as the Fusion Materials. He then activates the Spell Card Power Bond, which lets him Fusion Summon 1 Machine Fusion Monster from his Extra Deck. Techbane banishes Nachster, Sieger, and Cyber End Dragon from his GY to Fusion Summon Cyber Eternity Dragon (2800/4000/10) to the right Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. Power Bond's effect increases Cyber Eternity Dragon's ATK by its original ATK (Cyber Eternity Dragon: 2800→5600).

Cyber Eternity Dragon attacks King T Wrextle. Go activates his Set Trap Card Fiery Fervor, targeting King T Wrextle for its effect. Fiery Fervor is equipped to King T Wrextle. As Techbane controls a monster who's current ATK is higher than its original ATK, the equipped King T Wrextle's ATK becomes double its original ATK during the Damage Step (King T Wrextle: 3000→6000). The attack continues and Cyber Eternity Dragon is destroyed (Techbane: 1000→600 LP) (King T Wrextle: 6000→3000). Techbane ends his turn. During the End Phase, Techbane takes damage equal to the ATK Cyber Eternity Dragon gained due to Power Bond's effect (Techbane: 600→0 LP). Go wins.

* * *

 _ **Dino Reserve Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Dinowrestler" Link Monster you control in the Extra Monster Zone; move it to your Main Monster Zone it points to, and if you do, draw 2 cards, also for the rest of this turn after this card resolves, you cannot add cards from your Deck to your hand. If your "Dinowrestler" Link Monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you can banish this card from your GY and target that monster; that monster can make a second attack during each Battle Phase this turn._

 _ **Dino Fossilization Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Pay 1000 LP, and if you do, target 1 Level 8 or lower "Dinowrestler" monster you control; Tribute that monster, then Special Summon 1 "Dinowrestler" Link Monster from your GY, and if you do, increase that monster's ATK by the Tributed monster's original ATK until the end of the turn. The Special Summoned monster cannot attack your opponent directly. You can only activate "Dino Fossilization" once per Duel._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 43 – Can You Keep Up With Me? Lured into LINK VRAINS, Morningstar faces his most dangerous opponent yet. His enemy goads the former bounty hunter into action with a question, and at the height of the duel, Morningstar gives him his answer…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

Who thinks Yu-Gi-Oh! 7, whatever it ends up being called, will include another new summoning method? Will it be an Extra Deck one, or a Main Deck one like Pendulum or Ritual?

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Well, this was a short chapter. I came up with this chapter both to cover Episodes 64 and 65 and to serve as sort of a breather before Chapters 43 & 44, which will get intense. This also let me practice writing a Dinowrestler duel, and while I don't dislike them, writing Goukis is easier.

This is my interpretation of Go Onizuka in season 2 before he got the AI chip: He's basically in a cycle of self-pity. He can't let go of his feelings of inferiority towards Playmaker, which is why he resorted to dangerous methods to get stronger. This is also why I have him use the phrase "time stopped moving." In VRAINS, that phrase essentially defined everyone touched by the Lost Incident, sans Spectre; Yusaku was trapped by his nightmares, Takeru felt angry at the world and unable to move forward, Kusanagi devoted years of his life to saving his brother, and Ryoken was overcome by guilt and was unable to let go of his hatred for the Ignis and SOL. In Hidden Memories, Sachi was stuck in a mental coma and while Yasutake tried to move forward, he wasn't able to until he met Yusaku and Kusanagi and became involved in the Hanoi war. Go using that phrase, that "time stopped moving," is him equating his feelings of inadequacy with what Playmaker and Morningstar went through.

We also have a scene at the end, which I'll leave you guys to parse through. And what it means Techbane will be doing for the rest of the season and beyond.

Okay, I thought of waiting to release this chapter on Wednesday, so I could talk about VRAINS ending, but I decided to release this today instead. Why? Because I saw that Friday the 27th will be Hidden Memories' 2-year anniversary. So, I've made up my mind: I will release Chapter 42 today and do my best to release Chapter 43 on Friday, because I plan on it being a big chapter. Now, this means I won't be releasing Chapter 14 of Fifth Circuit until after Chapter 43, so sorry Fifth Circuit fans. But I will be talking about the end of VRAINS and how Hidden Memories will continue on in season 3 at the end of 43.

Thank you for reading Chapter 42, and I hope to join you all again on Friday for the release of Chapter 43! Wish me luck!


	43. Chapter 43: Can You Keep Up With Me?

Welcome everyone, to the two-year anniversary of Hidden Memories! This will be an eventful chapter, so I hope you like it! But before we get to it…

 **Responses to Reviews**

Thank you to jdkeller2000, guardian of the aura Aurasoul, DivadX, Lightning, D3lph0xL0v3r, HunterHQ, sanedimentio, savagemaster1999, Guest, SakushiRyu, animegamefanatic, Zero Shadow-01, Ethan Kironus, and O for reviewing Chapter 42.

Before I get to responses, let me just say that my reaction to VRAINS's ending will be under a separate heading after Author's Notes.

HunterHQ: After this, I'll go back to posting in intervals.

Guest: Yes, but not only during season 3.

jdkeller2000: You can submit OC cards if you want, but I generally don't use them unless they fit the situation. I honestly prefer it if people offer card names and designs and let me come up with the effects, since the name and design are much harder.

Ethan Kironus: Most likely, my talking about it will spoil the ending, yes.

And now, please enjoy Hidden Memories Chapter 43!

* * *

 **Chapter 43: Can You Keep Up With Me?**

"Well," Yasutake said with a frown. "This is… unexpected."

He, Cam, and Sachi were sitting in the backroom of Café Junpei, looking at a forum post that Kusanagi had just sent them. The poster claimed to be the Earth Ignis.

"I want to meet Playmaker," Cam read doubtfully. "From the Earth Ignis."

Kusanagi chuckled from the video feed. "It's obviously a hoax, right?" he asked.

"We don't know that for sure," Yusaku countered. "Only a few know about the Ignis' existence."

"Even so, would an Ignis post on a message board?" Cam asked. "It seems… too obvious."

"The Earth Ignis would," Ai said.

"Ai's right, he would," Cypher agreed. "The Earth Ignis was always blunt and to-the-point. If any of us would send a message like this, it would be him."

"And that Ignis wants to meet Playmaker?" Sachi asked with a frown. "Does he have something he wants to tell us?"

"Or he thinks there's something we can tell him," Cypher said. "He's blunt, but he's not always good on explaining himself."

"Yeah. He is socially awkward, after all," Ai said. "If he wants to talk, maybe he knows something about Bohman."

"Can you contact him?" Yusaku asked.

"Leave it to me!" Ai said. They all looked at the message board as Ai posted a new comment. A long one. "At first glance, it looks like garbled text. But I used an Ignis algorithm to ask where to meet."

"A mediocre one," Cypher said bluntly.

"Hey! Oh!" A response had popped up after Ai's comment. It was similarly garbled to Ai's message. "See? Just like I said."

"What does it say?" Kusanagi asked.

"They're coordinates in LINK VRAINS," Cypher translated.

"So the Earth Ignis wants me and Ai to go there," Yusaku inferred.

"It's probably a good idea for me, Sachi, and Cypher to back you up," Yasutake offered. "This could be another trap."

"Yasutake has a point," Kusanagi agreed. "Blood Shepherd knows how to decode an Ignis algorithm; this message could be one of his traps."

"C'mon, you two are so suspicious," Ai chided.

"Even if it's a risk, we need info," Yusaku said. "We don't have any other leads to retrieve Jin's consciousness data."

Kusanagi frowned. "Yusaku…"

"I'll go in," Yusaku said. "Will you guys back me up?"

Yasutake and Sachi nodded. "Takeru and Flame are still at school, but they'll be at Café Nagi soon," Cypher said. "Yasutake, Sachi, and I will go in with you, and Takeru can reinforce us once he arrives."

"Be careful, you three," Cam warned them. "And be quick; this is a public message board, so SOL Technologies may have seen the post."

* * *

Cassiel, Morningstar, and Playmaker rode their D-Boards to one of LINK VRAINS's islands and hopped off.

"These are the Earth Ignis's coordinates," Ai noted.

"But there doesn't seem to be anyone here," Cypher said as he looked around.

"Even so, we should be careful," Morningstar said, searching opposite his Ignis. "SOL Technologies may have people hiding around."

Playmaker frowned but hopped down some stairs onto another island, Morningstar and Cassiel following after him.

After a few minutes, Playmaker stopped. "There's a total of eight Ignis, right?" he asked as Morningstar and Cassiel joined him.

"Right," Ai nodded.

"Flame, Windy, Cypher, and Ai," Cassiel mused. "What are the other four like?"

"Well, the other four are the Light Ignis, the Water Ignis, the Earth Ignis, and the Gold Ignis," Cypher answered.

"First, the Light Ignis," Ai said. "Calm, cool, and collected. Like a leader. But too smart. So I can't understand what he's thinking at all."

"That's not so hard to do," Cypher snarked. Ai glared at him. "The Light Ignis is the third smartest Ignis, after me and Gold. He and Gold took on positions as co-leaders among us because I didn't care enough about that; I just wanted to create. He's also the fastest Ignis; that's the trait that lets him keep up with me and Gold."

"Next is the Water Ignis," Ai continued. "She has the skill to tell the difference between lies and truth. That's why Cyberse World never had betrayals or conspiracies; she kept us in check."

Ai chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "It's embarrassing for me to say, but the Water Ignis super relied on me. She definitely liked me."

"I see," Playmaker said.

"Huh? That's it for a reaction?"

"That's a lie, isn't it?" Morningstar asked Cypher.

"Uh huh," the Silver Ignis confirmed. "Ai was always lazy and the Water Ignis kept trying to get him to work. He never listened."

"H-Hey! Don't go bringing up my sordid past!"

"Then don't obvious lies about it," Cypher countered.

"And the Gold Ignis?" Cassiel interrupted.

"Well, she was a little aloof," Ai answered. "She didn't spend too much time with me or the other Ignis outside of Cypher and the Light Ignis."

"So that didn't change in the three years between our departures," Cypher mused. "I told you before, the Gold Ignis is a very rational being. She tends to look at problems and think of the long-term consequences before she acts. This makes her a little slow, but when she acts, you'll know it."

"Yeah, that's true," Ai said. "But she was also a peacemaker between us alongside the Water Ignis; she held an authority that the rest of us didn't."

Playmaker frowned. "The others are Flame. And the Wind Ignis, Windy."

"So what's the Earth Ignis like?" Morningstar asked.

"The Earth Ignis? Well, he's no-nonsense and honest, and umm… Oh! He's like this guy, massive and orange!"

The others blinked and stared at the orange lifeform with brown lines covering its body Ai had grabbed hold of. "It's the Earth Ignis!" Ai said in surprise as he let him go. "Long time, no see! How have you been?"

"You're the Earth Ignis?" Playmaker asked.

"Yeah, this guy!"

"Earth Ignis!" Cypher said. "It's been years! Are you still socially awkward?"

The Earth Ignis didn't answer. Instead, he opened a portal behind him. "This way. Follow me." He beckoned to Playmaker and then entered the portal.

Cypher sighed. "He could at least say hello. Or express some measure of surprise at seeing me."

"Yeah!" Ai agreed. "We should celebrate our reunion more!"

"Let's go!" Playmaker said before jumping into the portal. Cassiel tried to follow him, but the portal closed before they could.

"Ah!" Cassiel said, leaning dangerously over the island's edge. Morningstar grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. "Thanks, Morningstar," she said as she looked back and smiled at him.

"The hell was that?" Cypher asked, his eyes narrowed in a scowl. "Did the Earth Ignis not want to see us?" His eyes widened. "Oh! I just got a message!"

"From Ai?" Morningstar asked as he and Cassiel backed away from the ledge.

"Yeah. Apparently, the Earth Ignis wanted to talk to him and Playmaker alone. He'll say hi to us when they're done." Cypher groaned. "So he is still socially awkward. It would have at least been polite to acknowledge my presence."

Cassiel smiled at the Ignis. "Calm down, Cypher." She looked up at Morningstar. "Well, since we're here, should we have a practice match?"

In the last few days, Yasutake, Yusaku, and Takeru had had several practice duels with Sachi to help her get used to the Cyangels. They went through the cards and helped her devise different strategies for the Deck. Cypher in particular had been a huge help as the Deck's creator, advising Sachi in which moves worked best and how to bring out the Cyangels' true power.

Morningstar nodded. "Good idea. We should have- GAH!"

The former bounty hunter gasped as he doubled over, clutching his chest.

"Morningstar?" Cypher said in surprise. "What- AH!" Cypher gasped and clutched his own chest.

"M-Morningstar?" Cassiel said in surprise, reaching out and grabbing his shoulder and arm. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Morningstar grit his teeth. "I'm… I'm sensing a powerful presence."

"Me too," Cypher whispered. "There's a very strong person nearby. Someone with an overpowering aura."

"You are likely sensing me."

The trio's eyes widened as they turned and looked up. A tall man in a black cloak was looking down on them from a ledge high above them. The cloak flapped in the wind and red lights appeared beneath the hood.

"W-What the…?" Cassiel whispered.

Morningstar's eyes narrowed. "Be careful, Cassiel. He's the source of the pressure I'm feeling."

"I've never felt power like this before," Cypher whispered. "The closest I've sensed was when Bohman called the Data Storm."

"…How disappointing." Morningstar gasped at the man's words. "When I heard the Cyspirits had been found, I thought I would finally have a worthy rival. But then I saw your duel with Playmaker. And I realized just how weak you were."

Morningstar's eyes widened. The man stepped off the ledge and dropped down to Morningstar's and Cassiel's level. He landed lightly, his cloak pooling around him before he straightened himself.

 _He saw me duel Playmaker?_ Morningstar thought. _But that's impossible. We were in my Camouflage Dome; no one should have been able to watch us aside from Cam and Kusanagi!_

"I've been watching your duels over the past few weeks, hoping for a sign that you had become stronger; that you would become the opponent I had hoped you would be." The cloak turned red and started to disintegrate from the ground up. "But all you have shown me is that you have not grown; your actions remain predictable, your strength stagnant. Now, I find I have no other choice. It seems that if you are to grow, then you require the proper incentive. So I shall grind you beneath my heel, and show you just how beneath me you truly are." The cloak finished disintegrating, revealing the man underneath.

He wore armor from head to toe. His lower legs were covered by knee-high black boots, with red sections on the sides and red jewels set in the knees. The cuisses on his thighs were black, with red lines circling around midway up. A black belt with a red center and a black serpent in the shape of an infinity symbol engraved into said center circled his waist and held up a black cape with a red interior that fell to his ankles. His torso was covered by black armor with faint red lines outlining a six pack and pectoral muscles. Black gauntlets tipped with red claws covered his hands and lower arms while his upper arms were covered by black rerebraces with red lines circling them. Black pauldrons covered his shoulders. His head was covered by a black helm with a red mouthguard and angular eyeholes. A red light gleamed within his eyes.

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Cam," he whispered. "Are you seeing this?"

"And hearing," his friend responded. "I've patched Kusanagi in, too. And we're both getting weird readings from that guy."

"Who are you?" Cassiel asked, standing next to Morningstar. "What do you mean you've been watching Morningstar?"

The man turned his head to look at Cassiel. "I am Zahhak. I am the one who sent HK-70 to follow him through the gate."

Morningstar gasped. "You sent that AI duelist? Then… you're with Jester!"

"Indeed. He is my comrade. And you…" Zahhak looked Cassiel up and down. "You're the owner of the Cyangels. How disappointing."

"What?"

"Like with the Cyspirits, I was interested in facing the wielder of the Cyangels. But you are only a girl who doesn't understand their full strength. You are as much a disappointment as Morningstar is."

"Hey!" Cypher protested. "Leave my partner and my friend alone! Those are my Decks you're dissing!"

"Hmm. The Silver Ignis." Zahhak looked from him to Morningstar. "Duel me, Morningstar. Allow me to show you just how far behind me you are."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then her death will be on your hands."

Zahhak raised his right hand as a golden sphere appeared above it. Morningstar and Cassiel gasped.

"That's-!"

"Consciousness data," Morningstar finished Cypher's realization. "Whose is that?!"

"Her name is Hana Adachi, but in LINK VRAINS, she calls herself Nebula," Zahhak said, looking at the sphere. "I encountered her some time ago, when she challenged me. She couldn't even make me try, even when I gave her a second chance. But she failed." He looked back at Morningstar. "Refuse my challenge and I will delete her consciousness data. Defeat me and I will release her."

"Playing dirty like that!" Cypher growled. "For sounding so high and mighty, you're resorting to dirty tricks to get us to duel!"

"If you prefer, I could lock down all of LINK VRAINS so that no one could log out," Zahhak said simply. Cassiel and Morningstar paled as the scope of his threat hit them. "But there's no point in inconveniencing others. So. Do you accept?"

Morningstar grit his teeth. He didn't have much of a choice. "I accept."

"Excellent." The sphere disappeared as Zahhak gestured to the right. A black elongated D-Board with blood red sides and three twisted spires attached to the front and sides materialized, which he leapt onto.

"Morningstar." He turned to look at Cassiel, whose eyes were filled with worry. "Be careful."

He nodded. "I will." He turned, ran to the edge, and then leapt off. His D-Board caught him and then he sped after Zahhak. Cassiel summoned her own D-Board and followed them.

"Now, why don't we make things more exciting?" Zahhak suggested. He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. Morningstar blinked as he felt a slight ripple.

"What the-?"

"What is it, Cam?"

"Yasu… all the channels in LINK VRAINS just changed to show you and Zahhak!"

"What?"

* * *

Galahad blinked as he stared at the screen. He had been watching a duel between Fatumare and a challenger, but it suddenly changed. Now it was showing Morningstar and a man in black and red armor on D-Boards.

"What is this?" "What happened to the duel?" "Is that Morningstar?" "Who's his opponent?"

Galahad frowned as the crowded street broke out into frenzied conversations. _What's going on?_

* * *

"What's going on?"

"We aren't sure, sir!"

Akira frowned at the operator. "Is it a virus?"

"Unknown. But it seems that the armored person is the one responsible."

Akira's frown deepened as he looked at the monitor showing Morningstar and an unknown man.

"Who is he?" Hayami asked. "I don't recognize him."

"Me neither." Akira's eyes narrowed as he noticed something. "Zoom in on his belt."

"Yes, sir!"

"Chief?"

"Hayami," Akira said, "that symbol on his belt. Do you recognize it?"

"It's… a serpent shaped like an infinity symbol, isn't it?"

"Yes. And Jester had a similar symbol on his own belt."

"Eh?" Hayami's eyes widened. "You think this man and Jester are working together?"

"It's the most likely probability. He certainly isn't a bounty hunter."

* * *

"Takeru! Look!"

Takeru, who was walking through the public viewing plaza, looked up at Flame's words. He gasped on seeing what was on the central television.

"Morningstar?" he said in surprise.

"Indeed," Flame confirmed. "But I don't recognize their opponent. Whoever they are though, they have good taste."

Takeru grit his teeth. "We need to hurry!" He started running for Café Nagi.

* * *

Emma frowned to herself. "This is unexpected."

"Do you know who he is?"

Emma looked over her shoulder at Aoi. The two were in Emma's hideout, watching the news. Right now, they were watching a particular former bounty hunter square off against a man in red and black armor.

Emma shook her head. "His avatar ID is Zahhak, but I've never heard of him. Whoever he is, though…" She turned back to the computer with a frown. "…I have a very bad feeling about him."

* * *

Shizuka scowled as she glared at the television. "Zahhak," she muttered. "So he finally showed himself. Be careful, Morningstar."

* * *

Morningstar pulled up alongside Zahhak. "Why are you broadcasting our duel?" he asked.

"I want all of LINK VRAINS to witness this," his opponent explained. "And I want you to understand the difference in our strengths. Now, tell me Morningstar…" Zahhak flew closer to Morningstar and looked him in the eye. "Can you keep up with me?"

Morningstar's eyes widened as Zahhak sped away. He grit his teeth and increased his own speed to chase after the taller man. Can you keep up with me? What a stupid question. He would absolutely keep up with him!

"Speed Duel!" they shouted.

 **Morningstar: 4000 LP**

 **Zahhak: 4000 LP**

"I'll take the first turn," Zahhak declared.

"Relax, partner," Cypher said. "It doesn't matter what Deck he's using, there's no way-."

"By discarding Cydemon Knight, I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Cydemon Shrine!"

Morningstar gasped. "What?!" Cypher shouted. "Cydemon?! Why do you have _that_ Deck?!"

Zahhak ignored the Ignis. "I activate Shrine's effect! Once per turn, if I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a 'Cydemon' monster from my hand or Graveyard in Attack Position. From my hand, I Special Summon Cydemon Duke!" A dark red magic circle appeared on his field. A red and black demon wearing black armor and wielding a large axe emerged from the circle and roared.

 **Cydemon Duke ATK 2600 DEF 600 LVL: 7**

Cassiel gasped. "Cydemon? That's the third Deck Cypher made!"

"I summon Cydemon Pawn!" A human-sized bald black-skinned demon with red eyes appeared. It wore a black cuirass and red greaves and vambraces and wielded a short sword made of black iron. A small set of black bat wings with red spines emerged from its back.

 **Cydemon Pawn ATK 600 DEF 600 LVL: 1**

"I activate Pawn's effect! Once, when there is a 'Cydemon' monster in my Graveyard, I can draw cards equal to the number of Dark Cyberse monsters in my Main Monster Zones. There are two, so I draw two cards!"

Zahhak drew, then said, "I Set one card. I end my turn. So, try your best. Try to make me take you seriously."

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Well, he's full of himself," Cypher said, his eyes narrowed. "Though seeing as he's using the Cydemons, that attitude isn't unjustified."

"That's the last Deck you made, isn't it?"

"And the strongest. How he got his hands on it… I can only speculate. But that's pointless right now." Cypher looked his partner in the eyes. "Morningstar, the Cydemon Deck is the strongest Deck I know of. This will be a very challenging duel, perhaps the most challenging you've ever had."

Morningstar frowned and nodded. "I'll do my best. My turn! Draw!" He looked at his card, then back at Cypher. "Cypher, what can you tell me about the Cydemon Deck?"

"In terms of playstyle, they're the opposites of both the Cyangels and Cyspirits," Cypher explained. "The Main Deck monsters all have two effects: one that can be activated while they are in the Graveyard, and another that activates if there is a Cydemon monster in the Graveyard. The Link Monsters are all called Cydevils, and they all have at least three effects: one that impairs linked monsters, one that lets you Special Summon Cydemon monsters from the Graveyard, and one that requires around three or more Cydemon monsters in the Graveyard to use that also requires that they not be linked."

"I see," Morningstar mused. "So unlike the Cyangels, they get stronger with monsters in the Graveyard. And unlike the Cyspirits, they can't use their effects when linked."

"Right. On the plus side, this means you shouldn't have to worry about an Extra Link any time soon; a strategy like that will just backfire on Zahhak."

Morningstar frowned, then spoke into his earpiece. "Cam, you got anything on Zahhak?"

"Aside from him being an evil dragon god from Persia, no. There's no information available on this guy. I'm afraid I can't help."

"Great." Morningstar looked at his hand, then chose a card. "I summon Cyspirit Teleporter!" A black skeleton in gray armor holding a baton appeared.

 **Cyspirit Teleporter ATK 500 DEF 1500 LVL: 3**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning condition is one 'Cyspirit' monster. I set Teleporter in the Link Marker!" His monster entered the bottom arrow. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-1! Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller!" A skeleton in a business suit emerged from the Link portal at the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller ATK 500 LINK-1** ↓

"Cacophonic Caller's monster effect! I Special Summon Cyspirit Kid from my Deck to its Link Marker in Attack Position!" A dwarf skeleton in a t-shirt appeared at Cacophonic Caller's Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Kid ATK 300 DEF 200 LVL: 1**

"Appear again, the circuit between light and darkness! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Kid and Cacophonic Caller in the Link Markers!" The monsters entered the top and bottom arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Mad Mongrel!" A large armored skeleton dog with a net launcher and a missile launcher on its back emerged from the portal, howling from the left Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Mad Mongrel ATK 2000 LINK-2** ↑↓

Cassiel smiled. "Mad Mongrel points to Cydemon Duke. If he summons a monster to its Link Marker, he can use Mad Mongrel's effect to use Duke to Link Summon."

"Interesting tactic," Zahhak allowed. "But fruitless. Continuous Trap activate! Cydemon Avaritia!" Morningstar gasped. The card showed a silhouetted four-winged armored demon looking over a vast pit filled to the brim with gold and jewels. "While Avaritia is active, you cannot target my Dark Cyberse monsters with card effects."

Morningstar grit his teeth. "As it was used to Link Summon Mad Mongrel, I activate Kid's effect to destroy one card you control! I'll destroy Avaritia!"

"That's pointless," Zahhak said. "Since there is a monster in the Extra Monster Zone, Avaritia's effect prevents you from destroying my 'Cydemon' Spell or Trap Cards."

Cypher growled. "I remember making that card. I thought it would be amusing to see the opponent's face when they went up against it. It's not as fun being on the receiving end."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "The word 'avaritia' is Latin," he noted. "It means 'greed,' right?"

"Yeah. I made Trap Cards that were named for the seven deadly sins. A pity I couldn't put Escanor in one of them."

"Who?"

"Doesn't matter. Anyway, we can't use Mad Mongrel to get rid of Duke now. I suppose we'll have to try something else."

Morningstar nodded. "As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I Special Summon Cyspirit Prisoner!" A skeleton in a prisoner's uniform appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning conditions are two or more 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Prisoner and Link-2 Mad Mongrel in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top, bottom, and bottom-left arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary!" A skeleton in a blue trench coat wielding two pistols emerged from the portal at the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200 LINK-3** ↙↑↓

"Prisoner's effect activates! As I used it to Link Summon, I add Cyspirit Linker from my Deck to my hand. And as I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I Special Summon Cyspirit Linker!" A white skeleton in black armor with red gauntlets appeared in Attack Position at Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Linker ATK 1700 DEF 800 LVL: 4**

"I Set one card." Morningstar gestured to his field. "Battle! Rapid Revolutionary attacks Cydemon Duke!" Rapid Revolutionary lifted its pistols and fired two shots at the winged monster. "Rapid Revolutionary's monster effect! When it battles your non-Link Monster while pointing to one monster, it gains 500 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2200→2700**

"Go, Rapid Revolutionary! Revolution Shot!" The shots hit Duke and destroyed it in an explosion, but when the smoke cleared, Zahhak was unhurt.

"What?" Cypher gasped. "What did you do?"

"I activated the effect of Cydemon Knight in my Graveyard by targeting my Duke," he explained. "Until the end of the turn, any damage less than or equal to Duke's original attack points becomes 0."

Morningstar grit his teeth. "Rapid Revolutionary's effect ends."

 **Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary ATK 2700→2200**

"Damn it. I forgot about Knight's Graveyard effect," Cypher grumbled. "Still, you made the right choice in destroying Duke; after it attacks, it can inflict damage equal to our strongest monster's attack points."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "I end my turn."

Cassiel narrowed her eyes. "I see," she mused. "He can't deal damage and Shrine's effect will only work while Zahhak has no monsters. So he left Pawn out on the field so Zahhak couldn't use it."

"Cassiel!"

She gasped and looked behind her to see a certain someone flying up to her. "Soulburner!"

The fire duelist looked from her to the duel. "What's going on? Who's Morningstar dueling?"

"He said his name is Zahhak," she answered before frowning. "And he's using the Cydemon Deck."

"Cydemon?" Flame repeated, emerging from his partner's Duel Disk. "Isn't that the third Deck that Cypher made?"

"It is." Cassiel turned back to the duel. "And it's turning out to be quite the troublesome one."

"My turn! Draw!" Zahhak looked at his card, then scoffed. "You think leaving my monster on the field would slow me down? All you've done is make my victory easier. I activate the Spell Card: Cydemon Sacrifice!" The card showed an altar with a pale woman in a white dress laying on top. Cydemon Bishop stood over her, a knife in its raised hands. "By Tributing Pawn, I can add a 'Cydemon' monster with a different Level from my Deck to my hand." Morningstar's eyes widened. "I add Cydemon Bishop from my Deck to my hand."

Zahhak gestured to his field. "I activate Shrine's effect! As I control no monsters, I Special Summon Cydemon Knight from my Graveyard!" A dark red circle appeared, and a new black-skinned demon emerged. This one wore red-and-black armor and rode a black horse wearing red plate armor. The horse neighed and the demon drew a long cavalry saber in Attack Position.

 **Cydemon Knight ATK 2200 DEF 600 LVL: 6**

"That's the monster whose effect stopped our damage," Cypher noted.

"I summon Cydemon Bishop!" A thin black-skinned demon wearing black robes and a miter appeared.

 **Cydemon Bishop ATK 1600 DEF 600 LVL: 3**

"Bishop's effect activates. Once per turn, when there is a 'Cydemon' monster in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a 'Cydemon' monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position. Resurrect, Cydemon Duke!" The large demon with a battle-axe reappeared and roared.

 **Cydemon Duke ATK 2600 DEF 600 LVL: 7**

"Three monsters," Morningstar said, his eyes narrowed. "Is he going to…?"

"I Set one card," Zahhak said before gesturing to his field. "Battle!" Morningstar gasped in surprise. "Knight attacks Rapid Revolutionary!" The demon galloped towards the skeleton in a trench coat.

"Morningstar!" Cypher shouted. "Don't let that monster's attack get through!"

The former bounty hunter gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Cyspirit Battle-!"

"Pointless!" Zahhak interrupted. "Cydemon Shrine's effect! When a Dark Cyberse monster attacks, you cannot activate any Spell or Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step!" Morningstar gasped. "Knight's monster effect! As it is attacking a monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, that monster is banished and you take damage equal to that monster's original attack points!"

"What?"

"Go! Lance of Furcas!" Knight's saber morphed into a black lance with a serrated tip, which it then threw at Rapid Revolutionary. The lance passed through the skeleton, making it disintegrate. The lance tore past Morningstar, who cried out in pain from the shockwave of the weapon's passing.

 **Morningstar: 4000→1800 LP**

"Morningstar!" Cassiel cried out in worry. The former bounty hunter stabilized his D-Board and grit his teeth in annoyance.

"I end my turn," Zahhak said. "You haven't impressed me at all, Morningstar. Keep trying to catch up to me."

Morningstar growled. "He could have Link Summoned, couldn't he?" he asked Cypher.

"Yes," the Ignis agreed with a glower. "And I remember what Link Monsters I made. There's at least one that would have inflicted even greater damage than Knight did. And if he had summoned Duke instead of Knight with Shrine's effect, he could have inflicted 3100 points of damage through attacking Linker and targeting Rapid Revolutionary with its effects. There's only one explanation as to why he didn't."

"He's toying with us," Morningstar muttered while scowling.

* * *

"Chief Zaizen."

Akira looked over at Hayami, who showed her the tablet in her hands. "We've taken a look at the cards this 'Zahhak' is using. They aren't in our database."

Akira frowned at the display. "These are Cyberse monsters. Does he have a connection to the Ignis…?"

* * *

"My turn! Draw! I activate the Spell Card: Cyberse Call! I add a Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from my Deck to my hand. I add Cyspirit Dancer to my hand, which I'll now summon!" A skeleton in a leotard appeared.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000 DEF 200 LVL: 2**

"Dancer's monster effect! As I Normal Summoned her while I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my hand or Deck in Attack Position with its effects negated. From my Deck, I Special Summon Cyspirit Coder!" A skeleton in a lab coat with armor plating appeared.

 **Cyspirit Coder ATK 0 DEF 0 LVL: 1**

"Appear! The circuit between light and darkness! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Dancer and Linker in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the bottom-left and bottom-right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Jubilant Jester!" A skeleton in a black and gold jester's outfit wielding a small staff emerged from the portal at the right Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 1800 LINK-2** ↙↘

"Since I used Dancer to Link Summon Jubilant Jester, it gains 600 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 1800→2400**

"I activate Cyberse Call's effect in the Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Cyberse monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a prisoner's uniform reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"Appear again, the circuit between light and darkness! The summoning conditions are two 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Coder and Prisoner in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the left and right arrows. "Link Summon! Appear! Link-2! Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler!" A skeleton in a prospector's uniform emerged from the portal at Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600 LINK-2** ←→

"Prisoner's effect activates! I add Cyspirit Valkyrie from my Deck to my hand. Furthermore, Jubilant Jester's effect activates! When it points to a monster, all 'Cyspirit' monsters I control gain 400 attack and defense points!"

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 2400→2800**

 **Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler ATK 1600→2000**

"I activate Teleporter's effect in the Graveyard! By banishing it, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard. Resurrect, Dancer!" The leotard-wearing skeleton reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Dancer ATK 1000→1400 DEF 200→600 LVL: 2**

"As I control a 'Cyspirit' monster, I can Special Summon Cyspirit Valkyrie!" A feminine skeleton in white armor wielding a sword and axe made of light appeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Valkyrie ATK 2100→2500 DEF 400→800 LVL: 5**

"Appear for a third time, the circuit between light and darkness! The summoning conditions are three or more 'Cyspirit' monsters. I set Dancer, Valkyrie, and Link-2 Thrilled Tunneler in the Link Markers!" His monsters entered the top-left, top-right, left, and right arrows. "The galaxy's rage that breaks all limitations! Link Summon! Take flight! Link-4! Cyspirit Neo Nova!" A large black dragon emerged from the portal and roared from Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker.

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2500→2900 LINK-4** ←↖↗→

"Dancer's effect activates!"

 **Cyspirit Neo Nova ATK 2900→3500**

"I activate the effect of Coder in the Graveyard! By banishing it, Neo Nova is treated as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating!"

"Yes!" Soulburner cheered. "With Neo Nova's effect, he can draw four cards! And without that, he can deal 2500 points of damage just by attacking now!"

"Indeed," Flame agreed. "Morningstar does seem to hold the advantage."

Zahhak grunted. "Don't be so conceited," he said, making Morningstar's eyes widen. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card: Cydemon Unity!"

"What?!" Cypher gasped. The card showed Cydemon Knight and Bishop kneeling before a darkened silhouette with eight bat wings. "But that's…"

"Cydemon Unity lets me Link Summon a Dark Cyberse Link Monster using 'Cydemon' monsters I control as material," Zahhak explained to Morningstar's surprise. "Appear, the circuit of infinite darkness! The summoning conditions are two or more Dark Cyberse monsters. I set Bishop, Duke, and Knight in the Link Markers!" His monsters turned into twisters of red energy and entered the bottom-left, bottom, and bottom-right arrows.

"Link Summon! Appear! Link-3! Cydevil Covetous Leviathan!" A gray-skinned demoness emerged from the portal. She wore black and red armor and had four black bat wings with red spines emerged from her back. Wavy black hair fell partway down her back and black chains wrapped themselves around her shoulders and arms. The demoness giggled as she was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cydevil Covetous Leviathan ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"Cydevil?" Cassiel repeated.

"So this is one of his Link Monsters?" Soulburner asked.

"Unity's effect isn't over," Zahhak revealed. "When it is activated, I can negate the effects of one of your cards until the end of the turn. I negate Neo Nova's effects!"

Morningstar gasped as a gray aura appeared around Neo Nova. "Even so, Neo Nova has-."

"Covetous Leviathan's monster effect," Zahhak interrupted. "While she is on the field, linked monsters cannot attack!" Morningstar gasped again as black chains materialized around Jubilant Jester and Neo Nova, restraining them and making them cry out in pain.

"…I didn't make that card."

Morningstar blinked and looked down at Cypher, who was staring wide-eyed at Zahhak. "Cypher?"

"That card. Cydemon Unity. I didn't make it." He turned to look at his partner. "I may have forgotten some of the cards' effects, but I remember their names. I'm one hundred percent certain that I _didn't_ create that card!"

"So you're saying Zahhak made that card?"

"No, he… he couldn't have! Those cards' data is really complex! Only a human of Dr. Kogami's intellect or an Ignis should be able to do that, but…" Cypher turned back to Zahhak. "Who is this guy? Where did he get these cards?"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "I Set one card. I end my turn."

Zahhak grunted. "Now do you understand why I call you weak? Against me, you have no chance. No moves I cannot counter. Before me, you are dust." Morningstar grit his teeth. "My turn! Draw! I summon Cydemon Rook!" A heavyset black-skinned demon wearing blood-red plate armor and greaves appeared. Its head was covered by a helm with a t-shaped visor, out of which red eyes shone. It swung a black mace in its right hand as black bat wings with red spines sprung from its back.

 **Cydemon Rook ATK 1800 DEF 600 LVL: 4**

"Covetous Leviathan's monster effect! Once per turn, if it points to no monsters and I have three or more 'Cydemon' monsters in my Graveyard, I can equip one of your monsters to her."

Morningstar's eyes widened. "What?"

"I equip Neo Nova to Covetous Leviathan. Grasp of Envy!" Leviathan's chains enlarged as she sneered. The chains shot out at Morningstar's dragon and wrapped around it before pulling it over to Zahhak's field. Neo Nova roared in protest, but Leviathan only gave the dragon a contemptuous gaze before grabbing its neck and squeezing. The dragon's breath caught in its mouth, and when it started gurgling, it disintegrated. The points of light that were left behind traveled into Leviathan's body.

"When equipped with your monster, Covetous Leviathan gains attack points equal to your monster's original attack points. And since it doesn't point to any monsters, Jubilant Jester's effect ends."

 **Cydevil Covetous Leviathan ATK 2500→5000**

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 2800→2400**

Morningstar grit his teeth and gestured to his field. "Trap activate! Cyspirit Emergence!" The card showed Cyspirit Bombastic Bombardier walking out of a bunker, arm-in-arm with Linkslayer. "By banishing a monster from your Graveyard, Jubilant Jester gains attack points equal to that monster's Level times 200!"

"Oh? From my Graveyard?"

"I banish Cydemon Knight! It's Level 6, so Jubilant Jester gains 1200 attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Jubilant Jester ATK 2400→3600**

"…Ha ha," Zahhak chuckled. "You could have banished the Level 7 Duke, but instead you banished the Level 6 monster. I see you don't want me to use Knight's effect again on your turn. And you activated your Trap Card before my Battle Phase so Cydemon Shrine wouldn't prevent its use. Very well. I admit to your resourcefulness. Now try and survive the turn!"

He gestured to his field. "Battle! Covetous Leviathan attacks Jubilant Jester! Invidia's Soul!" Leviathan leered as her chains snaked around Morningstar's monster. A dark red circle appeared in front of Leviathan, which then shot out a blast of dark red energy. The energy hit Jubilant Jester, destroying it. Morningstar cried out from the explosion as his D-Board was knocked back several meters.

 **Morningstar: 1800→400 LP**

"Morningstar!" Cassiel shouted.

"This is bad!" Flame declared.

"End this, Rook!" Zahhak declared. "Rook attacks you directly!" The demon charged Morningstar, his mace held high, when-.

"I activate the effect of Cyspirit Battler in my hand!" the former bounty hunter declared. "When you attack me directly, I can Special Summon it in Attack Position!" A skeleton in boxer's clothes appeared in front of Rook.

 **Cyspirit Battler ATK 1500 DEF 700 LVL: 4**

"Hmm. Clever. Shrine prevents you from activating Spell or Trap Cards, but not monster effects. Continue your attack, Rook! Destroy Battler!" Rook swung its mace and struck Battler's left boxing glove. The two held their position for a moment, then disengaged before Rook struck Battler again, destroying it and making Morningstar wince.

 **Morningstar: 400→100 LP**

"Yasu! Are you alright?"

Morningstar grit his teeth but gestured to his field. "Battler's effect activates! When it is destroyed by battle, I can add a 'Cyspirit' monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Prisoner to my hand."

"Hmm. I end my turn."

Cassiel breathed a sigh of relief. "That was too close."

"Morningstar's opponent is really strong," Soulburner noted.

"He only has 100 Life Points left, while Zahhak hasn't lost any," Flame said. "Though if Morningstar is going to make a comeback, he is in the best position to do so."

"My turn! Draw!" Morningstar looked at his card, then at the field, and frowned.

"Well Morningstar, do you want to do it?" Cypher asked. "We have 100 Life Points. We can use Hurricane Heavensgate to gain an advantage."

"I know. But…" Morningstar looked back at Zahhak. _He's Jester's comrade,_ he thought. _That means he could control the Data Storm like Jester could. If I try to use my Skill, will he stop me like Jester did? Will I be able to escape like I did last time, or will I get shredded?_

His opponent sensed Morningstar's hesitation. "What are you waiting for?" he asked. "Are you afraid of what I could do?" Morningstar grit his teeth. "I see. So you are. But so what? If you let fear dictate your actions, you will never catch up to me!" Zahhak lowered his head and glared at Morningstar. "I have no fear of your Skill. Go ahead and use it. Show me that you possess the courage to challenge me!"

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "Fine." He looked at his Duel Disk. "Cypher. Do it."

"Right! Come, Data Storm!" A whirlwind of Data Material formed around Morningstar, who guided his D-Board into the storm. He reached out and ran his hand through the purple bits. He closed his eyes and reached out.

There it was. The gate. And on the other side… A new humanoid stepped forward. One wearing robes with a circular shield strapped to its back and a lance held in its right hand.

"Now! Open the gate of evolution, Morningstar!"

Morningstar opened his eyes. "I activate my Skill!" he declared, the lines of his suit glowing yellow. "Hurricane Heavensgate!" The Data Material gathered into his hand, forming a yellow card. He pulled it free of the Data Storm and then shot out of it on his D-Board.

"Hmm," Zahhak grunted. "Now, show me the new power you possess!"

"Since there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, I Special Summon Cyspirit Prisoner!" The skeleton in a prisoner's uniform reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Prisoner ATK 1600 DEF 2100 LVL: 5**

"And I summon Cyspirit Archer!" A skeleton wearing a patchwork of animal skins appeared, its left eye glowing blue. It wielded a silver longbow in its left hand and had a quiver of arrows strapped to its back.

 **Cyspirit Archer ATK 1500 DEF 0 LVL: 4**

"Archer's monster effect! Once per turn, I can change the Level of a 'Cyspirit' monster to between 1 and 6. I change Prisoner's Level to 4!"

 **Cyspirit Prisoner LVL: 5→4**

"Two Level 4 monsters?" Cassiel noticed, her eyes wide.

"Is he going to-?" Soulburner started.

"I overlay Level 4 Cyspirit Archer and Cyspirit Prisoner!" Morningstar declared, the lines of his suit and the wings on his back glowing yellow. He brought his hands together in front of him as his Duel Disk glowed silver. He then swung his arm back, releasing a bolt of silver lightning. The bolt created a giant blue "X" with four red dots on the corners.

"With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" His monsters disintegrated into silver data and entered two of the dots. A red circle formed behind the cross. The ends of the cross then shot lasers and created a swirling galaxy in front of Morningstar. The galaxy exploded with energy as Morningstar chanted.

"The warrior who guards the sacred lands! Ascend to this battle and strike down our enemies! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 4! Cyspirit Martial Mameluke!"

A strand of blue DNA formed before breaking apart and forming a sphere. The sphere then reformed itself into a white skeleton that was then cloaked in white and brown robes. Metal gauntlets and boots covered its hands and feet, and a helmet with a spike topped its head. The skeleton reached behind its back and pulled out a circular shield in its left hand while wielding a long lance in its right. Silver wings sprouted from its back as its red and blue eyes glowed and two orange lights circled behind it. It posed with its lance and shield as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position.

 **Cyspirit Martial Mameluke ATK 2800 DEF 2300 RNK: 4 OU: 2**

"Xyz Summon," Zahhak mused. "So you've completed your repertoire. But will this be enough to catch up?"

"Martial Mameluke's effect activates!" Morningstar declared. "When it is Link Summoned using only 'Cyspirit' monsters as material, all cards in your Spell & Trap Zone are returned to the owners' Decks!" Zahhak gasped. "Go! Soul of Night!"

Dark energy gathered around the skeleton's lance, which it spun around a few times before swinging it outwards. The energy flew off the spear and struck Shrine and Avaritia, making them disintegrate. Covetous Leviathan cried out in pain.

"Tch. Since the equipped monster left the field, Covetous Leviathan's attack points return to normal."

 **Cydevil Covetous Leviathan ATK 5000→2500**

"Battle! Martial Mameluke attacks Covetous Leviathan!" The skeletal warrior charged the demoness as Morningstar gestured to his field. "Martial Mameluke's additional effect activates! When it attacks your Special Summoned monster, I can detach one Overlay Unit to increase its attack points by your monster's attack points!" One of the lights struck Martial Mameluke's spear.

 **Cyspirit Martial Mameluke OU: 2→1**

 **Cyspirit Martial Mameluke ATK 2800→5300**

Zahhak gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Cydemon Bishop in my Graveyard!" he declared. "I can target my Dark Cyberse monster, and until the end of the turn, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects!"

"You cannot!" Morningstar countered. "Martial Mameluke's final effect! During the Battle Phase, you cannot target monsters on the field with card effects!" Zahhak gasped. "You cannot protect Covetous Leviathan! Go, Martial Mameluke! Moonlight Strike!" This time, light energy gathered on Martial Mameluke's spear, which it threw at Covetous Leviathan.

Zahhak pointed to one of his monsters. "If my monster would be destroyed, I can destroy Cydemon Rook instead! As this effect doesn't target, it can be activated!" The heavyset demon stepped in front of Covetous Leviathan and took the spear in its gut. It cried out in pain at being destroyed. Zahhak grunted as he was hit by the backlash.

 **Zahhak: 4000→1200 LP**

 **Cyspirit Martial Mameluke ATK 5300→2800**

"Yes!" Cassiel cheered. "He damaged him!"

"Even so, Covetous Leviathan remains on the field," Flame pointed out. "So long as it's there, Zahhak can equip Morningstar's monsters to it."

"Morningstar knows that," Soulburner said. "I'm sure he already has a solution."

Morningstar gestured to his field. "I activate the effect of Cyspirit Archer in the Graveyard!" he declared. "By banishing it, one 'Cyspirit' monster I control can make a second attack during the Battle Phase! I target Martial Mameluke!"

"Martial Mameluke still has an Overlay Unit to use for its effect!" Cypher reminded Zahhak. "And you have no other cards on the field or in your hand! This is the end!"

"Go, Martial Mameluke! Attack Covetous Leviathan!" The skeletal warrior drew a scimitar from a sheath at its waist, which it began to charge. "Martial Mameluke's effect activates! I detach an Overlay Unit to give it Covetous Leviathan's attack points!"

 **Cyspirit Martial Mameluke OU: 1→0**

 **Cyspirit Martial Mameluke ATK 2800→5300**

"End this! Moonlight Strike!" Martial Mameluke's sword erupted with energy as it charged Covetous Leviathan. It swung the sword straight at the demoness's neck, and then straight through it. A massive explosion erupted, obscuring their view of Zahhak.

"Normally, I'd cheer for a successful victory," Cypher said. Then his eyes narrowed. "But…"

Morningstar gasped as the smoke cleared. Covetous Leviathan was gone, but Zahhak was uninjured. "A pity," Zahhak said. "You did manage to briefly impress me with that tactic. But even that wasn't enough for you to catch up to me."

Morningstar grit his teeth. "What did you do?"

"I activated the effect of Cydemon Rook in the Graveyard," Zahhak revealed. "Once, I can reduce an instance of battle damage to 0. And since the Damage Step is over, your Xyz Monster's attack points return to normal."

 **Cyspirit Martial Mameluke ATK 5300→2800**

Morningstar narrowed his eyes. "I end my turn."

"And with the end of your turn comes the rest of Cydemon Rook's effect," Zahhak said. "When its effect is activated, it Special Summons itself at the end of the Battle Phase." The heavyset demon with a mace reappeared in Attack Position.

 **Cydemon Rook ATK 1800 DEF 600 LVL: 4**

Zahhak slowed his D-Board down so that he became parallel with Morningstar. "Congratulations," he said. "It has been four years since I have taken any damage in a duel. Take pride in that achievement."

"Four years?" Cypher repeated. "That's impossible. No one can duel for four years and not take any damage."

"You, the creator of this Deck, must know the strength of the Cydemons, Silver Ignis," Zahhak said. "In this, I speak only the truth. And yet… your efforts aren't enough to satisfy me."

"Satisfy?" Morningstar repeated.

"As a small measure of respect, and to show you just how large the gap between us is, I will grant you a glimpse of true power," Zahhak said. "And know that I have a slightly better opinion of you than the faceless masses."

He sped away and placed his hand above his Duel Disk. "My turn! Draw!"

 _Even if he Link Summons again, I still have Cyspirit Battle Barrier Set,_ Morningstar thought. _And without Cydemon Shrine, he can't prevent its activation. And even if he destroys it, I can still use Battle Barrier's effect in the Graveyard._

"I activate the effect of Cydemon Pawn in my Graveyard!" Zahhak declared. "Once, I can Special Summon a Dark Cyberse Link Monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. Resurrect, Covetous Leviathan!" The armored demoness reappeared.

 **Cydevil Covetous Leviathan ATK 2500 LINK-3** ↙↓↘

"With its effects negated, Covetous Leviathan can't equip Martial Mameluke to it," Cypher noted. Then his eyes widened. "Oh no. No, he can't be-!"

"Appear! The circuit of infinite darkness!" Morningstar looked from Cypher to Zahhak as the Link portal appeared. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Dark Cyberse monsters. I set Rook and Link-3 Covetous Leviathan in the Link Markers!" His monsters turned into dark red whirlwinds and entered the left, right, bottom-left, and bottom-right arrows. "Circuit combine! The embodiment of pride who demands obedience! Link Summon! Appear! Link-4! Cydevil Prideful Helel!"

A black cocoon emerged from the portal. But then the cocoon split open, revealing that it was in fact eight black feathery wings with red spines. The wings were attached to a masculine figure with gray skin. He wore black greaves with red gems set in the knees and black boots with red claws on the ends. A black hip cape with a red interior hung around his waist, held in place by a black belt. Black armor encircled his torso, with red sections on the sides. Black gauntlets with red claws, black vambraces, and black rerebraces covered his arms. But what drew Morningstar's attention the most was his face. Black hair that fell down to his shoulders framed his solid red almond-shaped eyes. While the skin was gray, it was flawless and without pores. His was a face that could only be described as inhumanely beautiful, far beyond anything a human could ever achieve. And those perfect eyes were filled with disdain, as the flawless lips curled into a sneer of arrogance directed at his wielder's opponent. The fallen angel extended his right hand. A black scythe with red serrated edges materialized in its hand. The monster leered at Morningstar and Martial Mameluke as it was summoned to the Extra Monster Zone.

 **Cydevil Prideful Helel ATK 3000 LINK-4** ←↙↘→

"W-What the…?" Morningstar said, his eyes wide.

"A Link-4 with 3000 attack points?" Soulburner said in surprise.

Cassiel stared at the monster and then clutched her chest. This monster… it radiated power. In a way that she hadn't felt before.

"Oh, this is bad, partner," Cypher said.

"Cypher, what is that?" Morningstar whispered. The pressure he had felt from when Zahhak first appeared had returned, only with double the force behind it.

"That, my friend, is the second most powerful monster in the Cydemon Deck, right after its Link-5. It's the embodiment of the greatest of the seven deadly sins. The sin of pride."

* * *

"Aww, c'mon!"

Ai looked around as he and Playmaker returned to LINK VRAINS. After dueling Earth and finding out he knew nothing about Bohman, his friend had kicked them out of his world!

"We only dueled to help Earth kill time! What a joke!" Ai glared at his partner. "C'mon, say something! Aren't you annoyed?"

Playmaker frowned. _The Cyberse World will soon break apart,_ he thought, remembering Earth's repetition of the Water Ignis's, Aqua's, words. _Why do I feel uneasy?_

Ai sighed. "Well, it was still good to see Earth. Though he could have at least stayed to say hello to Cypher and-!"

BA-BUMP

Playmaker and Ai both gasped and clutched their chests. "What the-?" Ai said before looking off into the distance. "Playmaker! There's a really powerful presence over that way!"

Playmaker grit his teeth. "What is that?" he wondered.

* * *

"I see you are now starting to understand," Zahhak said. "The difference in power between you and me, and just how beneath me you are. Allow me to drive it home." He gestured to his field. "Prideful Helel's monster effect! Once per turn, when it points to no monsters and I have four or more Dark Cyberse monsters in my Graveyard, I can target one of your monsters. I target Martial Mameluke!"

The fallen angel disdainfully raised his left hand as a magic circle formed above it. A red aura appeared around Morningstar's Xyz Monster.

"What's he doing?" Soulburner wondered.

"Prideful Helel's effect then banishes every card you control, except the targeted monster, until your Standby Phase, and you cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect!" Zahhak finished. Morningstar gasped.

"What?!" Cassiel shouted, her eyes wide.

"Go! Reckoning of Pride!" Prideful Helel spread his wings, which emitted a dark red light. Morningstar watched in horror as his Set Battle Barrier disintegrated.

"But… but without that Set card," Cassiel said, her eyes wide.

"And no cards in his hand," Soulburner muttered.

"Morningstar is powerless against that monster," Flame finished their thought.

"Morningstar!"

The former bounty hunter turned, and his eyes widened as he saw Playmaker approach them. "Playmaker!"

"Oi, what's going- AAAHHH!" Ai screeched when he saw Prideful Helel. "W-What is that monster?"

Playmaker stared wide-eyed at the Link Monster. "A demon?"

Zahhak ignored the hacker's interruption and moved his D-Board alongside Morningstar. "This duel is over, child," he said. "Remember what I asked? Can you keep up with me? Well now I have my answer." A red light shone in his mask. "You could not. Not even for a second. So realize your own weakness and fall into despair!"

Morningstar grit his teeth as Zahhak sped away. "Battle!" he declared. "Prideful Helel's additional effect! During the Battle Phase, if it is not linked and I have four or more Dark Cyberse monsters in my Graveyard, its attack points are doubled!"

 **Cydevil Prideful Helel ATK 3000→6000**

"End this farce of a duelist!" Zahhak said. "Ruin of Superbia!" The fallen angel hefted and then swung his scythe. The top went flying off, connected to the handle by a long chain.

"Morningstar!" Cassiel screamed.

"This is bad, partner!" Cypher shouted. "We don't have any way to stop this attack!"

Morningstar grit his teeth. "I'm sorry, Cypher," he said. Then he pressed a button on his Duel Disk.

"Huh?" Cypher gasped as his form started to waver. "Wait, what are you-? AAAHHH!" Cypher screeched as his body shattered.

The scythe's head and chain wrapped themselves around Martial Mameluke. The tip impaled the skeleton in its chest and made it cry out in pain. Prideful Helel gave his opponent one last disdainful look before he yanked his scythe back. The head tore through Martial Mameluke's body, shredding it in a massive explosion.

The backlash of the explosion struck Morningstar, who cried out as he was knocked off his D-Board. Looking up, he saw Zahhak. Standing proud on his own D-Board. And though he could not see his face, he knew his enemy was glaring at him with disdain.

 _Why?_ he wondered. _Is he just that strong? Or am I just that weak?_

 **Morningstar: 100→0 LP**

* * *

 **Morningstar vs. Zahhak**

This Duel is conducted as a Speed Duel.

 **Turn 1: Zahhak**

By discarding Cydemon Knight, Zahhak activates the Continuous Spell Card Cydemon Shrine. Since he controls no monsters, Zahhak activates Cydemon Shrine's effect to Special Summon 1 "Cydemon" monster from his hand or GY in Attack Position. He Special Summons Cydemon Duke (2600/600/7) in Attack Position from his hand. Zahhak Normal Summons Cydemon Pawn (600/600/1). As there is at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in his GY, Zahhak activates Cydemon Pawn's effect to draw cards equal to the number of DARK Cyberse monsters in his Main Monster Zone, but he cannot add cards from his Deck to his hand for the rest of the turn. He draws 2 cards. Zahhak Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 2: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He Normal Summons Cyspirit Teleporter (500/1500/3). He uses Teleporter to Link Summon Cyspirit Cacophonic Caller (500/1/↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. Morningstar activates Cacophonic Caller's effect to Special Summon Cyspirit Kid (300/200/1) from his Deck to its Link Marker in Attack Position, but it cannot attack and is destroyed during the End Phase. Morningstar uses Kid and Cacophonic Caller to Link Summon Cyspirit Mad Mongrel (2000/2/↑↓) to the left Extra Monster Zone. Zahhak activates his Set Continuous Trap Card Cydemon Avaritia, which prevents Morningstar from targeting his Dark Cyberse monsters with card effects. As it was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar activates Kid's effect, targeting Cydemon Avaritia, but as there is a monster in the Extra Monster Zone, Cydemon Avaritia's effect prevents Zahhak's "Cydemon" Spell/Trap Cards from being destroyed by Morningstar's card effects. As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Prisoner and Link-2 Mad Mongrel to Link Summon Cyspirit Rapid Revolutionary (2200/3/↙↑↓) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Prisoner was used to Link Summon a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" card from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Linker to his hand. As he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Linker (1700/800/4) to Rapid Revolutionary's bottom-left Link Marker in Attack Position. Morningstar Sets 1 card.

Rapid Revolutionary attacks Cydemon Duke. Zahhak activates the effect of Cydemon Knight in his GY, targeting Cydemon Duke. Until the end of the turn, any damage lower than or equal to Duke's original ATK becomes 0. As Rapid Revolutionary points to at least 1 monster and is battling a non-Link Monster, it gains 500 ATK during the Damage Step (Rapid Revolutionary: 2200→2700). Cydemon Duke is destroyed, but Zahhak takes no damage (Rapid Revolutionary: 2700→2200). Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 3: Zahhak**

Zahhak draws. He activates the Spell Card Cydemon Sacrifice, Tributing Cydemon Pawn to do so. He can then add 1 "Cydemon" monster with a different Level than the Tributed monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cydemon Bishop to his hand. As he controls no monsters, Zahhak activates Shrine's effect to Special Summon Cydemon Knight (2200/600/6) from his GY in Attack Position. Zahhak Normal Summons Cydemon Bishop (1600/600/3). As there is at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in the GY, Zahhak activates Bishop's effect to Special Summon Cydemon Duke (2600/600/7) from the GY in Defense Position. Zahhak Sets 1 card.

Knight attacks Rapid Revolutionary. Morningstar attempts to activate his Set Cyspirit Battle Barrier, but Shrine's effect prevents him from activating any Spell/Trap Cards when a DARK Cyberse monster attacks. At the start of the Damage Step, as Zahhak has at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in his GY and it is attacking a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, Knight's effect activates, banishing Rapid Revolutionary and inflicting damage to Morningstar equal to Rapid Revolutionary's original ATK (Morningstar: 4000→1800 LP). Zahhak ends his turn.

 **Turn 4: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. He activates the Spell Card Cyberse Call, which lets him add 1 Level 4 or lower Cyberse monster from his Deck to his hand. He adds Cyspirit Dancer from his Deck to his hand. Morningstar Normal Summons Cyspirit Dancer (1000/200/2). As Dancer was Normal Summoned while he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar can Special Summon 1 Level 2 or lower "Cyspirit" monster from his hand or Deck in Attack Position with its effects negated. He Special Summons Cyspirit Coder (0/0/1) from his Deck. He uses Dancer and Linker to Link Summon Cyspirit Jubilant Jester (1800/2/↙↘) to the right Extra Monster Zone. As Dancer was used to Link Summon Jubilant Jester, it gains 600 ATK (Jubilant Jester: 1800→2400). He then activates the effect of Cyberse Call in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon 1 Cyberse monster from his GY. He Special Summons Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Coder and Prisoner to Link Summon Cyspirit Thrilled Tunneler (1600/2/←→). As Prisoner was used to Link Summon Thrilled Tunneler, Morningstar adds Cyspirit Valkyrie from his Deck to his hand. While Jubilant Jester points to at least 1 monster, all "Cyspirit" monsters Morningstar controls gain 400 ATK/DEF (Jubilant Jester: 2400→2800) (Thrilled Tunneler: 1600→2000). Morningstar activates the effect of Teleporter in his GY, banishing it to Special Summon Dancer (1000→1400/200→600/2) from his GY in Attack Position. As he controls a "Cyspirit" monster, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Valkyrie (2100→2500/400→800/5) from his hand in Attack Position. Morningstar uses Dancer, Valkyrie, and Link-2 Thrilled Tunneler to Link Summon Cyspirit Neo Nova (2500→2900/4/←↖↗→) to Jubilant Jester's bottom-left Link Marker. As Dancer was used to Link Summon Neo Nova, it gains 600 ATK (Neo Nova: 2900→3500). Morningstar activates Coder's effect in the GY, banishing it and targeting Neo Nova. Until the end of the turn, Neo Nova is treated as pointing to a number of monsters equal to its Link Rating. Zahhak activates his Set Quick-Play Spell Card Cydemon Unity, which lets him Link Summon 1 DARK Cyberse Link Monster using "Cydemon" monsters he controls as material. Zahhak uses Bishop, Duke, and Knight to Link Summon Cydevil Covetous Leviathan (2500/3/↙↓↘) to the Extra Monster Zone. Unity's second effect activates, letting Zahhak target and negate the effects of 1 card Morningstar controls until the end of the turn. He targets Neo Nova. While Covetous Leviathan is on the field, linked monsters cannot declare an attack. Morningstar Sets 1 card. He ends his turn.

 **Turn 5: Zahhak**

Zahhak draws. He Normal Summons Cydemon Rook (1800/600/4). As he has at least 3 "Cydemon" monsters in his GY and it points to no monsters, Zahhak activates Covetous Leviathan's effect, targeting Neo Nova. Neo Nova is equipped to Covetous Leviathan, and Covetous Leviathan gains ATK equal to Neo Nova's original ATK (Covetous Leviathan: 2500→5000) (Jubilant Jester: 2800→2400). Morningstar activates his Set Trap Card Cyspirit Emergence, which lets him banish 1 monster from Zahhak's GY and increase the ATK of 1 "Cyspirit" monster he controls by that monster's Level times 200. He banishes Knight from Zahhak's GY and targets Jubilant Jester (Jubilant Jester: 2400→3600).

Covetous Leviathan attacks and destroys Jubilant Jester (Morningstar: 1800→400 LP). Rook attacks Morningstar directly, but Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Battler in his hand, Special Summoning it (1500/700/4) in Attack Position. A replay occurs and Rook attacks and destroys Battler (Morningstar: 400→100 LP). As Battler was destroyed by battle, Morningstar can add 1 "Cyspirit" monster from his GY to his hand. He adds Prisoner from his GY to his hand. Zahhak ends his turn.

 **Turn 6: Morningstar**

Morningstar draws. As he has 1000 or less LP, he activates his Skill, Hurricane Heavensgate, and adds Cyspirit Martial Mameluke from the Data Storm to his Extra Deck. As there is a Cyberse Link Monster on the field, Morningstar Special Summons Cyspirit Prisoner (1600/2100/5) in Attack Position. He then Normal Summons Cyspirit Archer (1500/0/4). He activates Archer's effect, targeting Prisoner and letting him change Prisoner's Level to between 1 and 6. He changes Prisoner's Level to 4 (Prisoner: 5→4). Morningstar overlays Archer and Prisoner to Xyz Summon Cyspirit Martial Mameluke (2800/2300/4) to the Extra Monster Zone in Attack Position. As Martial Mameluke was Xyz Symmoned using only "Cyspirit" monsters as material, all cards in Zahhak's Spell & Trap Zones are returned to their owners' Decks. Neo Nova is returned to Morningstar's Extra Deck, and Avaritia and Shrine are returned to Zahhak's Deck (Covetous Leviathan: 5000→2500).

Martial Mameluke attacks Covetous Leviathan. As it is attacking a Special Summoned monster, Martial Mameluke's effect activates, and Morningstar detaches 1 Overlay Unit (Martial Mameluke: 2 OU→1 OU) to increase Martial Mameluke's ATK by Covetous Leviathan's ATK during damage calculation (Martial Mameluke: 2800→5300). Zahhak attempts to activate the effect of Cydemon Bishop in his GY, but Martial Mameluke's effect prevents him from targeting monsters on the field with card effects during the Battle Phase. The attack continues, and Zahhak activates Cydemon Rook's effect. As his monster would be destroyed by battle, he can destroy Rook instead (Zahhak: 4000→1200 LP) (Martial Mameluke: 5300→2800). Morningstar activates the effect of Cyspirit Archer in his GY, targeting Martial Mameluke. By banishing Archer, Martial Mameluke can make a second attack during each Battle Phase this turn. Martial Mameluke attacks Covetous Leviathan. Morningstar activates Martial Mameluke's effect, detaching 1 Overlay Unit (Martial Mameluke: 1 OU→0 OU) (Martial Mameluke: 2800→5300). Martial Mameluke destroys Covetous Leviathan, but Zahhak activates the effect of Rook in his GY, reducing the battle damage to 0 (Martial Mameluke: 5300→2800). At the end of the Battle Phase, Rook's effect Special Summons itself (1800/600/4) in Attack Position, but it will be banished when it leaves the field. Morningstar ends his turn.

 **Turn 7: Zahhak**

Zahhak draws. He activates the effect of Cydemon Pawn in his GY to Special Summon 1 DARK Cyberse Link Monster from his GY with its effects negated. He Special Summons Covetous Leviathan (2500/3/↙↓↘). Zahhak uses Rook and Link-3 Covetous Leviathan to Link Summon Cydevil Prideful Helel (3000/4/←↙↘→) to the Extra Monster Zone. As it left the field, Rook is banished. As it points to no monsters and Zahhak has at least 4 DARK Cyberse monsters in his GY, he activates Prideful Helel's effect, targeting Martial Mameluke. All other cards Morningstar controls are banished until his next Standby Phase, and Morningstar cannot activate cards or effects in response to the activation of this effect. Morningstar's Set Cyspirit Battle Barrier is banished.

During the Battle Phase, Prideful Helel's ATK becomes double its original ATK (Prideful Helel: 3000→6000). Prideful Helel attacks and destroys Martial Mameluke (Morningstar: 100→0 LP). Zahhak wins.

* * *

 _ **Cydemon Pawn  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 600 DEF 600 Level: 1  
_ _Once, while this card is in your GY: You can target 1 DARK Cyberse Link Monster in your GY; Special Summon it with its effects negated. If there is at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in your GY, this card gains the following effect:  
_ _-Once while this Normal Summoned card is face-up on the field: You can draw cards equal to the number of DARK Cyberse monsters in your Main Monster Zone. You cannot add cards from the Deck to your hand for the rest of this turn after this card resolves._

 _ **Cydemon Rook  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1800 DEF 600 Level: 4  
_ _Once, while this card is in your GY: You can reduce 1 instance of battle damage to 0, and if you do, Special Summon this card to your field at the end of the Battle Phase, but banish it when it leaves the field. If there is at least 1 "Cydemon" monster in your GY, this card gains the following effect:  
_ _-If your monster, except "Cydemon Rook", would be destroyed by battle, you can destroy this card instead. You can only activate this effect of "Cydemon Rook" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Archer  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Effect] ATK 1500 DEF 0 Level: 4  
_ _Once per turn: You can target 1 "Cyspirit" monster you control; change that monster's Level to between 1 and 6 until the end of the turn. You can banish this card from your GY and target 1 "Cyspirit" monster you control (Quick Effect); it can make a second attack during each Battle Phase this turn. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Archer" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Martial Mameluke  
**_ _Attribute: LIGHT Type: [Cyberse/Xyz/Effect] ATK 2800 DEF 2300 Rank: 4  
_ _2 Level 4 Cyberse monsters  
_ _If this card is Xyz Summoned using only "Cyspirit" monsters as material: You can return all cards in your opponent's Spell & Trap Zone to their owners' Decks. You can only activate this effect of "Cyspirit Martial Mameluke" once per turn. When this card attacks an opponent's Special Summoned monster: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; this card gains ATK equal to the current ATK of the opponent's monster it is battling during damage calculation only. During the Battle Phase, your opponent cannot target monsters on the field with card effects._

 _ **Cydevil Prideful Helel  
**_ _Attribute: DARK Type: [Cyberse/Link/Effect] ATK 3000 LINK-4_ ←↙↘→  
 _2+ DARK Cyberse monsters  
_ _The effects of all linked monsters your opponent controls are negated. Once, while this card is in your GY: You can target up to 2 "Cydemon" monsters in your GY; Special Summon them in Defense Position. If you have 4 or more DARK Cyberse monsters in your GY and this card points to no monsters, this card gains the following effects:  
_ _-During the Battle Phase, this card's ATK becomes double its original ATK. Once per turn: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; banish all cards your opponent controls, except the targeted monster, also other monsters you control cannot attack. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect's activation. During your opponent's next Standby Phase, place any card(s) banished by this card's effect in the same Zone it was in when it was banished._

 _ **Cydemon Avaritia Continuous Trap Card  
**_ _Your opponent cannot target DARK Cyberse monsters you control with card effects. If there is a monster in the Extra Monster Zone: "Cydemon" Spell/Trap Cards you control cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects. If there are no "Cydemon" monsters in your GY, destroy this card._

 _ **Cydemon Sacrifice Normal Spell Card  
**_ _Tribute 1 "Cydemon" monster you control; add 1 "Cydemon" monster with a different Level from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate "Cydemon Sacrifice" once per turn._

 _ **Cydemon Unity Quick-Play Spell Card  
**_ _Immediately after this effect resolves, Link Summon 1 DARK Cyberse Link Monster using "Cydemon" monster(s) you control as material, and if you do, you can target 1 card your opponent controls; negate that card's effects until the end of the turn. You can only activate "Cydemon Unity" once per turn._

 _ **Cyspirit Emergence Normal Trap Card  
**_ _Target 1 "Cyspirit" monster you control and 1 monster in your opponent's GY; banish the second target and increase the first target's ATK by that monster's Level x 200 until the end of the turn. You can only activate "Cyspirit Emergence" once per turn._

* * *

 _ **Chapter Preview**_

 _Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS: Hidden Memories. Chapter 44 – The Girl with the Cyangels. Morningstar has lost. Enraged at their friend's defeat, Playmaker, Soulburner, and Cassiel confront Zahhak, challenging him to duel them. The unintimidated Enforcer accepts their challenges, when…_

* * *

 **Question of the Chapter**

Which Hidden Memories original archetype do you wish would be made into a real world Deck the most?

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

I wonder how many of you saw that ending coming. How many thought it would be a no result or a draw. But no; Morningstar has lost to Zahhak. I feel confident enough to say that Zahhak is, without a doubt, the strongest duelist in Hidden Memories season 2. Overcoming him will be a major challenge for our protagonists.

Thank you to SakushiRyu and sanedimentio for helping me with Morningstar's first Xyz Monster. Further thanks to the former for offering feedback on Cydemon Pawn's and Rook's appearances. But I didn't tell anyone about Prideful Helel's existence. No, that I wanted to be a surprise. And for anyone who's curious about Helel, or the history of the mamelukes, you can always Google them; I'm not your theology or history teacher.

Now, I hate to say this, but there's a chance that the next updates might be late. Not because of video games this time; I was installing a new PSU into my desktop and my SSD started acting up. I'm not sure if I'll be able to fix it or if I'll have to buy a new one. Until then, I'll be making do with my laptop. Thankfully, this won't impact my work too much; hooray for OneDrive and Dropbox! Hopefully, I'll be able to fix this soon, but my luck isn't always good.

That depressing speech aside, let me talk about Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS.

* * *

 **The ending of VRAINS**

I'll split this into two parts: My opinion on VRAINS' last few episodes and my opinion on VRAINS as a whole.

I loved Ai's and Playmaker's duel. The action and moves were top-notch, the fight between Firewall Dragon Darkfluid and The Arrival Cyberse was amazing, and the ending between Dark Templar and Decode Talker was perfect. The emotions and reveals of the episodes were also heartbreaking, particularly what Ai revealed after he lost. He didn't turn against humanity because his existence would lead to their extinction; he did it because it would lead to Yusaku's death. On the one hand, it's touching that no matter how many turn against Ai, Yusaku would always stand by his side. On the other hand, watching Ai break down over his partner's and best friend's possible death is horrifying.

As for VRAINS as a whole, I loved this series. I do wish there had been less recap episodes and that season 3 had lasted longer, if for no other reason than to give more time and character development for characters like Aoi and Pandor. But then again, that's what fanfiction is for, right?

As for how VRAINS's ending will impact Hidden Memories, I'll just say this: that while season 3 might start out similarly to canon, it will eventually diverge and end _way_ differently. This is partly because of the inclusions of Cypher and the Gold Ignis, but also because of Zahhak, Jester, and the one they serve. So I hope you guys look forward to what I have planned.

Thank you for reading Chapter 43 of Hidden Memories. I hope you enjoyed it.


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